Marcus Álvarez
Marcus Álvarez is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy and its spinoff Mayans M.C., played by Emilio Rivera.[1][2] He initially serves as an antagonist on the show but gradually comes to a less hostile relation with the Sons of Anarchy. In Sons of Anarchy, he is President of Oakland chapter of the Mayans, a Mexican-American motorcycle club. In between when Sons of Anarchy ends and Mayans M.C. begins, he is promoted to El Padrino, which is Spanish for The Godfather and is the leader of all Mayans’ chapters. At the end of season 1 of Mayans, he resigns as El Padrino and becomes Miguel Galendo’s new advisor.
| Marcus Álvarez | |
|---|---|
| Sons of Anarchy / Mayans M.C. character | |
 | |
| First appearance | "Pilot" (2008) (Sons of Anarchy) |
| Created by | Kurt Sutter |
| Portrayed by | Emilio Rivera |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | El Padrino (The Godfather, formerly) Consejero (advisor) |
| Occupation | Outlaw motorcyclist Drug trafficker |
| Family | Esai Álvarez (son) Tessa Álvarez (daughter) Obispo "Bishop" Losa (cousin) |
| Nationality | Mexican-American |
Biography
Álvarez, who is of Mexican descent, is the President of the Mayans Motorcycle Club's Oakland, California chapter and seems to be their national president. His son, Esai, was also a member of the club but had a hit placed on him by Marcus in 2008 as punishment for failing his mission. Most of his, and his gang's, income is made through dealing heroin and methamphetamine, and prostitution. For some time, he was a prisoner in Chino, but was released some time before the beginning of Season One.
On his colors, he wears patches reading "Los Asesinos de Dios" (Spanish for "God's Assassins") and "Mayans Oakland". However, his "President" patch is later changed to "El Padrino". He also has the Mayan Calendar tattooed on his chest.
Season 1
At the beginning of the first series, Marcus Álvarez and other members of the Mayans MC, broke into the Sons of Anarchy's weapons warehouse. The Mayans stole the guns; then they torched the warehouse. The Sons of Anarchy eventually got revenge, however, by stealing the guns back and destroying a Mayans narcotics storage facility.
Ernest Darby, leader of the Nordics (after being supplied with a dossier containing all the details required to take over SAMCRO'S gun business, by a rogue ATF agent), calls a meeting with Álvarez. During their meeting, Darby proposes the Nords & Mayans further their present alliance. Darby's deal requires the Mayans first assassinate SAMCRO's President, followed by the rest of its members, with the spoils to be divided as follows: Darby's Nords get Charming (freeing them to expand their meth trade into the city). Álvarez and the Mayans (using the ATF dossier to be supplied by Darby, post-assassination) get to take over SAMCRO's lucrative gun business, utilize their newfound control of the gun trade to expand their heroin business & eliminate a longtime rival MC. Álvarez, recognizing an opportunity, reluctantly agrees in principle, but demurs on the Mayans eliminating SAMCRO requirement, instead suggesting a more joint effort, with the Mayans increasing their current security & support of the Nords power plays. Darby, sensing Álvarez knows the deal is too good to pass up, reiterates his initial demands, and exits the meeting - his "take it or leave it" ball placed squarely in Álvarez's court. With Darby now out of earshot, Álvarez immediately gives two orders: kill SAMCRO's President, and double-cross Darby by murdering him & taking the ATF dossier for themselves. Álvarez's son requests he & his crew be tasked with carrying out both orders - a request Álvarez grants.
Later, the Mayans carry out simultaneous hits on both Darby & the SAMCRO President. However, both hits go sideways for the Mayans. The Mayans hit Darby at his home, killing 2 women & 1 Nord henchman, but missing Darby. Although they fail to kill Darby, they do manage to steal the ATF dossier. During the hit on SAMCRO President, Clay Morrow, the Mayans find themselves outnumbered, as Clay & Tig are making a deal with the IRA at a bar - all of whom fight off & kill the Mayans, while suffering only one wounded in the process.
The failed hit generates two reactions. First, Clay orders the #1 & #2 members of every SOA charter between Charming to Tacoma to report to Charming ASAP. Second, Charming PD bring Clay in for questioning about the shootings. At his questioning, Clay asks his associate and corrupt Charming Police Chief Wayne Unser to allow him to have a "little chat" with Darby (who is already in Charming PD lockup) & to bring Álvarez in under similar pretenses, also holding him in Charming lockup, so they can hold a summit of sorts, to potentially curtail any further SOA-Mayan violence. Also during Clay's questioning a large group of SOA members (every charter's #1 & #2 from as far away as Tacoma) roars past Charming PD headquarters, in full view of both Clay & Unser. This show of gunboat diplomacy, sways Unser to acquiesce to Clay's summit request.
Given the green light by Unser, Clay first chats with Darby in his jail cell. Essentially imposing his will upon Darby via several powerful punches to the head, Clay forces Darby to submit.
Next, Álvarez is brought in & locked up in a cell with Clay. Clay outlines an agreement where SAMCRO will sell weapons to the Mayans, in exchange for settling all SOA-Mayan disputes, across all charters, in favour of SOA, regardless of the cost to the Mayans - including the failed Mayan hit on Clay himself. Álvarez agrees to all terms, including recompense for the botched hit.
Clay then takes this tentative agreement to the club for a vote. All members vote unanimously to ratify the agreement charter-wide. MC members further decide justice for the hit on Clay should be carried out by Happy, as he is a member of a non-SAMCRO SOA charter.
Later, during an idyllic looking, sunny California Sunday afternoon, Álvarez & his son Esai, share what briefly presents as a warm, sage-like, father-son moment in the park: Esai seeks reassurance for his shortcomings from his father. Álvarez cryptically reassures his son - and then leads him right over to the churro vendor (actually Happy in disguise), who expertly inserts a blade into the back of Esai's brain, killing him instantly, as Álvarez upholds his end of the bargain with a shocking demonstration of MC sobre sangre.
When the Mayans eventually set up a deal with the Sons in Oakland, it was attacked by the One-Niners. A shoot-out ensued, and gang members from the One-Niners and Mayans were killed, but the Sons of Anarchy escaped. Álvarez was also shot in the leg and wounded. The deal was, in fact, a set-up organized by the Niners and SOA. The Niners were supposed to attack the Mayans after the Sons had left and would keep the weapons as payment. However, they tried to take out the SOA as well.[3]
Season 2
At the beginning of Season 2, Clay had Opie murder a member of the Mayans, who Clay had framed as the guy who murdered Donna. After Opie murdered the Mayan, he carved the Anarchy symbol in his chest as a message to the Mayans. Jax Teller dropped off the body in Mayan Territory in Oakland after shooting the gang member multiple times in the body to destroy the symbol. He then arranged the Mayan's hands to hold up 9 fingers to implicate the One-Niners as the culprits. Alvarez later found the body and gave Clay a call asking to buy weapons. Clay turned Alvarez down on the weapons transaction, telling him that the club was still under suspicion of the ATF; Clay then told Tig to call Laroy of the One-Niners to arrange a meeting to supply Niners with weapons so that they could defend themselves when the Mayans attacked. During the weapons transaction between SAMCRO and the Niners, the Mayans ambushed the deal and stole all the Niner's AKs, and Bobby Elvis was shot in the shoulder during the ambush. After the ambush, Alvarez was seen making a phone call to Ethan Zobelle of LOAN telling him his intel was correct and that he owed him. Zobelle responded, "Yes, you do," and then told AJ Weston that it was his friend from church on the phone. Clay blamed the whole ambush and Bobby getting shot in the shoulder on Jax, as Jax changed the plan and set the Niners up for the hit instead of leaving Anarchy symbol on the dead Mayan's chest.
In the episode "Service", Zobelle met with Marcus Alvarez offering the Mayans the exclusive business of having their heroin distributed to all the local prisons. Alvarez is hesitant about the deal because Zobelle wants to keep 50% of the profits, but has no choice when Zobelle tells him that he won't supply the Mayans with any more weapons if they don't go along with the new arrangement.
In the second-season finale, Marcus and the Mayans provided protection to Ethan Zobelle and Zobelle's daughter who were attempting to flee Charming. Marcus was eventually able to convince Zobelle to leave his cigar shop, but the Mayan convoy they attempted to escape in was ambushed by SAMCRO. Marcus survived the attack uninjured and Clay spared his life.
Season 3
During the season Alvarez hired a low ranked MC, the Calaveras, to help guard his shipment of heroin, with the promise to patch them over, but after SAMCRO stole them he decided not to patch them over and then returned Juice's kutte. At the advice of Clay, Alvarez decided to drop the war between them and in return the Grim Bastards MC, a friendly club to SAMCRO, would protect Alvarez's drug shipments. As a favor to the Mayans, Tig and Kozik killed the Calaveras member who was caught during the drive-by at Half-Sack's wake.
When a member of the Grim Bastards MC is found murdered and evidence points to the Calaveras, SAMCRO and the Bastards' President T.O. Cross go to Marcus Alvarez for help. The Mayans and SAMCRO confront the Calaveras members in a park restroom and give the president of the Calaveras, Hector Salazar, the option of telling them which of his lieutenants killed the Bastards member or to die himself. He gives up his Sgt-At-Arms, who is then promptly shot in the head by the enraged T.O. A disgusted Alvarez strips Salazar of his position and kutte and then kicks him out of the Calaveras. He then appoints Salazar's V.P as president and advises him to keep a tighter hold on his men then Salazar did.
When Tara Knowles and Margaret Murphy are taken hostage by Hector Salazar, Salazar demands that SAMCRO kill Alvarez and retrieve $250,000 worth of Mayans MC money. Tig, Kozik, and Piney are able to convince Alvarez to play dead for 24 hours so that they can come up with a plan to get the women back. Marcus tells the Sons that the $250,000 does not exist.
Season 4
He is seen at Opie's wedding talking with Clay and thanking him for protection during their sentence. He says he was just "looking out for my investments." Unlike previous seasons Álvarez now has a President's patch on his cut. He is also seen throughout the season forming an alliance between SOA and the Mayans in light of the Galindo Cartel who has connections to the Mayans. Alvarez helped set up a deal between the SOA and Galindo to mule their cocaine while the Mayans distribute and sell. He is also shown giving Mayans to help guard the cocaine in the Son's warehouse. When one of the bricks is stolen, he assures Jax and Clay his man was not responsible. He is later injured in a shootout with rival cartel Lobos Sonoras. He is brought to the clubhouse and treated by Tara.
Season 5
Alvarez was last seen in a street meeting with Jax, Henry Lin, and the Oakland One-Niner's leader Tyler to discuss allowing the Galindo Cartel's cocaine to move through their territory. Alvarez agrees as long as they "keep black (the Niners) in line". It is later stated the Mayans will take over the muling as well, as SAMCRO wants out of the de al ardilla preciosa
Season 6
Alvarez and the Mayans only appear at the end of the sixth season ("You Are My Sunshine" and "A Mother's Work"), expressing their unhappiness with SAMCRO's decision to hand over the IRA gun business to August Marks. He also informs Jax of the Mayans' intention of setting up a charter in Stockton. Alvarez is also shown to be a friend of Nero Padilla; having served time in Chino together. Alvarez tells Nero that soon it might end up being "brown and yellow against black and white". When he arrives at the gun deal with the Sons, Nero, and the Niners. Alvarez is disappointed that August Marks wasn't present during the transaction. When SAMCRO and Tyler departs, Alvarez and his men gun down the Niners and steal the guns.
Season 7
At the beginning of the seventh season, the Mayans have set up their Stockton charter with Oscar El Oso Ramos as president. Alvarez and the Mayans seem to be on the same side as Henry Lin and the Lin Triad against SAMCRO and the Niners. However, Alvarez joins SAMCRO's side when they believe the Triads are to blame for Tara's death and they help both SAMCRO and the One-Niners deal with both the Triads and August Marks. Alvarez is shown to be fully on SAMCRO's side when Juice approaches him offering information on SAMCRO in exchange for passage to Mexico. Alvarez hands Juice over to SAMCRO, saying he would never make a deal with a rat. When it is revealed that it was Gemma who killed Tara and not the Triads, Alvarez sympathizes with Jax and helps him clean up the mess with the Chinese. Later, the Mayans, One-Niners, SAMCRO and the Byz Lats discuss territories and business. One of Jax's final acts as president of SAMCRO is to set the Mayans up with Connor Malone as their new gun source, finally giving Alvarez the gun business he wanted.
Season 1
Alvarez now wearing an "El Padrino" patch (which in English translates to "The Godfather"), goes down to Santo Padre Charter with members of the Mayans Motorcycle Club's Oakland, California charter to help the Santo Padre charter deal with the Galindo Cartel. It is revealed that he and José Galindo; the founder of the Galindo Cartel, had a mutual respect for one another. Alvarez later suspects that a mule in the Santo Padre charter is working with Los Olividados ("The Forgotten Ones"). In the season Finale Alvarez steps down as Padrino to work with the Galindo Cartel directly as Miguel's newly appointed advisor.
