Los ladrones viejos

Los ladrones viejos portrays a melanchonic image of the Mexico of forty years ago, when being a thief was a real profession. The former thieves are now old men serving their sentence in prison. It seems as if the director is trying to raise sympathy for these thieves, called zorreros. In prison, famous criminal El Carrizos tells about his relationship with a secret service agent, nicknamed Dracula. These two characters worked hand in hand for a while before betraying one another. However, the corruption and backstabbing is contradictory to the honor and professionalism the zorreros pursued in their criminal careers.

Social interest

Until recently, petty theft in Mexico City was an occupation subject to a strict code of honour. Ranking in the hierarchy of thieves depended, as in any other profession, on talent and personal ambition. A Zorrero had to know how to burgle a house cleanly, i.e. without using guns or violence. The film also draws attention to the police corruption in Mexico in the 1970s.

About El Carrizos

King of the Zorreros was the respectful title given to the films main protagonist, Efrain Alcaraz, alias El Carrizos. He started his criminal carreer by learning the tricks from zorrero (thief) El Elotes. El Carrizos became well known in the 1970s for burglaring the house of former Mexican president Luis Echeverria Alvarez. The old zorreros featuring in the film vividly remember the work of El Carrizos.

Scenes

Lock picking in prison
The prisoners of the prison in Mexico city teach each other how to pick locks and what materials and tricks to use. Infamous thief El Carrizos was a lockpicking teacher.
How to sell copper as gold
Well known Mexican thief El Carrizos explains his way to trick jewellers by using copper jewels and selling them as gold. According to the thief, his main strength was gaining people’s trust and manipulating them.
Footage of the arrested zorrero El Carrizos
In this clip, we see footage of zorrero El Carrizos when he just got arrested. It is said he used to steal 4-5 million Mexican pesos a year. Carrizos also explains what type of zorrero he was.
Theft: learning the tricks
Stealing is treated as a serious profession by Mexican thieves. Whether its pickpocketing, burglaring or robbing, talent and lots of practice are very important. Furthermore, some criminals reveal their tactics in this clip.
Old, clean robberies compared to robberies nowadays
Old Mexican thieves tell the way they used to get into peoples houses and rob them. They state, the way they used to do it was more honorous and brave compared to the robberies nowadays.
Footage of Mexican museum of crime
The Mexican police is the founder of a very interesting museum of Crime that is helpful in the prevention of criminal behaviour, according to the footage shown in this clip.
Yaqui training for Mexican police
Footage of Mexican police training the world famous Mexican defense shot called ‘yaqui’ for the first time.
President Echeverria robbed by El Carrizos
In this clip famous thies El Carrizos tells how he robbed the house of president of Mexico Luis Echeverria. Furthermore, he tells how he was forced to pay rent to the secret service agent ‘Dracula’ in order not to get arrested.
Torture during interrogation by Mexican police
The interviewed convicted criminals in this clip, including the famous El Carrizos tell that the Mexican police had a special place to torture people in order to interrogate them. El Carrizos tells how they tortured him at ‘The Well’. The police claims the stories about the ‘Well’ are lies.
Jail of Lecumberri, Mexico
Here, old footage of the jail of Lecumberri, Mexico is shown. Also, convicted criminals talk about their lives in jail.
President Portillo robbed by El Carrizos
In this clip the Mexican thief El Carrizos explains why he robbed some rich people’s houses and didn’t rob other, poor people’s houses. The clip also contains old footage of president of Mexico Lopez Portillo, whom he also robbed.