The History And Story Behind The Hells Angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is one of the largest biker clubs in the world. What started off as a way for veterans to connect and create a sense of comradery has developed into a worldwide organization. In recent years the Hell’s Angels have been involved in shooting sprees in Las Vegas, running narcotics throughout the world, and various other criminal enterprises.
From being a crucial part of the 1960s counterculture to club members taking each other out, see how the Hells Angels grew to what it is today.
The Beginning Of A Legacy
For the most part, it’s commonly accepted that the Hells Angels were officially formed on March 17, 1948 in Fontana, California. The founders included the Bishop family as well as a few other World War II veterans that came together from various post-war motorcycle clubs.
Despite various news and criminal reports, the Hell’s Angels say they got their start because It was started because military surplus made motorcycles affordable, and post-war life had left many young men feeling stagnant and missing their sense of soldier comradery.
The Club Name Was Inspired by a Squadron Nickname
The name Hells Angels were believed to have been suggested by an associate of the founding members named Arvid Olson. Olson had served in the Flying Tigers “Hell’s Angels” squadron in China during World War II.
The nickname “Hell’s Angels” is one of the many nicknames that came about from the tradition of American soldiers giving their squadron fierce and intimidating nicknames in World War I and II.
Charters Grew Across California
In the early years, the club began to spread across California moderately quickly. According to the founder of the Oakland charter Ralph “Sonny” Barger, the earliest charters in California were founded in San Francisco, Oakland, Gardena, Fontana, and a few other lesser-known areas.
At the time, the charters were only concerned with themselves and were unaware of all the other charters that existed. Eventually, during the 1950s, the different groups came together and unified to establish a large-scale organization and implement a system of internal codes and criteria for admission.
The Hells Angels Were a Cornerstone of Counterculture
During the 1960s, the Hells Angels became a large part of the counterculture movement, especially in California. They were very prominent in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco and were frequent attendees of the local music and social events.
Numerous members were also connected to the counterculture’s primary leaders in music and expression, such as Ken Kesey, the Merry Pranksters, Allen Ginsberg, Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones, and more.
They Don’t Want a Bad Reputation
The Hells Angels, as well as a select other few motorcycle clubs, call themselves a one-percenter biker club. The phrase is a 50-year-old title that goes off the old saying that 1% of troublemakers give a bad name to 99% of bikers.
The name is supposed to help them separate from all of the negative stereotypes surrounding biker gangs and the Hells Angels in particular. Despite the name, numerous members have been convicted of crimes ranging from murder to selling narcotics.
Growing International
In the beginning, the Hells Angels were strictly based in California but spread internationally in 1961. That year, the first charter outside of California began in Auckland, New Zealand. This opened the floodgates and the motorcycle club began to spread around the world.
In 1969, the first European charter was opened in London. There are now more than 275 charters in Europe alone. From the 1970s to now, there have been charters established in Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Eastern Europe, and more. New areas are currently being prospected.
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 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 Member
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.
Next, They Become a Prospect
After some time, if the hang-around is still interested, he may be asked to become an associate. During this time, the associate will spend a few more years attending events, spending time with members, and proving their worth to the club. After an unspecified time as an associate, you can move up to become a prospect.
Although prospects can attend closed meetings, they still aren’t allowed to vote on club business. Prospects are put to the test by the members who are making the decision to whether they want to initiate the prospect as a fully-patched member of the club. Prospects are allowed to wear a cut with a patch with the state or territory of their charter.
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.
Sons of Anarchy is Loosely Based On The Club
The fictitious television show Sons of Anarchy, created by Kurt Sutter, is loosely based on the Hells Angels club. Many of the events and plot points of the show are based on real-life events that the Hells Angels have encountered throughout the history of the club.
There are even real Hells Angels members in the show such as David Labvrava, Chuck Zito, Rusty Coones, and Sonny Barger. Kurt Sutter even had Labrava as his technical advisor to make the show as realistic and accurate as possible when it comes to depicting a motorcycle club. He was also a major character in the show who played the character “Happy” for the entirety of the show.
The Club Is No Stranger To Filing Lawsuits
Since the Hells Angels have evolved into a cooperation more so than just a club of guys that like to ride motorcycles, they have been involved in a decent amount of legal affairs. In 2007, the Hells Angels sued Disney for using the logo of the Hells Angels in the film Wild Hogs without their permission.
In addition, in 2010, they filed a lawsuit against Alexander McQueen for misuse of the trademark winged death head symbol and Saks Fifth and Zappos.com which sell a ring which bears the symbol. In 2012, the club went on to sue Toys “R” Us for the sale of yo-yos which allegedly had the logo printed on it. These are just a few notable lawsuits out of many that the club has filed for because they take their branding so seriously.
Otto Friedli – Hells Angels Founder
Otto Friedli was one of the original members of the Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington Motorcycle Club. He then left the club and is credited as being one of the founding members of the Hells Angels back in 1948. He spent some time as the president of the San Bernardino charter as well as the National President.
It wasn’t until Driedli went to prison that Sonny Barger took over as National President of the club. After he was released from prison, he left the Hells Angels on good terms and joined the Black Sheep Motorcycle Ministry
Terry The Tramp – Oakland, California
Terry the Tramp was an old time member of the Oakland, California charter. He was featured in the film Hells Angels 69 as well as well as referenced multiple times in Hunter S. Thompson’s book Hells Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs.
During his time in the club, he made a name for himself and eventually grew into the legend under the presidency of Sonny Barger. Unfortunately, he passed away from a drug overdose at the age of 30 in 1970 but is still an often discussed member and a model for what a Hells Angel should truly be.
Trouble With The Rock Machine
It’s natural for some sort of competition to brew between two groups who do the same thing. And even if they don’t do the same, The Rock Machine and Hells Angels draw many similarities. There was a point in time when the two were at war.
“They were famous rivals to the Hells Angels from 1986-2002,” Therichest reported. “The Quebec Biker War primarily dealt with this rivalry; a turf war raged on for years while the two clubs fought over the rights to street drug distribution and territory.”
The Book About Them
We briefly mentioned the name Hunter S. Thompson earlier and the fact that he made a book about the Angels. Let’s dive back in deeper on this book. He wrote the book 1966 and it didn’t do a good job depicting the Angels.
“Unfortunately, the Angels were depicted as emotionally and intellectually void in the book; a feud between the famed author and the club ensued,” Therichest wrote. “They were less than pleased that he spoke so badly of them after they had allowed him to spend time with their club to research the book.”
Women Who Roll With The Angels
Many women are attracted to the Hells Angels lifestyle as well. Throughout the history of the Angels, women have joined them, cruising on the backs of bikes and flipping the bird to the camera. Many of them also wear the Hells Angels cuts, with “support your local 81” patches.
The ladies who ride with them aren’t limited to girlfriends. There are many wives of Hells Angels who love the thrill of being apart of a motorcycle club.
A Dangerous Lifestyle
Many of the women who ride with the Hells Angels are just as dedicated as the men. Women can be a part of the Angels community, although it’s rarer to see a female commanding a bike.
These adventurous ladies also take the same risks, and make certain commitments to the club. The majority of the women involved in the group are dating or married to a member. You can only imagine the drama that unfolds when one of these biker couples break up.
What Happens When the Hells Angels Gather
The Hells Angels gather for massive runs together. More than a thousand Hells Angels members from all over Europe and beyond joined the 2016 World Run event in Poland to rally and ride together.
The Hells Angels hold official events around the world. While it always seems to put local law enforcement on edge, the rides are often organized with good intentions. Some are memorial rides for late members, while others benefit children and causes, like the Toy Run.
The Clubhouses
Because of the reputation for violence and crime, Hells Angels clubhouses are kept on the radar of law enforcement around the world. This building was a Hells Angels clubhouse on Eastern Avenue in Toronto.
The federal government kicked the club out and put it on the market. The proceeds from the sale went to supporting a crime bill. Up next: see what happened when police decided to raid a Hells Angels clubhouse in Germany.
100 Police Raid a Clubhouse in Germany
When police decided to raid a Hells Angels clubhouse in Cologne, Germany, they came prepared. In May 2017, 100 officers of German law enforcement brought in an armored vehicle that broke down the doors of the clubhouse, complete with a battering ram and an iron cage.
Police seized weapons and arrested 12 members of the Hells Angels. The raid was performed after rival gang violence escalated in the city between the Hells Angels and another gang, the Bandidos.
New Years Eve, Celebrated Hells Angels Style
Happy New Year! Depicted are members of the Johannesburg Hells Angels chapter, ringing in the year 1983 with the traditional kiss. One of the Angels appears quite surprised by the other’s actions at the party which was held in Hillbrow, South Africa.
There are eight chapters of the Hells Angels in South Africa, including Capetown, Georgetown, according to a local website maintained by the group. Up next: see how Hells Angels responded to the Vietnam War.
Hells Angels Forever
1983 saw the release of a documentary titled Hells Angels Forever. The late actor Robin Williams and his wife Valerie attended a party to celebrate the film’s premiere.
The event was also attended by Chuck Zito (pictured on the right), the Vice President of the New York chapter of Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club. The New York Times called the film: “a narcissistic, somewhat paranoid, sometimes self-conscious home movie.”
A Hells Angels Wedding
This photo, which originally appeared in the Manchester Daily Express, shows a Hells Angel named John Fernihough directly after he got married to his sweetheart, Marie Clarkson. The British groom was only 17, and the bride was 16. Their wedding took place in October of 1971 at the local Registrar’s Office.
Some Hells Angels weddings in recent years have ended in violence, including a 2008 Las Vegas nuptial service that resulted in 13 men being arrested for assault.
50 Year Anniversary
March 17, 1998, marked the 50-year anniversary of the Hells Angels’ founding. To commemorate the date, chapters around the world held parties. This photo shows local and visiting members gathered in front of the Ventura County Courthouse.
Then-president of the Ventura chapter, George Christie Jr., allegedly invited a teenage member of a narcotics ring to attend anniversary festivities held at the clubhouse. The juvenile was also allowed to have his 15th birthday party at the clubhouse.
An Image Overhaul
In 1978, the Manhattan chapter of Hells Angels was intent on improving its image. So the group did what anyone in their situation would do — they threw a party. The shindig was held at Thrush nightclub on February 28, 1978.
The Angels invited their female companions as well as the press. This photo originally appeared in the New York Post with the caption, “So here’s the new image.” She what happened when the Hells Angels were introduced to LSD next.
The Merry Pranksters Welcome The Hells Angels
On Saturday, August 7, 1965, the countercultural novelist and LSD enthusiast Ken Kesey held a party at his ranch La Honda, California. In addition to his regular group of intellectual friends, known as the Merry Pranksters, he invited the Hells Angels. A banner reading “The Merry Pranksters Welcome The Hells Angels” hung over the doorway.
According to several accounts, Kesey introduced the Angels to LSD during the festivities. The above photo shows members of the Angels dancing at another Kesey party called the Acid Test Graduation.
Funeral For An Angel
Gerry Tobin, known as “Gentleman Gerry,” was a well-known and popular member of the London chapter of the Hells Angels. In 2008, he was gunned down by rivals from the local Outlaws motorcycle group. Tobin had just attended the Bulldog Bash bikers’ festival.
At his funeral, 1,000 Hells Angels on their bikes followed his casket on a 13-mile procession. The Outlaws who murdered Tobin were each sentenced to life in prison. Despite trying, Hells Angels hasn’t been able to convince anyone that they are just a club.
