WEB BUZZ MAFIA

Steven Benavidez, who authorities say is linked to the Mexican mafia , is behind bars on suspicion of killing Erasmo Ledezma and possession of drug paraphernalia , authorities said. Authorities say witnesses led investigators to believe that Benavidez and other Mexican Mafia members are associated with Ledezma’s death after Ledezma did not pay his share to gang members. The Mexican Mafia is a documented prison gang that taxes individuals to get money and support, according to Superior Court documents. On Nov. 22, Phoenix fire fighters found Ledezma dead outside a business from gunshot wounds near the 4000 block of East Madison Street in Phoenix about 9:50 p.m. Investigators found that the Mexican Mafia members were searching for Ledezma because they thought he leaked information to police about a recent arrest, court documents show. The gang members were also collecting taxes from Ledezma and it was time for him to pay up, officials say. Benav...

New Orleans, La. -Prosecutors say she's a self-proclaimed " mafia wife " who is involved in covering up criminal activities in two of the city's most violent gangs. Her attorney says she's a 17-year-old schoolgirl who should be given a reasonable bond. An Orleans criminal judge has now decided the issue. From the U.S. Attorney to the mayor to the police chief, we've seen a full court press in efforts to crack down on gang violence . Monday, that effort ran into some trouble, with a young woman with alleged ties to gangs involved in the murders of innocent children. 17-year-old Ja-on Jones went before Orleans Criminal Judge Laurie White in an effort to get her $650,000 bond reduced. Prosecutors intent on cracking down on gang violence produced an Instagram photo from the defendant, in which she poses with an alleged gang member armed with a gun and labels herself a " mafia wife ." Prosecutors say Jones lied 13 times to a grand jur...