'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Griselda Blanco, the cocaine godmother of Miami, died due to fatal gunshots in 2012 in Medellin, Colombia. She met with her end while leading a quiet life due to health issues. The notorious Colombian drug lord ruled the male-dominated field of trafficking and crime for more than twenty years. Also called "Black Widow" for getting her husbands assassinated, the master criminal had garnered many enemies.
She indicted her four sons into her business, besides giving earning opportunities to many women. She is known for taking a ruthless approach to her business and planning innovative methods for drug trafficking. Her rise in the big evil world of crime and trafficking has inspired many movies and shows, including Griselda on Netflix.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Netflix series Griselda.
How and when did crime lord Griselda Blanco die?
Griselda died on September 3, 2012, at the age of 69. She died of two bullets shot at her by an unknown assassin on a motorcycle, killing her on the spot. She passed away before the authorities could reach the place.
Ironically, Blanco is credited with the unique method of killing. She is believed to have introduced the style of assassination by shooting from a drive-by motorcycle in Miami when she ruled the drug cartel.
Being deported from Miami, Blanco was living in Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia, at the time of her death. After being granted a compassionate release from her prison sentence due to her failing health, she was living a quiet life.
On the day of her murder, the 69-year-old had gone to 29th Street to visit the Cardoso butcher shop along with her pregnant daughter-in-law. The shooting happened outside the butcher shop as she exited.
Her daughter-in-law supposedly told the press that Blanco was trying to reform, leaving her past behind and trying her hand in the real estate field. As reported in the Miami New Times, her only surviving son was under house arrest at the time of her death.
Griselda: The biographical Netflix series based on the cocaine queen
On January 25, 2024, Netflix released a miniseries on Blanco titled Griselda, with Sofia Vergara playing the titular role. The series is presented as a biographical crime drama following the rise of the drug lord. Sofia Vergara and Eric Newman are also the co-producers of the show.
Besides Newman, co-creators for the series are Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard, and Ingrid Escajeda. Andres Baiz directs the show. The plot covers only the vital parts of Blanco’s life.
"La Madrina," as Blanco was locally called, was notorious not only for formulating innovative ways to run her business but also for being ruthless towards people who posed a problem for her. While she was a well-known mafia queen and a boss criminal, she is remembered as a ground-breaking entrepreneur for some of her products. One of them is her lingerie shop, specifically designing items to carry drugs.
As per Don Diva Magazine, during her reign in the Miami drug cartel, she made about $8 million, making her one of the wealthiest women at the time. The series also shows how she moved from the Colombian drug scene to Miami at the time when the drug market started to grow in Miami.
As the Netflix show Griselda presented, Blanco was mother to four sons who were also involved in the drug cartel. However, three of her sons, Ozzy, Dixon, and Uber, were killed, presumably by enemy factions. Her youngest son, Michael, survived her but moved away from the drug and crime business to lead a straight life.
Although Michael was looking after the drug cartel after his mother and brothers’ prison sentences, he decided to leave his criminal past behind him after his mother’s death. He currently lives in Miami with his wife and children and owns a lifestyle clothing brand. He has sued Sofia Vergara for permission issues related to the series Griselda.
In conclusion
Griselda Blanco was the owner of a Colombian drug cartel and later moved to Miami. She ran a successful crime business to become one of the wealthiest women of her time. Arrested, sentenced, and then released on health issues, she was deported back to Colombia from Miami.
She met with her gruesome end in Medellin, Colombia, in front of a butcher shop in 2012. Shot twice from a drive-by motorcycle, the 69-year-old died instantly.
The story of her rise to the top of the crime world is covered in Netflix’s recent release, Griselda, which dropped on January 25, 2024.
Obsessed with Crosswords, Wordle, and other word games? Take our quick survey and let us get to know you better!
