17th March: Hell's Angels

The Hell's Angels Motorcycle Corporation was founded on this date in 1948. Here are some facts about the Hell's Angels you may not be aware of:

1. It's not a gang, it's a club - the full title is Hell's Angels Motorcycle Corporation (HAMC). It's the world's largest motorcycle club and has charters all over the world, including Argentina, Greece, Iceland, Russia, and Turkey.
2. It began in 1948 after the Hollister riot in 1947 in which existing motorcycle clubs took part. Otto Friedli, a member of one of these clubs, a club called The Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington, split to form his own. The name "Hell's Angels" was suggested to him by Arvid Olsen, his associate, who'd served in the Flying Tigers' "Hell's Angels" squadron in China during World War II. According to a Howard Hughes film, this squadron was famous for its dangerous feats of aviation.
3. The first charter outside the USA was formed in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1961. They arrived in the UK in 1969 when two charters formed in London - the "South London" and "East London", which amalgamated to form one London charter a few years later. The London Angels provided security at a number of UK Underground festivals.
4. The Hell's Angels have a website. www.hells-angels.com.
5. Fancy becoming a Hell's Angel member? If you have a valid driver's license, a motorcycle over 750cc, are not a child molester, policeman or prison officer you might be in with a chance. Prospective members first become "hang arounds" who attend the occasional event. They may then be invited to become an "Associate" for a couple of years, then a "prospect" where they can participate more but don't get to vote. During this period they are being evaluated for suitability by their peers, and may visit all the local charters (eg in their state) to make themselves known to the people with the power to vote them in. Finally, they must be unanimously voted in. They then become full members, usually by a formal induction, and are entitled to wear the full set of membership patches. The step of attaining full membership is sometimes referred to as "being patched".
6. However, if you're not a white male, forget it. Officially, the club is not racist, although according to founding member Sonny Barger, "we probably have enough racist members that no black guy is going to get in it". There is, however, a black motorcycle club called the East Bay Dragons. Its founder, Tobie Levingston, and Barger are said to be good friends and sometimes ride together. There's also a club for women, called the Leather and Lace Motorcycle Club.
7. The Hells Angels have a system of patches similar to military medals. All members will wear the death's head logo patch, one identifying which charter they belong to and one stating their rank in the organisation (eg. President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant at Arms). Others identify specific or significant actions or beliefs of each biker. The meanings of may of them aren't known to people outside the organisation. Some wear one with "1%" on it, which originates from a comment made by American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens.
8. Common nicknames for the club are the "H.A.", "Red & White" (from the colours of the patches), and "81" (from the positions in the alphabet of the letters H and A).
9. The Hell's Angels tried to sue Disney. In 2007 they filed a suit against the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group alleging that they'd used the name and logo of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation without permission in a film called Wild Hogs. They settled out of court when Disney assured the Angels the references would not appear in the film.
10. The club's motto is "Angels Forever, Forever Angels". There's also an unofficial one, "When we do right, nobody remembers. When we do wrong, nobody forgets." For despite their sometimes fearsome reputation and being considered an organised crime syndicate by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Hell's Angels often raise money for charities, such as The Red Cross Toys for Tots, the Salvation Army, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and various veteran’s and children’s charities - but people often aren't aware of that.