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Childhood and Formative Years<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Alberto “Alpo” Martinez was born on June 8, 1966, in East Harlem, New York City<\/a>. A product of the streets, his childhood was shaped by poverty and the drug trade<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The allure of quick money and the influence and lifestyles of the older drug dealers caused Martinez to start selling drugs at the young age of 13.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n With his partners Azie Faison and Rich Porter, Martinez capitalized on the soaring demand for crack cocaine, forming an enormous drug operation that wielded massive influence and control over Harlem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Known for his street smarts, business acumen, and understanding of the dynamics within the criminal underworld, Martinez ruled his drug empire with ruthless determination, which allowed him to rise above his competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over time, disagreements over money, trust issues, and territorial control are believed to have led to increasing tensions between Porter and Martinez. The breaking point reportedly occurred when Martinez felt Porter was becoming a liability to the operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was possibly due to suspicions of disloyalty or concerns about law enforcement. In an act of betrayal, Alpo Martinez fatally shot Rich Porter in 1990. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As with all drug lords, they eventually want more. With pressures from rival gangs and the police breathing down his neck, Alpo Martinez envisioned his business expanding beyond the confines of Harlem<\/a>. He set his sights on Washington, D.C. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Washington, D.C., in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was grappling with its own drug epidemic, providing an opportunity for someone like Martinez to exploit. The expansion into a new market allowed him to diversify his operations and tap into a different demographic of drug users. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What Martinez didn\u2019t know was that there were already multiple investigations into his criminal activity going on. It wasn\u2019t long after he expanded into Washington D.C. that he was arrested and faced charges related to drug trafficking along with 14 counts of murder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to the severity of his crimes, the worst-case scenario would be the death penalty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The best case would be life in prison with no chance of parole. Either way, Martinez was looking at the end of his life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But then the authorities offered him a third option. They told him that he could become a confidential informant <\/a>and turn on all his friends in exchange for a 35-year sentence. Martinez took the offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Martinez began giving police all the names he knew. He ratted out his former bodyguard and enforcer Wayne ‘Silk’ Perry who was charged with five consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. His testimonies of other drug kingpins significantly crippled the cocaine trade in Washington D.C. <\/p>\n\n\n\nRise to Power<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Expansion into Washington D.C. and Arrest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Drug Lord Turned Informant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Witness Protection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n