Black Mafia Queen: The Woman Behind the BMF Empire

In this incredible-but-true crime memoir from “The First Lady of BMF” (Black Mafia Family), Tonesa Welch reveals the dramatic story of her unlikely rise from middle-class teenaged mom to Mafia Queen of Detroit, from Beverly Hills mansions to federal prison—and from a life of danger and self-doubt to one of acceptance, redemption, and love . . .

How did a nice middle-class girl from Detroit become one of the top cocaine distribution Mafia Queens in America? It wasn’t because of the drugs. By the time Tonesa Welch was running her criminal empire—distributing thousands of kilos from Mexican cartels for tens of millions of dollars a month nationally—she had conquered her addiction to cocaine and replaced it with a new one: shopping.

While her customers got high from blow, Tonesa blew her fortune on designer clothes, fancy champagne, and shopping sprees on Rodeo Drive. It was more than a passion. It was an all-consuming obsession that would ultimately land her in prison—and force her to rebuild her life from the ground up.

This is Tonesa’s story. A rare insider’s account of the infamous Black Mafia Family—told by a woman who rose up the ranks, fell to the bottom, and picked herself up again—it is, above all, the story of a survivor. Like many women, Tonesa struggled with her insecurities, trying to find validation through five-figure outfits, six-figure cars, and seven-figure homes. But after her mansion was raided by the feds, she swapped her Gucci dresses for a prison smock—and faced the greatest challenge of her life: finding herself.

In the end, Mafia Queen reveals not only the full story behind BET’s The First Lady of BMF, but the inspiring journey of one woman’s heart.