Inside the Deadly Alliances and Betrayals Fueling the Hells Angels’ Ruthless Empire
Hells Angels Attire
The Hells Angels have a fairly obvious way of letting people know who they are. They will almost always be seen wearing a leather or denim “cut” which is slang for a motorcycle vest. On the cut, they have various patches such as Hells Angels written on the back with the name of their charter at the bottom.
If they are a full member, they will also have the red and white-winged “death head” logo, the letters HAMC (Hells Angels Motorcycle Club) and the number 81. 81 stands of the letters H and A with H being the eighth letter of the alphabet and A being the first. Over the course of their time in the club, a member can also earn other patches.
Becoming A Hells Angel
Becoming a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is no easy task. It is a process that can take up to a few years to achieve if you even make it that far.
To start, you must have a valid motorcycle license, own a Harley Davidson motorcycle over 750 CC and have a personality that is cohesive with the rest of the club. You cannot have been accused of child molestation or have ever applied to become a police officer or prison guard. Other requirements are unknown to the general public.
The Hang-Around
After being deemed as eligible, a prospective member can become a “hang-around.” This is the first stage of the process. The candidate can be invited to some club meetings or meet other club members at open gathering places.
Being a hang-around gives you the opportunity to meet other members, make connections, and have a taste of the lifestyle that comes with being a member of the Hells Angels.
Full Patch Members Require a Unanimous Vote
The final step in the process is being voted in as a fully-patched member. In order for this to happen, the prospect must be voted in unanimously by the rest of the charter. However, prior to the voting, the prospect usually goes to each charter in the area to introduce himself and show his devotion to the club.
After being voted in by his own personal charter, he is given his top Hells Angels rocker and winged death head logo which are awarded at an initiation ceremony. The act of successfully achieving the title of a full member is referred to as “being patched.”
Hunter S. Thompson and the Hells Angels
“Gonzo” journalist Hunter S. Thompson actually got his career started with the help of the Hells Angels. For his book Hells Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, he actually spent a year living with the club. He lived their lifestyle and rode a motorcycle with them.
However, the writer had a falling out with the club. Thompson tried to stop a man from beating his wife and ended up on the receiving end of a beatdown of his own. Furthermore, the biker gang accused him of exploiting them for personal gain and wanted a share of the profits. The book was a huge success and Thompson paid the group nothing.
The Altamont Concert Incident
At a concert held at the Altamont Speedway in 1969, the Hells Angels were hired as event security. Although it’s still debated who actually hired the club, there was a general consensus from the crowd and musicians that it wasn’t a good idea.
Aside from beating up rowdy concertgoers, a more severe situation occurred when a man named Merideth Hunter pulled out a pistol. He was quickly attacked by a Hells Angels members, including a man named Passaro who stabbed him to death while he was on the ground. Passaro was arrested for murder but was acquitted when footage was recovered of Hunter with the gun and Passaro acting in self-defense.
Sonny Barger Is The Hells Angels
Over the years, Sonny Barger has proven himself to be the face and authority of the Hells Angels. Although every charter has its own president and is relatively self-governed, Sonny Barger is the man everyone looks up to. He is the president and original founding member of the Oakland charter.
At 78-years-old and still riding, he has the longest membership of anyone in the club and has managed to stay out of prison for the majority of his life. He served four years for trying to blow up a rival gang’s clubhouse in 1988 but other than that has relatively succeeded in staying out of trouble. Because of his reputation, Barger has been in numerous films and television shows and has authored books about his life and the club.
Maurice “Mom” Boucher
While Sonny Barger may be the face of the Hells Angels who represents the good of the club, Maurice “Mom” Boucher did the opposite. He is one of the most notorious ex-presidents in the club’s history. He was president of the Montreal charter during the eight-year-long Quebec Biker War and is currently serving three life sentences after being convicted of murder and drug trafficking.
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