Danny Trejo’s Incredible Rise From Prison Riots to Hollywood Stardom

By Stuart Wolf - Jul 6, 2025

This article appeared in familythis.com and has been published here with permission.

Nowadays, Danny Trejo is a living legend but he started life as a violent teenage gangbanger. In and out of prison, he found his faith and vowed to get sober when facing capital punishment in solitary confinement. He became a counselor, accidentally became an actor and went on to become Hollywood’s meanest Mexican villain, Machete. So join us as we enter Danny Trejo’s tragic, redemption-filled story…

A Scar Is Born

Daniel Trejo was born on May 16th, 1944, in Echo Park, Los Angeles. When his mother, Alice Rivera's husband, was fighting in World War II, she had an affair with a construction worker and fellow Mexican-American Dionisio "Dan" Trejo. His parents met at a dance hall in Highland Park, LA, in 1943.

Instagram // @officialdannytrejo

Shortly after his birth, the family — including maternal half-sister, Dyhan — moved to San Antonio, Texas. They had to flee Los Angeles because Danny's father was wanted by police for stabbing a man.

Childhood Trauma

Sadly, Danny's childhood was marked by his father's drinking and domestic violence. In 1949, his mother sprained Danny's arm, so his father banned her from seeing her son. After a year, the family returned to Los Angeles, and Dionisio turned himself in to the police.

Instagram // @officialdannytrejo

From that point on, Danny shared a room with his cousins at their paternal grandmother's house. Dionisio found a new girlfriend, Alice Mendias, who was Danny's "only source of comfort" when living with his father. He didn't see his birth mother again until 1965.

First Taste of Violence

Danny often sought refuge on the streets. By seven, he was already showing signs of rebellious behavior, skipping school regularly and getting into fights with other children. The lack of a male role model and stable family structure pushed him toward street gangs.

Photo courtesy of Danny Trejo // Looper

At age eight, Danny witnessed a man lose his life to a baseball bat attack over gang territory. Slowly, Danny became desensitized to the harsh realities of street life in the Hispanic neighborhood of Temple Street, Echo Park.

Meeting the Mentor

Around this time, Danny's uncle Gilbert became a significant figure in his life, though not in a positive way. Gilbert was only six years older than Danny so became more of a surrogate big brother than a father figure. Gilbert was only 13 or 14 but introduced his nephew to the world of armed robbery, narcotics, dealing, and gang culture.

Instagram // @officialdannytrejo

Danny's first participation in selling illicit substances came when he was just seven years old. By the following year, Danny was regularly smoking illegal substances.