Known as the Cocaine Godmother, Griselda Blanco was one of the most powerful figures in the Miami underground. It was a name I heard, but not one I knew much about, other than she was the one man Pablo Escobar was afraid of. A fascinating figure, she’s been portrayed in television, film, and even in music. In the new Netflix limited series, Griselda, Blanco is portrayed by none other than Sofía Vergara.

Coming from Miami after being forced to sleep with her husband’s brother, to pay off his debts, Blanco moved in with a friend to start over in Miami, Florida with her three sons. While she was able to get rid of the man, she wasn’t able to leave her life behind her – and the only thing she had was a single kilo of premium Columbian cocaine worth $25,000.00. With a brilliant mind and an insane work ethic, she took that $25,000 and turned it into an empire worth more than 500 million dollars.

Sofía Vergara is a tour-de-force as Blanco. A brilliant comedienne, I’m so used to her making me laugh. But in this, at times she was downright frightening. It was delicious. Other key players include Juliana Aidén Martinez as June Hawkins, an officer with the Miami police department. Alberto Guerra as Dario Sepúlveda, Griselda’s would-be assassin turned third husband, and Vanessa Ferlito as Carmen Gutiérrez, a friend of Blanca’s who offered her a place to stay when she moved to Miami, and later became the travel agent that helped her get the plane tickets that allowed her girls to aid her in moving the drugs. The series also includes eye candy Gabriel Sloyer as agent Raúl Díaz.

Ruthless in her pursuit of power, Griselda may not be the story of a hero, but it is the story of an absolute legend.

Dropping on 25th December, the entire six-part series can be viewed on Netflix.