Summary

• Griselda Blanco's rough upbringing in poverty contributed to her becoming one of the most feared drug lords.
• Griselda played a major role in the Miami drug wars, along with Pablo Escobar, making the distribution network more profitable than the cannabis trade.
• Griselda is believed to have killed all three of her husbands, earning her the nickname "The Black Widow."

Vergara's first TV project since Modern Family, Griselda is especially challenging since it requires the actor to emote the real strength, determination, and devastating power the Godmother is known for in real life. Of course, any screen adaptation is sure to mix reality and fiction, and the same is true for Griselda.

Griselda Blanco's real life was filled with tragedy and violence, all of which contributed to her becoming one of the most feared individuals in the drug trade. In addition to Vergara being nearly unrecognizable as Griselda, the actor's version of the Godmother is seen to be just as violent, if not more so, than her male counterparts. This brutality, combined with the natural fascination for a woman like Griselda Blanco, has contributed to Griselda being one of the best crime dramas on Netflix. Still, there are a few inaccuracies spread without.

Accurate: Griselda First Became A Drug Dealer In Colombia

Griselda's rough upbringing constantly put her in with notorious drug dealers.

Griselda Blanco's upbringing was rife with poverty, a lack of proper guidance, violence, and a perversion of morals due to a brutally unforgiving environment. While these factors don't excuse the life that Griselda chose, they offer audiences some sense of how and why she would eventually develop a reputation as one of the world's most dangerous drug queenpins. Born in Cartagena, Colombia, in 1943, Griselda and her mother moved to Medellín when she was three, a part of Colombia notorious for its criminal activity, which became the genesis of Griselda's life of crime.

Without her father in her life to the family, Griselda turned to older male drug dealers in the neighborhood for guidance and eventually started down a path of drug dealing to herself. As was seen in Netflix's Griselda, the future queenpin began to deal with the big dogs alongside her husband, Alberto Bravo, in the 1960s. At this point, Griselda began to develop her brutal reputation but still worked from the shadow of the Bravo family.

Accurate: Griselda Came To New York With Her Husband Alberto Bravo

Griselda illegally immigrated to New York City to expand her business before fleeing back to Colombia to avoid prosecution.

Griselda picks up with Griselda's move to Miami, but the Netflix series mentions that she and Alberto used to live in New York City (in the 1970s), where they successfully smuggled Colombian cocaine into the country. This was how she knew Carmen Gutiérrez, who, in the series, gave Griselda a place to stay in Miami before later providing airfare for the queenpin's cocaine farriers. Carmen's character in Netflix's Griselda seems to have been inspired by several women who worked with Griselda, most notably Carmen Cabán, who worked with the authorities against Griselda.

Though it's not mentioned in Griselda, she and Alberto were forced to flee New York City after being indicted on federal drug conspiracy charges. To avoid prosecution and imprisonment, the couple returned to Colombia, where they resumed their business. Later, after Alberto's death, Griselda spent time accruing money, resources, and connections in Miami, Florida. When she finally set out again with her three children, Griselda had a more foolproof plan to become one of the most notorious and successful drug lords in history.

Accurate: Griselda Is Believed To Have Killed All Her Husbands

Griselda directly killed or ordered the deaths of Carlo Trujillo, Alberto Bravo, and Darío Sepúlveda.

Netflix's Griselda introduces two of the real-world character's husbands, Alberto Bravo and Darío Sepúlveda. In the show, it's revealed that Griselda was personally responsible for both men's deaths—and this is believed to be accurate. Darío really was assassinated in Colombia, and since the killer captured Griselda's son, Michael, and returned him to the United States, it can be assumed that this was ordered by the queenpin. In the case of Alberto, this is the only murder that Griselda was proven to have committed with her own hands.

Griselda leaves out the notorious criminal's first husband, however, another man that she is believed to have killed. Carlos Trujillo was the father of Griselda's first three children, Dixon, Uber, and Osvaldo. Griselda and Carlos divorced and continued to do business together from time to time. However, after a deal went sour, Griselda is believed to have ordered Carlos to be murdered. Since all three of Griselda's husbands met grisly ends, she gained the nickname "The Black Widow."

Accurate: Griselda Blanco Played A Major Role In The Miami Drug Wars

Griselda was one of the most prominent drug traders along with Pablo Escobar during the late 1970s to mid-1980s.

Arguably, Griselda's most notable feat as a drug trader was the instrumental role she played in the Miami Drug War - a distribution network that was more profitable than the illegal trade of cannabis that saw its beneficiaries bringing in $80 million a month. Started by the Medellín Cartel that was founded and led by Pablo Escobar, the Miami Drug War saw various Colombian cartels engage in violent conflicts with various forms of United States government and even military personnel throughout the mid to late 1970s in Miami to maintain the trade of cocaine throughout the country.

Of course, there is no way to know the specific details of Griselda's contribution to the Miami drug scene. The trades, murders, and schemes were so prominent during the 1970s that it was difficult for law enforcement to tell which drug lord was responsible for which crimes. However, it has been reported on several occasions that it had been Griselda's idea to begin bringing cocaine into the United States in women's bras. Additionally, the Godmother is considered to be responsible for the "Dadeland Massacre," which saw her armed hit men gun down the Crown Liquors shop in the Dadeland Mall to kill German Panesso and his bodyguards.

Changed: It's Believed That Griselda Truly Did Murder Marta Ochoa Salderriega

Marta Ochoa overdosed in Netflix's Griselda.

In the final episode of Griselda, Marta Ochoa, the sister to the Ochoa brothers and girlfriend to Rafa Salazar, overdoses and dies while alone with Grasilda. In Netflix's version of events, Griselda was entirely faultless in this, but she knew that Rafa and the Ochoa brothers wouldn't see it that way. This was the beginning of the end for Griselda, and this final misfortune led her to go on the run with her kids before ultimately turning herself in to the police to avoid repercussions from the Medellin Cartel.

In reality, it's believed that Griselda really did murder Marta Ochoa herself. There's no evidence to the idea that Marta was dating Griselda's long-time rival, but she was still an important figure within the Medellin Cartel, and she and Griselda had become friends. Of course, the Godmother had a reputation for killing her friends, especially if she owed them money. Griselda's debts to Marta became too high, so she had the woman murdered to clear the books.

Changed: Griselda Didn't Turn Herself In To Avoid The Medellin Cartel

The circumstances of Griselda's arrest were different in the Netflix series compared to real life.

As seen in Netflix's Griselda, the Godmother's own paranoia aided in her being fought by police. As she turned on her people and had anyone she deemed unfaithful killed, any remaining loyalty faltered. Detective June Hawkins-Singleton was a real officer whose efforts helped in securing the DEA's surveillance on Griselda's daily life and routine, and this led to the Godmother's arrest in Irvine, California, in 1985.

In Griselda, the queenpin herself called the police and told them where to find her. She knew that Rafa was on his way to California to get revenge for Marta's death, and a short prison sentence would have been better than such a fate. This certainly wasn't the case in real life. Additionally, unlike in the Netflix series, where Griselda could only be sentenced to seven years in prison, she got 15 years in real life. In the end, she only served seven years because she suffered a heart attack and was deported to Colombia instead.

Accurate: Jorge “Rivi” Ayala Was Really Part Of A Phone Sex Scandal

The case against Griselda really was weakened because of Rivi's sex scandal.

Griselda was found guilty of various drug-related charges and sentenced to 15 years in prison. While incarcerated, her former top enforcer, Jorge "Rivi" Ayala, agreed to testify against her, which could have increased Griselda's sentence. However, just as in Griselda, a phone sex scandal between Rivi and of the state attorney's office caused the case to fall apart. Netflix's Griselda presented this as an intentional act on Rivi's part, allowing him to take the plea deal and avoid the death sentence while still protecting Griselda. Of course, it's impossible to know this for sure.

Changed: Only Two Of Griselda's Children Were Killed While She Was In Prison

Griselda was survived by two of her children (though only one is still alive today).

In Netflix's Griselda, June Hawkins revealed that three of Griselda's children, Dixon, Uber, and Osvaldo, had been murdered while the Godmother was in prison. The detective guessed whoever had ordered this had done so just before Griselda was due to be released, therefore making the situation that much more painful. This is only partially accurate. In truth, Uber and Osvaldo were killed several years before Griselda was released, and their deaths were likely in relation to their own involvement in the drug world.

When Griselda left prison in 2004, two of her sons were still alive. She lived near or with Dixon and Michael in Medellín, Colombia, until she died in 2012. Dixon ed away in the years following his mother's assassination, though the date and cause of death aren't entirely known. Michael has since stated publically that all of his family died because of their involvement in the drug trade, so he decided it was time to escape that world himself. The deaths of Griselda's family are undoubtedly tragic, but the circumstances weren't exactly what Griselda made them seem.

Accurate: Griselda Blanco Was Assassinated In Colombia At Age 69

Griselda was gunned down in 2012 by an unnamed gunman while leaving a butcher shop.

Griselda didn't end with the Godmother's death, instead only going as far as Griselda learning about the deaths of her sons while still in prison. Before the credits rolled, text appeared on the screen stating that Griselda died in 2012 after being gunned down by an assassin in Medellin, Colombia. This is factual, and Griselda was 69 years old at the time of her death, just as the Netflix series claimed. There is no mention in Griselda, however, about who committed or ordered this crime. This is because there is no ready answer to this question even today.

There are several other details about Griselda's death that weren't included in the Netflix show, including the fact that she was with her pregnant daughter-in-law at the time. Another interesting thing to note is that the assassination was carried out by someone on a motorcycle, which is a method that Griselda herself was known for pioneering. In all, this meant that the Godmother and tragic inspiration for Netflix's Griselda died in a somewhat karmic way—just another layer added to this cautionary tale.

All six episodes of Griselda can be watched on Netflix.