With chubby cheeks and thinning grey hair pulled severely back, Griselda Blanco Restrepo could have passed
for someone’s gran, but this “Cocaine Godmother” was more the stuff of nightmares than fairytales.
Her reign of terror over 20 years in Colombia, New York, and Miami left an estimated 200 people dead, including her three husbands and the many men who helped her build a $3 billion drug empire.
At one point, she was making more than $100 million a month smuggling and selling cocaine, and she was even rumoured to strike fear into the hearts of some of the most evil men in the world, including notorious Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who killed an estimated 4000 people.
“The only man I was ever afraid of was a woman named Griselda Blanco,” Pablo once admitted.
POWER & PRECISION
Griselda was born into poverty in Colombia in 1943, proving at a tender age that she was willing to do anything to escape her lot by kidnapping and attempting to ransom a child from a wealthy family. When they refused to pay, 11-year-old Griselda shot the boy dead.
Ten years later, she had illegally immigrated to New York with her second husband Alberto Bravo - after divorcing her first husband Carlos Trujillo, who she later executed over a business disagreement, and her three sons, Osvaldo, Uber, and Dixon, from her first marriage.
Denne historien er fra January 28, 2024-utgaven av Woman’s Day Magazine NZ.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 28, 2024-utgaven av Woman’s Day Magazine NZ.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
JESS' TEARS OVER JUSTIN'S SHOCK ARREST!
Jessica Biel is reeling after her husband Justin Timberlake's shock arrest in the Hamptons during a night off from his Forget Tomorrow World Tour.
NICHOLAS GALITZINE 'I WAS DRIPPING IN JEWELS!
The actor discusses working with Julianne Moore on Mary & George, from Wednesday on TVNZ+
JUDGE JAY-JAY
More FM radio diva Jay-Jay Feeney delivers her verdict on your biggest dilemmas
KIWI BROADWAY DARLING MY BATTLE WITH ANOREXIA
Theatre queen Scarlett reveals her behind-the-scenes struggle
EMMA'S PREGNANCY NIGHTMARE 'I SPENT ALL DAY VOMITING!'
The Matakana mum's morning sickness was so extreme, she was hospitalised 20 times
CHIEFS STAR EMONI'S HEALING JOURNEY
How family helped the rising rugby star bounce back from his shattered Rugby World Cup dreams
AMANDA KNOX'S NEW LIFE DOTING MUM & CRIME PODCASTER
From Italian prison to US podcast host, Amanda has reinvented herself in a big way
SHORTY STARS EMMETT & HOLLY'S HIDDEN HEARTBREAK
The acting duo reveal why a tragic loss has left them scared of starting a family
PIRIPI & STEPH WHAT REALLY HAPPENED!
The groom's TV confession left his bride reeling from the start
POSH & BECKS SECRET DIVORCE
A bombshell book has opened up painful wounds for the family