Bourdain Sat Down With Two of the Most Dangerous Men Alive | Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:04]Los Angeles, like much of California, used to be part of Mexico. Now, Mexico, where a whole lot of Mexicans are a vital part of us.

[00:00:23]Raul Inosa Oeda is a professor of Chuco studies at UCLA.

[00:00:31]Gish on Washington Boulevard serves specialties from the city of Tlakalula to Maramoros in Wajaka, Mexico.

[00:00:42]>> So, bro, you you know about So, Takalula, right? I mean, this is the market, isn't it?

[00:00:48]>> Placalula is this village, okay, in the middle of a valley, the oldest valley where agriculture was invented in the world. These people who live here lived there for about 10,000 years. So there's archaeological evidence of the seeds actually being manipulated all the way back then.

[00:01:06]>> All the way back then.

[00:01:10]>> And that's where the the the core of of the moles that we're going to eat tonight are from.

[00:01:18]>> Moleenegro or black mole is an incredibly old and sophisticated near magical substance containing over 30 different ingredients.

[00:01:26]It's an old sauce from an old culture used as either a base to build a stew or as a sauce to be poured over meat. But unlike most sauces, the point of mole is the mole itself. The flavor is unique, roasted, sweet, bitter, and spicy all at the same time. And deep, very, very deep.

[00:01:48]Maria Ramos is the owner and chef, the third generation of a family of Barbcoa specialists. Barbcoa being the barbecuing of lamb and goat until it's falling apart perfectly.

[00:02:01]She started out cooking at age 10 at the Sunday market in Placalula.

[00:02:08]>> This family goes back a number of generations to that area. Yes, >> exactly. And they got here because they were migrant workers in the fields of LA and that's where they started working in the restaurant.

[00:02:23]This show will air long after the election.

[00:02:26]Uh there is actually a national conversation out unthinkable in my lifetime where the notion of rounding up however many millions of undocumented workers in this country all at once or in short order and then kicking them all out. I mean it seems unthinkable it but I mean you know they they said that in Europe in the 30s, >> right? Right. No, I think just from a military logistical point of view, there's no way you're going to move the people out of California and out of Los Angeles. I mean, they tried that and 1954 Operation [ __ ] mostly from the fields, moving a million people out, right?

[00:03:03]>> And they did.

[00:03:04]>> Yes.

[00:03:05]>> And what happened?

[00:03:06]>> Well, well, first of all, a a huge amount of US citizens were picked up one day and never came home and families were torn apart. And then the most ironic thing about it, the most tragic thing is that the next couple of years, they said, "You know what? We have to open the borders again to bring them all back. Right?

[00:03:22]>> The problem was we never stopped wanting the workers.

[00:03:28]>> California is number one agricultural state and approximately about 70% of the the labor force is undocumented.

[00:03:35]>> Stuff would rot in the fields just to to start with, >> right? Because number one, who would grow it and bring it here?

[00:03:41]>> Picking it, packing it to a great extent, processing it, uh cooking it, >> serving it, cleaning up after you after it.

[00:03:51]>> I mean, there would not only be no restaurant business and there would be the worst economic crisis in the history of California and the United States.

[00:04:19]Estavan Oriel is a respected and highly sought-after photographer and director known for his sweet portraits.

[00:04:29]He started his career as a nightclub bouncer, pivoting nicely to tour manager for Cypress Hill and House of Pain, taking beautiful photographs along the way. Now, nearly 20 years later, he's famous for capturing perfectly both the glamour and grit of his hometown, Los Angeles.

[00:04:49]Mr. Cartoon is a very famous tattoo artist and designer. Cartoon began airbrushing t-shirts and low riders before adopting and excelling at the legendary fine line style tattoo art.

[00:05:02]His work is sought after by the biggest names in the music industry. And well, anyone who loves truly superb skin art.

[00:05:14]Lena on East 7th is a late night thing down the street from where Cartoon and Estaban used to live. Run by Abigail and her team, the place serves mulletas.

[00:05:25]Not quite a taco, not a quesadilla, more of a taco sandwich. First, the tortilla on the grill, then marinated meat, cheese, then another tortilla. Flip and serve.

[00:05:38]Lena is located in the downtown arts district, but it's right across the bridge from Boil Heights, a workingclass, densely packed neighborhood of about 100,000 residents.

[00:05:48]Nearly 95% are Mexican or Central American.

[00:05:55]>> How Mexican is LA?

[00:05:57]>> How deep does it go?

[00:05:59]>> Mexico, you know what I mean? I mean, >> all the names, all all the people. I mean, it's And you can go into certain parts in East LA in in the harbor area, um, Hollywood area, and see nothing but Latinos. A lot of other areas in LA are they're mixed, you know. But on this side where we're at, you go over that bridge, it's pretty much all Mexican people. And LA is mixed with Salvadorian, Guatemalan people, Central America, too. So they just get called Mexicans anyways. You know, like we're chos, you know, we know we're from here, you know, know we were born here on this side of the line. Our family relatives are from Mexico. We're proud of that and we celebrated our style.

[00:06:41]Look, we live in unbelievable times right now. People are talking about, you know, mass deportations of Mexicans.

[00:06:48]What what what's the problem here?

[00:06:50]Where's this uh fear and loathing come from?

[00:06:52]>> It's just racism is still alive and kicking in America. You know, we really don't hear it from the people we're around. We're around artistic laidback people. You know, >> some idiot said, you know, said we got to do something about this situation.

[00:07:06]All these Mexicans come over. We're going to have a taco truck on every corner. And I'm thinking, is this a bad thing? Where would all these food trucks would be? You know, there was only taco trucks >> a prototype for >> 10 years ago. There wasn't a an Asian fusion truck here, this kind of truck, an Indian food truck, a this truck, you know, >> taco truck. I mean, you opened the door.

[00:07:26]>> Kicked the door down. Yeah.

[00:07:30]>> White America loves Mexican food. I mean, probably more than any other food at this point. You know, they they don't love it. They sure like cheap Mexican labor because they can't live without it, >> right?

[00:07:41]>> Why Why are they so freaked out about Mexicans? You know, nobody's talking about building a building a wall, you know, uh across the Canadian border.

[00:07:50]>> Who's going to help him build a wall?

[00:07:52]You got to have some Mexican power to do that.

[00:07:54]>> That's exactly what I thought.

[00:07:59]>> He's the baddest dude in the history of badass.

[00:08:04]Look up badass in the dictionary.

[00:08:07]It says Tjo.

[00:08:10]Danny Tjo.

[00:08:15]Born in Echo Park in LA, he spent much of his early life in and out of prison, including a stay in San Quentin, where he managed to straighten [ __ ] out, join a 12step program, and rethink his life.

[00:08:27]He came out of the joint as a drug counselor. This led directly, if unexpectedly, to a storied career in film.

[00:08:36]Danny Treyo is known and loved for iconic tough guy roles in such films as Heat.

[00:08:41]>> There's cops all over me, man. They're on me like a chief suit.

[00:08:44]>> From Dusk Till Dawn, Get Out >> and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

[00:08:50]But he finally rose to the action hero leading man status he always deserved, playing machete. This is the boss.

[00:08:59]>> Treyjo's Cantina on Cohenga Boulevard.

[00:09:03]Because of course, grand opening is still a few days away, but I thought since I'm in town, I'd help advise Danny on the new menu. Give him the benefit of my tasty notes. And I got to be honest, I was thinking, how good could it be? Can Machete run a good restaurant? And why?

[00:09:23]>> So, we going to see Tjo tacos all across America at some point. Oh, that'd be awesome. Taco truck on every corner.

[00:09:31]>> This is delicious.

[00:09:33]>> Awesome.

[00:09:38]On the menu tonight, Jadori chicken with chipotle cream sauce. Some charred branzino with summer squash and sauteed pablano peppers. And crispy pork tacos with black garlic mole and some fat sacks of uni. And lots of healthy greens.

[00:09:56]Why healthy? I mean, we have such an obese problem in the United States, especially Latinos. So, we had to find a way to make it tasty, but healthy.

[00:10:06]Healthy food can taste good.

[00:10:10]Clean, healthier, lighter, locally sourced versions of Mexican street classics are not exactly what I'd expected. And I sure as [ __ ] ain't making no rude cracks about vegan tacos.

[00:10:21]Not to this man, though. To be fair, Danny Tjo is like the nicest guy in the world.

[00:10:30]>> Here's something I discovered that completely shocked and surprised me. So, I have to ask you, are you a Morrisy fan by any chance? Moresy, like from this band of Smiths apparently, it's like a British rock band of the late 80s that is apparently hugely popular in the CHO community. So, you have not been touched by this uh this uh >> I I'm going to tell you something right now between me and you. I listen to no music that uh came after this 1968.

[00:11:03]>> I'm like an oldies guy, you know what I mean?

[00:11:05]>> So, I don't know your parents your parents were born in Texas.

[00:11:09]>> Yeah.

[00:11:10]>> But can you trace your people back to one area of Mexico?

[00:11:13]>> Monte Ray. My my uh my grandmother and grandfather were born in Montego.

[00:11:17]>> Did you speak Spanish at home or?

[00:11:19]>> Yeah, we spoke we spoke I spoke Spanish till I was about >> 9 10 and then you know usually you stop speaking Spanish when you go to grammar school especially in the 50s because they wouldn't let you. No, no, you don't speak Spanish, you know. So you kind of forget, >> right?

[00:11:34]>> So then but then when you start going to juvenile hall and and jail you you pick it up again so the guards won't know what you're talking about. Uh, did you get in a 12step in while you were still in prison or after?

[00:11:46]>> Well, I was in prison. That was 1968.

[00:11:48]Cinco de Mayo 1968. That was where I just kind of like made a vow. I'm you.

[00:11:53]I'm done. You know, >> when you get out, you became a drug counselor.

[00:11:57]>> Uh, I dedicated my life to helping other people. Everything good that has happened to me has happened as a direct result of helping someone else.

[00:12:05]Everything. Well, for example, uh you were called to a film set >> to counsel somebody.

[00:12:12]>> Yeah.

[00:12:13]>> And you bump into of all the people in the world, Edward Bunker, the sort of legendary excon turned writer and I guess screenwriter as well.

[00:12:23]>> I I knew Eddie in prison, >> you see. And so when he saw me, what are you doing here? I said, I'm working with this kid. And then uh he asked me, are you still boxing? Cuz I've held a lightweight and welterweight champion of every joint I was in. I said, "I I'm training. I still train, but I don't get hit in the face anymore." And he said, "Uh, we need somebody to train one of the actors how to box."

[00:12:46]>> The movie was the awesome Runaway Train.

[00:12:48]Tjo trained and fought against the actor Eric Roberts, who along with John Voit earned Academy Award nominations for the film. For Danny, it was the start of a long and glorious career. He never looked back. I'll never forget Andre Kajalowski the director Russian aristocrat right he says you fight Eric in movie you be my friend now if you come out of the penitentiary and somebody says you be my friend it's it's kind of a red flag >> right >> and then how many films since then a whole hell of a lot >> they got me at about 320 or something you know >> you moved from there to serious bad guys >> to now uh action hero franchise. How do you stay nice in a business basically full of [ __ ] >> Eddie Bunker, the first time when I started getting like a little recognition, he told me something. He said, "Try to remember that the whole world can think you're a movie star, but you can't." And I watch movie stars, right? I hate them. You nobody likes them. And and this you like if you're like on a movie set and the movie star comes in and then after he leaves this is how everybody tell that guy's a nast I hate that guy he's rude. So I I don't want to be that guy.

[00:14:06]>> Right. You know what I mean?

[00:14:08]>> One of the things I learned actually making television really early on if like you show up to to like shoot and the people like with a cameras and a crew say oh the talent is on set. What they really mean is the [ __ ] is on set. You know, if somebody calls me the talent or refers to me as a talent, it's like time to go back and take a long look in the mirror, right?

[00:14:35]>> They ain't from LA, but from time to time you'll find them here. And when you do, you best play nice. Gilbert Melendez, Nick Diaz, and Nate Diaz. Three of the greatest mixed martial artists to ever fight in an octagon.

[00:14:55]Gilbert holds the distinction of being one of the few MMA fighters to be ranked number one in the world in two weight classes. Nate and his older brother Nick are both vicious strikers and grapplers.

[00:15:08]Marisos Shente on South Sentinella.

[00:15:17]What do you what do you eat growing up?

[00:15:19]Like what do you in your house when you were little kids? What kind of food do you eat?

[00:15:23]>> What's lunch?

[00:15:24]>> Uh >> macaroni, cheese, and hot dogs.

[00:15:27]>> Hot dogs, right?

[00:15:28]>> Yeah.

[00:15:29]>> I was like basically like Top Ramen.

[00:15:33]>> Uh yeah, >> hot dogs, mac and cheese, >> some ghetto juice, you know, rice and beans and some sort of Mexican. Just some sort of protein with it and everything.

[00:15:41]>> I'm not vegetarian, but I learned a lot from them though. I was like pretty much vegan for um for years really.

[00:15:49]>> Even as a kid, >> like I like I stopped eating land animals period. Like I I was I've been vegetarian. I've been eating seafood on and off. But I've been vegetarian since I was like 18 years since I was 18 years old. I just would do better cutting weight when I would just go on like a ve vegetarian diet.

[00:16:03]>> I end up, you know, nice and light and then I get stronger. And then um once he started fighting pro too, I think he kind of started doing the same type of thing.

[00:16:12]>> When you eat in LA, you're going out for food. Well, you going out for Asian, going out for patai, going out.

[00:16:18]>> Good food's pretty convenient around here, of course. I go to uh I go to uh Venice Beach, I go to Cafe Gratitude, >> and that's a really good place.

[00:16:27]>> What do you eat there?

[00:16:29]>> Like vegan, vegetarian uh all the way. I get off the plane, >> I go right to In-N-Out Burger, >> and the last thing I do while I'm in town is I stop at In-N-Out Burger.

[00:16:41]>> That stuff is like crack for me. I got to have it.

[00:16:47]>> So good.

[00:16:49]Mariso Shente serves shrimp. Lots and lots of shrimp. The house special cameos or drunken shrimp sauteed in butter and garlic over high heat. Add cilantro and crushed peppers and finish with tequila.

[00:17:16]>> So, when was your first fight like in school? Like what grade? What? First grade. No.

[00:17:23]>> Yeah. This is what we're talking about.

[00:17:25]Our first fight, right? One time I was in sixth grade and I went down to the baseball field waiting for foul balls cuz when you catch a foul ball, you get free soda or a bag of chips or something and I caught the ball. One of the baseball players was mad cuz a little kid was trying to rap and get what's up.

[00:17:41]Why don't you let him get the ball? I like shut up. I've been waiting all day for this ball. You know what I'm saying?

[00:17:46]I was a little kid. He was trying to get a fight with me. I'm with these guys and they're all hardcore and I'm in my head like, man, why they going to make me fight this guy? Because we in my head, right? Like, man, they make me fight this guy. And we're like going at it. And I never been punched in my face so many times in my life. I was just a little >> You just swing kind of wide back.

[00:18:05]>> Yeah. Yeah. Why you make me fight?

[00:18:07]That's the main Why you making me fight this guy?

[00:18:15]>> Gang violence has been part of LA's story for the better part of a century now.

[00:18:20]Also part of the story, police corruption and brutality.

[00:18:28]Former police officer Alex Salazar was a bad cop. By his own admission, very bad.

[00:18:35]Like a lot of once good police, the streets changed him. He saw a lot of ugliness. The lines became blurred. The job ground him down. And he crossed the line repeatedly.

[00:18:48]To quote Nichi, "Those who chase monsters need to be careful that they don't become monsters." I thought I was going to arrest the bad guys. I never thought I would become a bad guy myself.

[00:19:04]>> Did you become a bad guy?

[00:19:05]>> Oh, I did. Yes.

[00:19:07]>> How bad?

[00:19:09]>> I became very aggressive uh beating people, losing control, and using excessive force when there really wasn't any need for me to do that. I mean, I worked the most infamous police station ever known. It was called Rampart. One best picture for Denzel Washington uh for his betrayal of this really bad police officer.

[00:19:27]>> I'M THE POLICE. I RUN [ __ ] HERE. YOU JUST LIVE HERE.

[00:19:31]>> WAS THAT an understatement? Were there cops that bad?

[00:19:34]>> Yes, there were. Yes, there were. I was one of them. The problem was very systemic. Uh we don't have so much that problem anymore. It does happen. Is it not the nature of the job? When you're asked to to to every day go in and look at people at their most desperate and ugly that you become desensitized and maybe even turn into a monster.

[00:19:55]>> Just think about it. Every day they're looking at the worst of society and maybe they have a partner that gets killed or shot. It's all very overwhelming. Many turn to alcohol and and and drugs to medicate. And I'm not trying to be an apologist for the police, uh, because, you know, they do need to be held accountable, but, you know, we need to help them. We really do because they are out there and they're the ones that are going to show up at your home.

[00:20:25]>> Mexican American living in East LA and a victim of a crime.

[00:20:30]You calling the police expecting a sympathetic response? I mean, generally speaking, what do you think the >> I think most police officers show up being ready to to help out. They they certainly have to do their job, take >> what do you think the the victim thinks when they place a phone call. At least they have high hopes that that I believe my my my call is going to be handled with the same fervor as somebody calling from Beverly Hills. While there are good officers that that come in and and they do help, there's also many who lose that empathetic feeling of of of looking at someone with brown skin or very dark skin and they say, "Well, you know, why am I helping out this person? There's a stupid Mexican." And and I saw that being projected upon these people who all they wanted was help.

[00:21:44]Alisa Soul Garcia grew up in Boille Heights and is no stranger to the challenges facing the Latino community.

[00:21:57]The Boil Heights Running Club started as a safety and numbers project.

[00:22:01]The small group of community members started running the bridges of Boil Heights, making their presence known.

[00:22:08]And simply by being there, by being a presence, taking their streets back from the gangs and the criminals who too often are the default company in a one company neighborhood.

[00:22:27]Tacos Indiana Sweet Cart on 4th and Clarence Street.

[00:22:32]>> What are you guys having?

[00:22:35]>> Asada.

[00:22:35]>> Requented by Alisa and fellow Running Club member Rolley Cruz.

[00:22:40]Carne asada. The slow grilled marinated beef classic served as a burrito with rice and beans or simply on a tortilla as a taco.

[00:22:48]>> Gracias. Tacos langua, beef tongue braised with garlic and onions.

[00:22:55]And tacos al pastor, stacked guajo chili rub pork shoulder slices with your choice of toppings.

[00:23:01]>> Oh, hell yeah.

[00:23:06]>> Jeep yet supremely satisfying sweet taco trucks like this one have served the Latino community of Boil Heights for years.

[00:23:16]But the neighborhood is changing. Let's say it's diversifying.

[00:23:22]>> Well, first come the coffee shops, couple of smart like hip restaurants.

[00:23:27]Hipsters arrive to rents go up. How do you stop that?

[00:23:32]>> Well, that which you explained in a nutshell is what has been going on throughout Los Angeles. the gentrification of downtown. Um, it's spreading here and in a neighborhood like this, gentrification, not to be dramatic, but the population of families that are homeless is growing little by little, like the block is disappearing.

[00:23:51]Whether it's deportation, whether it's gentrification, you know, it's barely now coming to the forefront, but for the people that live and work here every day, it's it's been a reality.

[00:24:02]there's a lot of struggles here that if you're going to be a part of this community like you have to recognize that struggle.

[00:24:08]>> I think that the the reality is though LA is always changing, right? So like uh we are in the battle of LA and who's going to win in this is yet to be determined, but the fight is still going to go on.

[00:24:25]One, two, three.

[00:24:28]>> There has been since the beginning a tradition of Mexican rock and roll with its own unique sound. Richie Valance, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, Cannibal and the Head Hunters, Los Cruz, and Question and the Mysterians. It should come as no surprise that Rockabilly is enjoying a resurgence of sorts in the community. No one ever touches the door.

[00:24:51]Someone else is always to blame. Baby, take it. It is always for you, baby.

[00:25:01]>> There was a long and glorious tradition of Chuco rock, garage, and punk boiling away under and over the surface for years and egregiously overlooked.

[00:25:14]But what is it with the Moresy thing?

[00:25:17]What is it about Moresy, the Irish singer via England who sang melancholic posy fililled ballads that were a backdrop for a million post breakups during the 80s that so speaks to the cho soul.

[00:25:33]I asked musicians and concert promoters Oscar Aguero and Albert Gamboa.

[00:25:40]Oscar thrives in the rockabilly world while Albert is all things punk.

[00:25:46]What's up with the Moresy thing?

[00:25:47]Apparently in the Chicago community like Morrisy is like >> it's a matter of the heart. It's a matter of the heart, man.

[00:25:56]>> Why of all the bands in the world did did Moresy and the Smiths resonate in this community?

[00:26:03]>> There was a convergence of music and people that did not connect to what was being said. He connected with his lyrics and I think everything was going so pop and so mainstream and he was the alternative to that and I think there is a lyrical element to his words that resonated with the Latino community. People said that that that his lyrics, his songs resonated with traditional mariachi in in that sense.

[00:26:35]So that the songs are so much about finding something beautiful or even funny about getting relentlessly [ __ ] over and having [ __ ] go wrong. I mean,