The
Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (
HAMC) is a worldwide
motorcycle gangAn outlaw motorcycle club is a type of motorcycle club that is part of a subculture with roots in the post-WWII USA, centered on cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals celebrating freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the biker...
and
organized crimeOrganized crime or criminal organizations can be defined as a transnational grouping of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit...
syndicate whose members typically ride
Harley-DavidsonHarley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the
Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Their primary motto is "When we do right, no one remembers. When we do wrong, no one forgets".
Both the
Federal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency. The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
and the
Criminal Intelligence Service CanadaCriminal Intelligence Service Canada is an inter-agency organization in Canada designed to coordinate and share criminal intelligence amongst member police forces. The CISC has a central bureau in Ottawa and ten bureaus in each province offering services to over 380 law enforcement agencies in...
classify the Angels as one of the "big four"
motorcycle gangsAn outlaw motorcycle club is a type of motorcycle club that is part of a subculture with roots in the post-WWII USA, centered on cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals celebrating freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the biker...
, contending that members carry out widespread violence, drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, and
extortion'Extortion', outwresting, or exaction is a criminal offense which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly...
. Members of the organization have continuously asserted that they are only a group of
motorcycleA motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are the most affordable form of...
enthusiasts who have joined to ride motorcycles together, to organize social events such as group road trips, fundraisers, parties, and motorcycle rallies.
History
The history of the Hells Angels is shrouded in mystery and controversy, due in part to the fact that various individuals have been solely attributed to its founding, and also due in part to a very strict code of secrecy and what can be construed as a practice of deliberate mythologizing by some members of the club. Members don't use last names, even with one another. They just use a first name, and, more often than not, a nickname. Due to its colorful history and the confirmed links of some of its members to organized crime, speculation and rumor about both the club's history and activities are rife.
The Hells Angels were founded in the late 1940s or early 1950s in California, likely through an amalgamation of former members from different motorcycle clubs, such as the
BoozefightersThe Boozefighters Motorcycle Club is one of the oldest American working-class motorcycle clubs, formed in California just after World War II. Today, the BFMC has chapters across America with its national headquarters located in Ft. Worth, Texas. The first European Chapter was founded in France...
and the
The Pissed Off Bastards of BloomingtonThe Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington is a motorcycle club that, in 1947, along with the Boozefighters and the Market Street Commandos, participated in the highly-publicized Hollister incident ....
. The Hells Angels were originally formed in 1948 in
FontanaFontana is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the heart of the Inland Empire region of southern California, the City of Fontana is a fast-growing community known for its varied and colorful history, and for some of its important new local landmarks...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
.
The name "Hells Angels" was believed to have been inspired by the common historical use, in both
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
and
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, to name squadrons or other fighting groups by fierce, death-defying name. The Flying Tigers in China fielded three squadrons of aircraft, and one squadron was named "Hell's Angels". The 1930
Howard HughesHoward Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American aviator, engineer, industrialist, film producer, film director, philanthropist, and one of the wealthiest people in the world. He gained fame in the late 1920s as a maverick film producer, making big budget and often controversial films like Hell's Angels,...
film
Hell's AngelsHell's Angels is a American epic war film, directed by Howard Hughes and starring Jean Harlow, Ben Lyon, and James Hall. The film, which was produced by Hughes and was written by Harry Behn and Howard Estabrook, centers on the combat pilots of World War I...
displayed extraordinary and dangerous feats of aviation. Several military units used the name Hells Angels prior to the founding of the motorcycle club of the same name, including the U.S. Air Force 303rd USAAF Heavy Bombardment Group (H), a military unit formed in the early years of World War II, and the 11th Airborne Division. Some Hells Angels have attempted to dispel the belief that there is any connection, other than the name, between the HAMC and the historic military Hell's Angels. The group's official website clarifies that the name was suggested to the founders of the club by a friend of theirs, Arvid "Oley" Olsen, who was a member of the Flying Tigers. No actual members of that squadron became members of the HAMC.
Some of the early history of the HAMC is not clear, and accounts differ. According to
Ralph 'Sonny' BargerRalph Hubert "Sonny" Barger is a founding member of the Oakland, California, U.S. chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club....
, founder of the
OaklandOakland is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of California and a major West Coast port city, located on San Francisco Bay about eight miles east of the City of San Francisco. Oakland is a major hub city for the Bay Area subregion collectively called the East Bay, and it is the county seat...
chapter, early chapters of the club were founded in San Francisco,
GardenaGardena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 57,746 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gardena is located at ....
,
FontanaFontana is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the heart of the Inland Empire region of southern California, the City of Fontana is a fast-growing community known for its varied and colorful history, and for some of its important new local landmarks...
, and other places independently of one another, with the members usually being unaware that there were other Hells Angels clubs.
Other sources claim that the Hells Angels in San Francisco were originally organized in 1953 by Rocky Graves, a Hells Angel member from
San BernardinoSan Bernardino is a large city located in the Inland Empire Metropolitan Area of Southern California. San Bernardino is also the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. San Bernardino's estimated population, as of 2006, is 205,010. As of 2006, it was the 18th largest city...
("Berdoo"). This implies that the "Frisco" Hells Angels were very much aware of their forebearers. According to another account, the Hells Angels club was a successor to "
The Pissed Off Bastards of BloomingtonThe Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington is a motorcycle club that, in 1947, along with the Boozefighters and the Market Street Commandos, participated in the highly-publicized Hollister incident ....
" Motorcycle club, which was largely responsible, along with the
BoozefightersThe Boozefighters Motorcycle Club is one of the oldest American working-class motorcycle clubs, formed in California just after World War II. Today, the BFMC has chapters across America with its national headquarters located in Ft. Worth, Texas. The first European Chapter was founded in France...
for the
Hollister riotThe Hollister riot occurred during the Gypsy Tour motorcycle rally in Hollister, California, from July 4 to July 6, 1947. The event was sensationalized by yellow news reports of bikers "taking over the town" and staged photos of public rowdiness....
of 1947. The "Frisco" Hells Angels were reorganized in 1955 with thirteen charter members; Frank Sadliek, who designed the original death's head logo, served as President. The Oakland chapter, at that time headed by Barger, used a larger version of the patch nicknamed the "Barger Larger" which later became the club standard.
The Hells Angels are sometimes depicted in a similar mythical fashion as the
James-Younger GangThe James-Younger Gang was a legendary 19th century gang of American outlaws that included Jesse James.The gang was centered in the state of Missouri. Membership fluctuated from robbery to robbery, as the outlaws' raids were usually separated by many months...
, as modern day legends, or as free spirited and iconic of an era of brotherhood and loyalty. Others describe them as a violent criminal gang and a scourge on society.
Insignia
The Hells Angels official web site attributes the official "death's head" insignia design to Frank Sadilek, past president of the San Francisco Chapter. The colors and shape of the early-style jacket emblem (prior to 1953) were copied from the insignias of the 85th Fighter Squadron and the 552nd Medium Bomber Squadron.
The Hells Angels utilize a system of patches, similar to military medals. Although the specific meaning of each patch is not publicly known, the patches identify specific or significant actions or beliefs of each biker. The official colors of the Hells Angels are red lettering displayed on a white background—hence the club's nickname "The Red and White". These patches are worn on leather or denim jackets and vests.
Red and white are also used to display the number 81 on many patches, as in "Support 81, Route 81". The 8 and 1 stand for the respective positions in the alphabet of
H and
A. These are used by friends and supporters of the club, as only full members can wear any Hells Angels imagery.
The diamond-shaped patch is also used, displaying '1%', in red on a white background with a red
merrowedAn overlock stitch sews over the edge of one or two pieces of cloth for edging, hemming or seaming. Usually an overlock sewing machine will cut the edges of the cloth as they are fed through , though some are made without cutters. The inclusion of automated cutters allows overlock machines to...
border. The term one-percenter is said to be a response to the
American Motorcyclist AssociationThe American Motorcyclist Association is an American not-for-profit organization of more than 300,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights...
(AMA) comment on the
Hollister incidentThe Hollister riot occurred during the Gypsy Tour motorcycle rally in Hollister, California, from July 4 to July 6, 1947. The event was sensationalized by yellow news reports of bikers "taking over the town" and staged photos of public rowdiness....
, to the effect that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens and the last 1% were outlaws. The AMA has no record of such a statement to the press, and call this story apocryphal.
Most members wear a rectangular patch (again, white background with red letters and a red merrowed border) identifying their respective chapter locations. Another similarly designed patch reads "Hells Angels".
When applicable, members of the club wear a patch denoting their position or rank within the organization. The patch is rectangular, and, similarly to the patches described above, displays a white background with red letters and a red merrowed border. Some examples of the titles used are
PresidentPresident is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a "president" is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
,
Vice PresidentA vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
,
SecretaryA secretary is an administrative assistant in business office administration.The executive secretary has a myriad of administrative duties. Traditionally, these duties were mostly related to correspondence, such as the typing out of letters...
,
TreasurerA treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization.-Government:The Treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The Treasurer is generally the head of the Treasury, although, in some countries A treasurer is the...
, and Sergeant at Arms. This patch is usually worn above the 'club location' patch.
Some members also wear a patch with the initials "
AFFAAFFA is four letter acronym which can stand for:*Angels Forever, Forever Angels, a slogan of the Hells Angels** alternatively Avengers Forever, Forever Avengers of the Avengers Motorcycle Club*Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...
", which stands for "Angels Forever; Forever Angels", referring to their lifelong membership in the biker club (i.e., "once a member, always a member").
The book
Gangs, written by Tony Thompson (a crime correspondent for
The ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In about the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a left-liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-History:The...
newspaper), states that Stephen Cunningham, a member of the Angels, sported a new patch after he recovered from attempting to set a bomb: two Nazi-style SS lightning bolts below the words 'Filthy Few'. Some law enforcement officials claim that the patch is only awarded to those who have committed, or are prepared to commit, murder on behalf of the club. According to a report from the
R. v. Bonner and Lindsay case in 2005
(see related section below), another patch, similar to the 'Filthy Few' patch, is the 'Dequiallo' patch. This patch "signifies that the wearer has fought law enforcement on arrest". There is no common convention as to where the patches are located on the members' jacket/vest.
In March 2007 the Hells Angels filed suit against Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group alleging that the film entitled
Wild HogsWild Hogs is a 2007 comedy film starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy. It was released nationwide in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2007, though preview film screenings were held in select areas on February 24, 2007.John Travolta and William H...
used both the name and distinctive logo of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation without permission.
Membership
The full requirements to become a Hells Angel are the following: candidates must have a valid
driver's licenseA driver's license, driver license, driver licence, or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus. The laws relating to driver's licensing vary between jurisdictions...
, have a working motorcycle and cannot be a child molester or have applied to become a police officer or prison guard.
After a lengthy, phased process, a prospective member is first deemed to be a 'Hang-around', indicating that the individual is invited to some club events or to meet club members at known gathering places.
If the Hang-around is interested, he may be asked to become an 'Associate', a status that usually lasts a year or two. At the end of that stage, he is reclassified as 'Prospect', participating in some club activities, but not having voting privileges, while he is evaluated for suitability as a full member. The last phase, and highest membership status, is 'Full Membership' or 'Full-Patch'. The term
Full-Patch refers to the complete four-piece crest, including the 'Death's Head' logo, two rockers
(top rocker: 'Hells Angels'; bottom rocker: State or Territory claimed) and the rectangular 'MC' patch below the wing of the Death's Head. Prospects are allowed to wear only a bottom rocker with the State or Territory name.
To become a full member, the
Prospect must be voted on by the rest of the full club members. Prior to votes being cast, a Prospect usually travels to every chapter in the sponsoring chapter's geographic jurisdiction (state/
provinceA province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Roman provinces:The word is attested in English since c.1330, deriving from Old French province , which comes from the Latin word provincia, which referred to the sphere of activity which a...
/territory) and introduces himself to every Full-Patch. This process allows each voting member to become familiar with the subject and to ask any questions of concern prior to the vote. Successful admission usually requires more than a simple majority, and some clubs may reject a Prospect for a single dissenting vote. Some form of formal induction follows, wherein the Prospect affirms his loyalty to the club and its members. The final logo patch (top
Hells Angels rocker) is then awarded at this initiation ceremony. The step of attaining full membership can be referred to as "being patched".
Even after a member is patched-in the patches themselves remain the property of HAMC rather than the member. On leaving the Hells Angels, or being ejected, they must be returned to the club.
Official chapters
The HAMC acknowledges more than a hundred chapters spread over 29 countries. The first official chapter outside of the
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was formed in New Zealand in 1961. Europe did not become home to the Hells Angels until 1969, when two London chapters were formed after the
BeatleThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
George HarrisonGeorge Harrison MBE was an English rock guitarist, singer-songwriter and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist in The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian mysticism, and helped broaden the horizons of the other Beatles, as well as...
invited some members of the HAMC San Francisco to London. Two people from London visited California, "prospected", and ultimately joined. Two charters were issued on July 30, 1969; one for "South London", the other for "East London" but by 1973 the two charters came together as one, simply called "London". The London Angels provided security at a number of UK Underground festivals including
Phun CityPhun City was a rock festival held at Ecclesden Common near Worthing, England from July 24 to July 26 1970. Organised by the UK Underground anarchist Mick Farren, the festival was notable for having no fences and no admission fees. It was not intended to be a free concert, but funding was withdrawn...
in 1970 organised by anarchist
International TimesInternational Times was an underground paper founded in London in 1966. Editors included John Hopkins, David Mairowitz, Pete Stansill, Barry Miles, Jim Haynes and playwright Tom McGrath...
writer and lead singer with the The Deviants
Mick FarrenMichael Anthony 'Mick' Farren is an English journalist, author and singer associated with the UK Underground and counterculture scene.-Music:...
. They even awarded Farren an "approval patch" in 1970 for use on his first solo album
Mona, which also featured
Steve Peregrin TookSteve Peregrin Took was an English musician. He is best known for his membership of Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan...
(who was credited as "Shagrat the Vagrant"). The 1980s and 1990s saw a major expansion of the club into
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
A list of acknowledged chapters can be found on the HAMC club's official web site.
Altamont
One major event in Hells Angels' history involved the December 6, 1969, Altamont Free Concert at the Altamont Speedway — partially documented in the 1970 film
Gimme ShelterGimme Shelter is a 1970 documentary film directed by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin, chronicling The Rolling Stones' 1969 US tour, which culminated in the disastrous Altamont Free Concert. The film is named after "Gimme Shelter", the lead track from The Rolling Stones' 1969 album Let...
— featuring
Jefferson AirplaneJefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
,
The Flying Burrito BrothersThe Flying Burrito Brothers was an early country rock band, best known for its influential debut album, 1969's The Gilded Palace of Sin. Although the group is most often mentioned in connection with country rock legends Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, the group underwent many personnel...
, and
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
. The
Grateful DeadThe Grateful Dead were an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, jazz, psychedelia, and space rock—and for live performances of long musical...
were also scheduled to perform but canceled at the last minute owing to the ensuing circumstances at the venue. The Angels had been hired by The Rolling Stones as crowd security for a fee which was said to include $500 worth of beer. The Angels parked their motorcycles in front of the stage in order to create a buffer between the stage and the tens of thousands of concertgoers.
Crowd management proved to be difficult: many spectators were injured and four died. One was
Meredith HunterMeredith Hunter was a spectator at the Altamont Free Concert. During the performance by The Rolling Stones, Hunter pulled out a gun and was then stabbed to death by a Hells Angel serving as a security guard...
, two others were killed by a hit-and-run driver and the fourth died when he or she drowned in a puddle of water. Over the course of the day, the Hells Angels became increasingly agitated as the crowd turned more aggressive. Denise Jewkes of
the Ace of CupsThe Ace of Cups was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1967. It has been described as one of the first all-female rock bands.The members of the Ace of Cups were Mary Gannon , Marla Hunt , Denise Kaufman , Mary Ellen Simpson , and Diane Vitalich...
, six months pregnant and on stage observing, was hit in the head by an empty beer bottle thrown from the crowd and wound up in the hospital with a fractured skull.
At the murder trial of Hells Angel Alan Passaro, a security guard testified he heard the Hells Angels being summoned over the loudspeakers when the helicopter bearing The Rolling Stones landed. Debate after the event was over whether or not the Hells Angels were to manage security for the entire concert or just for The Rolling Stones.
Sam CutlerSam Cutler is best known as former tour manager for the Rolling Stones. In numerous magazine articles and books, Cutler has been casually demonized as an unwitting, yet primary catalyst of the violence that took place at the 1969 Altamont Free Concert.-Early Life and Career:Sam Cutler was born...
, the Stones' agent who had arranged to pay the Hells Angels said their role was as bodyguards to the Rolling Stones. This was denied by the Hells Angels as well as others connected to the event. During the opening act of Santana, the Hells Angels surged into the crowd numerous times to keep persons off stage.
By the time The Rolling Stones took stage, numerous incidents of violence had occurred both between the Hells Angels and within the crowd internally. A huge circus performer weighing over 350 pounds stripped naked and plunged through the crowd. Concert goers attempted to detain him. Several Hells Angels leaped from the stage and subdued the man with fists and pool cues. A crowd of between 4,000 and 5,000 had jammed to the very edge of the stage, and many attempted to climb onto it.
The Angels used sawn-off pool cues in order to control the crowd. After one of the Angels' motor bikes was knocked over, the Angels became even more aggressive, even toward the performers onstage.
Marty BalinMarty Balin is an American musician. He is best known as the founder and one of the lead singers of Jefferson Airplane, the pioneering psychedelic rock band from San Francisco.Born and raised in Ohio, Marty was mildly autistic as a child, and he struggled with this while growing up...
of Jefferson Airplane was knocked unconscious following an altercation with an Angel on stage as seen in the documentary film
Gimme ShelterGimme Shelter is a 1970 documentary film directed by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin, chronicling The Rolling Stones' 1969 US tour, which culminated in the disastrous Altamont Free Concert. The film is named after "Gimme Shelter", the lead track from The Rolling Stones' 1969 album Let...
. The Grateful Dead refused to play following the Balin incident, and left the venue.
A shoving match erupted near the stage during a rendition of the song "
Under My Thumb"Under My Thumb" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for The Rolling Stones. Its first appearance was as an album track on 1966's Aftermath, and though it was never released as a single, it is one of the band's more popular songs from the period, appearing frequently on best-of...
" (not, as is commonly thought, "
Sympathy for the Devil"Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by The Rolling Stones which first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1968 album Beggars Banquet. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards...
"). A concert patron by the name of
Meredith HunterMeredith Hunter was a spectator at the Altamont Free Concert. During the performance by The Rolling Stones, Hunter pulled out a gun and was then stabbed to death by a Hells Angel serving as a security guard...
produced a handgun. Hunter was stabbed to death. A Hells Angel member,
Alan PassaroAlan David Passaro was a Hells Angels member known for the 1969 stabbing of Meredith Hunter at the Altamont Free Concert during The Rolling Stones' set, as seen in the 1970 documentary film Gimme Shelter...
, was later acquitted of murder on grounds of self-defense. After the concert and critical media attention given to the HAMC, Sonny Barger went on a local California radio station to justify the actions of the Hells Angels and to present their side of the story. He claimed that violence only started once the crowd began vandalizing the Hells Angels' motorcycles. Barger would later claim that Meredith fired a shot which struck a Hells Angels member with what he described as "just a flesh wound."
In 2005, after a two year exhaustive cold-case renewal of the file, the Alameda County District Attorney's office permanently closed the case. An enhanced and slowed down version of the original film footage was produced for the police, and after examining it Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Scott Dudek said Passaro, who died in 1985, was the only person to stab Hunter and he did so only after Hunter pointed a handgun at the stage where the Stones were performing.
Alan Passaro is the only person that stabbed Meredith Hunter, Dudek said, adding that Passaro's lawyer confirmed his client was the sole assailant. "Passaro acted with a knife to stop Meredith Hunter from shooting."
In addition, enhanced and slowed-down footage from the film shows Hunter brandishing the handgun just before Passaro stabs him.
River Run Riot
The
River Run RiotThe River Run Riot occurred on April 27, 2002, in Laughlin, Nevada during the Laughlin River Run. Members of the Hells Angels and the Mongols motorcycle clubs stabbed and shot at each other at Harrah's Laughlin...
occurred on April 27, 2002, at the
Harrah's Casino & HotelHarrah's Laughlin is the second largest hotel and casino located in Laughlin, Nevada, USA. It has 1,561 rooms, including 115 suites, as well as a casino...
in
Laughlin, NevadaLaughlin is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 7,076. Laughlin is a port located on the Colorado River 94 miles south of Las Vegas...
. Members of the Hells Angels and the
MongolsThe Mongols Motorcycle Club, sometimes called the Mongol Nation or Mongol Brotherhood, is a one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate. The club is headquartered in southern California and was originally formed in Montebello, California in 1969 by Hispanic Vietnam War veterans who...
motorcycle clubs fought each other on the casino floor. As a result, Mongol Anthony Barrera, 43, was stabbed to death, and two Hells Angels, Jeramie Bell, 27, and Robert Tumelty, 50, were shot to death. On February 23, 2007 Hells Angels members James Hannigan and Rodney Cox were sentenced to two years in prison. Cox and Hannigan were captured on videotape confronting Mongols members inside the casino. A Hells Angel member can be clearly seen on the casino security videotape performing a front kick on a Mongol biker member, causing the ensuing melee.
However, prior to this altercation, several incidents of harassment and provocation were noted in the Clark County, Nevada Grand Jury hearings as having been perpetrated upon The Hells Angels. Members of the Mongols accosted a vendor's table selling Hells Angels trademarked items, had surrounded a Hells Angel and demanded he remove club clothing. In addition, nine witnesses claimed the fight began when a Mongol kicked a member of the Hells Angels. Regardless of which minor physical incident can be said to have "caused the melee", it is clear that The Hells Angels had come to confront the Mongols concerning their actions.
Attorneys for the group claim they were defending themselves from an attack initiated by the Mongols.
Charges were dismissed against 36 other Hells Angels originally named in the indictment.
Roberta Shalaby assault
On January 28, 2007 a woman named Roberta Shalaby was found badly beaten on the sidewalk outside the Hells Angels' clubhouse in at 77 East Third Street in the
East Village, ManhattanThe East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It lies east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
. The resulting investigation by the NYPD has been criticized by the group for its intensity. The police were refused access to the Hells Angels clubhouse and responded by closing off the area, setting up sniper positions, and sending in armored personnel carriers. After obtaining a warrant, the police searched the club-house and arrested one Hells Angel who was later released. The group claims to have no connection with the beating of Roberta Shalaby. Five security cameras cover the entrance to the New York chapter's East 3rd Street club house, but the NY HAMC maintains nobody knows how Shalaby was beaten nearly to death at their front door. The members were later exonerated and the club is now suing the city of New York for damages to their clubhouse.
Michael Walsh murder, racketeering
In 2001 Hells Angels Rodney Lee Rollness and Joshua Binder murdered Michael "Santa" Walsh, who had allegedly falsely claimed to be a member of the Hells Angels. Paul Foster, hoping to join the Hells Angels, aided in the murder by luring Walsh to a party at his house and helping cover up the crime. West Coast leader Richard "Smilin' Rick" Fable, along with Rollness and Binder, were also convicted of various racketeering offenses.
Canada
The Vancouver SunThe Vancouver Sun is a daily newspaper first published in the Canadian province of British Columbia on February 12, 1912. The paper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc., which is affiliated with CanWest Global Communications company...
newspaper reports that Canada has more Hells Angels members per capita than any other country, including the U.S., where there are chapters in about 20 states. Mr. Réal Ménard (Montréal, PQ) testified in Parliament that the Hells Angels had 38 chapters in Canada in 1995-1997.
The Hells Angels established their first Canadian chapters in the province of Quebec during the seventies. The Outlaws and several affiliated independent clubs were able to keep the Angels from assuming a dominant position in Ontario, Canada's most populous province, until the nineties, while the
Grim ReapersThe Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club was an outlaw motorcycle club, founded in 1967 in Calgary, Alberta, that was active during the sixties and seventies, and grew to become a dominant club in the region during the eighties and nineties....
of
AlbertaAlberta is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south....
, Los Bravos in
ManitobaManitoba is a prairie province in Canada and has an area of . Manitoba is bordered by the provinces of Ontario to the east and Saskatchewan to the west, the territory of Nunavut to the north, and the U.S. states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south...
, and several other independent clubs across the prairies formed a loose alliance that kept the Hells Angels from assuming dominance in the prairie provinces until the late nineties. By 1997, under the leadership of Walter "Nurget" Stadnick, the Hells Angels had become the dominant club not just in BC and Quebec, but all across Canada, with chapters in at least seven of ten provinces and two of the three territories.
Lindsay and Bonner trial
In 2002 Crown Prosecutor Graeme Williams sought to have the Hells Angels formally declared a "criminal organization" by applying the anti-gang
legislationLegislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it. The term may refer to a single law, or the collective body of enacted law, while "statute" is also used to refer to a single law...
(Bill C-24) to a criminal prosecution involving the Hells Angels and two of its members, Stephen (Tiger) Lindsay and Raymond (Razor) Bonner.
The prosecution team launched a three year investigation with the aim of collecting evidence for the trial.
At the conclusion of the trial in June 2005,
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
Justice Michelle Fuerst ruled that Lindsay and Bonner had committed extortion in association with a criminal organization and had used the Hells Angels' reputation as a weapon.
Quebec
The
Quebec Biker warThe Quebec Biker war refers to the violent turf war that began in 1994 and continued until late 2002 in Quebec, Canada.The war began as the Hells Angels in Quebec began to make a push to establish a monopoly on street-level drug sales in the province. A number of drug dealers and crime families...
between the Hells Angels and the
Rock MachineThe Rock Machine was a drug dealing organization that evolved into a motorcycle gang primarily based in Quebec, Canada. The group was initially formed as the result of an affiliation between Montreal crime families such as the Pelletier Clan and other independent dealers who wished to resist the...
that began in 1994 and continued until late 2002 claimed more than 150 lives,[1] including some innocent bystanders.
Maurice (aka Mom) BoucherMaurice "Mom" Boucher is a high-ranking Hells Angels member and a Canadian convicted criminal.-Background:Born in Causapscal, Quebec, Canada, and raised in the tough Hochelaga-Maisonneuve section of Montreal, where his family moved when he was two years old, Boucher was arrested several times...
was the leader of the Quebec chapters and second-in-command of the Canadian Nomad chapter, a chapter with no fixed geographic base. In May 2002 Boucher received an automatic life sentence, with no possibility of parole for at least 25 years, after conviction two counts of first-degree murder for the killings of two Canadian prison guards, ambushed on their way home.
On The 15th April 2009, operation SharQc was conducted by the provincial police force
sûreté du QuébecThe Sûreté du Québec or SQ is Quebec's national police force of Quebec...
.
Operation SharQc
The tough shell of secrecy that protected the Hells Angels for years finally cracked during an investigation that has resulted in the arrests of almost every member of the gang in Quebec. On The 15th April 2009, operation SharQc was conducted by the provincial police force
sûreté du QuébecThe Sûreté du Québec or SQ is Quebec's national police force of Quebec...
. It is the biggest strike at the HAMC in Canada's history and probably in all of HAMC's history. In all 177 strikes were conducted by the police, 123 members were arrested, charges were mostly for first-degree murder, attempted murder, gangsterism or drug trafficking. The police seized $5 million in cash, dozens of kilograms of cocaine, marijuana and hashish, and thousands of pills. The operation could, in the future lead up to the closing of 22 unsolved murders. Operation SharQc involved a full-patch member of the gang turning informant, a very rare occurrence in Quebec.
Project Tandem Raids
In September 2006, after an 18 month Investigation conducted by numerous law enforcement agencies, 500 officers and 21 tactical teams raided property connected to the Hells Angels chapters in Ontario. At least 27 members were arrested of which 15 were members of the Hells Angels. Property seized was worth more than 1 million dollars and included $470,000 in cash, $300,000 in vehicles and $140,000 in motorcycles. During the raids, drugs such as
cocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant...
and ecstasy were seized; the total street value of drugs seized was more than 3 million dollars.
Project Develop
In April 2007, after another 18 month investigation, 32 Club Houses were raided in Ontario, New Brunswick and British Columbia. The Hells Angels Clubhouse on 498 Eastern Avenue in Toronto was raided by the Biker Enforcement Unit of the
OPPOPP or Opp may refer to:* Ontario Provincial Police, the provincial police service of Ontario, Canada* Ontario Provincial Parliament, a common unoffical name for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
and members of the
Toronto Police ServiceThe Toronto Police Service , formerly the Metropolitan Toronto Police, is the police service for the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
on April 4, 2007, at least 15 members of the Hells Angels were detained and charged with drug and weapons offenses at the Eastern Avenue Clubhouse raid. According to police, Project Develop seized some 500 litres of
GHBGHB may refer to:*gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid, a neuroprotective and depressant drug that is illegal in a number of countries*glycated hemoglobin, a form of hemoglobin created during its exposure to high plasma levels of glucose...
worth an estimated $996,000, nine kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of hashish and oxycodone and Viagra pills. Police also seized $21,000 worth of cash. Project Develop also seized 67 rifles, five handguns, three pairs of brass knuckles and a police baton.
Project E-Pandora
Investigations
In late 2004 to 2005 the culmination of investigations into the actions of the motorcycle club led to charges against 45 people including members of the Hells Angels and other associates of the gang, including 17 full-patch Hells Angels members, and a chapter president. The investigation that brought the majority of the arrests, with a significant media impact, was Project E-Pandora,
In total, investigators seized:
- more than 20 kilograms of methamphetamine
Methamphetamine also known as metamfetamine , dextromethamphetamine, methylamphetamine, N-methylamphetamine, and desoxyephedrine) is a psychostimulant and sympathomimetic drug. Methamphetamine enters the brain and triggers a cascading release of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine...
- more than 20 kilograms of cocaine
- more than 70 kilograms of marijuana
- Restricted and Prohibited Weapons which include 5 handguns, fully automatic weapons, including silencers, 11 sticks of dynamite with detonation cord
Detonating cord is a thin, flexible tube with an explosive core. It is a high-speed fuse which explodes, rather than burns, and is suitable for detonating high explosives, usually pentaerythritol tetranitrate...
and blasting capA blasting cap is a small explosive device generally used to detonate a larger, more powerful explosive such as dynamite.Blasting caps come in a variety of types, some of which are: non-electric caps, electric caps and fuse caps...
s, 4 grenades and an assortment of ammunition
- more than $200,000 Canadian currency
- 250 kilograms of Methylamine
Methylamine is the organic compound with a formula of CH3NH2. This colourless gas is a derivative of ammonia, wherein one H atom is replaced by a methyl group. It is the simplest primary amine. It is sold as a solution in methanol, ethanol, THF, and water, or as the anhydrous...
(a precursor for the production of methamphetamineMethamphetamine also known as metamfetamine , dextromethamphetamine, methylamphetamine, N-methylamphetamine, and desoxyephedrine) is a psychostimulant and sympathomimetic drug. Methamphetamine enters the brain and triggers a cascading release of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine...
)
- 2 methamphetamine
Methamphetamine also known as metamfetamine , dextromethamphetamine, methylamphetamine, N-methylamphetamine, and desoxyephedrine) is a psychostimulant and sympathomimetic drug. Methamphetamine enters the brain and triggers a cascading release of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine...
laboratories
Due to the success of Project E-Pandora, based in large part on the tone and focus of news media stories, the province's general public now make a direct connection between the motorbike club and organized crime.
Background
In July 2003, a man offered to give police information. He became the police agent around whom much of the E-Pandora investigation ensued. Charges arose from project E-Pandora, an extensive police investigation, into the alleged criminal activities of the East End Charter of the Hells Angels (the "EEHA"). The
evidenceEvidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either a) presumed to be true, or b) were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's...
in this case included intercepted private communications including telephone and audio recordings, physical surveillance, and expert evidence. The case would eventually be dubbed the trial of
R. v. Giles and see 3 charged individuals appear before the Supreme Court of British Columbia (SCBC). 72 appearances would span from 14 May, 2007 until 20 February, 2008 and, by order of Madam Justice MacKenzie, include a publication ban on related trials.
Ruling
On March 27, 2008, the SCBC Justice MacKenzie ruled against prosecutors who had attempted to convict a Hells Angels member of possession for the benefit of a criminal organization. Although two associates of the Hells Angels, David Roger Revell, 43, and Richard Andrew Rempel, 24, were convicted of possession for the purpose of trafficking, Justice MacKenzie concluded that with the acquittal of the only Hells Angel member being tried, David Francis Giles, on a charge of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, a second charge against him (count two) of possessing it for the benefit of a criminal organization had to fail as well. In summary, Revell and Rempel were found guilty but Giles was found not guilty on either count. Also, Revell and Rempel were found not guilty on the charge of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
In her acquittal of Giles, Justice MacKenzie said she found the evidence against him was "weak" and intercepted communications were "unreliable" because they were difficult to hear. She further stated that the Crown prosecutors had failed to demonstrate beyond a
reasonable doubtBeyond a reasonable doubt is the standard of proof required in most criminal cases within an adversarial system. Generally the prosecution bears the burden of proof and is required to prove their version of events to this standard...
the group was working to the "benefit of, at the direction of or in association with a criminal organization, to wit: the East End charter of the Hells Angels".
Manitoba
The Hells Angels' expansion into Manitoba began with a relationship with Los Bravos, a local motorcycle club. In 2000 Los Bravos were "patched over," becoming a full-fledged Hells Angels chapter. The following investigations over the last two years have been executed with the following charges.
Project Defense
On February 15, 2006 the Manitoba Integrated Organized Crime Task Force, along with over 150 police officers from the RCMP, Winnipeg Police Service and Brandon Police Service, made numerous arrests and conducted searches as part of the investigation of Project Defense. Thirteen people were indicted on a variety of charges, including drug trafficking, extortion, proceeds of crime, and organized crime related offences. Only 3 were members of the Hells Angels.
Project Defense was initiated in November 2004 and focused on high level members of drug trafficking cells in the province of Manitoba, including members of the Manitoba Hells Angels. During the investigation police made numerous seizures that totaled in excess of seven kilograms of cocaine and three kilograms of methamphetamine from drug traffickers within the Manitoba Hells Angels organization and other drug trafficking cells. Arrest warrants were issued for thirteen individuals and 12 search warrants were authorized for locations in Winnipeg and area.
This long-term covert investigation was initiated by the Manitoba Integrated Organized Crime Task Force, which was established in the spring of 2004 when an Agreement was signed between the Winnipeg Police Service, the RCMP, the Brandon Police Service and the Province of Manitoba. The mandate of the task force was to disrupt and dismantle organized crime in the province of Manitoba.
Project Drill
On December 12, 2007 Project Drill came to an end, with Winnipeg Police raiding the Hells Angels clubhouse on Scotia Street. Project Drill started the previous evening with arrests in Thompson and continued throughout the night and early morning in Winnipeg and St. Pierre-Jolys. During the course of Project Drill, police seized vehicles, approximately $70,000 cash, firearms, marijuana, Hells Angel related documents/property and other offence related property. As of December 12, 14 people were in custody and four were still being sought
Police said it was the second time the chapter president was the target in a police sting since the gang set up shop in the city in 2001. Hells Angels prospect member Al LeBras was also arrested at his Barber Street home in Wednesday's raids.
The recently amended Criminal Property Forfeiture Act gives the province the power to seize the proceeds of crime. Police have exercised similar authority against Hells Angels members in other Canadian cities.
Joint investigations
Other joint investigations include:
- Project Develop, a joint 18-month investigation with Ontario
Ontario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
, New BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally bilingual province in the confederation. The provincial capital is Fredericton...
, and British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
- In January 2006, Project Husky, a two-year investigation involving police forces in Ontario
Ontario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
, QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and AlbertaAlberta is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south....
, resulted in the arrest of twenty-seven suspects, including five full-patch Angels from across Eastern and Central Canada
- Project Koker, 23-month investigation in Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. The city is located on the North Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies...
and CalgaryCalgary is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada.The Calgary census metropolitan area is the third most diverse in Canada in terms of visible minorities after Toronto and Vancouver when considering only CMAs with population greater than 200,000...
- Project Halo, a three-year investigation by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Team of the RCMP, into alleged criminal activity with the Nanaimo chapter. The investigation culminated in the search warrant being executed on December 12, 2003. On November 9, 2007 a seizure order was executed, under Section 467.12(1) of the Criminal Code
The Criminal Code of Canada is the codification of most of the criminal offences and procedure in Canada...
, on the clubhouse by dozens of heavily armed RCMP officers.
Scandinavia
A gang war over drugs and turf between the Hells Angels and the
BandidosThe Bandidos Motorcycle Club, also known as the Bandido Nation, is a "one-percenter" motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate with a worldwide membership. The club was formed in 1966 by Don Chambers in Texas. Its slogan is We are the people our parents warned us about. It is estimated to...
, known as the "
Great Nordic Biker WarThe Great Nordic Biker War, sometimes called the Great Northern Biker War or Great Scandinavian Biker War, refers to the violent gang war that began in 1994 and continued until 1997 in many parts of Scandinavia and Finland, mainly involving Hells Angels MC and Bandidos MC but also involving many...
", raged from 1994 until 1997 and ran across Norway, Sweden, Denmark and even parts of Finland and Estonia. By the end of the war, machine guns, hand grenades, rocket launchers and car bombs had been used as weapons, resulting in 11 murders, 74 attempted murders, and 96 wounded members of the involved motorcycle clubs. This led to fierce response from law enforcement and legislators, primarily in Denmark. A law was passed that banned motorcycle clubs from owning or renting property for their club activities. The law has subsequently been repealed on constitutional grounds.
In 2007, a Hells Angels-supported gang named
Altid Klar-81AK81 is a street gang in Denmark. It is a support gang of the Hells Angels, but members are not required to own a motorcycle or wear a patch. Because of this, and due to high-running racial tensions, they are recruiting much faster than the Hells Angels in Denmark...
("
Altid Klar" is
DanishDanish is one of the North Germanic languages , a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. It is spoken by around 6 million people, mainly in Denmark; the language is also used by the 50,000 Danes in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany where it holds the...
for "
Always Ready" and 81 is synonymous with the letters HA) was formed in Denmark to combat immigrant street gangs in a feud over the lucrative illegal
hashHash may refer to:* Number sign, #, also called "hash symbol" or "pound sign" in the USA and Canada* Hashish, a psychoactive drug derived from the Cannabis plant* Hash , a coarse chunky mixture of beef and other things, e.g...
market. AK81 has been recruiting much quicker than the mainstream Hells Angels as members are not required to own a motorcycle or wear a patch, and racial tensions are running high in parts of Denmark. On August 14 2008, Osman Nuri Dogan, a 19-year-old ethnic
TurkThe Turkish people , also known as the "Turks" are defined mainly as citizens of the Republic of Turkey. An early historic text provided the definition of being a Turk as "any individual within the Republic of Turkey; whatever his/her faith or racial/ethnic background; who speaks Turkish, grows up...
, was shot and killed by an AK81 member in
TingbjergTingbjerg is a large housing project designed and built from 1950 to 1972 by Steen Eiler Rasmussen as principal architect. It is located 6km northwest of Copenhagen, Denmark. The area is idyllic in its own green pocket surrounded by Vestvolden and Utterslev Mose. There is plenty of light and air,...
. Later that year, on October 8, there was a shoot-out between AK81 members and a group of immigrants in
NørrebroNørrebro is the common name for an area in Copenhagen, Denmark located beyond the historic city center , and beyond the location of the old Northern Gate , which was near the current Nørreport station until dismantled in 1856....
,
CopenhagenCopenhagen ; ) is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,167,569 and a metropolitan area with a population of 1,875,179...
, during which one man was injured.
The Netherlands
The Hells Angels control much of the drug trade in the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
, and are also involved in prostitution. The Dutch police have stated that the Hells Angels smuggle cocaine into the country through terrorist organizations and drug cartels in
CuraçaoCuraçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The island area of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is one of five island areas of the Netherlands...
and
ColombiaColombia , officially the Republic of Colombia , is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean...
, and also deal in ecstasy and illegal firearms.
In October 2005, the Dutch police raided Hells Angels' clubhouses in
AmsterdamAmsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country...
,
Haarlem', in the past usually Harlem in English, is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is also the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic.Haarlem had a total population 148...
,
IJmuidenIJmuiden is a city in the Dutch province of North Holland, the main town of the municipality of Velsen. It lies about 17 km north of Haarlem. In the Roman era, this Velsen district was already inhabited, and archeological finds indicate there was a North Sea port of some regional importance...
,
HarlingenHarlingen is a municipality and a city in the northern Netherlands, in the province of Friesland at the Wadden Sea. Harlingen is an old town with a long history of fishing and shipping...
,
KampenKampen may refer:* Kampen, Germany on the island Sylt* Kampen a town in the Netherlands* The former town of Kampen in the Netherlands, currently Kamperland* Kampen in the Netherlands...
and
RotterdamRotterdam ; city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland, situated in the west of the Netherlands. The municipality is the second largest in the country, with a population of 584,046 as of January 2007...
as well as a number of houses. Belgian police also raided two locations over the border. Police seized a grenade launcher, a flame thrower, hand grenades, 20 hand guns, a machine pistol and €70,000 (US$83,993) in cash. A number of Hells Angels members were later imprisoned on charges of international trafficking of cocaine and ecstasy, the production and distribution of marijuana, money laundering and murder, after an investigation that lasted over a year.
In 2006 two Dutch newspapers reported that the
AmsterdamAmsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country...
whorehouse
Yab YumYab Yum was one of the best-known brothels in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Located in a 17th century canal house on the Singel, it mostly catered to business men and foreign visitors...
had long been controlled by the Dutch Hells Angels, who had taken over after a campaign of threats and blackmailing. The city council of Amsterdam revoked the license of Yab Yum in December 2007. During a subsequent trial the city's attorney repeated these allegations and the brothel's attorney denied them. The brothel was closed in January 2008.
Australia
On 18 June 2007, a Hells Angels member fired 6 shots at passers-by who tried to help the member's girlfriend, killing Brendan Keilar and critically wounding two others. On May 12, 2008, Christopher Wayne Hudson pleaded guilty to the murder of Keilar and other offences committed during the shooting.
See 2007 Melbourne CBD shootingsThe 2007 Melbourne CBD shooting was an incident that occurred in the Central Business District of Melbourne, Victoria on 18 June 2007. Three people were shot, one fatally, by Christopher Wayne Hudson, 31, a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, opened fire on two men and a woman during an...
.
Members of the
ComancherosThe Comanchero Motorcycle Club is an outlaw motorcycle gang in Australia has chapters in Strathfield and Erskine Park. . The Commancheros are participants in the United Motorcycle Council of NSW, which has recently convened a conference aimed at addressing legislation aimed against the "bikie"...
and Hells Angels were believed to be involved in a clash at
Sydney AirportSydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport , in Sydney, Australia* Sydney Airport , in Nova Scotia, Canada...
on Sunday, March 22, 2009. The clash resulted in one man, Hells Angels associate Anthony Zervas, being beaten to death and police estimated as many as 15 men were involved in the violence. Police documents detail the brawl as a result of a Comanchero gang member and a Hells Angel being on the same flight from
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
. Four suspects were arrested as a result of the altercation. As a result of heightening violence, New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees announced the state police anti-gang squad would be boosted to 125 members from 50.
On the night of March 29, 2009, Hells Angels member Peter Zervas, the brother of the man killed during the Sydney Airport Brawl a week earlier, was shot and injured as he left his car outside his home.
Germany
In March 2006, a group of Hells Angels raided a Bandidos clubhouse in
StuhrStuhr is a municipality in the district of Diepholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 7 km southwest of Bremen....
where they assaulted and robbed five Bandidos members. Three were given jail sentences and another eleven were handed down suspended sentences at the trial which took place in
HanoverHanover or Hannover , on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, in their dignities as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg Hanover or Hannover , on the river Leine, is...
on December 16 2008.
On June 11 2008, two Bandidos members were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a Hells Angels member in
Ibbenbüren Ibbenbüren or Ibbenbueren is a medium-sized town in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is on position 185 of the largest cities in Germany and the largest city in Tecklenburger Land.- Geography :...
. Reports say they drove to his Harley-Davidson shop and shot him there on May 23, 2007. After the first day of a related
lawsuitA lawsuit is a civil action brought before a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have received damages from a defendant's actions, seeks a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
on December 17, 2007, riots between the two gangs and the police were reported.
Spain
Spanish police carried out a number of raids against the club on April 21 2009, arresting 22 members in
BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
,
Valencia-In Spain:* Valencia, Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community* Comunitat Valenciana cycling team , formerly Kelme * Valencia , in the Valencia Autonomous Community...
,
MálagaMálaga is a city in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. It is the second most populous city of Andalusia, the sixth largest in Spain and 43rd-most populous municipality in the European Union, with a population of 566,447 in 2008...
,
MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous city by urban area in the European Union after Paris and London.The city is located on the river...
and Las Palmas. Two of them were members of the club's
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
chapters. The Hells Angels arrested were charged with drugs and weapons trafficking, and extortion. Law enforcement seized military-style weapons and ammunition, bulletproof vests, a kilo of
cocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant...
,
neo-NaziThe term neo-Nazism refers to any post-World War II social or political movement seeking to revive Nazism, or some variant that echoes core aspects of Nazism.The term can also refer to the ideology of those movements....
literature and €200,000 in cash during the searches of 30 properties. One suspect also attempted to use a firearm against police officers as he was being arrested. It was part of an investigation into the club, known as Valkiria, which began in October 2007 and also led to eight arrests in December 2007. Prior to this, the only operation against the club in Spain took place in March 1996.
United Kingdom
In August 2007 a Hells Angels member, Gerry Tobin, was shot dead on the
M40 motorwayThe M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that connects London to Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05....
by members of a rival motorcycle gang, the
OutlawsThe Outlaws Motorcycle Club, incorporated as the American Outlaws Association or its acronym, A.O.A., is a "one-percenter" motorcycle gang that was formed in McCook, Illinois in 1935...
. Those responsible received life sentences in November 2008. Tobin was returning home to London, where he worked as a Harley service manager, from the
Bulldog BashThe Bulldog Bash is considered to be one of Europe's most popular, annual, motorcycle festivals with a reported attendance of 50,000 people in 2007...
.
In January 2008, there was a brawl between up to 30 Hells Angels and
OutlawsThe Outlaws Motorcycle Club, incorporated as the American Outlaws Association or its acronym, A.O.A., is a "one-percenter" motorcycle gang that was formed in McCook, Illinois in 1935...
at Birmingham International Airport. Police recovered various weapons including Knuckledusters, hammers and a meat cleaver. Seven Outlaw members and five Hells Angels faced trial as a result.
Books and newspaper articles
Perhaps the most notorious and colorful account of the Hells Angels was written by
Gonzo journalistGonzo journalism is a style of journalism which is written subjectively, often including the reporter as part of the story via a first person narrative. The style tends to blend factual and fictional elements to emphasize an underlying message and engage the reader. The word Gonzo was first used in...
Hunter S. ThompsonHunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author, most famous for his novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to such a degree that they become central figures of...
. Published in 1966, Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, was expanded from an original 1965 article for
The NationThe Nation is a weekly United States periodical devoted to politics and culture, self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865 at the start of Reconstruction as a supporter of the victorious North in the American Civil War, it is the oldest continuously published weekly...
after he spent a year in close quarters with group.
- Thompson, Hunter S. Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. New York: Random House, 1966; Ballantine Books, 1996 (ISBN 0-345-41008-4)
- Barger, Sonny; Zimmerman, Keith; and Zimmerman, Kent Hell's Angels: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. HarperCollins (ISBN 0060937548)
- Langton, Jerry Fallen Angel: The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick in the Canadian Hells Angels. John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. (ISBN 0-470-83710-1)
- The Assimilation: Bikers United Against The Hells Angels by Edward Winterhalder and Wil De Clercq - ECW Press 2008 (ISBN 1-5502-2824-2)
- Winterhalder, Edward, Out In Bad Standings: Inside The Bandidos Motorcycle Club - The Making of a Worldwide Dynasty,Blockhead City Press, 2005/Seven Locks Press, 2007 (ISBN 0-9771-7470-0)
- Sher, Julian and Marsden, William The Road to Hell : How the Biker Gangs are Conquering Canada, Random House, 2004 (ISBN 0676975992)
- Sher, Julian and Marsden, William Angels of Death; Inside the Bikers' Global Crime Empire, Knopf Canada, 2006 (ISBN 0676977308)
- Cherry, Paul The Biker Trials: Bringing Down the Hells Angels, ECW Press, 2005 (ISBN 155022638X)
- Lavigne, Yves Hell's Angels: Taking Care of Business, Ballantine Books, 1994 (ISBN 9994961950)
- Lavigne, Yves Hell's Angels: Into the Abyss, HarperTorch, 1997 (ISBN 0061011045)
- Lavigne, Yves Hell's Angels at War, Harper-Collins, 2000 (ISBN 0006385648)
- Police claim a victory over bikers in Thunder Bay CBC News, Thursday, 19 January 2006
- http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/04/11/biker-war-sher.html?ref=rss
- Storm thwarted Mick Jagger murder attempt Telegraph, UK, Sunday, 2 March 2008
External links