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Griselda Blanco has now caught the spotlight, thanks to Netflix's latest series, Griselda, which is doing quite a fruitful round in the world of OTT entertainment. The Sofia Vergara-led show focuses on the life of the Colombian businesswoman and her drug cartel, which was once one of the strongest and most influential drug businesses in the world.
The real figure of Griselda Blanco is just as fascinating as the one Netflix depicted in their show with Vergara. Blanco came from Colombian poverty and had known the face of violence from a young age. She developed into a lady who could formulate the most cunning plans and could kill people without flinching.
With Griselda garnering a lot of fanfare, here are seven facts about the real Griselda Blanco that are hard to believe.
From her first murder to JFK kidnapping plot: 7 mind-blowing facts about Griselda Blanco
1) Blanco committed her first murder at the age of 11
In what seems to be a made-up detail, Blanco allegedly committed her first murder. She kidnapped a young boy from a neighboring village for ransom. When the family refused to pay, Blanco shot the kid between the eyes without much hesitation, kickstarting a criminal career that would take her very far.
2) Blanco is believed to be responsible for over 200 deaths
The drug queen of Colombia was pretty much one of the richest drug leaders in the world, but she may have directly been responsible for more than 200 murders. Sadly, there is no incriminating evidence to support the actual number of Blanco's murders, with reports varying between 40 and 240.
Anyhow, both are extremely high figures.
3) She is credited with developing drug-smuggling underwear
Griselda Blanco was required to smuggle a lot of drugs to the United States to run her business. She and her group apparently managed to produce 3,400 lb of cocaine every month. This led to her inventing a kind of underwear where there were secret compartments for drugs.
Blanco manufactured and sold this line of underwear.
4) Blanco went on a full-fledged war with Pablo Escobar
With her business flourishing fast, rivals were always going to take a keen interest in her and her cartel. This eventually came from Pablo Escobar, the king of the Cocaine industry.
Their face-off led to multiple assassination attempts on each other amidst a growing dispute between the people on both sides. Escobar always held the upper hand in the battle, being the leader of the world's strongest cartel.
5) She managed to avoid a death penalty because of a Phone S*x Scandal
Griselda Blanco was slated to receive the death penalty in the state of Florida, with her former hitman Jorge Ayala as the key witness to the numerous misdeeds that the businesswoman committed.
However, when Ayala's s*xual relationship with two of the secretaries at the Miami-Dade state attorney’s office came to light, it also brought down his credibility, leading to the State not having enough evidence to send Blanco to the death row.
Many still believe that Blanco or her men orchestrated the affair, which eventually led to Ayala self-sabotaging his credibility and saving the drug queen.
6) Blanco planned to kidnap John F. Kennedy Jr.
After getting caught, Blanco came up with the bright idea of having her cartel members kidnap John F. Kennedy Jr. in a bid to negotiate her release. This elaborate plan, however, could not come to fruition with her being behind bars.
7) Griselda Blanco was murdered by a method that she helped invent
The signature Blanco cartel killings involved her henchmen riding on fast motorcycles and shooting targets before zooming off in speed before anyone understood what was going on.
After her release from prison in 2012, Blanco became the target of the same method as a middle-aged man stepped down from the motorcycle and shot her to death outside a butcher's shop before rapidly riding away.
It was speculated that it was one of many enemies Blanco made in the past. She was 69 years old when she died.
For these and more shocking facts about the Colombian Drug Lord, you can catch Griselda on Netflix.
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