The Connect- with Johnny Mitchell

Gary Dodson — better known as “Bumper” — tells the uncensored story of his transformation from a violent white supremacist skinhead and federal prison gang member to a man who ultimately walked away from hate and extremism. Raised in a chaotic, drug-filled household in rural California, Bumper gravitated toward gangs, violence, and racist ideology at a young age. What began as rebellion turned into full-blown immersion in neo-Nazi skinhead culture, leading to robberies, stabbings, riots, and eventually a federal hate-crime and arson case tied to Molotov cocktails. Bumper spent over a decade inside some of the most dangerous level-four federal prisons in the United States, including USP McCreary and USP Victorville, where racial politics, stabbings, and brutal “smash-outs” were a daily reality. In this interview, he breaks down: • How he was recruited into the skinhead movement • The inner politics of white supremacist prison gangs • The psychology behind hate, identity, and belonging • What daily life is really like in violent federal penitentiaries • How he slowly abandoned racist ideology • What finally made him choose a different path This is a raw, unfiltered look inside extremist subcultures, prison survival, and the possibility of change. Go Support Gary! TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@garydodson7 Podcast: @YardDownProductions This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: Superpower! Head to Superpower.com and use code CONNECT at checkout for $20 off your membership. Live up to your 100-Year potential. #superpowerpod Hims! To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and more, visit https://hims.com/connect Ava! Take control of your credit today. Download the Ava app, and when you join using MY promo code CONNECT20, you’ll get 20% off your first year—monthly or annual, your choice. 00:00 Bumper's Violent Origins and Early Life 06:00 Growing Up in Racist Small-Town California 12:00 Troubled Childhood and Family Chaos 14:49 This Episode Is Sponsored By Superpower 18:04 First Criminal Experiences & Juvenile Hall 22:00 Introduction to Gang Life and Becoming a Skinhead 32:00 The Skinhead Subculture: Beliefs and Identity 33:24 This Episode Is Sponsored By Hims 35:57 Life of Crime: Robbery, Fights, and Violence 51:00 First Prison Stint: Rules, Riots, and Violence 52:12 This Episode Is Sponsored By Hims 54:05 Reentry to Society, Skinhead Crew, and Ongoing Crime 01:13:00 Federal Hate Crime Case: From State to Feds 01:23:00 Violence, Betrayals, and Prison Politics 01:33:00 Federal Time: Maximum Security, Survival, and Chaos 01:42:00 Addiction, Hustles, and Race Dynamics Behind Bars 01:50:00 The Reality of Violence in Prison Life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Pimpin Ken, a former high-level pimp from Chicago and Milwaukee, breaks down the psychology, power dynamics, and realities of the pimping game during its peak in the 1970s–1990s. Ken speaks candidly about how he entered the life as a teenager, the culture of pimping that existed at the time, and how manipulation, control, and desensitization became central to survival. He explains the difference between street-level track work and higher-end strip club and VIP hustles, detailing how money was really made — and why most people misunderstand the game entirely. This interview also dives deep into: -The psychology behind control, power, and influence -How pimping was normalized in certain eras and communities -The role of trauma, abandonment, and emotional conditioning -Why he avoided violence and relied on manipulation instead -The evolution from street hustling to sophisticated financial setups -His thoughts on relationships, marriage, masculinity, and power -How prison, reading, and reflection changed his perspective This is not a glamorization — it’s a firsthand account of a brutal system, told by someone who lived it and survived it. Support Ken Books: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/PimpinKen7?srsltid=AfmBOoocrftoIFbUynb_2YpRlVnI7TyfLbkZk6L55Hq6d821w17fi1K5 Audio Book: https://www.audible.com/pd/Pimpology-Audiobook/B0196WKYU8?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp Hip Hop Fraternity: https://www.pimpinken.net/ This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: The Wellness Company! Power up with RECHARGE! Click https://twc.health/connect and use code CONNECT for 10% Off + Free Shipping on every order 🇺🇸. Rocket Money! Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at https://rocketmoney.com/connect Cash App! Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Cash App Green, overdraft coverage, borrow, cash back offers and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 Introducing Pimping Ken & His Legacy 02:18 Origins: Hustling in Chicago 06:01 Juvenile Crime & Early Lessons 09:08 Transition to Milwaukee & First Schemes 13:16 Entering the Pimp Game 16:46 The Milwaukee Pimping Culture 20:25 Psychological of Pimping 21:24 This Episode Is Sponsored By The Wellness Company 22:58 Breaking Tricks – The Strip Club Game 28:39 How Pimping & Payments Really Work 33:01 Scaling Up: From Pimping to Business 38:42 Managing Multiple Women 39:48 Manage YOUR Money With Rocket Money 41:27 Pimping, Power & Mind Games 49:54 This Episode Is Sponsored By Cash App 51:22 From The Streets to Legendary Status 56:15 Trauma, Environment & Why People Pimp 01:02:03 Book Deals, Rap Fame & Legal Hustle 01:10:54 Major Deals, Royalties & Real Business 01:17:41 Education, Self-Help & Writing Approach 01:26:01 Life After Pimping – Giving Back 01:32:31 Fatherhood, Relationships & Change 01:38:46 Financial Success: Pimp Game vs. Legal Life 01:44:00 Stepping Into Mainstream Business & Media 01:48:02 Building the Hip-Hop Fraternity & Future Plans 01:50:02 Final Reflections & Where to Find Ken Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, a former drug trafficker "Fernando" breaks down how crystal meth from Mexico’s most violent region flooded small-town America — and how he lived at the center of it. Raised in a multi-generation trafficking family tied to Michoacán, Fernando reveals how meth labs in Mexico, tight-knit immigrant networks, and overlooked U.S. towns created one of the most devastating drug pipelines in modern history. From burying cash in the ground to moving hundreds of pounds before age 20, this is an unfiltered look at the business, culture, and consequences of the meth trade. Fernando discusses: -Why Michoacán became the epicenter of crystal meth -How cartel families expand into small U.S. towns -The economics of meth vs cocaine -Gambling, narco culture, and “front” businesses -How federal cases are quietly built for years -Life inside federal prison and the cost to family -Why leaving the game is harder than entering it This episode is raw, detailed, and brutally honest — a firsthand account of how an entire system operates in plain sight. This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: The Wellness Company! Visit twc.health/connect to get American Made Ivermectin. Order your 6-month supply today and use code CONNECT for $30 Off + FREE shipping. USA Residents only 🇺🇸 Ava! Take control of your credit today. Download the Ava app , and when you join using MY promo code CONNECT20, you’ll get 20% off your first year—monthly or annual, your choice. Betterhelp! You can’t step into a lighter version of yourself without leaving behind what’s been weighing you down. Therapy can help you clear space. Sign up and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/connect. Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 How Michoacán Meth Changed Everything 02:14 Meet Fernando: Family History in Trafficking 07:11 Michoacán's Cartel Culture and Drug Routes 10:49 Growing Up in a Narco Family in the US 15:36 This Episode Is Sponsored By The Wellness Company 17:15 Why Michoacanos Move to the US Drug Market 24:08 Volleyball, Gambling & Community: The Social Side 30:09 This Episode Is Sponsored By Ava 32:24 Drug Dealing, Customers, and Cutting Product 42:09 Transitioning from Cocaine to Meth 47:41This Episode Is Sponsored By Betterhelp 49:04 How the Meth Market Works 53:19 Cooking, Stretching, and Selling Meth 01:00:13 Family Roles, Buried Money, and Prison 01:10:05 Life in Prison and Staying Connected 01:21:03 Getting Busted & Prosecuted 01:31:36 Culture, Resourcefulness, and Prison Life 01:41:00 Reflections, The Present & Trying to Go Legit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Johnny sits down with Luis “Spider” Gutierrez, a longtime Northern California gang figure and former leader within the Norteño structure, to tell one of the most intense and unfiltered prison stories ever shared on the podcast. Raised in Salinas, California—one of the most gang-impacted cities in the state—Spider was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to decades in California’s most violent Level IV prison yards. What followed was nearly 20 years of nonstop war behind the walls: mass riots, stabbings, political power struggles, and surviving situations most inmates don’t live to talk about. Spider breaks down: -What it’s really like to enter prison already marked for war -How Northern California gang politics actually function on the yards -100-man riots, organized violence, and surviving multiple gunshot wounds -The reality of loyalty, reputation, and respect inside high-security prisons -Why he never dropped out—and how he eventually made it home alive This is not a glamorized story. It’s raw, graphic, and brutally honest—told by someone who lived every second of it and is still dealing with the aftermath today. Go Support Spider! IG: https://www.instagram.com/level4fitnessnorcal/ This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: Hims! To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and more, visit https://hims.com/CONNECT Mando! Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get $5 off off your Starter Pack (that’s over 40% off) with promo code MITCHELL at Mandopodcast.com/MITCHELL! #mandopod PrizePicks! Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CONNECT and use code CONNECT and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 Intro: Meet Spider - Notorious Prisoner 02:30 Life in Salinas: Growing Up in the Gang Epicenter 10:00 From Athlete to Gangster: What Drew Me to the Streets 14:30 Joining and Rising in Nuestra Familia 19:00 Attempted Murders and Sentencing: My Case 25:30 This Episode Is Sponsored By HIMS! 27:27 Walking Into War: Reception to First Riots 32:00 Yard Wars & Violence: Surviving and Fighting in Prison 39:30 Seven Years of War: Northern Politics & Respect 49:00 Major Riot: 4 Against 100+ and Getting Shot 52:24 This Episode Is Sponsored By Mando and PrizePicks! 55:10 Cell Phone, Smuggling & Making Money Inside 01:07:00 Staff Relations: Manipulating and Networking with COs 01:15:30 Contraband Hustles: Drugs, Phones & Profits 01:22:00 Running Salinas Valley: Power, Status & More Riots 01:33:00 Stabbings, Politics & Staying Alive 01:44:30 Infamy and Respect: Becoming the Northern Spartan 01:53:00 Stabbing My Cellmate: The Story Behind It 02:09:00 Hole, SHU, and Working the Politics 02:18:00 The End of the Stretch: Getting Released & Reflections 02:26:00 Aftermath: Returning Home, Living Free, and Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

OG Gigavelli is a certified Miami original — born into violence, shaped by the streets, and forged in some of the most brutal prisons in America. OG breaks down a side of Miami history almost never discussed: the Black and Islander underworld that operated alongside — and often beneath — the Cocaine Cowboys era. From Liberty City and Brownsville to federal penitentiaries and near-death prison riots, this is a raw, unfiltered account of survival, crime, and eventual transformation OG came up during the wild 80s and 90s, where robbery was second nature, violence was currency, and the streets raised kids faster than families ever could. He details: -Seeing dead bodies as a child in Miami -Carjackings and robberies in broad daylight -The structure of Miami’s Black drug economy before it was ever “professionalized” elsewhere -Stabbings, race wars, and near-fatal ambushes inside state and federal prison -How Islam and time forced him to confront who he had become This isn’t glorification — it’s documentation. A firsthand account of a world most people only know through movies like Scarface or Cocaine Cowboys, told by someone who actually lived it. Go Support OG! YouTube:  @WhatTheyDoPodcast305  Book: https://a.co/d/2iiDBlo IG: https://www.instagram.com/og_gigaveli TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gigaveli Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 OG Gigavelli's Violent Origins & Miami Streets 05:36 Life in the Miami Hood & Early Hustle 12:00 Structure of Miami Drug Trade 19:03 Island Influence & Culture in Miami Crime 26:27 Transition to Robbery & Early Trouble 33:03 Juvenile Prison: Survival & Violence 40:28 Rising in Street Hierarchy & Prison Politics 45:06 State Prison: Robbing from Inside 53:34 Confrontations, Transfers, & Release 01:01:01 Struggles with Release & Cycle of Incarceration 01:06:34 Running a Trap and Chasing Fast Money 01:13:53 CM: The Harshest Lockdown in Florida Prisons 01:19:21 Post-Prison Hustling & Out-of-Town Moves 01:27:32 The Ecstasy Era & Big Hustles in Tennessee 01:34:08 Getting Caught: Counterfeit Money & Fed Indictment 01:41:58 21 Years in the Feds & Road to Redemption 01:46:11 OG Gigavelli's Books, Podcast & New Message 01:52:39 Miami Legacy, Final Reflections & Sign-Off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices