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Showing posts with label Motorcycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motorcycle. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Vagos Motorcycle Club

 

Undated photo of unidentified members of the Vagos Motorcycle Club

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Matilda's Bar on Route 66

Originating as the McCook Outlaws MC, the club was founded by Electro-Motive Company employees at Matilda's Bar on Route 66 in the southwestern Chicago suburb of McCook, Illinois in 1935​.

Photo: M. S. 

John Davis was reportedly the founder of the club. Although inactive during World War II, the Outlaws reformed afterwards and attended the first major post-war motorcycle rally, held at Soldier Field in Chicago in May 1946.

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Mongols MC members shot at while riding

Tippecanoe County, Indiana, USA (September 21, 2023) - A man riding a motorcycle, later identified as Keylin Holly pulled out a handgun and allegedly shot at two other motorcyclist at an intersection. The victims reportedly told the man to stop following them when they stopped at the intersection the shooting took place, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Wednesday.
 


When police were on their way, they received more calls of shots fired in the area. According to an officer in the area at the time, Holly was wearing a denim vest with “Abolafia” in red and white lettering. Holly was riding his motorcycle behind two older men on motorcycles. The officer said he heard the two men tell Holly to stop following them.

When the bikers approached the intersection of 18th Street and Everett Street, the officer saw what looked like Holly shooting at the two motorcycles in front of him. According to Tippecanoe County Prosecutor's Office, Holly is a known member of the Abolafia Motorcycle Club. The people he's accused of shooting at are members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club.



Holly is charged with four counts each of attempted murder, aggravated battery and attempted battery with a deadly weapon, as well as unlawful carrying of a handgun, criminal recklessness and criminal organization activity.

He is being held in the Tippecanoe County Jail with $210,000 in bonds as of Wednesday evening, according to jail logs.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Feds want the Grim Reapers MC clubhouse

Evansville, Indiana USA (September 20, 2023) - After indicting and sentencing more than a dozen members of the Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club, the federal government is wanting to seize the MC's clubhouse. United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zach Myers, filed a formal civil complaint in December, 2022 asking a judge to forfeit the building at located 1104 East Diamond Avenue in Evansville, Indiana “to the United States of America.

 


The civil case, featured an amended complaint and the dropping of a defendant, is still working it's way through court system. The newest filing came on September 5, 2023. The amended complaint, issued in late June, says the building is “subject to forfeiture because it was used, or intended to be used, to commit, or to facilitate, the commission of drug-trafficking offenses.”

It’s the culmination of years of investigation. The feds kicked off the criminal portion of the case in November 2019, when members of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, among others obtained a search warrant and knocked down the Motorcycle Club’s front door.

RELATED | Former Grim Reapers MC Prez Sentenced


They reportedly seized 10 pounds of meth, 23 guns, $35,000 in cash and a couple of motorcycles. The dope alone reportedly had an estimated street value of more than $250,000. What followed next was a bunch of indictments over the coming months and now years. The latest sentence was handed down in February of this year.

Besides going after the Grim Reapers MC, the main defendant in the civil side of the case is former Grim Rreapers MC leader Gary Wayne Forston. He was sentenced in October to 16-and-a-half years in prison after he plead guilty to four of the 12 counts against him. He’s currently serving his sentence in Texarkana, Texas.

As part of Wayne's plea deal that he signed in July 2022 “Forston agreed that the defendant property was subject to forfeiture and consented to the forfeiture of his interest in the defendant property,” the amended complaint says. Prosecutors accuse Forston of living at the clubhouse while the dope ring was doing business. The feds want the court to block Grime Reapers MC members from using the building and ultimately hand it over to the U.S. government.

Saturday, October 29, 2022

Suspected leader of Pagan's MC chapter sentenced

Providence, Rhode Island, USA (October 29, 2022) - The suspected leader of the Pagans Motorcycle Club in Rhode Island has been sentenced to serve 10 years in prison on illegal gun and drug charges. Deric “Tuna” McGuire, 38, of Burrillville, entered a plea of "nolo contendere" to multiple felony charges stemming from an investigation by the Rhode Island State Police in 2017 and 2018 into outlaw motorcycle gangs, known as “Operation Patched Out.”

McGuire will also forfeit $80,229 and six cars in connection to the “criminal activity.”
 


According to Attorney General Peter Neronha, McGuire participated in a “criminal enterprise involving illegal possession and distribution of narcotics, illegal possession and sale of firearms, and illegal possession and theft of stolen property.” On May 23, 2018, investigators executed multiple search warrants at locations in Burrillville, Woonsocket, and North Smithfield.

RELATED | Pagan's MC: Ruling could toss out evidence in case


From McGuire’s Burrillville home and a garage bay next to the Pagans clubhouse in Woonsocket, investigators seized roughly 327 grams of cocaine, about $29,800 in cash, and eight guns. McGuire was prohibited from purchasing the gun after being convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon in 2014.

State police said McGuire conspired to distribute significant amounts of cocaine and marijuana, sell firearms and to steal a Bobcat loader. He also conspired to provide a letter to the Rhode Island Parole Board stating that an incarcerated associate had secured employment in an effort to get him parole, state police said.



Additionally, he provided a false statement inflating his annual income in order to secure financing for the purchase of a motorcycle. In total, 61 people were arrested as a result of the investigation. Additionally, the defendant conspired to provide a letter to the Rhode Island Parole Board stating that an incarcerated associate had secured employment in an effort to convince the Parole Board to grant him parole.

Sunday, October 16, 2022

Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Hold Food Drive

Owensboro, Kentucky USA (October 16, 2022) - Members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Nomads Kentucky held their fifth annual food drive at Owensboro’s American Legion Saturday. As folks ate and drank in the American Legion’s bar area, Hells Angels prospects sold club merchandise at tables in a separate room. 

Out front, full patched members stood by a trailer where people could drop off their food items which will all be donated to the Help Office of Owensboro, according to a Hells Angels MC spokesman.
 
Photo by Greg Eans, Messenger-Inquirer

Many people need the proceeds of the Hells Angels food drive now more than ever, he said. “A lot of people are having hard times right now. Everybody knows the prices of everything are going up,” the spokesman said. The club’s reputation as an outlaw gang isn’t representative of what it is today. 

“In the 1970's, I was one-year old. I could go back and look at how the military or any organization was in the 1970's compared to what it is today,” he said. “People are going to think what they think. People who know us and have been around, know how we are and who we are.”

American Legion manager Laura Morris said it’s always a pleasure to have the bikers hold the event there. “For them to help us and help out in the community, I just can’t say enough good things about them,” said Morris.

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Police raid Rock Machine MC clubhouse

Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada (July 19, 2022) - Regina police say they have arrested and charged multiple people believed to be members of a motorcycle club while a another investigation netted a large quantity of drugs. 

Over the course of a couple of weeks, police executed nine search warrants in Regina, including the Rock Machine MC clubhouse, as part of an investigation led by the unit.
 


Police seized $12,700 cash, seven firearms and ammunition, 320 grams of cocaine, 19 grams of meth, six motorcycles, five vehicles, one heavy equipment skid steer loader, multiple cellular devices and evidence supporting vehicle thefts and fraudulent processes for changing VIN numbers. 

Multiple charges were laid against six people, including three “Members of the Rock Machine” according to police. The three men all made their first appearance in Regina Provincial Court.



In a separate investigation led by the Regina Police Service’s drug unit, officers seized 10 kilograms of cocaine, six kilograms of methamphetamine, $155,000 cash and  “other proceeds of crime, including motorcycles” after searching several addresses in the city. Three men are facing multiple charges, including a member of the Silent Soldiers MC.

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

RCMP Warns Public About Outlaws MC

St. John's N.L. (September 1, 2021) - RCMP in Newfoundland and Labrador are warning residents of an increase in motorcycle club activity over the Labor Day weekend.

In an August 31 release, NL RCMP said it expects an increased presence of Outlaws Motorcycle Club members in the province, particularly in Central Newfoundland, from September 1st until around the end of the Labor Day weekend.
 


In their bulletin, the RCMP described an "Outlaw Motorcycle Gang as any gang of motorcycle riders and supporters who make a commitment to band together and abide by a set of organizational rules while engaging in criminal activities".

Police also said the Outlaws Motorcycle Club is a “one per cent club,” which distinguishes them from most motorcycle riders who are law-abiding citizens.

You can read their warning HERE

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Mongols MC Prospect Charged

Brisbane, Australia, (October 6, 2020) -  Investigators from the Organised Crime Gangs Group have charged an alleged prospect of the Mongols MC with drug and weapon offences following the execution of a search warrant at a Browns Plains residence on Friday.

During the search of the residence on October 2, police located and seized 1.3 kilograms of methylamphetamine, 551 grams of cocaine, two handguns, a silencer, ammunition and approximately $50,000 cash.

A cash counting machine and Mongols MC clothing were also located and seized.



A 24-year-old Browns Plains man, allegedly a prospect of the Mongols MC, was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of a dangerous drug exceeding schedule, possession of category H firearms, possession of ammunition and possession of proceeds of crime.

Detective Inspector Larissa Miller from the Organised Crime Gangs Group said this was a notable seizure with the arrest reflecting the Queensland Police Service’s commitment to pursuing motorcycle club-driven crime. 

“OMCGs are motivated only by greed and profit, their activities are interwoven with the illegal possession of firearms, drugs and money causing significant harm to our community,”
Inspector Miller said.

“To those thinking of joining a gang, know that we are resolute in our commitment to disrupting and prosecuting members and associates of OMCGS and protecting the community from their criminal activities.”

The man appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on October 3 and was remanded in custody.

SOURCE: Mirage


Saturday, September 12, 2020

Cops Plan To Watch Hells Angels Event

Winnipeg, Canada (September 12, 2020) - Winnipeg police say they will be monitoring a Hells Angels event this weekend that will bring a large number of motorcycle club members to the city and its surrounding areas.


In a tweet shared Sept. 12, the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) announced they would be monitoring a Hell's Angels Winnipeg Chapter Motorcycle Club Event taking place over the weekend.



Police say members of the Organized Crime/Biker Enforcement Unit will monitor the event for the safety of the public.

A large number of members of the motorcycle club are predicted to be in and around Winnipeg for the event, as well as members of supporting clubs.

SOURCE: CHVN Radio

Friday, September 11, 2020

Hells Angels Member Wins Lawsuit

Denver, Colorado, USA (September 11, 2020) BTN- Five Colorado police agencies paid $25,000 and issued an apology to a Hells Angels member after an officer two years ago joked that he’d shoot the man to get “paid vacation.”

The settlement stems from a federal lawsuit filed in April by Anthony Mills against the city of Greeley, the town of LaSalle and the Weld County Sheriff’s Office, as well as individual officers from those jurisdictions and from the Kersey and Garden City police departments.

The suit came in response to an April 8, 2018, incident in which David Miller, a LaSalle police officer, pulled over Anthony Mills for speeding.


Saying he “loved getting to (expletive) with” the motorcycle club, Miller asked the other officers who had responded to make sure their body cameras were off as they shared stories about the violent acts they had committed against members of the group, Mills’ attorney, Sarah Schielke, said in a news release announcing the settlement.

“Officer Miller then announced to the group that if Mr. Mills did anything he didn’t like: ‘I’m shooting him! I need some paid vacation!’ ” Schielke said, citing footage from the officer’s own body camera, which he’d left on.

As part of the settlement, Miller issued an apology to Mills, and has since resigned from the department, Schielke said.

“When police officers openly discuss with one another their disdain for one group of citizens that they are sworn to serve and protect, and make jokes about killing those citizens for ‘paid vacation leave,’ they normalize police misconduct and murder,” Schielke said in a statement. “Cop jokes about some lives not mattering inevitably fosters a culture of police officers who are much more willing to pull the trigger on those same lives later.”



The incident marks at least the third time in recent decades in which Colorado cities have paid money and have been forced to apologize to Hells Angels members.

Denver settled two cases — one in 2003 and another in 2008 — over lawsuits alleging illegal searches and traffic stops against bikers.

In November, federal agents in Denver raided the motorcycle club’s Highland neighborhood headquarters, arresting 14 members on organized crime charges. Those cases are still working their way through the courts.

SOURCE: The Denver Post

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Roar To The Shore Event Canceled

Wildwood, New Jersey, USA(September 10, 2020) BTN - Members of the Pagan's Motorcycle Club are expected to be in the resort this weekend, police said, even though an annual motorcycle event they frequent has been canceled.

Police are aware that members of the club will be in the city this weekend, police Chief Robert Regalbuto said Thursday, adding he doesn’t know what they’ll be doing as there’s no event attached to their visit.

“Everybody’s welcome here; anyone who rides a motorcycle is welcome to come to town,” Mayor Pete Byron said. “We just hope that they remain respectful and regard the rules on the governor’s orders. We welcome everyone to town.”


The Pagan's are a fixture at Roar to the Shore, an annual motorcycle event in the city, as it’s a “mandatory run” for club members in the state. However, the event was canceled this year after the city denied organizers necessary permits, according to the event’s website.

The city paid about $40,000 for police overtime at last year’s Roar to the Shore, according to previous reports. In a Facebook post, police listed 26 arrests during the event for charges ranging from possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose to possession of a controlled dangerous substance, but it was unclear whether all the charges listed were filed against Roar participants.

SOURCE: The Press Of Atlantic City

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Bandidos Clubhouse Searched

Devonport, Tasmania, Australia (February 27, 2020) BTN — A 32 year old Bandidos Motorcycle Club member and a 39 year old Bandidos associate have been charged with stealing from a Devonport motel.


Police conducted a search at the Bandidos clubhouse on 26 February in relation to a stealing that had occurred the previous day at the Argosy Motel, where approximately $5000 in building materials had been stolen.


As a result of the search, all of the stolen property has been recovered.

Both men have been charged with stealing and have been bailed to appear in the Devonport Magistrates Court on 20 April.

Public Release: View in full here.

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Police Raids Across the Gold Coast

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia (February 11, 2020) BTN — The Gold Coast president of a major motorcycle club has been arrested after a series of raids targeting Motorcycle Groups across the Glitter Strip.

Houses at Ashmore, Helensvale, Coomera and Mermaid Beach were raided by officers who arrested eight people, including the president of the Gold Coast chapter of the Mongols MC.


Police allegedly found weapons including knuckledusters, mobile phones dangerous drugs and cash and seized three Harley Davidson motorcycles suspected of being stolen.


All those arrested have been released under strict bail conditions to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court at a later date.

The raids were part of a national crackdown targeting the Mongols MC after police received intelligence regarding the club’s alleged unlawful activities.


Since 2014 the National Taskforce Operation Morpheus delivered a co-ordinated approach to the tackling the criminality linked with Outlaw Motorcycle Groups.

As part of the ongoing operations to disrupt serious crime linked to the organised crime networks, Taskforce Maxima teams additionally served 20 consorting warning notices.


Det Superintendent Lowe says they will allege several from several different clubs are allegedly involved in the syndicate.

“Whilst this operation is targeting the organised crime syndicate, our investigation suggests that this syndicate crosses over a number of outlaw motorcycle gangs including the Lone Wolfs, The Hells Angels, The Mongols and some links to the Rebels.”

“It’s not uncommon for OMCGs to cross over and do business with each other in the unlawful activities. They’re really governed by greed and their involvement in illicit drugs and weapons.”

A 28-year-old member of the Mongols was also arrested on drugs and weapons charges and will front Beenleigh Magistrates Court tomorrow.

More charges are expected to be laid in coming days.

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Indiana State trooper arrested for arson

Tell City, Indiana, USA (February 5, 2020) BTN — An Indiana State trooper has been arrested on allegations he set his own home ablaze.

Jeremy Galloway, 44, of Tell City faces two counts of felony arson, one count of felony insurance fraud and one count of felony arson with intent to defraud.


It was around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019, when firefighters were called to Galloway’s Tell City home after a passerby spotted a fire and called 911. Crews arrived and found two fires at the property – in the home and an outbuilding, according to a state police report.

The home sustained heavy smoke and fire damage. The outbuilding and two motorcycles in it were totally destroyed, the report said.

 

The Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office was called to investigate, and it was determined the fire was caused by arson. A criminal investigation was initiated by the Indiana State Police in Jasper.

Late last month, the case was handed over to the Perry County prosecutor. On Tuesday, an arrest warrant was issued for Galloway and he was taken into custody.

Galloway is currently on administrative leave without pay, state police said.

SOURCE: Eyewitness News 25

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Cops arrest man dressed as Hitler at event

Augustusburg, Germany (January 16, 2020) BTN — A man dressed as Adolf Hitler raised eyebrows as he rode around in the sidecar of a Nazi-era motorcycle during a weekend festival in Germany, according to a report.

“When people dress up as Adolf Hitler, an investigation is always necessary,” a spokesman for Saxony police said Monday, according to state-owned Deutsche Welle.

The faux Führer –- sporting Hitler’s signature mustache and Nazi insignia –- was spotted in video shot at the classic motorcycle event in the city of Augustusburg near Chemnitz.


The motorcycle was being driven by another man dressed as a World War II German soldier, the footage showed.

In Germany, it is illegal to wear Nazi paraphernalia in public, so the impersonator faces possible legal action, the spokesman said.

The video also showed the motorcycle pulling up and parking next to a police car, where a cop could be seen smiling as he snapped photos of the pair and people laughed nearby.

The officer may also face consequences for failing to take action during the event, which drew almost 10,000 people over the weekend. “We would have expected our colleague to put a stop to all this without the least hesitation,” the spokesman said.

Saxony premier Michael Kretschmer also slammed the Hitler lookalike. “Dressing up as a mass murderer is more than just bad taste,” he tweeted. “This kind of behavior is unacceptable and shouldn’t be repeated.”

The state in the former communist East Germany has seen a recent increase in the number of far-right and neo-Nazi events taking place.

SOURCE: EHA News 

Monday, December 23, 2019

Long Island Hells Angels donate thousands of toys

Patchogue, New York, USA (December 23, 2019) BTN — Sometimes even angels need a Christmas miracle. Debbie Loesch, founder of the Patchogue-based community outreach thrift store and group Angels of Long Island, was worried earlier this month when her warehouse was low on toys for their fifth annual toy giveaway. Every holiday season, the Angels of Long Island accept applications for local families who fell on hard times and need help giving their children gifts to put under the tree.


While she received a few dozen donations from the community, it just wasn’t enough compared to those in need of presents this holiday season.

“I had to stop accepting applications because I was worried about the lack of toys,” she said. Then she got a surprising phone call from another group of angels — the local chapter of the Hells Angels.


The motorcycle group heard about the struggle Loesch and her nonprofit was facing and offered their assistance. Normally secretive, members of the group have been quietly involved with helping nonprofits across Long Island, the group said.

And when they heard the Angels of Long Island’s story, the group sprung into action to help out their Patchogue neighbors.

“We got word that the Angels of Long Island needed toys and we wanted to help them out,” said Billy, a sergeant of arms for the group, who refused to state his full name. “We start collecting early on in the year with different events, including our Christmas party, where everyone brings an unwrapped gift to donate.”

The Hells Angels of Long Island moved into their new Suffolk County clubhouse located in Centereach this last year, and since then, they have been working with the community hosting food drives, clothing drives and this Christmas toy drive. “Love us or hate us, the Hells Angels are here to help,” said Billy.

After negotiating their partnership with Loesch last week, the motorcycle group was able to drop off eight truckloads of gift, toy and coat donations within a few days.

“We try to keep everything in the community,” Billy said last week looking at the shelves. “This place is going to fill up.”

Before the drop off, the Patchogue warehouse’s shelves were empty, enough items for maybe a toy or two per child. As of the morning of Sunday, December 22nd, thousands of items filled the shelves, turning the space into a pop-up, mini department store.


That day, Loesch decided she didn’t want to do a handout of toys but instead create a space where parents could come in and “shop” around finding the perfect gifts for their little ones. A dozen Hells Angels help people find things and to check the recipients in.

Distribution started at 10 a.m. and went until 4 p.m. Groups of Hells Angels rode their bikes into the lot to help Loesch and other volunteers set up. Helping 50 families shop was on the agenda throughout the day, with extra toys available to families who weren’t on the initial list.

“We don’t want to see any kids without toys this Christmas,” said Ronny, one of the volunteering Hells Angels. Over 500 stuffed animals, video games, dollhouses, action figures and teenage beauty items were set up around the space, neatly organized by category for easy shopping.


One donation consisted of several brand new bicycles for toddlers and teens, wrapped in a sparkly red bow. Each family also received a ham and food donation for their Christmas dinners.

“I feel like it’s a blessing that when times are hard, there are people out there who want to help others,” said a Patchogue mother who received gifts for her kids. “I’m very thankful for Angels of Long Island… and seeing the Hells Angels ride up was so cool!”


Mario, president of the Hells Angel Long Island chapter, said that all the local riding groups and their families will help donate whenever possible.

“We really couldn’t do it without the biker community across Long Island,” he said. “We do this for the kids… every year we do something for them and whoever needs help, we do what we can.”

By the end of the day, all different angels gave up their weekend to bring a little Christmas cheer. “I like helping out the kids,” said Lee, another Hells Angel helped hand out toys. “I’m blessed, so I wanted to pass it onto the community and make sure the kids have a good Christmas.”

Photos from Thursday’s drop-off and Sunday’s event taken by Julianne Mosher
SOURCE: Greater Patchogue

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Monday, June 10, 2019

Hells Angels motorcycles stolen

Rainton, North Yorkshire, England (June 10, 2019) BTN — Police are appealing for information relating to the theft of two Harley-Davidsons which were taken from the Highfield Hotel near Rainton. The theft took place at around 5.18 am on Friday, June 7th.


The police later received a report that five males had stolen the bikes which belonged to guests who were staying at the Highfield hotel.

Oh dear, the vermin we’re out again last night....unfortunately the poor cherubs have fucked with the wrong people this...
Posted by Stuart Hack on Friday, June 7, 2019

Stuart Hack shared a post in the UK Motorcycle Theft Protest group on Facebook purporting to be from one of the group. It read:

STOLEN LAST NIGHT.

2 Harley Davidson Dynas.

1x 2000 Black HD Dyna. Scuff on headlight fairing and Hells Angels Death Head on primary cover.

1 x 2003 Anniversary model dyna. Black. Both bikes Dutch registrations. Stolen from the Highfield Hotel on the A690 near Rainton/ Houghton le Spring area.

5 men , masks and hoodies took them. All on cctv.

If these bikes are returned to Hells Angels Tyne & Wear no further action will be taken. If not and we find out who’s took them ..... fucking standby.!!

Any info PM me ASAP please.

Anyone who knows anything about this act fast as we will get to the bottom of this !

We always do.

Cheers”

Officers are asking to speak to anyone who might have information about this incident, or who might have since seen the bikes or the culprits since the theft.

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Thousands attend funeral for Taco Bowman

Dayton, Ohio, USA (March 17, 2019) BTN — Former Outlaws Motorcycle Club leader Harry ‘Taco’ Bowman’s was laid to rest at Bear Creek Cemetery Saturday. About a thousand members of the club came into town to honor their one-time leader. The ceremonies started at the Montgomery County Fair Grounds with a 24 hour viewing on Friday followed by a funeral service and burial Saturday morning. “There were thousands of people here today. We had a thousand on motorcycles, we had cars everywhere,” said Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck.


The ride from the Fair Grounds to the cemetery proved to be a difficult task for law enforcement. Streck said deputies from his office, Trotwood Police officers, and troopers from Ohio State Highway Patrol made it as smooth as they could.

Related | Harry "Taco" Bowman funeral set for fairgrounds
Related | Outlaws MC: Harry "Taco" Bowman dead at 69

He apologized for the inconvenience it posed to other drivers, though. “At one point west third street from the 49 connector was at a standstill because there were so many vehicles trying to turn onto union to get to the cemetery,” he said. Bowman was the club’s international president in the 1990’s and died in federal prison from cancer.


He at one point was on the FBI’s top ten most wanted list. According to FBI reports, Bowman was convicted on multiple murder charges, including ones stemming from contracted bombings on rival clubs.


The Outlaws are a 1-percenter motorcycle club. That means they separate themselves from the American Motorcyclist Association's statement that 99-percent of all motorcyclists are law abiding. Despite the club’s reputation, Funeral Director Kevin Rogers said they were respectable. “We've actually done about four other Outlaw funerals,” Rogers said. “Every time I've ever worked with them they've been nothing but great.” Bowman is from Michigan and died in North Carolina.

He chose Dayton as his final resting place. “The answer they gave me as to why they chose Dayton is because Bear Creek Cemetery is where a lot of his outlaw brothers were already buried,” said Rogers.

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Hells Angels ride off from their clubhouse

New York, NY (March 22, 2019) BTN — The Hells Angels have been vacating their East Village clubhouse and residence in recent days, an exodus spurred by the apparent transfer of their six-story building to a buyer. The new owner, Nathan Blatter, president of the Whitestone Realty Company in Brooklyn, said he was not available for immediate comment.

A pickup truck parked across the street from the Hells Angels clubhouse this past weekend 

So where are the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club heading on their motorcycles after 50 years at 77 E. Third St.?

“We don’t know,” said a lean, member of the famed motorcycle club. As he moved packing material out through the clubhouse door over the weekend, he shielded his face from this reporter’s camera. Two motorcycles belonging to the Hells Angels were parked outside. Across the street was a pickup truck with and the words “Hell Bound” on its tailgate.

Last Thursday, The Villager rang the bell on the clubhouse door repeatedly after learning the Angels were leaving. Finally, a muscular biker of middle age came outside, his face nearly covered by a sock cap and huge sunglasses.

“No pictures,” he said, declining a request to pose for a photograph. “But you can take photos of the clubhouse if you want.” Was he going to miss it? “Of course, I’m going to miss it,” the black-clad biker replied as he walked west toward Second Ave.

The building has some distinctive touches. The ground floor’s red-brick facade bears the Angels “death’s head” insignias. There’s also plaque commemorating deceased club president “Big Vinnie” Girolamo, along with his motto, “When in doubt, knock ’em out.” The rotund biker died in 1979 before he could stand trial for allegedly throwing his girlfriend Mary Ann Campbell off the roof of the clubhouse to her death, reportedly because he believed she was an F.B.I. informant.

The federal government tried for years to shut down the clubhouse under a 1984 law that allows seizure of properties used for drug trafficking. In 1985, it was one of 12 “H.A.” hangouts raided by F.B.I. agents across the country. The G-men arrested 15 New York City members and confiscated drugs like cocaine.

The incident and the resulting convictions became part of an unsuccessful 1994 civil lawsuit by the government to take over the East Village clubhouse. All that, of course, was a long time ago. Several newcomers to the East Village seem to revere the Angels as heroes.

Three teenage female students who live in a dormitory run by the New York City Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts, at 81 E. Third St., said they would miss the bikers’ presence on the block. “I won’t be able to tell my friends anymore that I live next door to the Hells Angels,” one said, plaintively.

Nina Holton, 18, a Barnard student who was photographing Angels motorcycles on Saturday, said her mother lives on E. Third St. “She’s upset and sad that they are leaving,” Holton said. “She feels they added character to the neighborhood and now they’ll be replaced by some developer who’ll build condos.”

Holton believes the Angels helped keep the neighborhood safe and provided a sense of community. “I’d pass the clubhouse late at night, and a couple of them would be outside and they’d nod,” she recalled. “They were like eyes on the street.”

Others on the block are clearly terrified of them.

“They’re known for being menacing and they cultivate that image,” said a longtime block resident who asked only to be identified as a community activist. She claimed the Angels had “assaulted” a friend of hers and her boyfriend’s.

“I try to stay as a far away from them as possible,” she said. “It’s a myth that they make neighborhoods safe.” The woman noted that the Angels have become known recently for “ridiculous disputes over parking spaces and their stupid cones” used to reserve public spaces as their own.

“One of them shot someone in the stomach over a parking cone,” she said. She was referring to now-deceased Angel prospect Anthony Iovenitti, who was accused of shooting David Martinez, 25, in the early-morning hours of December 2016. A rumble erupted erupted after Martinez had gotten out of his Mercedez- Benz to move an orange cone blocking his car’s way. Assault and weapons possession charges were dismissed against Iovenitti after he died at 52 of an aneurysm during a motorcycle trip in 2017.

Captain John L. O’Connell, commanding officer of the Ninth Precinct, said there were “no interactions” with the club since his arrival last year “except for one short fight.”

In that instance, a 22-year-old deliveryman was sucker-punched in the face for parking in front of the clubhouse in late December 2018, according to the Daily News. O’Connell noted that his cops have taken away the Angels’ cones “because they’re not allowed to reserve spots on a public street.”

Criminal defense lawyer Ron Kuby has represented members of the club for years. He dismissed claims by some in law enforcement that the Hells Angels are into rackets and operate like organized crime.

“Think of it as a church,” he said of the group. “Members of clergy who violate the law don’t make the church a criminal enterprise.”

The New York City Hells Angels are actually incorporated in New York State as the Church of the Angels, a nonprofit religious organization. That name was used when club members purchased the property in 1977, for a reported $1,900. The moniker was used again last year in a preliminary memorandum of contract to sell the property to 77 East Third LLC, a limited-liability company linked to the aforementioned Nathan Blatter, EV Grieve reported last month. A 2013 court dispute over a deceased Angel president, Sandy Alexander, who had held title to the deed, was settled last year, apparently leading to a sale.

Kuby said he doesn’t know the buyer or the club’s current president “and I have no authorization to speak to the press with regard to the business sale.” He also couldn’t provide a “nose count” on the number of members in the club. He only said that most of them are just “looking to be left alone and to ride motorcycles with their colleagues.”

Photos: Mary Reinholz