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Hells Angels
please note:
- the content below is remote from Wikipedia
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{{Short description|International motorcycle club}}{{Other uses|Hells Angels (disambiguation)}}{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2011}}- the content below is remote from Wikipedia
- it has been imported raw for GetWiki
| factoids | |
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History
The Hells Angels originated on March 17, 1948, in Fontana, California, when several small motorcycle clubs agreed to merge.The Secret Life of Bikers by Jerry Langton. Location 19.5/477. HarperCollings:2018 {{ISBN|978-1-44345-467-4}} Otto Friedli, a World War II veteran, is credited with starting the club after breaking from the Pissed Off Bastards motorcycle club over a feud with a rival gang.NEWS, James, Randy, 2009-08-03, A Brief History of the Hells Angels, en-US, Time,weblink dead, 0040-781X, December 18, 2020, December 25, 2022,weblink According to an alternative theory, the Hells Angels were founded on November 15, 1951, in San Bernardino, by Dick White, a member of the Redlands Road Runners.The Betty Supernaw Hells Angels & POBOBs Archive TheWesternEmpire.com (June 1, 2020) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306215434weblink |date=March 6, 2022 }}Research into Contemporary Outlaws (RICO) Greg Williams, TheVintagent.com (January 19, 2021) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220522232030weblink |date=May 22, 2022 }}According to its website, the club's name was suggested by Arvid Olsen, an associate of the founders who had served in the "Hell's Angels" squadron of the Flying Tigers in China during World War II.WEB,weblink Hells Angels MC World, Hells-angels.com, February 15, 2011, August 21, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140821032151weblink">weblink live, In a letter written to The Guinness Book of World Records by a member on the Hells Angels' behalf, it is instead stated that the club's name was taken from the "Hell's Angels" squadron of the 303rd Bombardment Group, which was active in the European theatre of World War II.BOOK,weblink Raymond C. Morgan, 9780960271801, The Angels Do Not Forget, 1979, Law & Justice Pubs, U.S.A., January 29, 2023, March 7, 2023,weblink live, It is at least clear that the name was inspired by the tradition from World Wars I and II whereby the Americans gave their squadrons fierce, death-defying titles; an example of this lies in one of the three P-40 squadrons of Flying Tigers fielded in Burma and China, which was dubbed "Hell's Angels".WEB, Rossi, J.R.,weblink Flying Tiger Association Unit Rosters, The Flying Tigers - American Volunteer Group - Chinese Air Force, June 7, 2012, December 5, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131205120221weblink">weblink live, In 1930, the Howard Hughes film Hell's Angels showcased extraordinary and dangerous feats of aviation, and it is believed that World War II groups that used that name based it on the film. According to the Hells Angels' website, they are aware that there is an apostrophe missing in "Hell's", but "... it is you who miss it. We don't".WEB,weblink FAQ/Contact – Hells Angels MC World, May 2, 2020, April 30, 2020,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20200430201909weblink">weblink live, File:Boeing B-17F-25-BO Fortress 42-24577 Hells Angels.jpg|thumb|left|This B-17F, tail number 41–24577, was named Hell's Angels after the 1930 Howard Hughes movie about World War I fighter pilotsWorld War I fighter pilotsSome of the HAMC's early history is not clear, and accounts differ. The club's first official charter was reportedly drawn up in Fontana in 1950. Various autonomous Hells Angels chapters were formed throughout California in the decade following the club's foundation, by nomadic members who moved from one city to another.{{sfn|Barker|2007|p=34}} The San Francisco ("Frisco") chapter was reportedly founded by former members of the Market Street Commandos in 1954. A North Sacramento chapter was established in 1956, followed by another chapter in Sacramento the following year, which was formed by two brothers, James "Mother" Miles and Pat Miles, who were former members of the Hell Bent for Glory biker club.{{sfn|Barker|2007|p=34-35}} The Sacramento charter later disbanded and relocated to Richmond as a Nomads chapter in 1965.Driving out the Angels: How an outlaw motorcycle club was ousted from Sacramento {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208230730weblink |date=December 8, 2022 }} Michael Anthony Adams, ABC 10 (August 5, 2017) {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20221208223924weblink |date=December 8, 2022 }} According to Ralph "Sonny" Barger, founder of the Oakland charter in 1957, other early charters of the club were founded in Gardena, and elsewhere, with the members usually unaware that there were other clubs. One of the lesser-known clubs was in North Chino/South Pomona in the late 1960s. Barger has been credited with helping to unify these various disparate chapters under common club bylaws.{{sfn|Barker|2007|p=35}}Who was Sonny Barger, the Hells Angels member whose funeral service is in Stockton {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208195718weblink |date=December 8, 2022 }} Megan Camponovo, Fox 40 (September 22, 2022) {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20221208194501weblink |date=December 8, 2022}}Sonny Barger, figurehead of Hells Angels, dies at 83 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208195713weblink |date=December 8, 2022 }} Tampa Bay Times (July 1, 2022) {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20221208195158weblink |date=December 8, 2022 }}Other sources claim that the San Francisco Hells Angels were organized in 1953 by Rocky Graves, a Hells Angel member from San Bernardino ("Berdoo"), implying that the "Frisco" Hells Angels were very much aware of their forebears.Birney Jarvis for Male magazine, 1964. Reprinted in Hells Angels by Hunter S. Thompson The "Frisco" Hells Angels were reorganized in 1955 with 13 charter members, Frank Sadilek serving as president, and the smaller, original logo. The Oakland charter, at the time headed by Barger, used a larger version of the "Death's Head" patch nicknamed the "Barger Larger", which was first used in 1959. It later became the club standard.BOOK,weblink Biker Gangs: Hells Angels, Bandidos, Pagans, Bosozoku and Other World Gangs, 9781909284067, Roberts, Walter, 2012, RW Press, It was Sonny Barger, founder of the Oakland Hells Angels, who brought them all together under one umbrella. Some suggest that the organization of the Hells Angels had already taken place in San Francisco in 1953 when Rocky Graves gathered together 13 chapter members, with a president, using a smaller version of the Death's Head logo. The Oakland chapter used a bigger version of the logo—known as the 'Barger Larger'. This would eventually become the standard version used everywhere., December 22, 2022, April 30, 2023,weblink live, The first chapter to open outside California was established in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1961.The Hells Angels are often depicted in semi-mythical romantic fashion like the 19th-century James–Younger Gang: free-spirited, iconic, bound by brotherhood and loyalty. At other times, such as in the 1966 Roger Corman film The Wild Angels, they are depicted as violent and nihilistic, little more than a violent criminal gang and a scourge on society.NEWS, Bagnall, Sam,weblink Hells Angels: Easy-riders or criminal gang?, This World, BBC News, January 2, 2004, August 13, 2010, June 21, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100621015132weblink">weblink live, The club became prominent within, and established its notoriety as part of, the 1960s counterculture movement in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury District, playing a part at many of the movement's seminal events. Members were directly connected to many of the counterculture's primary leaders, such as Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, Allen Ginsberg, Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, Timothy Leary, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Mick Farren, and Tom Wolfe. "Gonzo" journalist Hunter S. Thompson's book about the club launched his career. From 1968 to 1969 the Hells Angels of San Francisco headquarters was at 715 Ashbury (across from the Grateful Dead house at 710 Ashbury).WEB, Chamings, Andrew, 2021-04-27, The most famous (and infamous) houses of Haight-Ashbury,weblink 2021-05-15, SFGATE, en-US, May 15, 2021,weblink live, WEB,weblink The Fall of the Counterculture : Preview, Bu.digication.com, 30 November 2014, October 25, 2012,weblink live, Hell's Angels and the Illusion of the Counterculture; Wood, John. 30 Sept 2003. The Journal of Popular Culture, Volume 3The Haight-Ashbury: A History; Perry, Charles. 2005WEB,weblink Interview with Sonny Barger, Pdr.autono.net, 2013-06-18,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120730055548weblink">weblink July 30, 2012, dead, In 1973, members from several branches of the organization protested at an Environmental Protection Agency hearing about a proposed transportation plan that included restrictions on motorcycle use and sales to get California to meet the new Clean Air Act standards."Early Implementation of the Clean Air Act of 1970 in California". EPA Alumni Association. Video {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922200914weblink |date=September 22, 2020 }}, Transcript {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412020955weblink |date=April 12, 2019 }} (see p. 14). July 12, 2016.Insignia
File:HAMC BD.jpg|thumb|Insignia of the Hells Angels from KarlsruheKarlsruheThe Hells Angels' official website attributes the official "death's head" insignia design to Frank Sadilek, past president of the San Francisco charter.WEB, Hells-angels.com, History,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080714043729weblink">weblink 2008-07-14, The colors and shape of the early-style jacket emblem (before 1953) were copied from the insignias of the 85th Fighter Squadron and the 552nd Medium Bomber Squadron.The Hells Angels have a system of patches similar to military medals. The specific meaning of each patch is not publicly known, but the patches identify each biker's specific or significant actions or beliefs.Gangs: A Journey into the heart of the British Underworld, Tony Thompson, (2004) {{ISBN|0-340-83053-0}} The official colors of the Hells Angels are red lettering displayed on a white background—hence the club's nickname "The Red and White". The 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.Hells Angels movement {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115211111weblink |date=November 15, 2022 }} Paul Stokes, The Daily Telegraph (August 14, 2007) {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20211206233221weblink |date=December 6, 2021 }} Friends and supporters of the club use these in deference to club rules, which purport to restrict the wearing of Hells Angels imagery to club members. The diamond-shaped one-percenter patch is also used, displaying "1%" in red on a white background with a red merrowed border. The term "one-percenter" is said to be a response to the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) comment on the Hollister incident to the effect that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens and 1% were outlaws. The AMA has no record of such a statement and calls this story apocryphal.NEWS, Lindsey, Tom, International Journal of Motorcycle Studies,weblink November 2005, A Brief History of "Outlaw" Motorcycle Clubs, The Life story caused something of a tumult around the country (Yates), and some authors have asserted that the AMA subsequently released a press statement disclaiming involvement in the Hollister event, stating that 99% of motorcyclists are good, decent, law-abiding citizens and that the AMA's ranks of motorcycle clubs were not involved in the debacle (e.g., Reynolds, Thompson). However, the American Motorcyclist Association has no record of ever releasing such a statement. Tom Lindsay, the AMA's Public Information Director, states 'We [the American Motorcyclist Association] acknowledge that the term 'one-percenter' has long been (and likely will continue to be) attributed to the American Motorcyclist Association, but we've been unable to attribute its original use to an AMA official or published statement—so it's apocryphal.', July 23, 2009, December 25, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101225160837weblink">weblink live, (File:Hells Angels-03.jpg|thumb|left|upright|New York Hells Angels patch)Most members wear a rectangular patch (again, white background with red letters and a red merrowed border) identifying their respective charter 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, like those described above, displays a white background with red letters and a red merrowed border. Some examples of the titles used are President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant at Arms. This patch is usually worn above the chapter location patch. Some members also wear an "AFFA" patch, which stands for "Angels Forever; Forever Angels", referring to their lifelong membership in the club (i.e., "once a member, always a member").An additional patch worn by select club members consists of two Nazi-style SS lightning bolts below the words "Filthy Few". Some law enforcement officials claim that the "Filthy Few" patch is awarded only to those who have committed or are prepared to commit murder on the club's behalf.{{sfn|Sher|Marsden|2010|p=263}}Look Homeward Angel: Cycle Icon Sonny Barger Kick-Starts Life As A Free Man By Violating Parole {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113234152weblink |date=November 13, 2022 }} Philip Martin, Phoenix New Times (December 2, 1992) {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20221113233828weblink |date=November 13, 2022 }} Hells Angels have denied this interpretation, however, comparing it instead to a merit badge awarded to those who are "the first to arrive at a party and the last to leave".BOOK,weblink Gangs: A Journey into the Heart of the British Underworld, 9780340830529, Thompson, Tony, 28 February 2005, Hodder & Stoughton, As soon as he had recovered from the injuries sustained in the car-bombing, Cunningham was back on the Angels social circuit, attending rallies, parties and runs, and generally living the hedonistic biker life. Almost immediately the denim cut-off and leather jacket that bore his colours sported a new patch: two Nazi-style SS lighting bolts below the words 'Filthy Few'. According to the biography of legendary Hells Angel Ralph "Sonny" Barger, president of the Oakland chapter, the Filthy Few patch is a piece of harmless fun. 'It means that someone is the first to arrive at a party and the last to leave', he says. In reality the patch is only awarded to Angels who have murdered on behalf of the club — usually in the presence of another member for corroboration — or who are prepared to commit a murder at a moment's notice., December 22, 2022, April 12, 2023,weblink live, According to reports from law enforcement and prosecutors, another patch similar to the "Filthy Few" patch is the "Dequiallo" patch.The Story Behind The Controversial Hell’s Angels Tammy Ziv, The Herald Weekly (October 4, 2022) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115182736weblink |date=November 15, 2022 }} "Dequiallo" is a reference to El Degüello, a bugle call played by the regimental band of Antonio López de Santa Anna's army at the Battle of the Alamo. This patch allegedly "signifies that the wearer has fought law enforcement on arrest."WEB, Over view of the Hell's Angel's Motorcycle Club (HAMC) In Canada: Extracted from Expert Evidence In R. v. Bonner and Lindsay,weblink live,weblink 9 July 2021, 25 August 2022, Castanet, There is no common convention as to where the patches are placed on members' jackets/vests."Angels Forever, Forever Angels" is also the club's traditional motto.Frank Reynolds, Michael McClure (1967). Freewheelin Frank: Secretary of the Angels, Grove Press, 1967, p. 73 Other Hells Angels slogans include "When we do right, nobody remembers. When we do wrong, nobody forgets";Hopper, C. B., & Moore, J. (1990). "Women in outlaw motorcycle gangs". Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 18(4), p. 385. "Three can keep a secret if two are dead";Hell's Angels: Three Can Keep a Secret If Two Are Dead {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412072857weblink |date=April 12, 2023 }} Yves Lavigne (1989) and "When in doubt, knock 'em out", which was coined by New York City chapter member Vincent "Big Vinny" Girolamo.Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs Deputy John Williams, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (2008) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128070159weblink |date=November 28, 2021 }}Requiem for a Heavyweight {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430040720weblink |date=April 30, 2023 }} Martha Lagace, New York (December 16, 1985)Intellectual property rights
The Hells Angels incorporated in 1966, trademarking the club's name and four symbols. The club filed a trademark infringement lawsuit for the first time on October 26, 1989, when the Hells Angels lodged a federal lawsuit in Los Angeles against Concorde-New Horizons, which produced the film Nam Angels, and against Media Home Entertainment, which distributed the film on video, over infringements on the club's registered trademarks.Hells Angels say trademark used without permission Steve Harvey, Los Angeles Times (October 27, 1989) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221124173255weblink |date=November 24, 2022 }}Hells Angels sue over alleged trademark infringement Dave McNary, United Press International (October 26, 1989) {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20221124172753weblink |date=November 24, 2022 }} The suit was settled out of court.According to The Globe and Mail, the Hells Angels considered seeking an injunction to block the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation from broadcasting the miniseries The Last Chapter, because of how closely the biker gang at the center of the series resembled the Hells Angels.In March 2007 the Hells Angels filed suit against the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group alleging that its film Wild Hogs used both the name and distinctive logo of the HAMC without permission.'Litigation against movie release' (March 8, 2006) and they rule., HAMC vs Walt Disney {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071119075808weblink |date=November 19, 2007 }} The suit was eventually voluntarily dismissedWEB,weblink Hells Angels Motorcycle Club settled disputes the old-fashioned way, with a swift kick in the groin or a punch in the face to the offending party. – Hells Angels, Zimbio, February 15, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110718155917weblink">weblink July 18, 2011, dead, mdy-all, after the Angels received assurances from Disney that the references would not appear in the film.WEB,weblink Companies / Personal Goods – Hells Angels sue luxury fashion house, Financial Times, October 27, 2010, February 15, 2011, October 27, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101027185930weblink">weblink live, On October 7, 2009, Fritz Clapp, attorney at law for the HAMC, contacted online games community FOCO, demanding the removal of all membership marks and club trademarks from the Los Santos Roleplay Forum, a messageboard for the San Andreas Multiplayer modification for (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas). While members of the community were skeptical at first, Clapp posted a tweet confirming his identity.WEB, zzfritz, Fritz Clapp, October 7, 2009, Re: Hell's Angels skinpack,weblink registration, dead, October 7, 2009, FOFO Gaming, July 20, 2018,weblink WEB, zzfritz, Fritz Clapp, 7 October 2009, Fritz Clapp Tweet,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180720052117weblink">weblink 20 July 2018, October 7, 2009, Twitter, In October 2010 the Hells Angels filed a lawsuit against Alexander McQueen for "misusing its trademark winged death heads symbol"WEB, Ella Alexander,weblink Hells Angels sue Alexander McQueen, Vogue, October 27, 2010, February 15, 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101030145629weblink">weblink October 30, 2010, mdy-all, in several items from its Autumn/Winter 2010 collection. The lawsuit also aimed at Saks Fifth Avenue and Zappos.com, which stock the jacquard box dress and knuckle duster ring that bear the symbol, which has been used since at least 1948 and is protected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A handbag and scarf were also named in the lawsuit.NEWS,weblink Companies / Personal Goods – Hells Angels sue luxury fashion house, Financial Times, October 27, 2010, February 15, 2011, October 30, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101030023827weblink">weblink live, The lawyer representing Hells Angels claimed: "This isn't just about money, it's about membership. If you've got one of these rings on, a member might get really upset that you're an impostor."WEB,weblink Hells Angels set for rumble on the catwalk - Business - Retail, NBC News, October 27, 2010, February 15, 2011, August 28, 2023,weblink live, Saks refused to comment, Zappos had no immediate comment and the company's parent company, PPR, could not be reached for comment.NEWS, Jeffrey, Don,weblink Hells Angels Sue Saks, McQueen Design, Over Trademark, Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, October 26, 2010, February 15, 2011, October 31, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101031002218weblink">weblink live, The company settled the case with the Hells Angels after agreeing to remove all of the merchandise featuring the logo from sale on their website, stores and concessions and recalling any goods that had already been sold and destroying them.WEB,weblink Grazia Fashion: McQueen Settles with Hells Angels, Graziadaily.co.uk, February 15, 2011, November 7, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101107075747weblink">weblink live, WEB, Verena von Pfetten,weblink Alexander McQueen – Hell's Angels – SETTLEMENT, Styleite, November 3, 2010, February 15, 2011, November 6, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101106033150weblink">weblink dead, WEB, Cowles, Charlotte,weblink Alexander McQueen Settles With Hells Angels by Agreeing to Destroy Merchandise With Skull Logo – The Cut, New York, November 3, 2010, February 15, 2011, November 6, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101106003355weblink">weblink live, In fall 2012 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Hells Angels sued Toys "R" Us for trademark infringement, unfair competition, and dilution in relation to the sale of yo-yos manufactured by Yomega Corporation, a co-defendant, which allegedly bear the "Death Head" logo. In its complaint,WEB,weblink Attorney for Plaintiff : HELLS ANGELS MOTORCYCLE CORPORATION, 30 November 2014, Hells Angels asserted that the mark on the yo-yos would likely lead people to mistakenly believe that the toys originate with Hells Angels. Yomega filed counterclaims against Hells Angels for cancellation of the "Death Head" registrations on grounds of alleged fraud in the procurement of the registrations.JOURNAL, Weller, Susan Neuberger, Hells Angels and Toys "R" Us Settle "Death Head" Trademark Litigation, The National Law Review, July 12, 2013,weblink July 21, 2013, November 6, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131106151336weblink">weblink live, The case settled and the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.{{As of|December 2013}}, the Hells Angels sells its branded merchandise at a retail store in Toronto, Ontario.WEB,weblink Hells Angels club sues often to protect its intellectual property, ABA Journal, 3 December 2013, 30 December 2013, Weiss, Debra Cassens, January 4, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140104044540weblink">weblink live, In 2019, the Hells Angels sued Redbubble in the Federal Court of Australia for infringing on its trademark, launching another suit in 2021 after providing evidence that Redbubble had continued to breach the trademark.NEWS, Aston, Joe, 9 September 2021, Redbubble's Hells Angels woes continue, Australian Financial Review,weblink live, subscription, 11 September 2021,weblink 11 September 2021, The 2019 case concluded with the Hells Angels being awarded $5,000 in damages. In July 2022, in the second ruling against Redbubble, the company was ordered to pay the club more than $78,000.Redbubble ordered to pay Hells Angels more than $78,000 for using logo without permission {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129162508weblink |date=January 29, 2023 }} Josh Taylor, The Guardian (July 19, 2022)Membership
(File:Hells Angels-05.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Hells Angels|left|A club member at a biker gathering in Australia, 2008)To become a Hells Angels "prospect", candidates must have a valid driver's license, a motorcycle over 750cc (46 cu in), and "the right combination of personal qualities." It is said the club excludes child molesters and people who have applied to become police or prison officers.NEWS,weblink Behind the Patch: Angels ABCs, Neal, Hall, The Vancouver Sun, June 10, 2005, August 13, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100303180935weblink">weblink March 3, 2010, mdy-all, Intravenous drug use is also forbidden among club members. Members in North America are required to ride U.S.-built motorcycles; Harley-Davidson bikes are most common in the club, although other American brands, such as Victory and Indian, are also permitted.WEB, Peter, Edwards, 2018-06-27, Outlaw bikers say they're loyal to Harley-Davidson, even as Trump's trade policies push the company to look overseas,weblink 2023-07-01, Toronto Star, en, July 1, 2023,weblink dead, After a lengthy, phased process, a prospective member is first deemed a "hang-around", indicating that he 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".NDIC Document, US Department of Justice Report on OMG HA {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121162336weblink |date=November 21, 2021 }} The term "full-patch" refers to the complete four-piece insignia, including the "Death 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, province or territory name along with the rectangular "MC" patch.To become a full member, a "prospect" must be unanimously confirmed by the rest of the full club members. Before votes are cast, a "prospect" usually travels to every charter in the sponsoring charter's geographic jurisdiction (state, province, or territory) and introduces himself to every "full-patch" member. This allows each voting member to become familiar with the "prospect" and ask any questions of concern before voting. 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 the initiation ceremony. The step of attaining full membership can be called "being patched".Even after a member is patched in, the patches remain the property of HAMC, not the member. On leaving the Hells Angels or being ejected, a member must return his patches to the club.A Wayward Angel: The Full Story of the Hells Angels by George Wethern and Vincent Colnett Members must pay dues, and are required to attend mandatory club meetings and motorcycle runs. Chapter meetings, known as "church", are typically held at clubhouses or a member's residence. In 1978, members were required to pay $20 per month to the local chapter, and $10 per month to the state chapter. The money is used by the club to finance motorcycle runs and funerals, and to fund the travel of club officers to state and national meetings. Hells Angels may become exempt from paying dues after a certain period of time as a member of the club.Racial policies
The club is not officially a racially segregated organization.MAGAZINE, Johnson Publishing Company, Ebony (magazine), Ebony, Nazi Emblems of 'Way Outs' Are No Symbols of Hate,weblink December 1966, 70, 0012-9011, 2003 Soul on Bikes: The East Bay Dragons MC and Black Biker Set, Tobie Gene Levingston, with Keith and Kent Zimmerman (St. Paul, MN: Motorbikes International Publishing). The history of the Oakland-based African-American Motorcycle Club with a foreword from Sonny Barger. In the U.S., at least one charter allegedly requires that a candidate be a white male,WEB, Wright, Gary L.,weblink FBI leads crackdown on area Hells Angels gangs in N.C. and S.C., Winston-Salem Journal, June 8, 2012, 2013-06-18,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170619083719weblink">weblink June 19, 2017, live, mdy-all, and Sonny Barger said in a 2000 BBC interview, "The club, as a whole, is not racist but we probably have enough racist members that no black guy is going to get in it."NEWS,weblink August 14, 2000, Born to raise Hell, BBC News, February 1, 2013, April 7, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090407082841weblink">weblink live, At that time the club had no black members.A few nonwhite members have been noted in the United States. In 1967, Hunter S. Thompson remarked upon a "Chinese Mel from [San Francisco] and Charley, a young black person from Oakland".BOOK, Thompson, Hunter S., Hunter S. Thompson, (Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs), Random House, 1967, 160, 978-0-345-28908-7, Steven Wayne Yee, a Chinese-American member of the Hells Angels' Cleveland chapter, was convicted of murder in 1990.BOOK, Coleman, Howard, Swenson, Eric, DNA in the Courtroom: A Trial Watcher's Guide, GeneLex, 1994, 978-0-9644507-0-7, 8–9, COURT, United States v. Bonds, Verdi and Yee, 12, F.3d, 540, 8, 6th Cir., 1993,weblink They had found Yee to be of Chinese ancestry, The Satan's Angels MC in Vancouver had a black member when it merged with the Hells Angels in 1983. The San Francisco and Anchorage chapters threatened to have the Vancouver chapter expelled from the club when they learned of the situation; the matter was ultimately resolved when the man changed his nationality to "Hawaiian". An unsanctioned Hells Angels chapter in Windsor, England was granted official status in 1985 shortly after its only black member, John Mikkelsen, had died in police custody.BOOK,weblink Gangs: A Journey into the Heart of the British Underworld, 9780340830529, Thompson, Tony, 28 February 2005, Hodder & Stoughton, In 1980 a group of Angels ambushed members of the 'bootleg' Windsor chapter and shot its leader, Richard Sharman, in the head three times. Miraculously, he survived. The attack had come about because, despite dressing themselves in close copies of the official Hells Angels colours, the Windsor chapter had never applied for an official chapter. Started up by local rockers, they were only accepted into the official fold in 1985 shortly after one of the members, John Mikkelsen, died in police custody. The fact that Mikkelsen was black — an official Angels taboo — had played a significant part in club failing to be sanctioned earlier., December 22, 2022, August 28, 2023,weblink live, Another notable is Gregory Woolley, a high-ranking member of the Rockers MC in Montreal who was the protégéWEB, Eric Thibault, Sunnewsnetwork.ca,weblink Sun News : Dead gang leader rebuffed top biker prior to assassination: Source, 2012-08-16, 2013-06-18,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130107082230weblink">weblink January 7, 2013, dead, mdy-all, and bodyguard of Hells Angel boss Maurice Boucher (who spent five years in a notoriously white-supremacist motorcycle gang, the SS). Woolley became an associate of the Hells Angels Montreal charterWEB, Montreal police try to calm mafia war fears after multiple killings,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130323045622weblink">weblink March 23, 2013, 2013-06-18, Global News, Global Montreal, mdy-all, in the 1990s and later tried uniting street gangs in Quebec after Boucher was imprisoned.WEB, Giuseppe Valiante, Sunnewsnetwork.ca,weblink Sun News : Bust shows connections in criminal underworld in Canada, 2013-06-18,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121103205534weblink">weblink November 3, 2012, dead, mdy-all, In another interview with Barger in 2000, he said, "if you're a motorcycle rider and you're white, you want to join the Hells Angels. If you're black, you want to join the Dragons. That's how it is whether anyone likes it or not. We don't have no blacks and they don't have no whites."WEB,weblink Sonny Barger Interview, Let Them Talk, 2013-06-18,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120730055548weblink">weblink July 30, 2012, dead, When asked whether that could change, Barger replied, "Anything can change. I can't predict the future." Tobie Levingston, who formed the black motorcycle club East Bay Dragons MC, wrote in his book that he and Barger have a long-lasting friendship and that the Hells Angels and Dragons have a mutual friendship and hang out and ride together.BOOK, Soul on Bikes: Tobie Levingston: 9780760317471: Amazon.com: Books, 076031747X, Levingston, Tobie Gene, Zimmerman, Keith, 2003, MBI Publishing Company, In a 1966 Ebony article about motorcycle rebels in the African-American community, the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club said that they see no racial animosity in the Hells Angels and that when they come into Chosen Few territory they all get together and party.MAGAZINE, Johnson Publishing Company, Ebony (magazine), Ebony, Nazi Emblems of 'Way Outs' Are No Symbols of Hate,weblink December 1966, 66, 0012-9011, A Hells Angel member interviewed for the magazine insisted there was no racial prejudice in any of their clubs. He said, "we don't have any Negro members", but maintained that no blacks have sought membership. At one point in the 1970s, the Hells Angels sought to consolidate the various motorcycle clubs and offered every member of the Chosen Few a Hells Angels patch, an offer that was declined.WEB,weblink Chosen Few Motorcycle Club - Buffalo, NY, Chosenfewbuffalony.com, 2013-06-18,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130525154115weblink">weblink May 25, 2013, dead, mdy-all,Organization
File:Hells Angels-02-MJ.jpg|thumb|Hells Angels clubhouse in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, CaliforniaThe Hells Angels became the first notarized and organized outlaw motorcycle club, and the biker clubs formed subsequently have reportedly imitated the Angels' insignias, rules, doctrines and rituals. Hells Angels chapters are governed by an officer corps, consisting of a president, vice president, secretary/treasurer, sergeant-at-arms and road captain. Chapters are composed of between ten and twelve members on average.Police Say Hells Angels Establishing Its First NW Clubhouse In Spokane The Seattle Times (May 23, 1994) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230904233850weblink |date=September 4, 2023 }} Each chapter has autonomy regarding member discipline and minor policy changes.In contrast to other prominent motorcycle clubs in the United States, the Hells Angels organization is not headed by a national or international president; it is instead governed by regional officers, who are each chosen to represent a collective of localized chapters at monthly regional meetings. Regional officers are divided into two groups: those who attend the West Coast Officers Meeting ("WesCOM") to conduct the policy, actions, and affairs of the Hells Angels' chapters in the Western United States, and those who attend the East Coast Officers Meeting ("ECOM") to govern the chapters in the Eastern United States. The dividing point of the east and west regions is Omaha, Nebraska.BOOK,weblink United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Organized Crime in America: Hearings Before the Committee on the Judiciary, 1993, In states with multiple chapters, weekly state meetings are also held in addition to chapter meetings.Although the Hells Angels have no official "mother chapter", the club's de facto national headquarters remained in its founding location of San Bernardino, California until club founder Otto Friedli was imprisoned in 1958. The club's unofficial headquarters was then relocated to Oakland, California by Sonny Barger, who succeeded Friedli as the Hells Angels' de facto national president. The Oakland chapter has traditionally been able to maintain a preeminent position as "first among equals" because it has the largest membership of any charter the United States and because of Barger's esteem among club members internationally.Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs USA Overview {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104124220weblink |date=November 4, 2022 }} National Institute of Justice (1991) WEB,weblink Archived copy, March 25, 2022, January 23, 2022,weblink bot: unknown, The Oakland chapter is responsible for making major decisions within the club and granting new charters. Any motorcycle club seeking to join to the Hells Angels must apply to the Oakland chapter for membership, and the applicant club must be monitored and approved of by the Oakland Hells Angels before being granted membership.In New York state, the HAMC is incorporated as the Church of Angels, a nonprofit religious organization.Hells Angels ex-clubhouse now a hot property Mary Reinholz, AM New York Metro (March 26, 2019) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003175333weblink |date=October 3, 2021 }}Worldwide charters
The HAMC acknowledges more than 100 charters in over 29 countries. New Zealand had the first charter of the Hells Angels outside the United States; the club founded a charter in Auckland in 1961, and has since taken over gangs in Whanganui.Kemp, p 50 Europe did not become widely home to the Hells Angels until 1969 when two London charters were formed. The Beatles' George Harrison invited some members of the HAMC San Francisco to stay at Apple Records in London in 1968.WEB,weblink George Harrison's memo to Apple staff about the Hell's Angels, 4 December 1968, Beatlesbible.com, 1968-12-04, 2013-11-06, February 21, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140221233158weblink">weblink live, Pg. 129, Rock Scully, David Dalton, "Living with the Dead: Twenty Years on the Bus with Garcia and the Grateful Dead", Cooper Square Publ Inc, 2001 {{ISBN|978-0-8154-1163-5}} According to Chris O'Dell, only two members showed up, Frisco Pete and Bill "Sweet William" Fritsch.BOOK, 68, Chris O'Dell, Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved, Simon and Schuster,weblink registration, george harrison hell's angels., 978-1416590934, 2009-10-06, Two people from London visited California, "prospected", and ultimately joined. Two charters were issued on July 30, 1969; one for "South London"—the reimagined charter renewing the already existing 1950 South London charter—and the other for "East London", but by 1973 the two charters came together as one, called "London". The London Angels provided security at a number of UK Underground festivals, including Phun City in 1970, organized by Mick Farren. They awarded Farren an "approval patch" in 1970 for use on his first solo album Mona, which also featured Steve Peregrin Took (credited as "Shagrat the Vagrant").WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090509075008weblink">weblink 2009-05-09, Hells Angels MC London History, (File:Hells Angel Ontario.jpg|thumb|Hells Angels member Ontario Canada, 2024)In 1977, the Hells Angels arrived in Canada with the Popeye Moto Club patching over to form the Hells Angels' Montreal chapter.How the Hells Angels Conquered Canada Patrick Lejtenyi, Vice (27 October 2016) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217225535weblink |date=17 February 2022 }} During the 1980s and 1990s, there was a major expansion of the club into the rest of Canada. The Quebec Biker War was a violent turf war that began in 1994 and continued until late 2002 in Quebec. The war began when the Hells Angels in Quebec began to try to establish a monopoly on street-level drug sales in Quebec. Many drug dealers and crime families resisted and established groups such as the "Alliance to fight the Angels", led by the Rock Machine. The war resulted in the bombings of many establishments and murders on both sides. More than 160 people died, over 300 were injured,WEB,weblink Biker gangs in Canada, July 13, 2011, Cbc.ca, November 30, 2014, April 29, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140429204913weblink">weblink live, and over 100 bikers were incarcerated.WEB, Organized Crime in Canada: A Quarterly Summary,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090208094237weblink">weblink February 8, 2009, Members of the Spanish charter were involved in a killing and tried.WEB,weblink Condenados nueve motoristas de los "Ãngeles del Infierno" a 67 años de prisión, 2014-01-14, abc, es, 2019-06-26, A list of acknowledged charters can be found on the HAMC's official website.WEB,weblink Hells Angels MC World, Hells-angels.com, February 15, 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150109120634weblink">weblink January 9, 2015, mdy-all,Club mergers
Over the years, the Hells Angels have amalgamated a number of smaller outlaw motorcycle clubs in a process known as a "patch-over".WEB, Williams, John, May 2010, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs,weblink October 15, 2022, publicintelligence.net, November 28, 2021,weblink live, {| class="wikitable"|+ Hells Angels club mergersCriminal activities and incidents
All chapters are autonomous and operate on their own, as such some chapters refrain from any illegal activity, whilst others operate as crime syndicates.AV MEDIA,weblink How The Hells Angels Actually Works {{!, How Crime Works {{!}} Insider |language=en |access-date=2024-04-12 |via=www.youtube.com}} Various U.S. law enforcement agencies classify the Hells Angels as one of the "big four" motorcycle gangs, along with the Pagans, the Outlaws, and the Bandidos, and contend that members carry out widespread violent crime and organized crime, including drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, extortion, and prostitution operations.WEB,weblink FBI Safe Street Violent Crime Initiative Report Fiscal Year 2000, August 13, 2010,weblink 2001-09-13, NEWS, Ibrahim, Youssef M.,weblink New York Times, Sweden's Courteous Police Spoil a Hell's Angels Clubouse Party, Stockholm (Sweden); Sweden, The New York Times, March 3, 1997, August 13, 2010, August 28, 2023,weblink live, In Australia, the Hells Angels are included among the "big six", with the Bandidos, the Comanchero, the Finks, the Mongols, and the Rebels.By their colours: Outlaw motorcycle gang identification guide Australian Broadcasting Corporation (October 4, 2013) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009131126weblink |date=October 9, 2013 }}Victoria bikies: all you need to know about Big Six outlaw gangs Anthony Dowsley, Herald Sun (July 7, 2022) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612221457weblink |date=June 12, 2023 }} Members of the organization have continuously asserted that they are only a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have joined to ride motorcycles together, to organize social events such as group road trips, fundraisers, parties, and motorcycle rallies, and that any crimes are the responsibility of the people who carried them out, not the club as a whole.WEB,weblink [Hpn] Hells Angels Mc Salvation Army Shelter Run, Hpn.asu.edu, July 6, 2003, August 9, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100709114854weblink">weblink July 9, 2010, mdy-all, WEB,weblink Under watchful eye, bikers aid charity – Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 | midnight, Las Vegas Sun, September 4, 2008, August 9, 2010, August 23, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100823101338weblink">weblink live, In May 2019, a court in Utrecht issued a verdict that made the Netherlands the first country to completely ban the Hells Angels. The presiding judge called it "a danger to public order and the rule of law".WEB, 29 May 2019, Hells Angels bikers banned by Netherlands court,weblink 30 May 2019, BBC News, September 18, 2020,weblink live, Other countries such as Germany had banned local chapters, but never the entire club.WEB, May 29, 2019, Netherlands first country to ban the Hells Angels; Violence called "systemic", "common",weblink NL Times, May 30, 2019, February 18, 2021,weblink live, WEB, May 29, 2019, Hells Angels bikers banned by Dutch court,weblink BBC News, May 30, 2019, September 18, 2020,weblink live, WEB, Agence France-Presse, May 29, 2019, Hells Angels banned by Dutch court in biker gang crackdown,weblink The Guardian, May 30, 2019, May 30, 2019,weblink live, WEB, May 29, 2019, Dutch court bans 'violent' Hells Angels motorcycle club,weblink Reuters, February 24, 2020, October 19, 2020,weblink live, On July 15, 2022 the Supreme Court of the Netherlands reaffirmed the ban, making it permanent.WEB, 15 July 2022, Supreme Court confirms ban of outlaw motorcycle club Hells Angels,weblink NLTimes, July 15, 2022, August 28, 2023,weblink live,See also
References
{{Reflist|refs= NEWS,weblink
, Bilingual on bikes
, The Globe and Mail
, Ray Conlogue
, 2002-03-02
, 2020-07-18
, If you're a TV show and the Hells Angels are considering a court injunction to stop you from being broadcast, then that's what you'll be famous for.
, November 27, 2020
,weblink
, live
, }}, Bilingual on bikes
, The Globe and Mail
, Ray Conlogue
, 2002-03-02
, 2020-07-18
, If you're a TV show and the Hells Angels are considering a court injunction to stop you from being broadcast, then that's what you'll be famous for.
, November 27, 2020
,weblink
, live
Bibliography
- BOOK, Hunter S. Thompson, Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga,weblink registration, 1999, Modern Library, 978-0-679-60331-3,
- BOOK, Yves Lavigne, Hell's Angels: Taking Care of Business,weblink 2000, Random House of Canada, Limited, 978-0-7704-2858-7,
- BOOK, Valerie Smart, The Original Hell's Angels: 303rd Bombardment Group of World War II,weblink 2001, Arcadia Publishing, 978-0-7385-0910-5,
- BOOK, Paul Cherry, The Biker Trials: Bringing Down the Hells Angels,weblink 2005, ECW Press, 978-1-55490-250-7,
- BOOK, Barker, Thomas, Biker Gangs and Organized Crime, London, Routledge, 2007, 978-0323298704,
- BOOK, Edward Winterhalder, Wil De Clercq, The Assimilation: Rock Machine Become Bandidos: Bikers United Against the Hells Angels,weblink 2008, ECW Press, 978-1-55490-321-4,
- BOOK, Sonny Barger, Hell's Angel: The Autobiography of Sonny Barger,weblink 2009, HarperCollins, 978-0-06-184736-3,
- BOOK, Jerry Langton, Fallen Angel: The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick and the Canadian Hells Angels,weblink 2009, John Wiley & Sons, 978-0-470-73994-5,
- BOOK, William Marsden, Julian Sher, Angels of Death: Inside the Bikers' Empire of Crime,weblink 2010, Knopf Canada, 978-0-307-37032-7,
- BOOK, Sher, Julian, Marsden, William, The Road to Hell: How the Biker Gangs are Conquering Canada,weblink 2010, Knopf Canada, 978-0-307-36586-6,
- BOOK, Yves Lavigne, Hells Angels: Into the Abyss, 2011, HarperCollins Publishers Limited, 978-1-4434-0411-2,
- BOOK, Yves Lavigne, Hell's Angels at War, 2011, HarperCollins Publishers Limited, 978-1-4434-0410-5,
- BOOK, Carter F. Smith, Gangs and the Military: Gangsters, Bikers, and Terrorists with Military Training,weblink 2017, Rowman & Littlefield, 978-1442275171,
External links
{{commons}}- {{Official websiteweblink}} – includes many chartered local charters, with links
- {{curlie|/Recreation/Motorcycles/Organizations/One_Percent/Hells_Angels/}}
- FBI file on Hell's Angels
- weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120328045302weblink">Never-Seen: Hells Angels, 1965 – slideshow by Life magazine
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