Anecdotes from Mexico: Violence and Business in 'New Spain'

The history of certain family businesses in Mexico, between 1962 and 1982, was marked by violence, with robberies and confrontations that left physical and economic scars.

## Robberies and Aftermath in a Furniture Business

The story of some family businesses in Mexico, between 1962 and 1982, was marked by violence, with robberies and confrontations that left physical and economic scars. In **1982**, a furniture business suffered an assault that left the owner unconscious after being struck on the head. The assailants took valuable merchandise, including components, televisions, clothing, watches, irons, and blenders. The owner was hospitalized for a month and a half at the **Sanatorio Español** due to multiple cranial fractures, and the scars on his head were visible into old age.

## A Robbery with a Fatal Outcome

A previous incident, which occurred between **1969 and 1970**, had an even more tragic conclusion. Two individuals entered a commercial premises, presumably intending to rob it, and killed a couple of customers who were looking for a washing machine, as well as the salesperson. After announcing the robbery, they fired shots into the air. The head of the family, who was near the secretary, attempted to defend himself by drawing a weapon but received shots in the abdomen and leg. Despite his injuries, he managed to shoot one of the assailants, seriously wounding him in the chest. The other assailant managed to flee with his injured accomplice.

## Confrontation Over a Collection Payment

Even in **1962**, an armed robbery attempt on a collection agent from a neighborhood put the continuity of an incipient business at risk. The collector, when facing the assailant with a knife, managed to deflect the blade using a bag of cards, but the weapon stuck in his thigh. The assailant rolled down the stairs after being pushed. At that time, the business depended on liquidity and credit to operate, so losing the collection would have meant ruin.