Benji Clemente

Benji in the Barrio with his Yellow Chino

Benji Clemente is a character role-played by SlimTheGiraffe

## Description

Residing from Tijuana, Mexico; Benji Clemente is a street smart kid who can use his quick thinking and street smarts to make new friends or new enemies. Benji Clemente is a hard working and motivated kid from Mexico. He moved to Los Santos after college to live the American Dream his parents always dreamed of.

## Background Information

Benji lived a sort of tough life in Mexico. His family was affiliated with the gang life. His mother, father and uncles being in and out of prison all of Benji's life, he had no clear role model growing up. But he has always tried to keep his nose clean and his head high with his main focus being on school and his passion to cook, which he learned he loved at a young age. His parents always dreamed of going to America but never got the opportunity to. Benji on the other hand, went to school, graduated, got a scholarship to a college in Tijuana and eventually transferred to UCLA to get a Masters Degree in Culinary.

Growing up, Benji stayed with his grandmother and was raised by her. She taught him how to be a man and how to defend/talk his way out of situations. As a child, Benji was a very timid person with a small fuse for a temper. He got angry at things quickly, which in turn got him into more situations than he would have wanted. But thanks to his grandmothers lessons, he avoided conflict very often. Benji always enjoyed as a child was food. Food was the one thing that calmed him down when he became very irritable. When he smelled his grandmothers cooking, the dopamine and serotonin in his mind exploded like fireworks. His anger, nerves and fears slowly started to melt away. That's when his grandmother decided to teach Benji how to cook, and to experience these sensations any time he wishes. He started with small dishes and as he grew older, he worked his way up to bigger dishes and became a natural in his craft at a young age.

## Gang Affiliation at a Young Age

While growing up, Benji's parents and uncles/aunts were in and out of jail most of his life, so he never really got to see his family much except for his grandmother. The lack of presence from his parents are what upset Benji the most. Sometimes he likes to take out his anger and frustrations out on some things and or people verbally, but not really physically. When Benji was 11, he got to see his parents in a maximum security holding cell. Seeing his parents behind bars made Benji overcome with emotion. His parents also cried when they had seen what their son is growing up to be. It made them become overjoyed with emotions. It made them and Benji both glad and sad that they couldn't hug their only son. Benji took this feeling and never let it go. To this very day, Benji's parents are still locked up on a life sentence for a crime involving the notorious Vagos gang down in Mexico.

Benji used to get into a lot of trouble growing up as well. He never really had a mentor in school or outside of it. He had his grandmother, but she was limited in what she could do. Benji often hid things from her, which made both him and her very disappointed and sad, however Benji claims he had his own reasons for doing what he did. During his teenage years, Benji ended up joining a similar gang to the notorious Vagos called the Azteca's. Benji would sell drugs in order to make ends meet and pay for his schooling. His grandmother disapproved of this action stating that "This is what your parents went to jail for mijo." Whenever someone mentioned Benji's parents, it struck something deep within him and usually made him stop and think about what he's doing. Benji joined the Azteca's at the young age of 14. But as Benji grew older and a bit wiser, he started to save his money from hustling drugs and put it away for more important things, like his grandmother, schooling, and moving out of Mexico.

Getting out of the Azteca's seems like an easy task for some, but down in Mexico, its a different story. When Benji approached the big boss of the Azteca's, he kneeled down, bowed his head and said "Listen jefe, l love what we have going here, I really do, I consider you guys my family around here. However, i need to look forward to bigger and better things. I have to leave the Azteca's, I have to look out for myself out here, jefe. So please understand, This has nothing to do with anyone here, or with you. I'm just looking out for myself and my family." Jefe took a minute to think about what Benji said. In Spanish, the Jefe said "Benji, you're one of my hardest workers. I was actually thinking of promoting you to become a full fledge member of the Azteca's, but i see that we have different visions. I will grant your request to leave the Azteca's. One one condition." Benji raised his head and said "Anything for you Jefe, name it" Jefe looked at Benji with a cold stare, which in turn made Benji extremely nervous. Then Jefe said "I'm going to give you a mark on your face. To serve as a memory of our time spent together. Come here mijo" Benji approached Jefe and kneeled down again. The jefe then took his dagger on the table next to him, along with a band of 10,000 pesos, placed the band into Benji's hand and gripped his hand as well. Jefe then took his dagger and make a long upwards slash at Benji's eye. Blood poured from the wound as Benji got knocked backwards and yelled in pain. "May Mictlantecuhtli (Aztecan God of Death) watch over your path, Benji." Benji got up and kissed Jefe's hand, as a last sign of respect.

## Education

Benji continued his studies at a rundown high school in Mexico where he spent the better time of his grade school years. During the end of his senior year and with graduation around the corner. He sat at his desk daydreaming. Then, a hand smacked his desk and it was his friend Sara. She was one of the smarter kids in his class, who had an aspiration to become a doctor with her scholarships and internships. She asked "Benji, graduation is coming up soon. What do you want to do when you graduate?" Benji pondered for a bit, thinking back to his childhood, remembering all the pain and sorrow he had growing up an only child, without the love of his parents to guide him. Then he thought about his grandmother, and all that she had done for him. Benji then began to feel the scar on his face, remember his time with the Azteca's. Benji looked at Sara and said "I want to become a chef in the states. I want to do something with my life. I want to get out of Mexico and make my parents and grandmother proud." Sara looked at Benji with a relieved face and said "I can see that happening."

After graduation, Benji received an email from the University of Tijuana. Benji's fears instantly over took him, thinking that he was going to get denied. Benji pondered for a minute, pacing back and forth in his grandmother's house, his nerves still overtaking him. With great hesitation, Benji clicked the email. "Congratulations! you've been accepted!" Benji had to do a double take a for a bit. making sure he was reading the words on the screen correctly. He screamed with excitement and came to tell his grandmother the good news. She started crying and hugged Benji tightly. She said "mijo, im so proud of you. i know your parents are proud of you. Congratulations." Benji kissed and hugged his grandmother and started to cry a bit. knowing that all of his hard work and struggles had led up to this moment. Later that year, as the beginning of the semester was approaching, Benji packed his things and got ready to drive up to the University. He went to go say good bye to his grandmother, she gave him the tightest hug that Benji had received and told him good luck. Benji had become extremely emotional as he drove off to begin the next chapter in his life.

Benji then went on to college in Tijuana to get his Bachelors in Culinary School, learning various new techniques and making the skills he knows now even better, almost perfect. Eventually, after 4 years, Benji got his Bachelors and decided that he wanted to continue his career path. He was recommended by his head chef at the university to go for his Master's in culinary arts. Benji listened to the chef and Using the money that he had saved up from husting drugs a long time ago, got a VISA to go to school and work at UCLA in the states. While there, he spent another 3 years Masters Degree in Culinary and getting internships at restaurants. Benji decided to settle down in Los Santos to set out in his new life looking to open a restaurant or become a cook somewhere  in the city to live his dream and the dream his parents always wanted.

## Vagos Affiliation

One day while on shift at Burger Shot, he meets a new employee named JP. JP, being reintroduced to Los Santos from a former life of crime, was looking for a organization to join and climb to the top of the mountain. Benji, checking Twitter at the time, saw an ad posted by Vagos Leader, Daniel Ramirez asking for new Recruitment. Benji asked JP if he would like to join the Vagos and he agreed. Benji brought JP to The Barrio; The heart of Vagos Territory. Where they met up with Ramirez and Benji left JP to be recruited.

After his shift at Burger Shot, Benji started to think deeply about what he wanted to accomplish in Los Santos and realized that he would need help doing so. Then, Benji gets a text from JP thanking him for bringing him to the Vagos and that he has found a home within Los Santos. Benji pondered for a minute and thought about his parents. What he thought about was "If I want to become somebody in this city like mi mama y papa back in Tijuana. I'm going to need La Familia." Then, Benji made a phone call to Daniel asking to become a member. Daniel agreed and told Benji to meetup with him in the Barrio for an initiation. To Which Benji, with his prior experience with what he's learned from his parents, passed with flying colors. Now, Benji is a certified member of the Eastside Vagos. As time progressed, Benji and Daniel got together to fight against the Grove Street Families. Battles were short and ususally ended with either side getting the victory on the other. However, Daniel thought it was time to mutually seperate the Vagos for now. At this time, Benji is no longer affiliated with the Vagos.