Dona Tules

Gertrudis Barceló, New Mexico's celebrated gambler and demimonde of the 1830s and 1840s, was born at the turn of the nineteenth century in the Bavispe valley of east central Sonora, Mexico. Young Gertrudis, who would later achieve fame under the name "Tules," discovered how to manipulate men, reading their body language and analyzing their gambling habits. This power, coupled with a strong-willed and enterprising nature, led Doña Tules to her legendary role as a shrewd and notorious gambling queen and astute businesswoman. Her monte dealings and entertainment houses became legendary…