Phil Bronstein, Chronicle Editor, Discovers MS-13 Trial

Phil Bronstein, Chronicle Editor, Discovers MS-13 Trial

By Lauren Smiley Mon., May 9 2011 at 4:15 PM

Hey Bronstein, presta atencion!

When you're Phil Bronstein, all other members of the media are mere gnats. Perhaps so insignificant as to be rendered invisible.

The Chronicle's editor-at-large writes in his column today about the ongoing federal trial of members of MS-13 -- Mara Salvatrucha, or "Salvadoran Gang" -- as if he were the lone adventurer at the heart of gangster darkness: "I was virtually alone among the spectators in the cavernous San Francisco federal courtroom the last few weeks where the MS-13 trial is taking place."

Maybe the Chronicle should run a clarification, because when SF Weekly sat in on the trial last week, we noticed reporters from the Wall Street Journal and San Francisco Examiner, as well as a phalanx of federal agents, attorney investigators, and court marshals.

Bronstein makes no mention of the various local media outlets -- including his own -- that wrote about the opening of the trial. He fails to refer to SF Weekly's cover story about this very trial last month, accompanied by various blog stories last week. Nor did he reference the fact that the Wall Street Journal has been covering aspects of the case against MS-13's San Francisco clique for months.

Instead, Bronstein has arrived to tell us: "I know what [the MS-13 gangsters] are not. They're not a charming and colorful piece of the neighborhood tapestry, like the murals on Balmy Alley. Presta atencion!"

That means "pay attention" -- like Bronstein does.

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Bill

Hey Laura, are new to town? How can you write an entire article about MS-13 in the Mission without mentioning the killing of the Bologna family -- Tony and his two sons Michael and Mathew -- by MS-13 members in June 2008. The October 2008 crackdown on MS-13 was a result of these mindless, brainless slayings. I was at the funeral at St. Paul's. Open casket. About 1500 people attended. Tony had been my son's baseball coach years before and young Mathew was in my wife's elementary school class years before. It was fucking awful.

I find your use of the terms "rat" and "snitch" in your article offensive. These guys are "informers." And they show an awful lot of courage to inform on the members of the gang, knowing full well as they do what the consequences of informing are. Why do you throw around these terms like gang members do? Trying to sound like a big girls in the city or something?

The trial of Edwin Ramos, the killer of the Bolognas, begins in June. I hope you devote as much time to it as you do to sympathizing with killers.