Who Is Griselda Blanco? 5 Things To Know About Real-Life Woman Behind 'La Viuda Negra' New Telenovela

Griselda Blanco is the real-life drug godmother behind the new telenovela, 'La Viuda Negra' premiering tonight on Univision, UniMas and Galavision. Originally from Colombia, Griselda was a pioneer of drug trafficking in the United States,, in New York and, eventually, Miami. There she became the "Godmother of Cocaine," one of the fiercest and most influential drug leaders in the 1970s and early 80s. In light of the new TV series, here are 5 things to know about "La Viuda Negra."

1. Medellin's Mistress. Although she was actually born in Cartagena, Griselda Blanco moved to Medellin with her mother when she was 3 years old. It was here that she first began her life in crime. Joining a petty criminal gang at age 10, she allegedly kidnapped, tried to ransom, and eventually shot a child from a wealthy family. She continued her life in petty crime, drugs and prostitution, marrying her first husband Jose Dario Trujillo and having three sons.

2. The First Colombian Druglord. In the mid 1970s, Blanco moved to New York with her second husband, Alberto Bravo. Here, they established a sizable cocaine importing business. Despite being indicted on drug conspiracy charges in 1975, Blanco fled to Colombia before returning to Miami in the 1970s to continue her drug trade. There, she became known as the "Godmother of Cocaine," the first Colombian drug lord to export cocaie to the US and the mentor for many future drug kingpins: her network brought in $80 million a month.

3. The Black Widow. Blanco's nickname came about due to her propensity for killing former lovers and husbands. She murdered her first lover, known only as 'Cejas' while she was still a teenager. She killed her second husband, Alberto Bravo, after she supposedly found out he was stealing both money and drugs from her empire. She also murdered her third husband, Darío Sepúlveda, after he kidnapped their youngest son Michael.

4. A Godmother Who Loved The Godfather. Blanco was reportedly a huge fan of 'The Godfather' movies, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Al Pacino. So much so, in fact, that she named her youngest son after the title character: Michael Corleone. She fancied herself as a female equivalent of the great don.

5. Arrested And Assasintated. Blanco was arrested in 1985 by the DEA. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison, however, after serving only a decade she was released when the case collapsed due to technicalities. She was deported to Colombia, where she went back to live in relative peace back in Medellin. She was killed by two sicarios (assassins) as she walked out of a Carnicería Cardiso in barrio Belén in Medellín, at 3:00 pm on Monday September 3, 2012.