He Helped Found La Eme, Got Slapped & Got Life Over A Weed Shop At 83: Mexican Mafia's Rube Soto

Rube Soto, a founding member of the Mexican Mafia, survived six decades of prison, violence, and organized crime—and outlived nearly every man from La Eme’s original generation. California court records identified him as a founding member of the Mexican Mafia, a man younger members continued to treat as a padrino long after most of his peers were dead. Soto’s criminal record stretched from burglary and armed robbery to a sawed-off shotgun case that once brought him a decades-long sentence. Inside prison, his name still carried enough weight that when longtime member Samuel “Negro” Villalba slapped him, the violation triggered retaliation that followed Villalba for years. After leaving Pelican Bay at seventy-six, Soto became involved in “the Project,” an alliance between the Mexican Mafia and La Familia Michoacana involving methamphetamine, protection, debt collection, and money sent back to imprisoned members. But the case that finally ended his freedom was smaller and more ordinary: the extortion of a marijuana dispensary in Valley Village. Business owner Timothy Cullen refused to keep paying and became the witness prosecutors needed. In 2019, Soto was convicted of extortion by threat or force, along with a gang enhancement that exposed him to a possible life sentence. His conviction was later upheld on appeal. This documentary examines how one of La Eme’s oldest surviving members maintained his standing into his eighties—and how a weed shop, one slap, and six decades of loyalty finally caught up with him. This video is based on court records, federal filings, published reporting, recorded conversations, and witness testimony. Some allegations are presented according to prosecutors, investigators, and individuals involved in the cases. Subscribe for more documented stories about the Mexican Mafia, prison gangs, organized crime, and the people who lived inside that world. Where are you watching from? Let us know in the comments. #MexicanMafia #RubeSoto #PrisonGangs