I lived in Tucson in the 60’s and 70’s. There were mafia there (Bonanno family) settling some family business with an occasional bombing in town, but the border was quiet and the desert serene. Used to hike and ride dirt bikes all around the territory. Went back for a visit in 2015, and it was a different world. Motel concierge was happy to advise us of what parts of the desert were “safe.” And he wasn’t talking about rattlesnakes.
In the seventies you put 35 cents in the tank and ride all day.