"It really irks me," he said. "In the biker world, you're not supposed to testify against anybody. You're not supposed to be a rat."
OFF THE WIRE
Scott Smith
recordnet.com
FRENCH CAMP - Misfits Motorcycle Club member William Henry Anselmi - known for his cordial nature and violent history - wants people to know one thing.
If he ever held the rival Jus Brothers Motorcycle Club in any regard, that's long gone.
His problem with them arose, he said, when members of the Jus Brothers - and in particular Stockton chapter president Bob "Rebel" Riley - testified in court against him.
That's a breach of biker code, according to Anselmi, and plain bad manners.
Jurors earlier this year found Anselmi, 62, guilty of trying to murder 75-year-old Riley two years ago. Anselmi awaits sentencing May 2 by San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus.
He is expected to receive a sentence extending far beyond his natural life.
Anselmi invited The Record to an interview at the San Joaquin County Jail, where he is held. Except to proclaim innocence, he declined to talk about the crime, saying he may have solid appellate issues to raise later.
"I wasn't there. I wasn't the driver of the car. I didn't shoot no one," Anselmi said, flashing a smile. "I guess the jury said I was lying."
At trial, prosecutors said a feud peaked between the rival biker gangs as Anselmi formed a local Misfits chapter. A Jus Brothers biker had broken ranks and jumped to Anselmi's crew, stirring unease.
On Jan. 28, 2009, prosecutors said, Anselmi and another man drove by Riley's home near the Jus Brothers' Stockton clubhouse. They fired at Riley inside watching TV. Anselmi used an assault riffle, according to prosecutors.
Riley survived, suffering a shot to the arm and cuts from flying debris as 50 rounds sprayed into his home and cars, prosecutors said.
Anselmi said in the interview that the Jus Brothers don't measure up as a serious biker club. Riley's willingness to take the witness stand against him proves the point, Anselmi said.
"They're a club that's not bad, trying to be bad," he said. "They're mellow, yet they're trying to live in a dog-eat-dog world."
Riley bristled at Anselmi's statement. He said Anselmi - having been found guilty of trying to murder him - wants to stir discontent from jail.
Riley said he didn't violate the biker code by taking the witness stand. He never pressed charges and only testified because prosecutors subpoenaed him, Riley said.
"The state took him to court, not us," Riley said. "He's trying to give us a bad name. He's got nobody to blame but himself."
Riley also maintains that he never pointed his finger at Anselmi from the witness stand. The court record proves it, Riley said.
"I told the jury - I told the court, I was on the floor," Riley said. "I didn't see who was shooting."
Anselmi's demeanor in the interview didn't convey the persona of an outlaw biker with a violent history. Mostly bald, he was jovial and often spoke fondly about his mother and attending Manteca High School as a teenager.
Anselmi's cordial manor isn't to be confused with a capability of violence, said David Bertocchini, an investigator for the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office and a specialist in outlaw motorcycle gangs.
"Anselmi has the true reputation of being a true biker outlaw," Bertocchini said, citing years of drugs, weapons and killings in the gang. "He's a nice guy. He just goes by a code."
This was not Anselmi's first encounter with the law.
Anselmi had been convicted of killing two people in different incidents years ago, said San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Mark Dennings, who prosecuted Anselmi.
Those cases each drew light sentences. He left federal prison in 2006 after serving nearly 14 years in a third conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
After that, Anselmi said, he lived a straight life. He worked a day job. He split his free time between his girlfriend, recruiting for his motorcycle club and caring for his mother, an Alzheimer's patient.
Anselmi said he has no shame for who he is.
"I don't consider myself a bad guy. I see myself as a decent guy."
Contact reporter Scott Smith at (209) 546-8296 or ssmith@recordnet.com.
Visit his blog at recordnet.com/smithblog
