About Hells Angels Motorcycle Club

OFF THE WIRE
Posted: Sunday, September 12, 2010 12:00 am
The Hells Angels are synonymous with outlaw biker gangs. They have the fame, the notoriety and, nationwide, the numbers.

The group was immortalized by Hunter S. Thompson in his 1966 book, "Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs," but the Hells Angels' origins started nearly two decades before.

Begun in San Bernardino, Calif., in 1948, the club is now an international organization. While members insist the group is simply a collection of motorcycle enthusiasts, law enforcement considers them a violent criminal syndicate.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, members must be men, over the age of 21 and must own a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

The Angels' "colors" - patches carrying a motorcycle club's insignia and name - consist of a helmeted, winged skull with the letters "MC" under the wings. The words "Hells Angels" are written above and the chapter below, both in red writing on a white patch.

The Justice Department estimates more than 230 Hells Angels chapters exist in the U.S. and in dozens of other countries. In particular, the club holds a heavy presence in Canada, with nearly four times as many chapters in the country than its biggest rival, the Outlaws, according to the Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada.

Officials estimate full-patch membership in the thousands. But locally, the group's ranks appear thin.

Hells Angels consider Minnesota their territory, with a chapter in Minneapolis. Yet only about a dozen members belong to the local chapter, according to ATF sources.