We started a little prison gang, and we came up with the name, Mexican Mafia. And I shot
heroin for 23 years. I know man, if it wasn't for me using heroin, I wouldn't have done what I did.
Donald Big D Garcia is a prison legend, but that was not the plan. According to him,
My father was shot and killed when I was only two years old. Because of that
I wanted to be a cop, so I could put away bad people. Things didn't turn out that way.
Over time Donald's drug fueled rage turned what had been a nice boy into a heartless criminal,
an inmate serving over 30 years in maximum security cells. And eventually a killer.
After being arrested for murder, Big D took his street smarts onto the prison.
There, he earned respect through his fists, becoming a boxing champion in every institution he entered.
His viciousness did not end in the ring, however, and he began earning nicknames like The Barbarian,
The Fiendish One, and The Death Merchant. This last moniker was well warranted. As friends said,
There is always death around you. Big D is believed to have committed at least two
murders in Folsom Prison alone. Becoming tired of watching other gangs manipulate Mexican inmates,
Donald and a handful of friends started what would become one of the biggest, most feared
prison gangs of all time ,the Mexican Mafia. I first met Big D while riding with him on a bus
entering Donovan State Prison. I had no idea at the time who he was. I was there as a visitor, and this
was my first experience in a level four yard. When I confessed to Donald that I was a little nervous,
he replied, Yeah, so am I. What I didn't realize was that he was not rattled
about hearing the iron door shut behind him. That sound for him was like a bedtime story.
It turned out that he was a keynote speaker for Bill Glass Ministries, and was about to tell the
story of how he had gone from a heartless killer to someone who had found forgiveness and change
through the Gospel of Peace. No matter what, however, Big D never forgot the years of doing hard time
and the notorious gang he helped start. Look closely at the rare footage of Big D speaking, and
you will see a faded M tattoo on his wrist. I had the privilege of interviewing Donald several times.
He told the war stories about how he and other friends had spun a u-turn toward God.
Some of those friends include actor Danny Trejo, the legendary Kilroy, and Mongol Motorcycle Club
co-founder, Big Al Aceves. Through prison ministry, Big Al and Big D became tight.
I'll let Al take the story from here. Yeah, I met Donald at Chaffey College.
And we were both on the panel, and Donald was there with some other guys, and I was there with a
Christian guy. Donald's a Christian, don't get me wrong, but Donald was right there, saying how
he's doing all this gang working, and so when it came to me, you know, like he was looking at
me like he wanted to kill me. He said, Go and say something, say something. After that day, me and
Donald became friends. So, when Donald was gonna pass, he had some of his closest friends call me,
and after I got the third call I said, I'm on my way. I called a friend of mine, meet me here.
We're gonna go to Big D's house, and pray for him. And I remember I went in there,
and his stomach was just sticking out. I've seen that before, because in prison I was a hospice,
and when the guys were dying, theirs their bellies would just
get out there. And his was out there. And I'm looking at all these guys that are
there, and they're looking at me, you know, like who's this tramp, came in here, right. They were,
you could tell, they were once big-time criminals, and they're looking at me. I'm in a t-shirt,
Levi's or shorts, you know. I'm not like...I don't get all dressed up. I go do what God would have me do.
And I went there, and he said, Oh Al, man I'm glad you made it, and I'm in pain. I said, Are you
taking anything? And he looked me right in the eye, Big D did, and he said, I don't want to take no pills.
I don't want to lose my victory because I'm loaded because I'm dying. I accept the pain.
In Jesus name I accept the pain. And I prayed for donald. I prayed for him, and then I left,
me my friend left. But every time I would see him or I would call him, it was always
a good, good genuine thing. We used to go together with Bill Glass Ministries into the prison.
And one day Donald, he was sharp, that guy was always sharp, spit shine shoes, every crease perfect.
And I see him walking in. And it was a three-day event, and I see him, so I went over there, got
his shoes, got his clothes, and he was carrying his bag. He goes, What are you doing, Al? i said,
Man, helping you to get this to your room. So we put it up there in this room, and man
he just sets everything perfect. And he goes, you know, he says,
I'm so grateful
what God has done for me.
And I didn't look at him no more like the head of the mob or a killer. Donald was a bad boy.
Right, I didn't look at him like that. I looked at him... he just taught me something,
he just taught me to always be humble, always remember what you were, men of God that never
forgot who they were. They never forgot; they always helped the poor always, always.
As a gangster and a prison boxing champion, Donald Garcia was as hardcore as they come.
The same was true of his walk with God. He was a warrior in the fight to the end.
If you like this video, check out God N Gangsters. There's all kinds of
other cool videos on there, and you get a variety of people telling their testimony,
talking about life, talking about Jesus, talking about the past, they're talking about a future
and a hope and an eternal life. It's called God N Gangsters, just like the brim says
right here. This is OG Taz coming live to you from Set Free San Diego, California.