in his first drug deal. He was first arrested at the age of 10, but experienced his first incarceration at Eastlake Juvenile Hall in 1956. Throughout the 1960s, Trejo's life consisted predominantly of intermittent jail stints in the California prison system. The accounts of his prison chronology, though, are notably conflicting; by one account, his final term in custody is said to have ended in 1972, but in reality, Trejo did time in various juvenile offenders' camps, including three years at Camp Glenn Rockey, San Dimas, for maiming a sailor (stabbing him in the face with broken glass), followed by numerous California prisons between 1959 and 1969; "I was in San Quentin, Folsom, Soledad, Vacaville, Susanville, Sierra". While doing a stint in Los Angeles County jail in 1961, he met Charles Manson, who he described as a "dirty, greasy, scrawny, white boy" who was allegedly a talented hypnotist. Trejo arrived at San Quentin State Prison in 1966, and his heroin use was exacerbated shortly thereafter. Furthermore, he was a debt collector and drug dealer, often participating in or witnessing acts of serious violence, including murder. Simultaneously, he focused on boxing and became a champion in San Quentin's lightweight and welterweight divisions. Regarding himself, Trejo has suggested his physical appearance contributed to his constantly getting into trouble. In 1968, a prison riot broke out during Cinco De Mayo at Soledad. Trejo ended up in solitary confinement and facing capital charges, potentially the death penalty, after hitting a guard with a rock. In solitary, Trejo found faith and became a member of a 12-step program, having first attended one "by accident" aged 15, and successfully overcame his drug addictions; recalling in 2011 that he had been sober for the previous 42 years. It was also while incarcerated that he achieved his high-school diploma. In July 1969, Trejo was released from custody for the final time and returned to Pacoima, Los Angeles, after having served five years of a 10-year prison sentence. Prior to his film career, Trejo worked as a labor foreman for developer Saul Pick, and contributed toward the construction of the Cinerama Dome. He was also a gardener and salesperson; part owner of a lawn care company, and became a substance misuse counselor since 1973. Career Film and television 1980s: Acting debut Trejo worked with Western Pacific Med Corp in the 1980s, assisting them with the establishing and operating of