Griselda: Colombian 'Cocaine Godmother' given Hollywood makeover by Sofia Vergara - BBC News

The ruthless criminal mastermind ran one of the most profitable cartels in history in 1980s Miami.

1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, NetflixImage caption, Sofía Vergara will play Griselda Blanco in the six-part Netflix seriesBy Yasmin RufoBBC News"The only man I was ever afraid of was a woman named Griselda Blanco." This is what infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar allegedly once said about the person who created one of the most profitable cartels in history.

A woman who had people murdered because "she didn't like the way they looked at her", Blanco was a ruthless criminal mastermind whose name was one of the most feared in 1970s and 80s Miami.

Now the notorious drug lord has had a Hollywood makeover as Modern Family's Sofía Vergara joins forces with the team behind crime drama Narcos to play the leader of the criminal underworld.

Filled with high-stake dramatic shoot-outs and neon nouveau riche glamour, the six-part Netflix series Griselda presents the notorious criminal as a hard done by yet savvy and ambitious woman.

But the true story of the woman, dubbed the "cocaine godmother" and responsible for the murder of her three husbands, is far murkier.