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Salomon Pico (1821-1860) came from a wealthy Californio family, that is he came from a longwas well-established Hispanic family in the territory. He was a cousin of the last Mexican governor of California. Pico fought in the Mexican American War (1821-1860) and after the American victory he returned to his native California. He lived quietly for some time, but the Gold Rush of 1849, led to his forever altered the territory. His land being was overrun by white prospectors and it appears that this led to the death of his wife.<ref>Starr, Kevin. California: A history. Vol. 23 (London, Random House Digital, Inc., 2007), p. 132</ref>.  Pico swore revenge against the prospectors’, and he formed a gang of outlaws. They preyed upon lone travelers’ and soon became feared and reviled by the local Anglo community. Pico was seen as a protector of the Hispanic community and many sheltered him and his gang. In 1851, he and some of his gang were captured by vigilantes. He luckily escaped with his life and made his way to Mexico. Here he once again turned to banditry but was later captured and executed. There are undoubted similarities between Pico and Zorro, including their popularity with the common people.