This criminal group starred in one of the most famous films of Mexican cinema

The Mexican Revolution was a troubled time. but not for the whole country. As bloody battles unfolded in the north and in the Bajío, a certain tension was felt in the capital, altered by the news coming from the battle front.

The tragic ten, in 1913, was one of the first tangible signs of the armed conflict suffered by the inhabitants of the capital at the time. The deaths of Madero and Pino Suárez, in addition to the fighting in the Ciudadela, made people in Mexico City aware of the armed conflict.

During those turbulent days, an incident occurred that would trigger one of the first and most interesting cinematic documents. The bombing of Belén prison not only allowed the escape of Francisco Villa, but also dozens of dangerous criminals who took advantage of the chaos to continue committing crimes.

This was the case of the members of the famous gray car stripewhich tormented the city in 1915 with numerous and daring robberies, perpetrated in the shadow of a network of corruption, uniforms and the confusion of the time.

It is said that in the summer of 1914a group of criminals who escaped from Belén prison met in the “El grano de arena” slum, located in the neighborhood then known as De la Bolsa, now Morelos.

Among the members of the fledgling gang were a French pimp, several Mexican thieves and a Spaniard with an interesting connection to the Zapatista army which later would be very relevant in the actions of the criminal group.

The Gray Automobile Gang began committing their thefts in 1915under cover of so-called search warrants ordered by the Zapatista command, which they backed with real military uniforms and the power of arms.

In its heyday, criminals managed to strike resounding blows, even carrying out a kidnapping for which they got 100,000 pesos of then gold as a ransom, which was a great fortune. But his luck would soon turn.

After perpetrating an assault on the Nation’s Treasury, the government got to work and, after capturing and threatening the jeweler to whom they sold the stolen jewels, little by little the members of the gang fell, including the leader Higinio Granda.

The activities of the group ended in 1917but that same year the legend was born in the hands of filmmaker Enrique Rosas, who became famous for his short fiction films and short documentaries, and zarzuelista Mimí Derba, who financed what would be the most ambitious film of the year. ‘era.

Although he tried to stick as closely as possible to reality, and even used scenes from the actual execution, Enrique Rosas had to give in to certain pressures, such as that of General Pablo González, who was accused of leading the gang himself from the shadows.

The cinematic document consists of 12 episodes which, in addition to telling one of the most significant criminal episodes in the history of Mexico City, opened the door to a film industry that would emerge decades laterin the golden age.