Gerardo Reyes and George Vidales were associates and subordinate soldiers of the Mexican Mafia, a prison gang that dominated Hispanic street gangs, principally by enforcing payment of exactions, known as taxes, from narcotics sales and other criminal activity. A known rule of the Mexican Mafia was that cooperation with law enforcement was punishable by death, although that penalty was not imposed without verification, known as paperwork.
Reyes and Vidales were also involved with the Avenues gang. In investigating a murder, police spoke to Randy Morales, an Avenues member, who told them who did that shooting. Reference to Morales in a report of his interview was paperwork.
