by John W. Whitehead‚ Rutherford Institute: “In these days of worldwide confusion‚ there is a dire need for men and women who will courageously do battle for truth.”— Martin Luther King Jr. When exposing a crime is treated as committing a crime‚ you are being ruled by criminals. In the current governmental climate‚ obeying one’s conscience and speaking truth […]

by Daisy Luther‚ The Organic Prepper: News about the situation in Haiti keeps circulating and making waves among the international community. It’ll soon be replaced by another issue of the moment‚ but it’s everywhere now‚ and even celebrities and artists are rushing to show support for the “wonderful Haiti‚” praising the disgraced country’s enchantments. Daisy’s report […]

from Press For Truth:  TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

The Great Serpent Mound is an ancient earthworks site located in present-day Ohio. This effigy mound is over a quarter of a mile long‚ up to twenty-five feet wide‚ and five feet tall.  It’s the largest serpent effigy ever discovered. Effigy mounds were common in the Mississippi Valley. Other surviving examples have been found in the shapes of wildcats‚ bears‚ deer‚ and birds. Some mounds were used as burial places‚ but nothing and no one has been found to have been interred in the clay used to construct the Great Serpent Mound. Ariel view of the Great Serpent Mound Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley The Great Serpent Mound was first documented in Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley: Comprising the Results of Extensive Original Surveys and Explorations by Ephraim George Squier and Edwin Hamilton Davis.  Davis was born in Ohio in 1811. He became increasingly interested in the earthworks and mounds that he encountered there throughout his youth. Squier was born in 1821 and became intensely interested in the mounds when he moved to Ohio in his twenties. The book published in 1848 includes 48 maps and 207 sketches. The Great Serpent Mound is perhaps the most well-known of the sites that they studied. Other sites include Fort Ancient‚ Mound City‚ and Newark Earthworks. The Great Serpent Mound was excavated by Frederic Ward Putnam a few decades later‚ but no artifacts were discovered within that that could connect it to a particular culture. Little is known of the people who constructed it. Many ancient monuments in Ohio were being destroyed in the 1880s to make way for agricultural fields. In 1886‚ a group of wealthy women in Boston helped Putnam raise enough money to purchase the land upon which the Great Serpent Mound was located (along with three burial sites and the remains of an ancient village). In 1900‚ ownership of the land was passed to the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society. The Age and Origins of the Great Serpent Mound Originally thought to have been constructed as many as three thousand years ago‚ more recent archaeological research suggests that it was built as recently as 1200 AD.  Radiocarbon dating in 1991 suggested that the mound was approximately 900 years old‚ but further research in 2014 suggested a link to the Adena culture that disappeared nearly two thousand years ago.  Archeologists are still unsure of when it was built. However‚ the popular consensus is that it was constructed approximately 2200 years ago by the Adena culture (800 BC to 1 AD). It is speculated that it was later restored by the Fort Ancient culture (1000 to 1750 AD). This would explain the vast disparity in age suggested by different radiocarbon datings of the mound. There are nearby burial mounds from both of these cultures. View of the The Great Serpent Mound located on the Ohio river‚ Ohio‚ USA. The Adena Culture This ancient culture was centered in Ohio but also included parts of Kentucky‚ Indiana‚ Pennsylvania‚ and West Virginia. The Adena Culture was neither entirely hunter-gatherer nor fully agricultural‚ but somewhere in between. They were semi-itinerant‚ moving often to stay near herds of large animals‚ but also cultivated crops such as goosefoot‚ sunflower‚ maygrass‚ squash‚ knotweed‚ sumpweed‚ and tobacco.  They lived in dwellings constructed from timber and roofed with bark. They were possibly the first culture in the area to make and use clay pottery.  Adena peoples buried their dead in prominent mounds that were often over twenty-five feet tall and sometimes as many as three hundred feet tall. There were hundreds of these mounds at one point‚ but most of them were destroyed by farmers in the 1800s. Sometime around 1 AD‚ the Adena culture gave way to the Hopewell culture. The Fort Ancient culture came later. Fort Ancient Culture This culture takes its name from the Fort Ancient archaeological site in Ohio (which was‚ somewhat ironically‚ originally built by Hopewell peoples). The Fort Ancient people lived there centuries later. The earthworks at Fort Ancient were the work of many generations‚ built in at least three stages over the course of four centuries. Digging sticks were used to loosen the soil along with tools made from split elk antlers‚ clam shells‚ and the shoulder blades of deer. Baskets with a capacity of up to forty pounds of earth were used for transport as these people moved over half a million cubic yards of soil. These massive walls had 84 gateway openings and were probably not built for defensive purposes. In other words‚ Fort Ancient wasn’t actually a fort. Archaeologists believe that the walls’ purposes were social‚ economic‚ political‚ and ceremonial. The Fort Ancient culture occupied this site and others in settlements of up to five hundred people. Their dietary staples were beans‚ maize‚ and squash. They also hunted black bears‚ turkeys‚ deer‚ and elk. Another view of the serpent-like shape The Serpent in American Indian Traditions While the purpose of the Great Serpent Mound has been lost to history‚ we can glean clues from the beliefs of other native peoples who inhabited the area later on‚ whose beliefs and traditions were influenced by those of earlier peoples.  In many belief systems‚ the Great Serpent was a powerful spirit who could heal the sick and grant good fortune to hunters. The Shawnee believed that Grandfather Serpent ruled the World Below. Some archaeologists believe that the peoples of the Mississippi Valley used snakes to represent the heavens. At the front of the serpent’s undulating body is a gaping mouth poised to swallow a huge oval. Scholars cannot agree on what this oval represents‚ or even if we’re looking at a mouth swallowing an oval at all. Some have interpreted this oval as the eye of the snake.  Some scholars have argued that the oval represents the sun‚ and the snake swallowing the sun represents a solar eclipse. Others say that the undulating shape of the snake mimics a certain constellation. The oval may have been used as a ceremonial platform. The true significance of the Great Serpent Mound may never be discovered‚ but it remains as an enduring piece of American history. The site is open to the public and has been submitted for consideration as a World Heritage Site.The post The Mystery of the Great Serpent Mound of Ohio first appeared on History Defined.

It seems like most famous American mobsters end their careers either with arrest or by going down in a hail of bullets…but not all of them. Johnny Torrio‚ an Italian-American gangster who rose to power in the 1920s‚ would survive both arrests and multiple gunshot wounds to retire. All while keeping his reputation as one of the founding fathers of organized crime.  From killing his own uncle to hiring Al Capone‚ Johnny “The Fox” Torrio held many titles–mobster‚ bootlegger‚ and crime boss. Despite it all‚ he lived to the ripe old age of 75 and died. However‚ he did not die on the streets with a gun in his hand‚ but comfortably in his barber’s chair. Read on to learn more about Johnny Torrio‚ leader of the Chicago Outfit.  Mug shot of Italian-American mobster Johnny “Papa Johnny” Torrio‚ 1936 Early Life in Italy and Immigration to New York City  John Donato Torrio was born in the quaint town of Irsina‚ in the Basilicata region of Italy‚ on January 20‚ 1882. His parents were Maria Carluccio and Tommaso Torrio.  Johnny wouldn’t reside in Italy long though. When he was just 2 years old‚ his father‚ a railway worker‚ would die on the job. His mother took Johnny and immigrated to America‚ specifically to the Lower East Side of New York City.  His mother would wed again‚ and Johnny’s first job would be at his stepfather’s grocery store‚ which functioned more as a bar. His family lived in the slums‚ but this didn’t hold Johnny down.  His first taste of crime came when he joined the James Street Boys‚ and quickly became the top dog. Unlike former leaders‚ he had a good head for finances. Under his control‚ the James Street Boys were able to open a billiards parlor.  Things weren’t exactly above board at the parlor‚ though. Like the grocery-store-turned-bar that his stepfather owned‚ Johnny’s gang would run loan sharking and gambling rackets at the billiards hall. This made even more money for the small group.  This financial intelligence didn’t go unnoticed‚ either. Paul Kelly‚ the leader of a larger local gang‚ the Five Points Gang‚ wanted Johnny to work for him and absorbed the James Street Boys in the process. Working for Kelly‚ Johnny would meet one of the most important people in his life‚ Al Capone. A Johnny Torrio in 1903 Giacomo “Big Jim” Colosimo and the Chicago Outfit  By 1909‚ Johnny Torrio was running multiple business ventures for the Five Points Gang on the Brooklyn docks‚ including but not limited to brothels and bars. With him was his friend Al Capone‚ and another associate‚ Frankie Yale.  It was going well for Johnny‚ but things could get even better. His aunt‚ Victoria Moresco‚ had married Giacomo “Big Jim” Colosimo‚ the owner of over 100 brothels in Chicago. When Colosimo was facing extortion by the Black Hand‚ and an Italian extortion racket‚ he called in his wife’s nephew to come and handle the threat.  Johnny swiftly dealt with the threat‚ and Colosimo liked him enough to keep him on. Colosimo was a major crime boss in the Chicago area‚ and Johnny had gained enough experience and knowledge working in New York to be a big asset to him.  Through efficiency and the closeness of their relationship‚ Johnny Torrio rose in the ranks of Colosimo’s empire‚ known as the Chicago Outfit. He became Colosimo’s right-hand man‚  In 1919‚ Johnny Torrio called for his old confidante‚ Al Capone‚ to join him in Chicago‚ and Capone was glad to accept the invitation.  Prohibition and the Murder of Giacomo Colosimo  One year after Johnny Torrio brought Al Capone out to join him in Chicago‚ Prohibition went into effect. Johnny immediately recognized how lucrative bootlegging would be. He pushed Colosimo to get into the business early.  Surprisingly‚ Colosimo refused. Around the same time‚ he divorced Johnny’s aunt and quickly married another woman. With all of this combined‚ it’s no wonder that tensions were rising between the two men.  In May of that same year‚ Johnny called Colosimo and told him to expect a shipment at one of his many restaurants. Colosimo left to accept the shipment‚ but when he arrived‚ he was ambushed and killed.  Colosimo‚ circa late 1910s – 1920 While nothing was ever proven‚ it’s believed that the murder was carried out by either Frankie Yale‚ who Johnny would have brought in from Chicago‚ or Al Capone‚ who was already in the town‚ at the behest of Johnny Torrio himself.  With Colosimo gone‚ control of the Chicago Outfit was quickly assumed by his right-hand man‚ Johnny “The Fox” Torrio. Moving into the slot of Johnny’s right-hand man was‚ of course‚ Al Capone. The North Side Gang and Assassination Attempt on Johnny Torrio Just as Johnny had predicted‚ bootlegging was indeed a lucrative business. So lucrative‚ in fact‚ that many smaller gangs and bootlegging outfits were popping up all over Chicago‚ leading to skirmishes and gang wars which left Torrio feeling uneasy.  To nullify this problem‚ Johnny organized a city-wide cartel of bootleggers with small territories still belonging to individual gangs. One of the larger of these gangs‚ the North Side Gang‚ had joined the cartel but was having issues.  Leaders of the North Side Gang discovered that men who worked with Torrio were encroaching on their territories to sell alcohol. O’Banion‚ the leader of the North Side Gang‚ went to Johnny to try and fix things before they became ugly‚ but Johnny was dismissive.  In retaliation‚ O’Banion swindled Johnny out of half a million dollars by offering to sell his share of a local brewery on May 24‚ 1924. When Johnny arrived to make the sale‚ he was instead greeted by a police raid and arrested.  Torrio was furious. Revenge was to be the first course of action‚ but Johnny stayed his hand at the request of powerful leader Mike Merlo‚ head of the labor organization Unione Siciliana. Agreeing to keep the peace for Merlo‚ Johnny waited. When Mike Merlo died later that year‚ there was nothing to hold The Fox back. Three men‚ rumored to have been Albert Anselmi‚ John Scalise‚ and once again‚ Frankie Yale‚ walked into a flower shop owned by the North Side Gang two days after Merlo’s death. O’Banion was working behind the counter‚ and the men shot him dead.  A few months later‚ on January 24‚ 1925‚ Johnny Torrio and his wife were ambushed by leading members of the North Side Gang. Torrio was shot several times‚ taking bullets in the jaw‚ lungs‚ legs‚ and stomach.  Amazingly‚ he survived. During his recovery‚ he handed the reins of the Chicago Outfit over to Al Capone‚ and would never truly return to leadership.  How Many Times was Johnny Torrio shot? Johnny Torrio was shot five times in the assassination attempt by the North Side Gang. He survived the attack in part to his wife‚ Anna‚ who drug him to the sidewalk and worked to stop the blood leaking from the numerous wounds.  Once he healed‚ Torrio found that he was done with the life of crime. He retired to Europe.  John Torrio leaving the federal court house in New York during his trial‚ 1939 What happened to Johnny Torrio?–Later Life and Death After spending a few years in Italy with Anna and his mother‚ Johnny Torrio was needed back in the United States once more. He returned to help organize the disjointed East Coast bootlegging operations and called for a conference to be held to deal with the problem. At that conference‚ the National Crime Syndicate was born.  Johnny Torrio would die at the age of 75 after suffering a heart attack in his barber’s chair. Fittingly‚ this happened in Brooklyn‚ New York‚ where his life in organized crime first began.  References “Giovanni “Johnny” Torrio – Presiding Over the Chicago Outfit”  https://www.legendsofamerica.com/johnny-torrio/ “Shooting of Johnny Torrio‚ 1925” https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-shooting-of-johnny-torri/23225587/The post The Life and Crimes of Notorious Mobster‚ Johnny Torrio first appeared on History Defined.

In March 2009‚ Mexico released the List of Mexico’s 37 Most Wanted Drug Lords. In the years since‚ 36 of the drug lords on this list have been tracked down and arrested–an incredible undertaking considering just how dangerous these men and their cartels are. Yet someone‚ the 37th man‚ Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada remains free. Even after all these years‚ he has never been captured and now stands alone as the single remaining drug lord from the 2009 most wanted list.  So how did this man‚ among all the others‚ manage to avoid capture‚ and what makes him so powerful? In the article‚ we will delve into the elusive drug lord’s legacy.  Ismael Zambada García. InsightCrime Early Life and Beginnings in the Drug Trade  Ismael Mario Zambada García was born on January 1‚ 1948‚ in El Alamo‚ Culiacán‚ Sinaloa‚ Mexico.  More than anything‚ his birth into this region would help to shape his destiny as a drug lord. Sinaloa is a mountainous region‚ lush enough to be successful in agricultural production. But alongside the mountains are vast fields‚ perfect for growing and cultivating opium poppies.  These poppies‚ as the name suggests‚ just so happen to produce opium–the raw material needed for heroin. Because of this‚ the region became popular in the already prolific Mexican drug trade.  Ismael Zambada Garcia’s family started as farmers‚ but by 16 Ismael was dealing drugs. He worked his way slowly up the drug pipeline until he was affiliated with the Guadalajara Cartel. At the time‚ the Guadalajara Cartel‚ led by Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo was dominant in the field‚ providing enormous amounts of narcotics to the United States. In 1989‚ Gallardo would be arrested‚ and the formerly powerful cartel would start to crumble.  Creation of the Sinaloa Cartel  After the fall of the Guadalajara Cartel‚ there was a power vacuum left behind. Lower-level leaders saw this as an opportunity‚ and the former Guadalajara Cartel was split into two factions. There was the Tijuana Cartel‚ run by Gallardo’s nephews‚ and the Sinaloa Cartel‚ controlled by the trio Héctor Luis Palma Salazar‚ Ismael Zambada García and Joaquín Guzmán Loera (also known as El Chapo). Ismael would come to be known as “El Mayo”‚ a play on his first name. El Mayo and El Chapo would rule the new Sinaloa cartel in vastly different ways. El Chapo was outgoing and media-savvy‚ while El Mayo preferred to operate in the shadows‚ keeping a low profile.  Ismael’s strategic leadership and willingness to explore alliances had his cartel growing at a runway pace. Despite being in a less favorable location than the Tijuana Cartel‚ the Sinaloa Cartel was thriving.  Under El Chapo and Isamel’s guidance‚ the new cartel expanded its reach to the global stage. They didn’t stop with just drug smuggling either. The Sinaloa Cartel dabbled in arms trading‚ money laundering‚ and the transport of lower-level drugs like marijuana.   All of this was possible through the corruption of local law enforcement. In Mexico and other parts of both Central and South America‚ drug cartels are intricately connected to law enforcement‚ usually through a combination of money and violence. This allows them to exist without fear of arrest.  The Sinaloa Cartel grew even more in power and territory. In the early 2000s‚ the infamously violent Juarez Cartel collapsed. The Sinaloa Cartel swept in and with brutal and bloody efficiency‚ absorbed much of the Juarez Cartel‚ both territory and personnel.  Sinaloa Cartel logo How Does the Sinaloa Cartel Work? The Sinaloa Cartel functions by receiving enormous amounts of cocaine from South America‚ usually Colombia. From there‚ most of the cocaine is transported to the United States through a number of means.  The Sinaloa Cartel operates in other countries besides the US. It also deals in other sorts of drugs besides cocaine. However‚ the American cocaine market is the most lucrative.  Getting cocaine into America isn’t easy–the cartel uses a variety of transport‚ including trucks and cars‚ boats‚ aircraft‚ and even tunnel systems. Once the drug has made it into the United States‚ it goes to distribution hubs such as Atlanta and New York.  El Chapo’s Arrest and the Disappearance of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada In the 2000s‚ things started to heat up for El Mayo. In 2006‚ Mexican President Felipe Calderón began a full-scale offensive to deal with the rampant issue of the drug cartels. At the time‚ the Tijuana Cartel was the most notorious‚ and a lot of the effort was focused there.  Meanwhile‚ the Sinaloa Cartel moved in to take over territories held by the Tijuana Cartel. This led to a war between the two.  The following year‚ America’s Most Wanted featured Ismael Zambada Garcia‚ offering a $5 million reward for information about his whereabouts. Mexico was also offering a substantial reward–300 million pesos‚ or $17‚558‚851 US dollars.  In 2009‚ the aforementioned List of Mexico’s 37 most-wanted drug lords‚ and other cartel leaders started to fall one by one. Still‚ El Mayo and El Chapo remained free and in control of the Sinaloa Cartel.  All of that came to a screeching halt when‚ in 2016‚ El Chapo was arrested for the third time. Already a low-profile figure‚ Isamel went deeper into hiding‚ eluding capture until he was the last man standing.  El Chapo after his arrest in 2017 Where is Ismael El Mayo Zambada Now? Ismael Zambada Garcia has never been captured and his current whereabouts are unknown.  El Chapo had been arrested multiple times in the past and even escaped from maximum security prisons multiple times. Ismael‚ on the other hand‚ has never been arrested. At this point‚ he is one of the most wanted men in all of Mexico‚ making him go to great lengths to avoid capture.  Rumors say that Ismael may have undergone plastic surgery to help conceal his identity‚ but even with such a drastic step‚ age is catching up with him. Other reports mentioned that Ismael is ill with diabetes and that some of the control of the Sinaloa Cartel is being passed to the sons of El Chapo.  Who Runs Sinaloa Cartel? As of early 2024‚ Ismael Zambada-Garcia is still in control of the Sinaloa Cartel‚ but his declining health has made it necessary for him to plan who will lead after him.  Ismael Zambada-Garcia is 76 years old‚ and the years of running a cartel haven’t been kind to him. There was talk at one time that he would turn leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel over to other high-ranking drug lords‚ Rafael Caro Quintero and Miguel Caro Quintero‚ but this never came to fruition.  Instead‚ it looks as though power is slowly being transferred to El Chapo’s sons‚ known as the Chapitos. References  “With Mexico’s ‘Chapo’ back behind bars‚ Zambada the last capo standing”-Michael O’Boyle and Joanna Zuckerman Bernstein https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0UR01D/ “Narcotics Rewards Program: Ismael Zambada-Garcia” https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/inl/narc/rewards/115360.htmThe post The Sinaloa Cartel’s Right-Hand Man: Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada first appeared on History Defined.