Loco Syndicate

While better classified as a joint business venture between several criminals, the Loco Syndicate was a collective outfit dealing with drugs, primarily cocaine. The Syndicate had its main operations based in San Fierro, and was made up of San Fierro's most powerful pimp Jizzy B., the leader of the San Fierro Rifa; T-Bone Mendez, and mysterious businessman Michael "Mike" Toreno. High-ranking Grove Street Families member Melvin "Big Smoke" Harris, who started up a large crack-cocaine empire, would later establish a business deal with the Syndicate, sending his later lieutenant, fellow high-raking Grove Street Families member Lance "Ryder" Wilson, and his formal representative to conduct business. The Loco Syndicate was the largest drug cartel in San Fierro and one of the most powerful in San Andreas, before Grove Street Families leader Carl "CJ" Johnson killed Ryder, Jizzy and Mendez. When the Loco Syndicate was consequently disbanded, Toreno returned to his usual duties and Smoke's narcotics empire ceased transactions with San Fierro, prompting him to start his own drug manufacturing plant in Los Santos.

As shown in the game, Toreno is the Syndicate's brains and leader, calling the shots, making decisions and thinking business through. T-Bone is the muscle, having the entire San Fierro Rifa at his disposition, he makes sure that Mike's orders, errands and deals are carried through perfectly. Finally, Jizzy is the group's face and charisma, recruiting men to pull hits, errands and other business for the Syndicate's dealings. It is indicated that Mike and T-Bone each receive 40% of the Syndicate's profits and Jizzy receives only 20% (which he complains about, although T-Bone says that he agreed to the 40-40-20 split before signing on with the group).

Though not directly a part of the syndicate, corrupt C.R.A.S.H. officers Frank Tenpenny and Edward "Eddie" Pulaski seem to have played a part in the foundation of the Los Santos side of business, with Tenpenny being the link between Smoke, Ryder and the Ballas, and the beginning of a co-gang collaborated drug business.

• San Fierro:

T-Bone Mendez Mike Toreno Jizzy B.

• Los Santos:

Big Smoke Ryder

Mission appearances

While early hints of the Loco Syndicate's presence are noted first in the mission Drive-Thru where Smoke's tacit leniency towards the Ballas, as part of his defection, appears to dictate a new dynamic, and later in Smoke's missions Running Dog, Wrong Side of the Tracks and Just Business, it is in the missions The Green Sabre, where Smoke's betrayal, as well as Ryder's, is truly discovered, and King in Exile, where Carl is made aware of the real business, that the Syndicate becomes a little more prominent until Carl moves to San Fierro.

• Photo Opportunity (first public meeting of the Loco Syndicate)
• Jizzy
• T-Bone Mendez
• Mike Toreno
• Outrider
• Ice Cold Killa (Jizzy is killed)
• Pier 69 (Mendez and Ryder are killed)
• Toreno's Last Flight (Toreno is killed, albeit unseen)
• Yay Ka-Boom-Boom (the factory serving as the Loco Syndicate's business front is destroyed)

Towards the end of the game, as the destruction of the Loco Syndicate brings Smoke to start his own drug manufacturing business through another supplier of raw cocaine, Smoke is also killed in a confrontation by Carl.

GTA III Era gangs