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Good morning, Mac.
Here you go.
Thanks.
- Thanks a lot.
- Aqu� tiene su desayuno, se�or.
Buen provecho se�or.
Next week,
according to the city manager,
at that time,
a decision will be made.
Now we have
breaking news out of Midtown.
A man's body has been found
this morning
at the Deeberry Hotel,
the victim
of an apparent homicide.
Early reports indicate the man
is associated with El Pu�o,
the notorious Puerto Rican gang
with ties in East Harlem.
In recent years,
El Pu�o has become synonymous
with acts of extreme violence.
Members and associates of
the gang have been indicted
A big fish here.
Our Vic is Panthro Torres,
leader of El Pu�o.
We've been trying to
take him down for years.
Somebody got him first.
So, how did he end
up in the awning?
There's a suite registered
to one of his aliases
on the sixth floor.
Long fall from a high window.
This is why they take your
credit card when you check in.
Yeah, Torres definitely
got into it with someone.
Thinking exiting out the
window was not his idea.
Guy wakes up a big shot,
ends up a shish kabob.
A lot can change in one day.
The U.
S.
Attorney's office
has a pending indictment
against Panthro Torres,
and they're offering us
full cooperation.
Sounds like we could be in store
for some serious repercussions.
Torres was the
leader of El Pu�o,
so this was likely a hit
by a rival gang.
That means El Pu�o's
gonna want blood.
From what I've heard,
these aren't two-bit,
three-block dope dealers.
Far from it.
They control East Harlem.
Drug trafficking, extortion,
*** for hire, name it.
El Pu�o's a one-stop shop
for all bad things.
Whoever killed Torres is gonna
have a mark on their head.
Well, we got to find them
before the streets do,
or it's going to be war.
Torres was a big time gangster,
but I guess it's true
You live by the gun
You get gunshot wounds.
Through and through.
Defensive wound.
Looks like large caliber.
And a second
gunshot wound to the chest.
So, this guy gets shot twice,
and then goes through a window.
Bam! Gets impaled.
Who's bold enough to do that?
No!
There's no sign
of forced entry.
This has rival gang hit
written all over it.
Well, then, the killer had
a key, or the victim let him in.
I'll cross-reference
hotel surveillance
with pictures
of known gang members.
Manager says
Torres checked in alone.
Guy with his share of enemies
I don't see him traveling
without a crew.
What the hell?
I got something ugly
in this bottle.
And we got two glasses
And one bed.
Maybe he wanted
a little privacy.
Well, somebody's got
to kiss and tell.
They say there are
six million ways to die.
Panthro Torres chose three.
Official C.
O.
D.
is
cerebral hemorrhaging
from a cracked skull due to
his head hitting the awning.
Had he survived that,
he certainly would have
succumbed to exsanguination
from impalement.
Not a bad way to go, considering
option number three
a ruptured vena cava,
courtesy of a
fragmented .
45.
Somehow, ouch doesn't quite
cover it.
According to Torres' rap sheet,
he was a suspect
in five unsolved murders.
I doubt the families
of those victims
are shedding any tears.
I'll piece together the bullet,
run it through IBIS.
Hopefully, we can get a hit
on the *** weapon.
Thanks, Sid.
Hey.
You solve this thing yet?
Can you give me till lunch?
Torres' death leaves a void
at the top of his crew,
so I thought I'd look
at his replacements.
Might be able to avoid a street
war if we can talk to them.
So I'm gathering this as I go.
Seems, Torres was the face
of this crew,
but Lisa Brigosa
she's the brains,
and Rick Devarro is
the street muscle.
Although, given his penchant
for getting arrested,
Rick's not too bright.
There's one other.
Luther Devarro.
Any relation to Rick?
His older brother.
Founder of El Pu�o,
but more of an advisor
at this stage of his career.
I helped put him away
He was released last week.
Gasoline on the fire.
It's one thing to
be a street guy,
another to be smart.
But it's dangerous
when both those qualities
are embodied in one person.
Hey, what do you got?
Um, no prints
on the lowball glasses
from the hotel room,
but I did get DNA.
Two separate profiles.
One from our Vic,
and the other one's not
in CODIS.
Could be from our
female companion.
Yeah, and I'm thinking
the libation of choice
was mescal, but get this, okay?
I've seen everything
in these bottles
worms, spiders,
live scorpions
whose venom, by the way,
okay, makes this drink
an hallucinogenic.
Uh, well, I I
I don't know
anything about that.
Um, but I've never seen anything
like this before, okay?
Um, so I contacted
the brand manufacturer, and
it turns out, they don't put
anything in the bottles.
So it was tampered with.
Yeah, but why?
Detective Mac Taylor.
Lisa Brigosa.
Last I saw you, you
were in Catholic school.
Back when I robbed nuns for fun.
Lot's changed since then.
I'm here to see Luther.
Just wait here, okay?
Si�ntate.
You want to see the man,
you're gonna have
to hand over your piece.
House rules.
That's not gonna happen.
I apologize for my brother.
It's been a long time.
Si�ntate.
Fernando.
Take a look at this man.
If you're ever stupid enough
to get arrested,
this is the guy you want
to put the handcuffs on.
He's a fair man.
�Entiende?
Fuera.
Next generation.
Teach them a little respect.
You've been away for a while.
Things have changed.
For better or worse?
In our time,
it wasn't about guns.
It was the knuckle game,
remember?
I had snap in my shoulder.
I hit you, you were hurting.
What I remember is you
beating a rival gang member
to a pulp.
That's what put you away.
Defending the neighborhood.
This place has always
welcomed me with open arms.
So did El Pu�o.
What you started only got
stronger when you went away.
Yeah, no thanks to you.
Every couple of months,
I'd find one of my men
in the mess hall.
Didn't want you to get lonely.
What can I do for you,
Detective?
I think you know why I'm here.
I want to know if I'm gonna
have a problem with your crew.
This your way
of paying condolences?
Last time I checked,
it was one of my men
who had holes burned into him.
And killing more people
is going to make it right?
What's the alternative
turn it over to the NYPD?
Cops like to see us
as defendants
or, better yet, deceased.
Doesn't have to be that way.
I didn't make the rules.
But your crew listens to you.
You want to teach
the next generation?
You tell them revenge lands
them in prison or a grave.
You're a man of intelligence.
Reason with them.
Men can reason all they want.
Machines got minds of their own.
I want your assurance that this
is not the beginning of a war.
I hear your concern
but I can't make that assurance.
But what I can tell you
is that Panthro
will receive a proper burial,
and my crew will pay the proper
respects to his family.
Until then, if there is a God,
and I believe that there is,
I won't lift a finger.
On that, I give you my word.
Let's hope you keep your word.
'Cause if you don't, this
fair man will lock you up again,
and this time you won't get out.
Hazel Ortega, betrayed
with a kiss her own.
I swabbed the lipstick print
and ran the DNA trace
through the system.
Didn't get a match
to the lowball glass,
but we got a match to a felony
committed by our girl here.
Turns out it was gang-related.
Says here she
lives near Garvey Park.
That's Mamba territory.
They're rivals
of our Vic's crew.
Yeah, I checked
the Gang Intelligence Database.
Now, Hazel Ortega is
considered inactive,
but she was a member
of the Mambas.
Yeah, since then, according
to her tax records,
she moved on to a
different profession.
Eloquent Evenings.
It's an escort service.
They provide high-end call girls
to "leaders of industry.
"
Looks like number seven
is our girl.
Purple Hazel.
Purple Hazel
very catchy.
Now, hotel surveillance
didn't give me
any matches to current
gang members, but
I got
She could have set him up.
Or shot him herself.
Put a leash
on that thing, Hazel.
Police.
You going somewhere?
Yeah?
Now you're coming with me.
Hands on the hood.
I didn't kill him.
You know, these talks
would go a lot better
if you weren't packing a .
45,
which is the same caliber used
to kill Torres, by the way.
You don't understand.
I carry that gun
for protection.
Yeah, yeah.
You don't live here,
you don't know.
Hazel, get down!
Stay down, stay down!
Hey!
There were two of 'em
with serious hardware.
I'm good.
I'm pissed.
Hazel Ortega got shot
in my custody.
And they would have killed her
if you didn't get off
some shots.
There was nothing you could do.
This was an organized hit
and she was the target.
She's conscious and
her heart rate's stabilizing.
Tell the E.
R.
we'll be there
in five minutes.
You got it.
We got aviation, K-9,
and all available units
searching the area.
The body of these ammo shells
were inscribed with a letter
"P," for El Pu�o.
They carve those PS
into their bullets
as a method of ownership.
It's a kind of intimidation.
Well, it's working.
All the witnesses I spoke to
who saw the shooters
are not cooperating.
This is revenge for Torres.
Or maybe it's just supposed
to look that way.
The Mambas could have
carved the bullets
just to throw us off.
Maybe it's their way
of tying up loose ends.
Whatever the reason,
somebody pumped 50 rounds
into an NYPD squad car.
I want them found.
Hey, what do you know
about Fishzilla?
Sounds like a bad name
for a monster movie.
Close it's the nickname
of that weird little thing
I found
at the bottom
of the mezcal bottle.
Yeah, its real name
is snakehead fish,
all right, and it's illegal
in all 50 States.
Then it couldn't have
been that easy to get.
How did it end up
at our crime scene?
Uh, I don't know, maybe
it was left as a message.
You know, these things
are pretty vicious.
They eat everything,
even their own kind.
The message could
be in the name.
Snakehead reference
to the Mambas?
I'm trying to track down
where you can buy these things
and then maybe I can
figure out who purchased it.
How are you going
to track it down
if it's illegal
and off the books?
I I know a guy
that knows a guy that
knows a guy
that knows another guy.
10-13.
Officer needs assistance
at Pleasant Green Hospital
Hostage situation.
Hospitalized prisoner holding
a member of the service
at gunpoint.
- Security to E.
- Stay back.
Security to E.
R.
stat.
Stay back!
You do not want to shoot a cop.
Don't come any closer.
I will shoot her.
Just, just calm down.
Back off.
I said back off!
Please, let me go.
Let the officer go.
I've got to get the hell
out of here.
Shut up!
I will shoot her.
Get back!
Hazel.
Don't pull that gun.
I'm Jo Danville,
New York Crime Lab.
I don't want to see you
or anybody else get hurt.
Please put that gun down.
I can't.
They'll kill me.
You're protected here.
The same way I was protected
in that police car?
I have a bullet in my arm
that says "Hell, no.
"
I didn't kill him.
You have to believe me.
I do, Hazel.
I don't run with the Mambas.
I've made some mistakes in the
past that I'm not proud of,
but I'm not like that anymore.
Don't make a mistake now.
Please put the gun down.
Not until you listen to me.
All I did was show up
and do my job.
I was paid,
I packed my things to leave,
but Panthro wanted
one last kiss.
He was alive when I walked
out of there.
Hazel, listen to me.
There was only one exit
and entrance
out of that hotel suite.
Tell me who you saw.
I just wanted
to get out of there.
Come on.
Hands behind your back.
Okay, cuff her.
Let's go.
Careful, damn it.
Where I grew up,
there's a saying
people who see but
keep their mouths shut
are the ones who live.
The neighborhood's got
their ears open,
but I say it was the Mambas
who shot that cop car.
They're trying
to cover their tracks,
but we got to, we got
to retaliate, man.
No, there's going
to be a lot of heat.
We should wait till it dies
down before we make our move.
You want to know what I think?
No, not really.
Why don't you go find
some kids to play with?
This is grown-up"
talk here, son.
Why would I want
to go anywhere else
when I can learn
from Mr.
Devarro?
Learn from me?
Learn from my mistakes.
Fact is, you want to
start out like me,
you might end up like Panthro.
Muerto.
Nah, man, not me.
Oh, yeah?
What you know about that?
Look, man.
Panthro was king snake.
Emphasis on "was.
"
I'm not going
to end up like him.
Rick, Fernando, come on.
Let's take a walk.
I'm not going anywhere.
No me haga
pregunto otra vez.
A handshake used
to mean something.
An officer was shot today,
and a civilian wounded.
The ammo we found had your
crew's signature on it.
When a guy like you gets
released from prison
a week before people
start getting shot,
I don't believe
it's coincidence.
I don't hustle.
You know what that means?
I don't look people in the eyes
and lie to them.
Am I supposed to believe that?
I have as much reason as you do
to want to bring those kids in
who shot Hazel Ortega.
I didn't give that order.
But I have it on good authority
someone in my crew did.
The last thing I want
is an army of badges
canvassing my neighborhood
with itchy trigger fingers.
Someone's son is liable
to be out on his stoop
holding a cell phone
and catch bullets.
There's one way to take
the heat off of your crew.
Send a unit to the corner
bodega on 116th.
You'll find two
remorseful young men
who fit the description
of your shooters.
This is a gift I hand
to you, Detective.
I trusted you once.
If you're lying to me
about this,
next time, I'll be back
with everything I have.
Hey.
So, Luther's tip
paid off.
Two units just picked up
Ed Rios and Marty Lobos
at that corner bodega.
Both are young soldiers
in El Pu�o.
And they were
practically gift-wrapped,
carrying a duffel bag containing
a shotgun and a MAC-10.
They're both giving
full confessions as we speak.
Yeah?
Good.
One shooting solved,
but Torres' killer
is still out there.
Thank you.
Hazel Ortega's medical bill
News has been paid.
tal.
Some kid Fernando Flores
walked in with enough cash
to cover all expenses.
That's a substantial
amount of money.
I've seen Fernando
with Luther.
I think it's time
we kept an eye on him.
Hey, guys.
It's looking more and more
like Hazel Ortega is innocent.
I compared the bullet
from Torres' body to her .
45.
The stria don't match.
Maybe she used a different gun.
I don't think so.
What I saw in her eyes
at that hospital
was genuine fear.
She obviously saw something
that terrified her
in that hotel room.
Yeah, well,
when I pieced together
the bullet fragments
that Sid gave me,
that he pulled out
of Panthro Torres' chest,
I found
the exact same inscription
that was on the ammo
from Hazel's shooting.
Two shootings.
Same signature.
One gang, El Pu�o.
So Torres' ***
wasn't a rival hit
by the Mambas;
It was an inside job.
So, just like a snakehead,
someone in El Pu�o's
eating their own.
I want to talk to each one
of their power players.
Lisa Brigosa,
the Devarro brothers
Rick and Luther
and Fernando Flores.
Each one of them is either
a potential suspect,
or a potential victim.
Luther Devarro, NYPD!
Go ahead.
This is Rick Devarro
we're dealing with,
so let's be ready for anything.
All right?
Fernando Flores works here.
We need to talk to him.
Danny, his place is empty.
The same here.
They knew we were coming.
They all packed up and
got the hell out of here.
Yeah.
All right.
Fernando Flores
was here earlier.
The store manager says
he doesn't know where he went.
You talk to Mac?
Fernando Flores! NYPD!
Fortunately, the place
was nearly empty
at the time of the explosion.
There was one casualty.
Lisa Brigosa.
Looks like she was sitting at
this table when the blast hit.
Two major members of this crew
are murdered on the same day?
Someone's trying to
take out the leadership.
Fernando Flores was
in this building
right before it blew up.
He looked me straight in the eye
and then took off.
Young upstart trying
to take over.
He's supposed to be
the next generation.
Maybe he couldn't wait.
Hey.
So, according to the witnesses,
Brigosa ordered everyone
out of the restaurant,
claiming she had an important
meeting to conduct.
Next thing they know,
the place went up.
I want an APB
on Fernando Flores.
Let's get his photo to every
media outlet in the city.
The damage seems to be
the worst over here.
This has got to be the
origin of the blast.
A severed gas line.
Looks like someone
left a palm print behind.
So he sealed up the place.
He cut the gas line.
He still needed a spark.
This bottle smells
like gasoline.
Remnants of duct tape
around the mouth.
Trace of a rag, used as a wick.
The makings of a
Molotov cocktail.
We're going to need more than
Fernando running from the scene
to make this stick.
The blast may have
destroyed the restaurant
and burned her body, but it
wasn't the cause of death.
Let me guess.
No smoke damage to her lungs.
None.
Lisa Brigosa was killed
before the explosion.
What the charred
clothing covered up
were two bullet holes.
Mushroomed .
45s.
Same as Panthro Torres.
So we're not dealing
with a rival gang.
Someone inside of El Pu�o
is taking out its leaders.
That restaurant was El Pu�o's
main location for
laundering money.
It was the heart of
the organization.
Why go the extra step
of blowing it up?
These are the remnants
of two lowball glasses.
Our killer sat down
and shared a drink
with Lisa Brigosa
before shooting her.
Just like he did with Torres.
Well
That's not all he shared.
Fishzilla.
Cajun style.
Yo, Hawkes.
Check this.
I spoke to a friend of mine.
The smuggler was just arrested
by the Federal Fish and
Wildlife Department.
And his specialty?
Snakeheads.
I guess there's a black market
for everything.
Supply and demand.
Now, our fish smuggler remembers
a tough-looking Puerto Rican guy
buying from him.
He get a name?
No, but he did specifically ask
for three snakeheads.
So our killer asked for three,
and only two have been used.
That's pretty simple math.
Which leaves one more victim
yet to be determined.
Torres is down.
So is Lisa Brigosa.
That leaves two
possible targets.
Rick and Luther Devarro.
The question is,
which brother is
Fernando Flores targeting?
Hey.
So we get a phone call
from Fernando Flores,
saying that he'll turn
himself in on one condition.
He only wants to talk to you.
Detective,
I hear you're a fair man.
That's why I'm here now.
To make a confession?
I want to know why
you killed Panthro Torres
and Lisa Brigosa.
Taylor.
Mac, I ran the print.
Fernando Flores didn't do it.
Are you sure?
I'm absolutely certain.
We need to hit up
every hideout, hangout
and business front
belonging to El Pu�o.
The Devarro brothers
have to be in one of them.
I've got all available
units scouring East Harlem.
We'll let you know
if we find them.
With all due respect,
this is how it was meant to be.
You and me, brother.
I remember being a kid,
growing up,
watching you start El Pu�o,
right here in this spot.
It was a different time.
A lot simpler.
Yeah, well, I couldn't
wait to join, man.
You see that tag right there?
That was my first.
Yeah.
Had a lot of firsts
up in this joint.
You know what I'm saying?
We're gonna hunt Fernando down
for killing Panthro and Lisa.
Remind him and everybody else
why they fear El Pu�o.
The Fist.
You're ready to buck up?
What are you carrying?
Fernando's innocent.
He's a good kid.
The only reason he ran out
of the bar was because
he saw a dead body
and smelled gas.
All right, all right, all right.
If it wasn't him,
we'll find out who did it.
But before that,
somebody's got to settle up
for the hit on Hazel Ortega.
Put the guns down
and your hands up!
You're crazy!
You have the gun pointed
at the wrong guy, Rick.
What you talking about?
Luther, tell him.
Tell him he's next.
You hear this cop?
Trying to play mind games.
This is none of your
concern, Detective.
We found your prints behind
the stove at the restaurant,
Luther.
What?!
What's he trying
to say, Luther?
Huh?
You killed Panthro?
And Lisa?
There was a time when
crimes against the people in the
neighborhood were not allowed.
You still preaching
that neighborhood garbage?
You were gonna
kill me for that?
I'm your brother.
Then let's put our guns
down and talk about it.
Nah.
Nah.
Later for that.
Skate park at 124th.
All units respond.
You're a man of reason, Luther.
Come out, give yourself up.
It's too late for
me, Detective.
I never intended to
create something violent.
It was never about
drugs and guns,
money and power.
When they put me away,
all that changed.
Torres, Lisa,
and my brother
took what I created
just a group of guys
trying to watch
each other's back,
taking care of
their neighborhood
and they turned it into some
criminal enterprise.
Sitting in my cell,
hearing about how El Pu�o
was the most feared
and violent gang.
Inmates coming up to
me and paying respect.
I wanted to tear it down!
Did you honestly think
you could do that
by killing the heads
of the gang?
They'll all be replaced
by others.
I never intended
to save the world,
but somebody had
to be held accountable.
Those that made
the same promise I did.
Promise to protect
the neighborhood,
not to eat it alive.
To defend it, not to become
the worst threat
it had ever known.
Now you've caused
even more bloodshed.
Killing people won't solve it.
We're fighting the same fight.
Why didn't you come to me?
We could have taken them down
together.
Because old habits die hard,
and we're different
kind of people.
I gain closure here, Detective,
in the spirit
of what I created.
I have no other choice.
It all ends here.
Tonight.
Don't make
I started it.
I end it.
That includes me.
The rules of the street.
This wasn't
about taking over
This was about
making things right.