86-686: The Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club ( GJMC ) is a " one-percenter " motorcycle club that was originally formed in San Bernardino, California on April Fool's Day , 1956. Though founded in the United States, the MC expanded successfully overseas and gained significant notoriety in Australia, the United States, and Norway. It is considered by many to be one of the most difficult clubs in which to achieve full membership, due to tough requirements and
172-639: A hoax , intended to make fools of those outside the outlaw biker world, and also to serve the purpose of provoking outrage among conservative public and authorities. Frequently, additional patches may involve symbols, such as the use of the Iron Cross , Nazi swastikas , the Sig Rune insignia of the Schutzstaffel or the Totenkopf . These may not indicate Nazi sympathies , but serve to express
258-540: A "prospecting" time that usually takes at least two years, as pointed out in the book The Brotherhoods : Inside the Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs by Professor Arthur Veno. In November 1969, Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club Australia was founded by former members of the St Mary's Motorcycle Club who enjoyed riding Harley Davidson motorcycles. Sydney was the first chapter. Following a friendly amalgamation with
344-606: A Hells Angels-affiliated club called the Death Riders) at a motorcycle shop in Montreal. This ongoing feud largely stemmed over territory and the narcotics trade in Quebec, while also being fueled further by long-standing rivalries, deep-seated hatred and animosities between major players in the Quebec criminal underworld at that time. To provide a general idea of the criminal underworld involvement, it's essential to recall that
430-603: A biweekly column for the Spokesman-Review datelined from a fictional "Patmos, Idaho." In 1990, Bond left journalism briefly and lived on his sloop in Puget Sound . In July, 1991 he returned to journalism, now once again at the Coeur d'Alene Press . Businessman and publisher Duane Hagadone , hired Bond initially there to address the controversial issue of summertime field burning by local farmers. Bond remained at
516-438: A club or chapter. In order to meet the expenditures of running an outlaw motorcycle club, namely the renting, purchase or furnishing of a clubhouse, groups raise funds primarily through membership dues and club fines, the sale of various items to members, the brokerage of club shares, sponsoring parties and organizing motorcycle trips. Some clubs also maintain a fund for the legal defense of its members. Some "biker" clubs employ
602-596: A club studied was 34. There are black clubs, white clubs, and Mexican and other Spanish-speaking clubs. Bikers in American prisons, as prisoners generally do, band together along racial lines. It is claimed that racial discrimination within clubs has led to creation of rival clubs in the past, such as the Mongols Motorcycle Club after members were rejected by the local Hells Angels chapter. Some clubs or individual chapters are now multi-racial, but
688-587: A defender of the blue-collar man," one tribute added, "who didn’t hesitate to take on big government and those he considered a threat to their livelihood." Bond was born in Santa Rosa, California . His adoptive parents, Richard and Patty (née Hendrickson) Bond, of Spokane, Washington , were both graduates of the University of California , Berkeley , where, in their senior years, Richard was student body president and Patty, vice president. Richard "Dick" Bond
774-425: A dominance myth of women by men and amplifying the deviance of the male club members. These myths about the women are: that they are subservient working-class women, used as objects for club sexual rites ; are hard-bitten, unattractive, and politically conservative; and that they are 'money makers' for the biker men and clubs, i.e., prostitutes, topless barmaids or strippers who are forced to hand over their money to
860-625: A few credits short of graduation. Bond’s professional journalism career started at the Capital Journal in Salem, Oregon in the summer of 1973 while still a Willamette undergraduate. His bylined column reviewed newly released popular and folk music albums, giving free rein to 22-year-old Bond’s aesthetic judgments and literary gifts. In the latter half of the 1970s he held posts with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ,
946-536: A large enough national impact to be prosecuted under the U.S. Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute. The California Attorney General also lists the Mongols and the Vagos as outlaw motorcycle gangs. The FBI asserts that outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) support themselves primarily through drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, and extortion , and that they fight over territory and
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#17327932246801032-510: A larger one-percent club and are sometimes required to wear a "support patch" on their vests that shows their affiliation with the dominant regional club. Smaller clubs are often allowed to form with the permission of the dominant regional club. Clubs that resist have been forcibly disbanded by being told to hand over their colors on threat of aggression. In Australia and the United States, many MCs have established statewide MC coalitions. These coalitions are composed of MCs who have chapters in
1118-510: A long relationship between his third and fourth marriages. Beyond journalism, Bond was a ham radio operator licensed in Morse code (in teen years), a general aviation pilot, a skilled sailor, and an aficionado of vacuum tube electronics and vinyl records. He valued an especially close friendship and work relationship with Kellogg, Idaho mine owner Robert Hopper until Hopper’s death in 2011. Bond maintained an enduring distrust and distaste for
1204-602: A meeting of the leaders of various Hells Angels chapters and other California clubs in 1960 in which the various clubs parleyed over the mutual problem of police harassment. The clubs voted to ally under the patch. In 1963, the Outlaws became the first club east of the Mississippi River to begin wearing the "1%" emblem. Other patches may be worn by members, including phrases and symbols. The style or meaning of these other patches can vary between clubs. Some, such as
1290-686: A member of the Newboys gang and former Hells Angel outside their clubhouse in Adelaide, South Australia. On May 19, 2009, five Gypsy Jokers were involved in a drug-related shoot-out with another gang in Perth, Western Australia. Two were wounded and taken to hospital, one of whom was Club President Leonard Mark Kirby. On April 14, 2012, Gypsy Joker Anthony Perish , his brother Andrew (a Rebels Motorcycle Club gang member) and Matthew Lawton were sentenced to eighteen, nine and fifteen years respectively for
1376-404: A motorcycle club consists of a president , vice president , treasurer , secretary , road captain, and sergeant-at-arms (sometimes known as enforcer ). In some clubs, localized groups of a single, large MC are called charters or chapters , and the first chapter established for an MC is referred to as the mother chapter . The mother chapter serves as the ruling body of the club. Sometimes,
1462-410: A one-piece patch for nonconformist social clubs, two-piece patch for clubs paying dues , a three-piece patch for outlaw clubs or side patches. The three-piece patch consists of the club logo and the top and bottom patches, usually crescent shaped, which are referred to as rockers. The number and arrangement of patches is somewhat indicative of the nature of the club. Since many motorcycle clubs wear
1548-604: A piece of shrapnel penetrated his head. Throughout the 1990s, the province of Quebec witnessed violent confrontations between rivaling outlaw biker gangs with activities that ranged from homicides to bombings. Such violence and brutality was a decade-long conflict between the Hells Angels and the Rock Machine, better known as the "1994 Biker Wars." The Quebec Biker Wars officially began on 13 July 1994, when three (3) masked-men shot and killed Pierre D'aoust (member of
1634-408: A process whereby members must pass several stages such as "friend of the club", "hang-around", and "prospect", on their way to becoming full-patch (see explanation of 'patching' below) members. The actual stages and membership process can and often do vary widely from club to club. Often, an individual must pass a vote of the membership and swear some level of allegiance to the club. Some clubs have
1720-535: A prosecutor's request to seize ownership of the Mongols Motorcycle Club logo and name, saying the government had no right to the trademarks. Federal prosecutors had requested, as part of a larger criminal indictment, a court order giving the government ownership of the logo in order to prevent members from wearing the club's colors. Certain large one-percent MCs have rivalries between each other and will fight over territory and other issues. Sometimes smaller clubs are forced into or willingly accept supportive roles for
1806-497: A skull and crossbones patch, or the motto "Respect Few, Fear None", are worn in some clubs by members who commit murder or other acts of violence on behalf of the club. There are also wings or biker's wings , which are earned similarly to jump wings or pilot's wings , but with various color-coded meanings, e.g. in some clubs, it is said that a member who has had sex with a woman with venereal disease can wear green wings . It has also been suggested that these definitions are
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#17327932246801892-426: A unique club patch (cut or top rocker) adorned with the term MC that are worn on the rider's vest, known as a kutte . In these clubs, some amount of hazing may occur during the early stages (i.e., hang-around, prospecting) ranging from the mandatory performance of menial labor tasks for full patch members to sophomoric pranks, and, in rare cases with some outlaw motorcycle clubs, acts of violence. During this time,
1978-610: A whole bunch of people to believe in me." In 2004, the police raided the Gypsy Joker clubhouse in Portland, Oregon looking for two men wanted for armed robbery one of whom went by the street name Brick. (Brick later was found dead due to an altercation with a rival gang and could not be tried for said crimes.) The men were not there, however, and the club sued the Portland Police Bureau for $ 50,000 because of
2064-697: A wide following. In December 1981, Donald Manuel Paradis , of the Gypsy Jokers motorcycle gang , was convicted of the June 21, 1980 murder of Kimberly Anne Palmer , 19. Paradis was sentenced to death by the Kootenai County district court in Coeur d’Alene . A long series of appeals ensued. Both the Idaho court’s jurisdiction and Paradis’s responsibility for the murder were contested. In the mid-1990s, with legal channels exhausted, Paradis’s defense turned to
2150-439: Is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers , and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate freedom , nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the biker group. In the United States, such motorcycle clubs (MCs) are considered "outlaw" not necessarily because they engage in criminal activity, but because they are not sanctioned by
2236-409: Is frequently cited as evidence that these clubs do not deserve their negative media image. Outlaw clubs have been accused of using charity rides to mask their criminal nature . The American Motorcyclist Association has frequently complained of the bad publicity for motorcycling in general caused by outlaw clubs, and they have said that the presence of outlaw clubs at charity events has actually harmed
2322-554: The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and do not adhere to the AMA's rules. Instead, the clubs have their own set of bylaws reflecting the outlaw biker culture. The U.S. Department of Justice defines "outlaw motorcycle gangs" (OMG) as "organizations whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises". While organizations may vary, the typical internal organization of
2408-783: The Bandidos , the Blue Angels, the Hells Angels and the Outlaws as criminal motorcycle gangs. Outlaw motorcycle clubs first began to appear in Ontario and Quebec in the early 1950s. In 1978, the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada launched Project Focus, an investigation into motorcycle gangs. By 2002, there were 26 motorcycle gangs operating in Canada, the largest and most powerful of which being
2494-637: The City of Wallace, Idaho lay at "The Center of the Universe." Bond supplied the philosophical justification for this claim – it, a spoof highlighting his contention that the EPA relied on unfalsifiable science. Bond traveled extensively on behalf of mining pursuits. From 2006-2014 Bond reported on the mining industry for Platts Metals Weekly, a McGraw-Hill publication, and was a featured contributor to The Free-Market News. More recently, his posts on Facebook gained
2580-611: The Coeur d'Alene Press (city editor), and the North Idaho Press and Wallace Miner (managing editor of both; both owned by Harry F. Magnuson). Bond freelanced and served as a spokesman for North Idaho’s Sunshine Mine in the early 1980s. In 1984 he was hired by the Spokesman-Review and Spokane Chronicle in Spokane, soon after the two newspapers combined their news staffs. In the summer of 1988 he commenced writing
2666-652: The Hancock case . The gang had an altercation with Hancock at the hotel he owned in Ora Banda which is 60 km north of Kalgoorlie . After setting up a campsite, Gypsy Joker Billy Grierson was shot dead by a sniper and it was alleged that Hancock was the shooter. Gypsy Joker members claimed that on January 12, 2001, a member was severely beaten by police in Adelaide, South Australia for refusing to remove his motorcycle helmet and sunglasses. In February 2008, police forced
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2752-497: The Hells Angels . Canadian biker gangs are involved in money laundering, intimidation, assault, attempted murder, murder, fraud, theft, counterfeiting, loan-sharking, extortion, prostitution, escort agencies, strip clubs, and the trafficking of illegal weapons, stolen goods, contraband, and illicit alcohol and cigarettes. Some of the other major biker organizations (aside from Hells Angels) that have operated in Canada, include
2838-672: The Port of Montreal , but also as the Hells Angels have sought to obtain control of the street level trade from other rival or independent gangs in various regions of Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Gazette, quoting from the Provincial Court of Manitoba , defines these groups as: "Any group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have voluntarily made a commitment to band together and abide by their organizations' rigorous rules enforced by violence, who engage in activities that bring them and their club into serious conflict with society and
2924-493: The Warlocks MC of Pennsylvania sued over their exclusion from a charity event. The primary visual identification of a member of an outlaw motorcycle club is the vest adorned with a large club-specific patch or patches predominantly located in the middle of the back. The patches will contain a club logo, the name of the club, and the letters MC, and a possible state, province, or other chapter identification. This garment and
3010-468: The illegal drug trade and collect $ 1 billion in illegal income annually. Motorcycle gangs frequently begin mutually beneficial partnerships with independent criminals, and maintain a large network of associates by doing so. Crimes are typically carried out by associates rather than "full patch" members in order to protect the club from implication by law enforcement. In 1985 a three-year, eleven-state FBI operation named Roughrider culminated in
3096-414: The probative value of such items is far outweighed by their unfairly prejudicial effects on the defence. Some outlaw motorcycle clubs can be distinguished by a "1%" or "Diamond" shape patch worn on the colors. This is said to refer to a comment made in 1960 by William Berry, a former president of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, implying
3182-406: The 1960s. Here, they are commonly referred to as "bikie gangs". At present, there exist an abundance of outlaw motorcycle clubs in Australia - many of which are homegrown clubs (founded within the country) and have since expanded overseas. However, a good amount of the country's groups are chapters of international one-percenter clubs which originated outside of Commonwealth of Australia such as
3268-623: The 1990s. In 1992, Belgium's Blue Angels club became the first international club in the country when they merged with the Blue Angels of Scotland. The Hells Angels opened its first Belgian chapter in Ghent in 1997. In 1999, the Outlaws formed its first chapter in Belgium through a "patch over" of an indigenous Outlaws club based in Mechelen . The Belgian Federal Police has designated
3354-542: The Cactus Club in Gosnells, Western Australia and beat him with metal pipes. A Gypsy Joker was charged with unlawful possession of a large sum of cash, weapons and ammunition on August 17, 2007. Police pulled his car over and discovered a gun, an expandable baton, capsicum spray and ammunition when they searched his vehicle. A Gypsy Joker member was charged with attempted murder on March 17, 2009. He shot and wounded
3440-536: The Gypsy Jokers to dismantle its clubhouse fortifications, which include a concrete front wall, surveillance cameras and modified doors, in Perth, Western Australia . The club said the security was needed in the area where the burglary rate is high. Two Gypsy Joker members were jailed on March 5, 2009 on charges of assault. On May 12, 2007, Dean Alan Adams and Peter Floyd Robinson attacked Petera Heta Haimona outside
3526-631: The Hells Angels and the Mongols MC. The year 2007 saw an increase of the country's amount of OMCG chapters. According to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission , there are (at least) 38 outlaw motorcycle gangs operating across the nation as of 2020. Outlaw biker clubs first began to appear in Belgium in the 1970s, and the Belgian biker scene continued to be dominated by small local clubs until
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3612-785: The Hells Angels in Quebec at that time (i.e. 1994) were backed by Vito Rizzuto (of the Montreal Mafia), while the Rock Machine were affiliated with the criminal coalition known as the Alliance Against the Angels (otherwise known as the Dark Circle). The two central figures in the 1994 conflict were the leaders of the two warring gangs (Hells Angels and the Rock Machine): Maurice "Mom" Boucher (leader of Quebec's Hells Angels); and Salvatore Cazzetta (leader of
3698-401: The Hells Angels. After the Rock Machine emerged in 1986, they quickly became the number one rival of the Hells Angels, and a full-blown turf war between the two biker gangs erupted in the 1990s; unfortunately, claiming more than 150 individual lives, including two (2) prison guards and an innocent 11-year-old boy named Daniel Desrochers, who died several days after a planted car bomb exploded and
3784-598: The Oregon Gypsy Joker were charged with multiple crimes. The U.S. Attorney's Office said five defendants face charges of murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death and conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death for the June 30 to July 2, 2015 kidnapping and murder of Huggins. Huggins was a former Gypsy Joker member and resident of southeast Portland. The five defendants are accused of killing Huggins to maintain and increase their positions in
3870-464: The Press through 1997. From 1998 onward Bond defined his status as an "independent writer," largely focusing on mining, the EPA, and North Idaho’s current affairs. He contributed to the local Shoshone News-Press as a freelancer and columnist. From 2003 to 2010 Bond, with partner Shauna Hillman, orchestrated Silver Summit, Inc. investment conferences, annual gatherings devoted to the promotion of silver and
3956-518: The Rock Machine). The extreme levels of violence, assassinations, bombings, arson attacks, fly-by-fire attacks eventually led to the creation and passing of both Bill C-95 in 1997 and Bill C-24 in 2001 – setting forth harsher punishments and penalties for members of gangs and organized crime groups. Over the next several weeks, the violence reached a peak. In one week in September 1995, there
4042-401: The club's patches. Hang-arounds or support clubs wear support patches with the club's colors. A member must closely guard their colors for allowing one's colors to fall into the hands of an outsider is an act of disgrace and may result in loss of membership in a club, or some other punishment. The colors worn by members of some motorcycle clubs will sometimes follow a convention of using either
4128-413: The club. A 1990 paper noted the changing role of women within outlaw motorcycle clubs, and a 2000 paper stated that they now have agency and political savvy, reframing the narratives of their lives. "We did it. We showed them we are real women dealing with real men. I'd much prefer to be living with an OMC member than some dork who is a pawn in the system", said one woman who felt she and her peers had "set
4214-798: The country in April 2009. The first outlaw biker clubs in Germany were established by American military stationed in the country, including the Bones MC, founded in 1968, and the Ghost Riders MC, formed in 1972. David P. Bond (author) David Preston Bond (April 11, 1951 – February 16, 2020) was a newspaper reporter, columnist, and editor based in the American Northwest. He chronicled and supported North Idaho ’s mining industry over much of his career. "Bond considered himself
4300-566: The court of public opinion. National attention for the case was gained via CBS’s Sixty Minutes TV newsmagazine, The New Yorker , and numerous other media outlets. Locally, David Bond stood alone among journalists in his advocacy for Paradis. When Paradis finally won release from prison in April, 2001, Bond was widely credited. "Dave Bond believed in me," Paradis noted. "And he got a whole bunch of people to believe in me." After 2000, and in response to Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA )’s plan to expand its Superfund site at Kellogg, Idaho to
4386-547: The criminal club. In April 2024, brothers Kyle Ray Campbell Cameron Earl Campbell, sons of the late President of the Kennewick, WA chapter of the Gypsy Jokers, were sentenced to 25 years and 20 years respectively, in federal penitentiary for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. One percenter (motorcycle) An outlaw motorcycle club , known colloquially as a biker club or bikie club (in Australia),
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#17327932246804472-969: The damage caused in the raid. On April 10, 2008, police raided the Gypsy Joker clubhouse in Kennewick, Washington and arrested four men for possession of methamphetamine . Stolen property and weapons were also seized from the premises. On August 13, 2009, police in Nampa, Idaho , with assistance of the FBI, pulled over and detained approximately 60 to 70 members of the Gypsy Joker just off exit 38 on interstate 84. They were searched, interrogated, and photographed for future reference by law enforcement concerning gang affiliated activity. As of July 2016, three people in Oregon were facing two counts of murder, one count each of criminal conspiracy to commit murder and two counts each of criminal conspiracy to commit kidnapping regarding
4558-528: The denigration of women, maintaining a macho image, and the heavy use of drugs and alcohol. Many non-outlaw motorcycle clubs adopt similar insignia, colors, organizational structures, and trappings to outlaw clubs, making it difficult for outsiders (including police ) to tell the groups apart. Much of the mystique and many of the unwritten rules, values, and ideals of non-outlaw clubs are believed to come from outlaw clubs. Outlaw clubs are often prominent at charity events, such as toy runs. Charitable giving
4644-738: The entire Coeur d’Alene River Basin, Bond became sharply critical of the agency. One commentary, written in July, 2001, satirically suggested locals should arm themselves against incursions onto their properties by EPA personnel. EPA responded by increasing the police presence at a subsequent community meeting. Bond married four times, to Christy Lynn Rogers (9 September 1972 – 1 January 1980), Barbara A. Truitt (divorced, 4 October 1985), Rowene C. Carle (12 December 1985 – 9 November 1989), and Andrea "Kazia" Tessler (14 February 2018 – 16 February 2020, upon his death). His third wife, Rowene Bond, bore him two daughters. Bond and Shauna Hillman, of Wallace, Idaho, shared
4730-415: The entire club. This appears to make these groups extremely gender segregated. This has not always been the case, as during the 1950s and 1960s, some Hells Angels chapters had female members. Academic research has criticized the methodology of such previous studies as being "vague and hazy", and lacking in participant demography. Such reports may have made clear statements and authoritative analyses about
4816-565: The following: The late 1970s and early 1980s were considered to be the "golden age" in Western Canada for independent outlaw motorcycle clubs. Outlaw motorcycle clubs first appeared in the Canadian province of Quebec during the early 1950s. By the year 1968, the province was home to at least 350 of such groups – with most of, if not all, being "home-grown" – rather than having origins outside of Canada (or even Quebec). Some of
4902-412: The gang. These clubs are referred to as support clubs, satellite clubs or puppet clubs. They act as auxiliary groups, providing support to the larger club by propelling their influence further, acting as sources of recruitment and various other ways in return for protection and to bolster their reputations. Support clubs can also be used to help the principal club facilitate criminal activities. Although
4988-519: The hierarchical orders and bonds of "amoral familism" of other criminal organizations such as the Mafia. U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent William Queen , who infiltrated the Mongols , wrote that what makes a group like them different from the Mafia is that crime and violence are not used as expedients in pursuit of profit, but that the priorities are reversed. Mayhem and lawlessness are inherent in living "The Life" and
5074-482: The impression that Palmer had been killed in Idaho. This allowed Idaho to charge and convict Paradis with murder and sentenced to death. Public outcry and legal appeals managed to make it clear that the prosecution had withheld potentially exculpatory evidence, and Paradis' conviction was overturned. When Paradis finally won release from prison in April, 2001, David Bond was widely credited with contribution to his case. "Dave Bond believed in me," Paradis noted. "And he got
5160-484: The killing of Robert Huggins, once a high-ranking member of the group. Others were accused of hindering prosecution in this case. The investigation led to a raid of the Gypsy Joker clubhouse in North Portland that same year. Huggins' body was found beaten and mutilated in July 2015. His killers shot nails through his boots, carved out an ‘X’ on his body and knocked out his teeth. On January 31, 2019 six members of
5246-520: The largest OMG bust in history, with the confiscation of $ 2 million worth of illegal drugs, as well as an illegal arsenal of weapons, ranging from Uzi submachine guns to antitank weapons. In October 2008, the FBI announced the end of a six-month undercover operation by agents into the narcotics trafficking by the Mongols Motorcycle Club. The bust went down with 160 search warrants and 110 arrest warrants Canada, especially, has in
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#17327932246805332-511: The last one percent were outlaws. The alleged AMA comment, supposedly in reference to the Hollister riot of 1947, is denied by the AMA, who claim to have no record of such a statement to the press and that the story is a misquote. Whether the original quote is true or not, the "1%" patch is worn only by clubs characterized by criminality. Outlaw clubs began wearing the "1%" patch after Hells Angels president Sonny Barger convened
5418-517: The late 20th century experienced a significant upsurge in crime involving outlaw motorcycle clubs, most notably in what has been dubbed the Quebec Biker War , which has involved more than 150 murders (plus a young bystander killed by an exploding car bomb ), 84 bombings , and 130 cases of arson . The increased violence in Canada has been attributed to turf wars over the illegal drug trafficking business, specifically relating to access to
5504-503: The law". The Hells Angels sponsors charitable events for Toys for Tots in an attempt to legitimize themselves with public opinion. Contrary to other criminal organizations, OMGs operate on an individual basis instead of top-down, which is how supporters can claim that only some members are committing crimes. Belonging guarantees to each member the option of running criminal activity, using other members as support—the main characteristic of OMGs being "amoral individualism", in contrast to
5590-411: The money they obtain by illegal means is only wanted as a way to perpetuate that lifestyle. Recently, authorities have tried tactics aimed at undermining the gang identity and breaking up the membership. But in June 2011 the High Court of Australia overturned a law that outlawed crime-focused motorcycle clubs and required members to avoid contact with one another. In the U.S., a Federal judge rejected
5676-411: The most notable outlaw biker gangs at this time were Satan's Choice Motorcycle Club , Popeye Moto Club , Devil's Disciples Motorcycle Club (unrelated to the American group of the same name ), the Gitans, the Atomes, the Missiles MC, and of course, Hells Angels. The largest, most-feared chapter of Hells Angels was formed in Montreal, Quebec in 1977, when a biker gang called the Popeyes joined up
5762-428: The murder of convicted drug trafficker Terry Falconer, conspiracy to commit murder and firearms and drug offences. In December 1981, Donald Manuel Paradis, a leader of the Gypsy Joker, was convicted of the June 21, 1980 murder of Kimberly Anne Palmer, 19. Palmer and her boyfriend Scott Currier were murdered in Paradis's home. Paradis helped move the bodies to Post Falls, Idaho. Medical pathologist, William Brady, fostered
5848-484: The needy by driving down public participation and reducing donations. Events such as a 2005 shootout between rival outlaw clubs in the midst of a charity toy drive in California have raised fears about the participation of outlaw biker clubs in charity events. Authorities have attempted to ban outlaw clubs from charity events, or to restrict the wearing of colors at events in order to avert the sort of inter-club violence that has happened at previous charity runs. In 2002,
5934-406: The new member affirms his loyalty to the club and its members. The final logo patch is then awarded. Full members are often referred to as "full patch members" or "patchholders" and the step of attaining full membership can be referred to as "being patched". The majority of members of outlaw motorcycle clubs have no serious criminal record, and express their outlaw status on a social level, equating
6020-419: The notorious South Australian formed Mandamas MC and Gypsy Joker MC. the group has had a high profile in Australia, especially in the southern and western regions. The Gypsy Jokers are strong in Western Australia and considered to be one of Australia's most violent bikie gangs. In June 2001, the Western Australia Police Force seized the home of Leslie "Lee" Hoddy, the national president of the Gypsy Jokers, as
6106-620: The number of "white supremacist biker clubs are growing nationwide", according to the ADL . Many members of outlaw motorcycle clubs engage in criminal activities and organized crime and "pose a serious domestic threat". Law enforcement agencies perceive such individuals and motorcycle clubs as being unique among criminal groups because they maintain websites and businesses, identify themselves through patches and tattoos, write and obey constitutions and bylaws, trademark their club names and logos, and even hold publicity campaigns aimed at improving their public image. The term "outlaw motorcycle gang"
6192-620: The outlaw biker's total rejection of social constraints, and desire for the shock value among those who fail to understand the biker way. Most outlaw motorcycle clubs do not allow women to become full-patch members. Rather, in some 1%er clubs, women have in the past been portrayed as submissive or victims to the men, treated as property, forced into prostitution or street-level drug trafficking, and often physically and sexually abused, their roles as being those of obedient followers and their status as objects. These women are claimed to pass over any pay they receive to their partners or sometimes to
6278-481: The outlaw motorcycle club subculture has a tendency to be associated with the United States, a large number of regional scenes have emerged transcontinentally within countless nations across the globe. Europol has reported that there has been steady growth in the membership of outlaw motorcycle clubs worldwide since the year 2005. Outlaw motorcycle clubs are reported to have first appeared in Australia during
6364-511: The patches themselves are referred to as the colors or cut (a term taken from the early practice of cutting the collars or sleeves from a denim or leather jacket). Many non-outlaw motorcycle riding clubs such as the Harley Owners Group also wear patches on the back of their vests, without including the letters MC . The club patches always remain property of the club itself, not the member, and only members are allowed to wear
6450-418: The president of the mother chapter serves as the president of the entire MC, and sets club policy on a variety of issues, whereas other clubs either elect or appoint a National President for this role. Larger motorcycle clubs often acquire real estate for use as a clubhouse or private compound . Clubhouses, which are often fortified and equipped with a sophisticated security system, serve as a meeting place for
6536-499: The proceeds of crime. An enraged Hoddy shouted at the policemen locking him out of his house "I know where you fuckers all live!", which led him being charged with making death threats. Hoddy who had once been a millionaire died a poor man in 2004 as the Crown had seized his assets, property and bank accounts. They are well known in Australia for the 2001 car bomb murder of Western Australia 's former chief detective Don Hancock , known as
6622-422: The prospect may wear the club name on the back of their vest, but not the full logo, though this practice may vary from club to club. To become a full member, the prospect or probate must be voted on by the rest of the full club members. Successful admission usually requires more than a simple majority, and some clubs may reject a prospect or a probate for a single dissenting vote. A formal induction follows, in which
6708-648: The record straight". One woman in 2001 described the previous work done by men about women in the outlaw motorcycle club world by saying "the men that wrote that must be meatheads". They [women] are part of the scene because they want to be and enjoy it. These women have broken from society's stereotypically defined roles and find freedom with the biker world. High-profile outlaw bikers have historically been white and their clubs are typically exclusively racially homogeneous. Other sources state outright, that "With few exceptions, blacks are excluded from membership or riding with one-percenter biker clubs." The average age for
6794-411: The role of women associated with outlaw motorcycle clubs, but few state how they have come to such conclusions; one admitting that, "[his] interviews with biker women were limited lest [his] intentions were misinterpreted" by their male companions and that such views of women are mythic and "sexist research" in itself, using deeply flawed methodologies and serve two highly political purposes of maintaining
6880-648: The silver market and convened in a succession of cities, including Spokane, Washington , Coeur d’Alene , and Wallace . Bond also launched two publications in this period, the Wallace Street Journal and the Silver Valley Mining Journal. His book, The Silver Pennies: An Investor’s Guide to U.S. Silver Stocks came out in 2005. Also in 2005, Bond played a key role in Mayor Ron Garitone’s proclamation, on September 25, that
6966-505: The state, and the occasional interested third party organization, and hold periodic meetings on neutral ground where representatives from each club meet in closed session to resolve disputes between clubs and discuss issues of common interest. Local coalitions or confederations of clubs have eliminated some of the inter-club rivalry and together they have acted to hire legal and PR representation. Larger outlaw motorcycle clubs will often establish localized smaller clubs that are subservient to
7052-488: The three-piece patch arrangement, this is not necessarily an indication that a club is an outlaw motorcycle club. Law enforcement agencies have confiscated colors and other club paraphernalia of these types of clubs when they raid a clubhouse or the home of a MC member, and they often display these items at press conferences. These items are then used at trial to support prosecution assertions that MC members perform criminal acts on behalf of their club. Courts have found that
7138-468: The word "outlaw" with disregard for the law of groups like the American Motorcyclist Association , not the laws of government. Outlaw bikers view themselves as a fraternity of men who reject societal norms, and their sense of brotherhood is reflected in tattoos, the wearing of club " colors ", and earning ranks and titles within a club or chapter. However, there is also a subculture of outlaw biker activity which revolves around performing outrageous acts,
7224-550: Was a natural gas company executive and a Washington State legislator from 1975 to 1987. The family relocated from Spokane to Nanaimo, BC , on Vancouver Island , in 1957 and returned to Spokane in 1965, where David attended Ferris High School. He served as a page in the Washington state’s legislature in his junior year. After high school, in June, 1969, he enrolled at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon , where he studied English and political science. David left Willamette
7310-508: Was an assassination in a parking lot; bombings at a strip club, a bar and the mansion of an organized crime figure; arson attacks on a pawn shop, tanning salon and a used-car lot; and a friendly-fire incident where bikers accidentally killed three members of their own club. The Hells Angels (or "H-A" as they're often referred to) were, and continue to be, one of the more prominent biker gangs still in existence today in Quebec and other regions of Canada – having at least 34 different chapters across
7396-483: Was coined by the journalist Hunter S. Thompson in 1966 and was subsequently adopted by federal and local law enforcement agencies in the United States and elsewhere. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Criminal Intelligence Service Canada have designated four MCs as "outlaw motorcycle gangs": the Hells Angels , the Pagans , the Outlaws , and the Bandidos , known as the "Big Four". These four have
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