They are navigating love, family and life after the cartel. Lori talks to Michael Blanco and Marie Ramirez De Arellano from VH1’s “Cartel Crew.”
Video Content: Michael Blanco and Marie Ramirez De Arellano (2021)
SIDEWALKS host Lori Rosales talks to Michael Blanco and Marie Ramirez De Arellano, the lead talents in VH1’s “Cartel Crew,” about their lives, doing a reality show, and now being celebrities and having fans.
Mini-Biographies (from press biographies):
Michael Blanco grew up surrounded by crime. The youngest son of Griselda Blanco (the “Cocaine Godmother”), he followed his mother’s footsteps into the drug world. For 33 years he led a criminal lifestyle, but after his mother’s assassination, he decided to quit the Cartel life and launch a personal clothing brand, “Pure Blanco,” to prove he could lead a legal business and life. Currently, Michael is focusing his future, by raising his daughter with Marie Ramirez De Arellano, and pursuing a partnership and extension of his company with a licensed cannabis dispensary.
Marie Ramirez De Arellano was born into the cartel life. While her father kept his business private, the family heard rumors of his dealings. Now grown, she’s lost touch with her family largely because of her relationship with Michael Blanco. She’s given up everything for the man she loves and is devoted to “Pure Blanco,” although she has a few secrets in her past that may shock even the unflappable Michael Blanco.
Interview Credits:
Recorded: June 3, 2021
Host / Producer: Lori Rosales
Editor: Richard R. Lee
Special Thanks To: VH1