A new lawyer named Ana arrives in the town of Cambados. Her arrival does not go unnoticed, especially by Daniel – the son of a drug dealer. He became the head of the Padín clan when his father was imprisoned. Ana, who has gained extensive experience in a Madrid law firm, decides to start over in Cambados with the intention of settling the accounts from the past.
“Gangs of Galicia” more popular than “Bridgertons”
The production was released on Netflix on June 21 and is currently the most watched series among Polish users of the service (however, it is worth noting that the last four episodes of “Bridgerton” are available from June 16). The main roles in the Spanish series are played by Clara Lago and Tamar Novas. It is directed by Roger Gual, and the screenplay is based on a true story by Jorge Guerricaechevarria.
“Gangs of Galicia” is of course not a documentary, there is a lot of fiction here. However, the scenario was inspired by real events that happened in the title region around 2018. Drug lord Manuel Charlín Gama was arrested there, along with his son Melchor, for smuggling tons of cocaine from Portugal by water.
Charlín started his illegal activities in the 1970s together with his brother and was a very influential figure especially in the 1980s. He became the patriarch of a mafia family called the “Clan de los Charlines”. In the Netflix series, he was introduced to viewers as Jose Padina, who ran his business from behind bars with the help of his son Daniel.
Indeed, as part of the Operación Nécora police operation, Manuel Charlín Gama was arrested in his own home in the 1990s. In the series, viewers learn the details of the operation called “Rat Trap”, in which Jose Padin was arrested in Cambados in 1991. Spoiler alert – in “Gangs of Galicia”, a drug kingpin is betrayed by an associate who is furious because Padina seduced his wife. Jose Silva helped police gather evidence against his former boss and was placed in a witness protection program. He had to leave Cambados and started a new family in Fuerteventura as Jorge Gonzalez. He married Ana’s mother.
And what did it really look like?
Like the DMT service, in fact it was the head of transport in Charlín, Manuel Baulo, who betrayed Padina and became a crown witness. Thanks to Baul, the authorities learned about the clan structure and the internal functioning of the gangs. Charlín, of course, wanted revenge and had Baulo attacked in 1994. As depicted in the series, he hired several Colombian assassins. Baulo was shot dead in his home in Cambados.
Even though the police could not find any evidence against Charlín for this murder, he was arrested together with his eldest daughter Josefa based on Baulo’s testimony, which confirmed their involvement in the drug trade. The court sentenced Charlín to 20 years in prison, but he only served 15 years. He was released in 2010 and remained inactive for eight years. It was only in 2018 that he became famous again. His arrest in the 1990s did not end the clan’s illegal activities, as his daughter, Josefa Charlín Pomares, took over the business along with Charlín’s second child, Manuel. In real life, the criminal had many children and grandchildren who were actively involved in the family “business” – in the Netflix series we see one son, Daniel. Many policemen investigated the gang’s activities, so – as The Cinematocholic responds – Detective Naranjo is a character created by the filmmakers, representing many real investigators.
The characters of Ana and her mother, as well as Jose Silva, seem completely fictional, so these plots are the scriptwriter’s invention. He also treated Charlín’s wife differently to dramatize the story. She didn’t actually die of illness, but was arrested along with her husband and daughter Josefa. The real Charlín died on December 31, 2021, at the age of 89.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
