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Maybe Ram said, “OK, I’ll take care of you, but you keep it quiet?” Maybe that’s why [the Ayalas] they never showed up?
No, because after everything happened … somebody asked them how come they never came to Taco Land and they said that they weren’t in that kind of group, that they weren’t in that environment, that they were just completely different. When I met Ramiro, he was a Baptist. So his father was pretty upset about us making it into a bar.

So you turned him into …
A monster (laughs).

He was Ramiro and you turned him into Ram?
Exactly.

So he bought Rudy out, and he took over Taco Land?
Yes, with my mom. My mother helped out. And my brother. Because Ramiro’s father didn’t approve at all, at all, of the place, period.

Did Ram have a stormy relationship with his father?
Jerry [Clayworth] asked me one time, “Did you ever see Ramiro cry?” And I said, “Yep.” Stupid me answered him. Because yes, actually I saw him [cry] twice. When he said that he felt his father didn’t love him.

When did he say this?
Oh, some years back, I don’t know what year, but he told me crying that his father really didn’t love him. And the second time I saw him cry was because I used to get very upset and I would leave. And I wouldn’t let him in. One time he came with the cops. He said, “She won’t let me in. I want to see the boys.” And I said, “Well, you’re not going to see the boys.” ’Cause he was flirting around. “Ma’am, he has a right to see the boys.” So I said, “The boys are at school. Take him to school to see the boys at school. This is no time to be coming over here looking for the boys.”

So at the time of the murders, when you found out about the other family you weren’t that surprised, you were just shocked by the timing?
No, timing my butt! I didn’t know there were that many [kids]! A bunch of them! How do you think I felt? But that’s why I tell you, if you were married and had all those kids, and nobody went to the restaurant or to the bar for 30-something years? Come on! Nobody’s going to keep me away from my husband, nobody’s going to keep me away from his business, at least to say, “Hi, see you later, see you tonight,” or something.

I know from Eddie that he made peace with at least Sylvia and everything’s cool now, but did you make peace with the other side of the family? Do you talk to them at all?
I tried, I tried, but … I think the oldest is Manuel? He was very rude ’cause … They went to Taco Land the next morning after the police told them to leave. Later on they came, and I said, “If they’re going to talk decent, they can come in, if they’re not I don’t want them in here.” My sons said, “We’ll take care of it mother.” My sons were raised the right way, to be polite and not prejudiced, nothing like that. They tried to talk to them outside, and I think it was Edward that said, “It’s not your fault and it’s not our fault, but our parents … [indistinct] So let’s just try to get along,” while Manuel was all bullying and stuff.

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