Confessions Of A Harlem Drug Lord: How A Homeless Immigrant Became KING OF CRACK in New York City

Martin Mejias, known on the streets of New York City as Chango, grew up in Harlem after his family immigrated from Puerto Rico. At a young age, he experienced poverty and frequent homelessness, and was soon exposed to the illegal drug game in his neighborhood. Before long, he became a part of it. It wasn't long before he was selling and manufacturing crack cocaine and swiftly became a young kingpin with an entire crew working for him. At his height, he controlled 5 city blocks on the westside of Harlem and had an army of 45 workers selling crack 24 hours a day. His crew, known as YTC or "Yellow Top Crew" became so powerful that the NYPD formed a special task force for the sole purpose of taking them down. He tells us about his days in the illegal drug market, the bust that landed him in prison, the destruction he caused on his community and family, and decisions that led to him turning his life around.

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00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:04 - Living In Poverty As A Child
00:07:33 - Growing Up in Brooklyn
00:15:06 - Leaving Puerto Rico and Returning to New York
00:17:05 - This Episode Is Sponsored By ROCKET MONEY
00:19:09 - Dominicans and Puerto Ricans in the Drug Trade
00:29:55 - Falling into the Drug Game in the Neighborhood
00:37:15 - Economic Warfare and Alternating Prices
00:45:05 - The Crew Operation and Organization
00:52:49 - The Abandoned Building Operation
01:00:15 - Coordination and Evading the Police
01:07:45 - Drug Charges and Fake Charges
01:15:44 - The Crack Era Deaths
01:23:25 - Illegal Gun Trade in the Neighborhood
01:31:11 - Tito's Close Call
01:38:46 - The Arrest and Ambush on 109th Street
01:46:16 - Boxed In on 109th Street
01:53:29 - Dealing on the Streets of New York
02:00:47 - The Consequences of the Drug Game
02:08:41 - Federal vs State Charges and Sentencing Options
02:16:27 - Personal Accounts from the Case
02:24:06 - Corruption and the Downfall
02:32:31 - The Plan to Escape Prison
02:39:55 - Surviving a War in Prison
02:47:46 - Life in the Streets of Harlem
02:55:06 - Finding Yourself in Unexpected Places