Hells Angels

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Image:Hells Angels New York by David Shankbone.jpg
Hells Angels New York City

For other uses of Hells Angels see Hells Angels (disambiguation)

The Hells Angels is a motorcycle club formed in 1948 in Fontana, California, where the local chapter remains active. A successor to the late-1940s club, the club is said to take its name from either the movie Hell's Angels, directed by Howard Hughes,[1][2] or from the U.S. Army's 11th Airborne Division.[3] It is estimated to have 1,800 members in 22 countries.[4] In the United States, the Hell's Angels are also incorporated as the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Corporation.

Contents

[edit] In popular culture

Image:Hells-angels-logo.jpg
Hells Angels jacket, with logo (Smithsonian Institution)
The Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle club is generally viewed as the epitome of the outlaw biker counterculture of the 1960s. Some members of the Hells Angels have been shown to take in large sums of money from illegal activities[citation needed] such as prostitution, extortion, fraudulent telemarketing, and drug trafficking, but the club itself has traditionally claimed that these are individuals within the club that are involved and not the club as a whole. In rural areas of the United States (especially the U.S. South and Southwest), it has been claimed by law enforcement that the Hells Angels are heavily involved with the production and distribution of methamphetamine.[citation needed] In Canada, the same claim has been demonstrated in the book, Angels of Death: Inside the Bikers' Global Crime Empire by William Marsden and Julian Sher.

The Hells Angels Chapter of Oakland has been particularly infamous in North America, partly due to its connection with Ralph 'Sonny' Barger, who could be considered a master of public relations. His autobiography, Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was a national bestseller. Sonny Barger, who had spent over a decade in prison, wrote biker-related fiction after his release and settled down finally as the eponym of his own brand of beer. According to Barger's memoir, early chapters of the club were founded in San Francisco, Gardena, Fontana, and other places, independently of one another, with the members usually being unaware that there were other Hells Angels clubs.

The Hells Angels also take part in and organize several charitable events such as various Christmas Toy runs across the United States and Canada.[5][6]

The Hells Angels organizes a number of motorcycle runs all over the world and also runs a patch system, similar to a military medal. The literal symbolic meaning of each patch is not publicly known, but it identifies specific or significant actions or beliefs of each biker.

[edit] History

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This article has been tagged since April 2007.

[edit] Altamont

Perhaps the most notorious event in Hells Angels history involved the December 6, 1969 Altamont Free Concert at the Altamont Speedway — partially documented in the 1970 film Gimme Shelter[7] — featuring Jefferson Airplane, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and The Rolling Stones. The Angels had been hired as crowd security for a fee which was said to include $500 worth of beer. A shoving match erupted near the stage during a rendition of the song "Under My Thumb" (not, as is commonly thought, "Sympathy for the Devil"). A concert patron by the name of Meredith Hunter, after brandishing a hand gun and charging the stage, was stabbed to death. Hunter fired his weapon, striking a Hells Angels member with what Sonny Barger later described as "just a flesh wound." A Hells Angel member, Alan Passaro, was later acquitted of murder on grounds of self-defense. Don McLean later sang of the event in his classic "American Pie".[8]

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.

During the Vietnam War era, the group offered its "services" to the United States Armed Forces in its conflicts abroad. Although they were never taken up on their offer, many who previously idealized the group as a counterculture began to see this alliance with the government as a betrayal. Antagonism between the Hells Angels and anti-war counter-culture groups manifested itself in physical violence when members attacked demonstrators at the Vietnam Day Committee march in Berkeley.[citation needed]

[edit] Phoenix

One of the largest and most infamous chapters of Hells Angels is based in Phoenix, Arizona. Known for being particularly rowdy and brutal, a majority of the Hells Angels members arrested in the 2002 "River Run Riot" in Laughlin, Nevada were Phoenix-based members. In addition, several members of the Phoenix chapter were tried for racketeering in 2006.[9][10]

[edit] Canada

In Canada the Hells Angels are an established criminal organization: On June 30, 2005, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released its verdict in the Lindsay Bonner matter, which concerned the trial of two Hells Angels members charged with extortion in association with a criminal organization. The court ruled that the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a criminal organization: I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that during the time period specified in count two of the indictment, the HAMC as it existed in Canada was a criminal organization. I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that both Mr. Lindsay and Mr. Bonner committed the offence of extortion in association with that criminal organization. wrote Fuerst J., in conclusion.[11]

In January 2006, Operation Husky resulted in the arrest of twenty-seven suspects,[12] including five 'full-patch' Angels from across Eastern and Central Canada.

The Lindsay Bonner verdict finally established that the Hells Angels, at least in the eyes of the Canadian judicial system, is a criminal organization, within the meaning of the Canadian Criminal Code. A declaration of this nature against the Hells Angels had not been made in Canada, or elsewhere stated Det Sgt Alec Ovenden, when commenting on the global significance of such a verdict to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Gazette.[13] In para. 1079 of R. v. Lindsay, 2005, the court discusses the Hells Angels as a criminal organization, It is a reasonable inference from the evidence and one that I draw that one of the main activities of the HAMC as it existed in Canada during the relevant time period, January 2002, was the commission of one or more serious offences for the economic benefit of its members, in particular drug trafficking. I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of this element of s. 467.1(1).

[edit] Project Tandem

A major bust of the Ontario Hells Angels, code-named Project Tandem, occurred in the early morning of September 28, 2006. One source is quoted as stating, in a Toronto Star article titled Police target Hells Angels Inc., that the operation was the most effective one ever initiated against the bikers.[14] In a related story, the CBC News service stated that Toronto hosts the highest concentration of Hells Angels in the world.[15] According to the police, during this bust, fifteen Hells Angels were arrested and the following assets were seized: weapons, motor vehicles, and currency. As well as these alleged proceeds of crime,[16] police also seized the following controlled substances, as defined under Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act: 13 kilograms of cocaine, 50,000 ecstasy pills, 23 kilograms of marijuana and about two kilograms each of hashish and crystal meth.[17]

[edit] Downtown Toronto Hells Angels Clubhouse

The downtown Toronto Hells Angels clubhouse, located at 498 Eastern Ave, was slapped with a restraining order from Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Attorney General of Canada, on March 14, 2007. The order restrains and manages the property under s. 14(3) and s. 14.1 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and s. 490.8 and s. 490.81 of the Criminal Code of Canada [1].

On April 4, 2007 raids were executed by the Toronto Police Services in which the 498 Eastern Ave. location was swarmed by police and many arrests were made. Police seized nearly 500 litres of the date rape drug GHB, more than nine kilograms of cocaine, and more than 80 weapons including rifles, shotguns, a police baton and three sets of brass knuckles. They also seized close to $1 million in vehicles and property and more than $500,000 in cash.[2] The Toronto Police is currently planning a large crackdown on the Hells Angels in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). More than 20 Locations across the GTA are currently under strict surveillance.[3]

[edit] River Run Riot

The River Run Riot occurred on April 27, 2002 at the Harrah's Casino & Hotel in Laughlin, Nevada. Member of the Hells Angels and the Mongols (motorcycle club) stabbed and shot at 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 Angel members James Hannigan and Rodney Cox were sentenced to two years in prison. Cox and Hannigan were captured on videotape confronting members of the rival Mongols motorcycle club inside the casino. 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.[18]

[edit] Wild Hogs

In March 2006, the Hells Angels sued Walt Disney Co. for allegedly engaging in trademark infringement. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of California alleges that an upcoming Disney film entitled Wild Hogs uses both the name and distinctive logo of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Corporation without permission. The movie, released in 2007 and starring John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy is described on the Internet Movie Database as "A group of suburban biker wannabes look for adventure hit the open road in search of adventure, but get more than they bargained for when they encounter a New Mexico gang called the Del Fuegos".

[edit] Roberta Shalaby assault

On Sunday, January 28, 2007, a woman named Roberta Shalaby was found badly beaten on the sidewalk outside the Hells Angels club in New York City. The resulting investigation by the NYPD has been criticized by the group for its intensity. The police were refused access to the Hells Angels club-house and responded by closing off the area, setting up sniper positions, and sending in armored personnel carriers.[19] 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.[20]

[edit] Membership

Despite a strong interest by many bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts, membership in the Hells Angels remains relatively small and selective. Not all members wear the infamous patch on their jackets. Some may wear a patch with the number "81", which is the numerical equivalent of the letters HA (as in Hells Angels).[21] One method of inquiring about membership is to find a rider wearing his "colors" (patches) and pull up alongside of him. If he nods, then you should wink at him and nod back. The member may then decide to make conversation with you at which point you can ask about membership. If the member throttles his engine hard, that means he wants to test you with a race. If you win, then you will be a strong candidate for membership. If you lose, the member will most likely speed away and not give you another look.[citation needed]

[edit] Celebrity Members

While membership in the Hells Angels are kept confidential, some celebrities have publicly acknowledged their affiliation with the club. Actor Chuck Zito, best known for his role on the HBO series Oz, is a former member.[22]

[edit] Trivia

[edit] References

  1. ^ IMDB, Hell's Angels (1930), accessed February 28, 2007
  2. ^ U.S. Department of State, International Narcotics Control Strategy Report - Europe and Central Asia, 2005, March 2005; accessed February 28, 2007
  3. ^ Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation ISBN 0060938455.
  4. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/bikergangs
  5. ^ http://www.motorcyclemonster.com/Events/description_pages/12-17-06-hells-angels-toy.htm
  6. ^ http://www.gazette.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/article-en.html?&lang_id=1&article_id=228
  7. ^ IMDB, Gimmer Shelter (1970), accessed February 28, 2007
  8. ^ Adams, Cecil. "What is Don McLean's song 'American Pie' all about?" Straight Dope. May 14, 1993. Retrieved on September 25, 2006.
  9. ^ http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=1150902&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
  10. ^ http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=1150902&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
  11. ^ http://www.canlii.org/on/cas/onsc/2005/2005onsc14135.html R. v. Lindsay, 2005
  12. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/01/19/biker-busts20060119.html
  13. ^ http://gazette.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/print.php?&article_id=212&page_id=51&lang_id=1
  14. ^ http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1159480211356&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home
  15. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2006/09/28/raids-gangs.html
  16. ^ http://www.canlii.org/ca/sta/c-46/sec462.3.html
  17. ^ http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/29092006/2/national-serious-blow-dealt-hells-angels-massive-raids-arrests-police.html
  18. ^ Hells Angels get prison terms, accessed March 29, 2007
  19. ^ http://www.amny.com/news/local/am-hell013107,0,7706581.story
  20. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/01/nyregion/01angels.html?ref=nyregion
  21. ^ http://www.hells-angels.com/faq.htm
  22. ^ http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/4122/gatti-angels-chuck-zito

[edit] External links

[edit] "Official" sites

[edit] Other sites

de:Hells Angels fr:Hells Angels fi:Helvetin enkelit it:Hells Angels ja:ヘルズ・エンジェルス nl:Hells Angels nn:Hells Angels no:Hells Angels sv:Hells Angels

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