OFF THE WIRE
A “gathering” of Hells Angels bikers in east London could be a sign that the notorious motorcycle club is re-establishing themselves in the city.
On Saturday, the London police and members of the provincial Biker Enforcement Unit, led by the OPP, were monitoring the activities of Hells Angels members on Grey St. near Adelaide St.
London police said they expected more than 100 Hells Angels to be in the London area on Saturday.
They estimate there are 163 Hells Angels in Ontario. In London there are 13 members and one prospect – a potential member seeking full status.
There are also four people classified as “hangarounds”, supporters of the club who are not members but associate with the bikers.
There are 12 active Hells Angels chapter in Ontario. One chapter is considered frozen. About 40 per cent of Canada's Hells Angels are in the province.
The Hells Angels have been deemed to be a criminal organization by the courts and have been connected to drugs, weapons and violence.
In London, the Hells Angels have kept a low profile since the Biker Enforcement Unit seized a suspected clubhouse on Swinyard St. in July, 2008.
More recently, bureaucrats have targeted bars owned by suspected Hells Angels associates and attempted to take away their liquor licences because the establishiments are associated with an outlaw motorcycle gang.
The first target in London was Fabulous Flesh Gordon's, a strip club owned by Hells Angels member Rob Barletta.
In October,a two-member panel of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (ACGO) turned down the requestfrom the ACGO's registrar to revoke the licence. That decision is being appealed.
The hope was to win the Flesh Gordon's case and turn to another London strip club, the Beef Baron, owned by another member of Barletta's family.
The panel, in turning down the revocation, said Barletta had no record and has complied with all the regulations for owning a bar.
There are also signs that the Hells Angels rivals, the Outlaws are staking claims in the Forest City after they were virtually eliminated through a province wide sweep nine years ago.
Police believe the Outlaws have a clubhouse in the east-end of the city.
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/11/20/18994106.html
