"RG Homies" become the "Go-to Politicos" in Southeast LA

Blogger's Note: Its been a long time in coming, but today "Nacho", "Thuy", "Rebel" and the other members of the former Ramona Gardens Housing Projects familia turned the Chacon Political Family of Commerce, garnered their "fifteen minutes of political fame" with a front page, above the fold feature in the Sunday LA Times. Like the Chacons, this blogger also endured an early life among the "Bricks of RG". Then decades later in the late nineties, I would meet up again with these childhood neighbors turned rising politicos of Southeast Los Angeles County. At the height of their so called "political power", the Chacons would have three siblings in political office and work with the likes of the late former CD 14 Councilman Nick Pacheco's Chief of Staff Lloyd Monseratt to elect the likes of current CD 1 City Councilman Ed Reyes to office. But  some ten plus years after helping Reyes, the Chacon Machine is facing major scrutiny over their questionable back room proclivities and financial dealings.It is an open secret in Southeast LA that the Chacons were close associates of convicted South Gate Politico Albert Robles. In 1999, Hector Chacon, half-brother former Commerce City Councilman Hugo Argumedo and ally, former Commerce Councilman Ray "Gordy" Cisneros , told the likes of South Gate City Councilman Henry Gonzalez, that they wanted to make Robles the Commerce City Administrator, during the Grand Opening festivites of the Paseo Shopping Center. Some thirteen years later, one could make the case that the Chacons are the new faces of the Robles Machine in Southeast LA, more on that below---Scott Johnson.   

 Montebello School Board President Hector Chacon finds his way back to his Ramona Gardens hood.

In noting the picture of Hector Chacon above, those who know the brothers would almost mistake Hector for older brother Art Chacon who currently sits on the Central Basin Water District Board of Directors. Art Chacon, who was shot three different times in his RG days, had his criminal record sealed some years before. More recently, Art Chacon had a heart attack soon after being hit with $30,000+ in FPPC penalties.  

Somewhere in the Federal Prison System, incarcerated former South Gate Politico Albert Robles might have some thoughts on his former Chacon associates becoming the "go-to heavyweights of Southeast LA politics".

According to Commerce Resident and former Chacon associate Roger Bagne, The Chacon Brothers frequently used the Robles condo at Rosarito Beach in Baja, California. Bagne would later turn on the likes of City of Commerce City Councilpersons Tina Baca del Rio and Robert Fierro (below) who were onetime allies of the Chacons.

 Fierro recently pleaded guilty to trying to hide illegal campaign contributions and is awaiting sentencing.

Your thoughts ..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14