1 00:00:05,015 --> 00:00:07,184 male narrator: The Hells Angels motorcycle club 2 00:00:07,218 --> 00:00:09,820 is one of the most notorious organizations 3 00:00:09,853 --> 00:00:10,821 in the world. 4 00:00:12,156 --> 00:00:14,125 They've been accused of many things-- 5 00:00:14,158 --> 00:00:16,093 gun running, drug trafficking, 6 00:00:16,127 --> 00:00:17,161 and prostitution. 7 00:00:18,795 --> 00:00:22,799 But while the club admits members may not be true angels, 8 00:00:22,833 --> 00:00:25,269 they claim they are not a criminal organization. 9 00:00:26,937 --> 00:00:28,839 One of the main reasons they cite for this 10 00:00:28,872 --> 00:00:30,874 is a lack of leadership structure. 11 00:00:30,907 --> 00:00:33,510 The group says its charters are independent, 12 00:00:33,544 --> 00:00:36,280 with no organizational direction. 13 00:00:36,313 --> 00:00:38,349 But many believe this to be a front, 14 00:00:38,382 --> 00:00:41,185 and point to long-time member Sonny Barger 15 00:00:41,218 --> 00:00:43,120 as the group's de facto leader. 16 00:00:45,922 --> 00:00:47,858 One thing that is not disputable is 17 00:00:47,891 --> 00:00:49,293 that George Christie, 18 00:00:49,326 --> 00:00:52,529 30-year president of the Hells Angels Ventura chapter, 19 00:00:52,563 --> 00:00:54,698 is not a Barger fan. 20 00:00:56,233 --> 00:00:57,434 - I'm coming forward now 21 00:00:57,468 --> 00:00:59,703 because I want to set the record straight. 22 00:00:59,736 --> 00:01:01,838 I'm not bound by any rules anymore. 23 00:01:01,872 --> 00:01:05,108 I am not bound by any loyalties anymore. 24 00:01:05,142 --> 00:01:06,743 But I am bound by the truth. 25 00:01:13,217 --> 00:01:17,188 I guess I would describe Sonny Barger's personality 26 00:01:17,221 --> 00:01:20,123 as, "If you don't get out of my way, 27 00:01:20,157 --> 00:01:21,525 I'm gonna go over the top of you." 28 00:01:23,827 --> 00:01:26,530 He was very domineering in what he wanted. 29 00:01:26,563 --> 00:01:28,499 He wasn't afraid to go for it. 30 00:01:28,532 --> 00:01:31,402 And he wasn't afraid to break the rules in the process, 31 00:01:31,435 --> 00:01:34,971 either, no matter whose rules they were. 32 00:01:38,275 --> 00:01:39,876 narrator: In 1977, 33 00:01:39,910 --> 00:01:42,746 George Christie is a new member of the Hells Angels 34 00:01:42,779 --> 00:01:44,615 Los Angeles charter. 35 00:01:44,648 --> 00:01:47,451 But he is quickly rising to a position of power. 36 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:51,455 He's about to meet, for the first time, 37 00:01:51,488 --> 00:01:54,558 one of the club's legendary members, Sonny Barger. 38 00:01:57,127 --> 00:02:00,063 - One of the first times I ever dealt with Sonny was on a run. 39 00:02:02,899 --> 00:02:05,836 We're up at Lake Shasta, up in the mountains. 40 00:02:07,238 --> 00:02:12,175 The cops, as usual, had heavy surveillance on us. 41 00:02:13,544 --> 00:02:15,579 And what happened was, 42 00:02:15,612 --> 00:02:18,315 somebody ditched the cops and rode into the camp. 43 00:02:18,349 --> 00:02:20,217 The police thought that they were gonna pursue 44 00:02:20,251 --> 00:02:21,252 him into the camp. 45 00:02:21,285 --> 00:02:22,919 No way was Sonny gonna allow that. 46 00:02:25,522 --> 00:02:27,458 We wound up in a standoff. 47 00:02:27,491 --> 00:02:30,994 The cops were lined up across. 48 00:02:31,027 --> 00:02:34,365 Sonny looked at me 49 00:02:34,398 --> 00:02:35,799 and said, "Come on." 50 00:02:35,832 --> 00:02:38,502 All Sonny would have had to done was just raise his hand, 51 00:02:38,535 --> 00:02:42,373 and we just would've went balls-out into the cops. 52 00:02:42,406 --> 00:02:44,174 Here you've got all these cops out there. 53 00:02:44,207 --> 00:02:45,175 They weren't in control. 54 00:02:45,208 --> 00:02:46,943 We were in control. 55 00:02:46,977 --> 00:02:48,645 Sonny Barger was telling 'em, 56 00:02:48,679 --> 00:02:51,114 "This is the way it was gonna be." 57 00:02:51,147 --> 00:02:52,749 I was in awe, you know? 58 00:02:52,783 --> 00:02:56,520 He was what I wanted, you know, 59 00:02:56,553 --> 00:02:57,754 my life to be all about. 60 00:03:02,125 --> 00:03:03,560 narrator: At just 19 years old, 61 00:03:03,594 --> 00:03:06,863 Sonny helps create the Oakland Hells Angels. 62 00:03:06,897 --> 00:03:08,532 What no one knows at the time 63 00:03:08,565 --> 00:03:11,668 is how he's about to transform the ragtag group 64 00:03:11,702 --> 00:03:15,772 into a disciplined army always ready for its next battle. 65 00:03:15,806 --> 00:03:17,941 - Sonny brought to the Hells Angels something 66 00:03:17,974 --> 00:03:19,310 that they never had had before, 67 00:03:19,343 --> 00:03:21,945 and that was organization. 68 00:03:21,978 --> 00:03:23,580 Sonny has this ability, 69 00:03:23,614 --> 00:03:25,048 this charisma. 70 00:03:25,081 --> 00:03:26,850 And people want to follow him. 71 00:03:26,883 --> 00:03:29,286 People wanted to make him happy. 72 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:31,455 There was a lot of guys in the club that, you know, 73 00:03:31,488 --> 00:03:32,956 they didn't have that family unit. 74 00:03:32,989 --> 00:03:34,325 And I'll tell you, 75 00:03:34,358 --> 00:03:37,160 Sonny was a strong father figure for these guys. 76 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,870 narrator: In 1965, Sonny leads his chapter to Berkeley, 77 00:03:46,903 --> 00:03:50,541 California, to disrupt an anti-Vietnam demonstration. 78 00:03:50,574 --> 00:03:53,344 - Sonny and the Hells Angels showed up, 79 00:03:53,377 --> 00:03:56,347 and the protesters initially thought, 80 00:03:56,380 --> 00:03:57,514 "Here comes the Hells Angels; 81 00:03:57,548 --> 00:03:58,715 we've got some support." 82 00:03:58,749 --> 00:04:00,384 And it didn't take 'em long 83 00:04:00,417 --> 00:04:03,687 to find out that, no, they weren't there for support. 84 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:07,190 Sonny led the charge against these protesters. 85 00:04:07,223 --> 00:04:08,925 - Ironically, the Berkeley police 86 00:04:08,959 --> 00:04:10,594 had to protect the marchers 87 00:04:10,627 --> 00:04:14,297 from an attack by a small gang of hooligans. 88 00:04:14,331 --> 00:04:16,066 - He hated those guys, he told me. 89 00:04:16,099 --> 00:04:18,769 - Get out of here! 90 00:04:19,870 --> 00:04:21,237 narrator: Despite being outlaws, 91 00:04:21,271 --> 00:04:23,640 the Hells Angels are fiercely patriotic, 92 00:04:23,674 --> 00:04:25,676 and their support of the war in Vietnam 93 00:04:25,709 --> 00:04:27,644 made for good headlines. 94 00:04:27,678 --> 00:04:31,047 Sonny knew exactly how to capitalize on the press. 95 00:04:31,081 --> 00:04:32,716 - Here's a letter that we sent to-- 96 00:04:32,749 --> 00:04:34,250 a telegram to President Johnson. 97 00:04:34,284 --> 00:04:35,919 And we'll have-- - Can you read that for us? 98 00:04:35,952 --> 00:04:36,987 - Read it. - Read it. 99 00:04:37,020 --> 00:04:38,254 - "Dear Mr. President, 100 00:04:38,288 --> 00:04:40,357 "on behalf of myself and my associates, 101 00:04:40,391 --> 00:04:42,659 "I volunteer a group of loyal Americans 102 00:04:42,693 --> 00:04:44,961 "for behind-the-line duty in Vietnam. 103 00:04:44,995 --> 00:04:46,397 "Sincerely, Ralph Barger, 104 00:04:46,430 --> 00:04:48,098 Hells Angels, Oakland." 105 00:04:48,131 --> 00:04:51,868 - As far as the public's concerned, they're thinking, 106 00:04:51,902 --> 00:04:53,036 "Sonny Barger's talking, 107 00:04:53,069 --> 00:04:54,505 and the President's listening." 108 00:04:54,538 --> 00:04:57,140 He knew how to manipulate the media. 109 00:04:57,173 --> 00:04:58,842 - Sonny Barger, in effect, 110 00:04:58,875 --> 00:05:01,845 had become not only the most public face 111 00:05:01,878 --> 00:05:03,313 of the Hells Angels, 112 00:05:03,346 --> 00:05:06,550 but in many ways their international patriot. 113 00:05:10,754 --> 00:05:13,156 narrator: To the American public, Sonny Barger 114 00:05:13,189 --> 00:05:14,591 is the Hells Angels. 115 00:05:19,996 --> 00:05:23,667 So when Hollywood comes calling, they come to Sonny. 116 00:05:24,835 --> 00:05:27,103 - Sonny was in a few movies. 117 00:05:27,137 --> 00:05:29,005 He was in "Hell's Angels '69," 118 00:05:29,039 --> 00:05:32,375 and he was in "Hells Angels on Wheels" with Jack Nicholson. 119 00:05:32,409 --> 00:05:35,412 He had become the face of the Hells Angels. 120 00:05:35,446 --> 00:05:37,247 narrator: But not everyone in the club is happy 121 00:05:37,280 --> 00:05:39,249 with Sonny's growing fame. 122 00:05:39,282 --> 00:05:42,018 Some members complain the sacred Hells Angels name 123 00:05:42,052 --> 00:05:45,689 and logo are being disrespected when worn by Hollywood actors. 124 00:05:45,722 --> 00:05:48,124 - Sonny's astute enough to know that there were people 125 00:05:48,158 --> 00:05:49,660 in the club that were starting 126 00:05:49,693 --> 00:05:53,129 to take exception that he was getting so much attention 127 00:05:53,163 --> 00:05:55,198 and so much notoriety. 128 00:05:55,231 --> 00:05:56,767 To placate everybody, 129 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,301 he comes up with this idea: 130 00:05:58,334 --> 00:06:02,906 nobody will ever wear the Hells Angel name or logo again 131 00:06:02,939 --> 00:06:05,642 unless they are officially a member. 132 00:06:07,711 --> 00:06:09,179 - What are some of the qualifications 133 00:06:09,212 --> 00:06:11,314 for joining the Hells Angels? 134 00:06:11,347 --> 00:06:15,886 - Uh, basically, the first one is to ride a motorcycle. 135 00:06:15,919 --> 00:06:19,723 - He had become a very big figure, 136 00:06:19,756 --> 00:06:22,192 not only in the pop culture, 137 00:06:22,225 --> 00:06:25,061 but within the ranks of law enforcement. 138 00:06:28,932 --> 00:06:31,101 - In the last few years, the Hells Angels have become 139 00:06:31,134 --> 00:06:33,436 interested in a lot more than just motorcycles. 140 00:06:35,271 --> 00:06:38,108 narrator: The drug business is booming in the 1970s, 141 00:06:38,141 --> 00:06:41,011 and some Hells Angels members controlling a major part 142 00:06:41,044 --> 00:06:42,445 in the sale and distribution of meth 143 00:06:42,479 --> 00:06:44,014 throughout the U.S. 144 00:06:44,047 --> 00:06:47,417 Sonny Barger is arrested on charges of weapons possession. 145 00:06:47,450 --> 00:06:48,919 The next six years, 146 00:06:48,952 --> 00:06:51,187 he is in and out of prison for various indictments. 147 00:06:51,221 --> 00:06:53,990 - Some Hells Angels have become big-time criminals 148 00:06:54,024 --> 00:06:55,526 and very rich. 149 00:06:55,559 --> 00:06:57,661 narrator: While Sonny is in prison, George Christie 150 00:06:57,694 --> 00:07:01,532 is becoming a powerful voice in the Hells Angels' L.A. charter. 151 00:07:02,799 --> 00:07:04,334 At this time, 152 00:07:04,367 --> 00:07:06,937 the Hells Angels are a major focus of law enforcement, 153 00:07:06,970 --> 00:07:09,773 due to ongoing wars with rival motorcycle clubs 154 00:07:09,806 --> 00:07:11,207 like the Mongols. 155 00:07:11,241 --> 00:07:13,810 - After the conflict started with the Mongols, 156 00:07:13,844 --> 00:07:15,245 we had a lot of heat. 157 00:07:15,278 --> 00:07:18,515 The cops were stopping us constantly on our bikes. 158 00:07:18,549 --> 00:07:21,084 There had been an explosion in downtown Los Angeles, 159 00:07:21,117 --> 00:07:25,021 and someone was gonna answer for it. 160 00:07:25,055 --> 00:07:27,257 I certainly wasn't gonna back down to anybody, 161 00:07:27,290 --> 00:07:30,426 but I would be willing to take the path of least resistance 162 00:07:30,460 --> 00:07:33,196 to accomplish something. 163 00:07:33,229 --> 00:07:34,430 That vision 164 00:07:34,464 --> 00:07:36,199 that I was expressing to people 165 00:07:36,232 --> 00:07:40,136 put me in the position of becoming a leader. 166 00:07:40,170 --> 00:07:42,105 narrator: After years a full-patch member, 167 00:07:42,138 --> 00:07:45,075 George Christie becomes president of the L.A. chapter, 168 00:07:45,108 --> 00:07:47,611 and six months later, moves the club to Ventura 169 00:07:47,644 --> 00:07:49,680 to escape law enforcement's attention. 170 00:07:49,713 --> 00:07:53,216 As president, he strives to stop the use of explosives 171 00:07:53,249 --> 00:07:55,719 and avoid violence with rival motorcycle clubs. 172 00:07:55,752 --> 00:07:58,321 - I always thought our common enemy was law enforcement. 173 00:07:58,354 --> 00:08:02,492 But, you know, Sonny would take a dislike to a particular club. 174 00:08:02,525 --> 00:08:05,228 In my opinion, you just could not change his mind. 175 00:08:05,261 --> 00:08:08,932 I was willing to try to make a play to resolve differences. 176 00:08:08,965 --> 00:08:10,867 You know, Sonny didn't really give a damn. 177 00:08:10,901 --> 00:08:12,936 He would dig in and, 178 00:08:12,969 --> 00:08:15,171 no matter what you said or what you did, 179 00:08:15,205 --> 00:08:16,506 he didn't want to hear it. 180 00:08:16,539 --> 00:08:18,541 And that's the difference between me and Sonny. 181 00:08:18,575 --> 00:08:24,347 - George was the smarter, politically more savvy player. 182 00:08:24,380 --> 00:08:29,653 But he was always number two to Sonny Barger. 183 00:08:29,686 --> 00:08:32,422 They're both brilliant, shrewd tacticians, 184 00:08:32,455 --> 00:08:34,224 but also rivals for power. 185 00:08:36,159 --> 00:08:38,862 - There's a member in Los Angeles 186 00:08:38,895 --> 00:08:42,465 that gave me a warning when I first got in the club. 187 00:08:43,967 --> 00:08:46,637 He said, "You know, don't get too popular, George. 188 00:08:46,670 --> 00:08:48,471 "That's gonna be a problem for you, 189 00:08:48,504 --> 00:08:50,273 because Sonny doesn't like competition." 190 00:08:51,642 --> 00:08:52,609 - In my perspective, 191 00:08:52,643 --> 00:08:53,877 Sonny--you know, 192 00:08:53,910 --> 00:08:57,881 he had inherited a small band of misfits 193 00:08:57,914 --> 00:09:02,485 and turned 'em into a worldwide organized crime syndicate. 194 00:09:02,518 --> 00:09:04,821 I don't think Sonny's interested in letting anybody 195 00:09:04,855 --> 00:09:05,922 have a part of that. 196 00:09:05,956 --> 00:09:07,658 It's his. He owned it. 197 00:09:07,691 --> 00:09:09,693 He built it. 198 00:09:09,726 --> 00:09:13,163 narrator: In 1977, Sonny is released from prison, 199 00:09:13,196 --> 00:09:16,032 and he's ready to reclaim his former glory. 200 00:09:21,471 --> 00:09:23,239 - Now that Sonny is out of prison, 201 00:09:23,273 --> 00:09:25,275 are there gonna be more changes in the Hells Angels? 202 00:09:25,308 --> 00:09:26,977 - That's hard to say. 203 00:09:27,010 --> 00:09:28,378 I couldn't answer that-- 204 00:09:28,411 --> 00:09:30,346 - Do you have any thoughts in mind? 205 00:09:30,380 --> 00:09:32,115 - Not right at the minute. 206 00:09:32,148 --> 00:09:33,416 - In my opinion, 207 00:09:33,449 --> 00:09:35,385 there were doubts in Sonny's mind 208 00:09:35,418 --> 00:09:39,122 if he still retained and held the power that he once had. 209 00:09:39,155 --> 00:09:41,157 - From the short time that I've been out, 210 00:09:41,191 --> 00:09:42,693 when I see people on the streets, 211 00:09:42,726 --> 00:09:44,795 they, you know, 212 00:09:44,828 --> 00:09:46,629 don't seem shocked to see me anymore. 213 00:09:46,663 --> 00:09:49,365 A lot of them, you know, 214 00:09:49,399 --> 00:09:50,566 they find out who I am, 215 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:51,835 they're happy to see I'm out. 216 00:09:51,868 --> 00:09:53,837 Some of them are not quite so happy. 217 00:09:57,007 --> 00:10:00,543 - And now, he wants to assure himself and other people 218 00:10:00,576 --> 00:10:02,779 that he's in charge. 219 00:10:02,813 --> 00:10:05,048 What's the best way to do that? 220 00:10:05,081 --> 00:10:06,049 Have a run. 221 00:10:07,283 --> 00:10:08,618 We make a plan, 222 00:10:08,651 --> 00:10:11,922 and we pick Frisco, Colorado, as our destination. 223 00:10:17,127 --> 00:10:18,394 The way I remember it, 224 00:10:18,428 --> 00:10:20,363 the time comes to leave, 225 00:10:20,396 --> 00:10:24,701 Sonny gets wind that the Outlaws were going to Sturgis. 226 00:10:29,039 --> 00:10:31,241 You know, we'd been at war with the Outlaws 227 00:10:31,274 --> 00:10:32,575 for almost a decade now. 228 00:10:34,677 --> 00:10:38,749 Sonny decides that we need to go to Sturgis 229 00:10:38,782 --> 00:10:41,651 and meet the Outlaws head-on. 230 00:10:43,119 --> 00:10:44,988 narrator: But there was one problem; 231 00:10:45,021 --> 00:10:48,358 most of the Angels were already on their way to Frisco. 232 00:10:48,391 --> 00:10:50,660 - Now, how in the hell are you gonna get the word to everybody 233 00:10:50,693 --> 00:10:52,996 that the destination's been changed? 234 00:10:53,029 --> 00:10:54,898 There's no cell phones. 235 00:10:54,931 --> 00:10:57,300 There's no answering machines. 236 00:10:57,333 --> 00:11:00,904 It's a different era that we're living in back then. 237 00:11:02,605 --> 00:11:04,474 Half of the club made it to Sturgis. 238 00:11:04,507 --> 00:11:05,942 The other half didn't. 239 00:11:05,976 --> 00:11:09,045 And I'm part of the people that don't make it. 240 00:11:09,079 --> 00:11:12,015 And this creates a problem between me and Sonny. 241 00:11:12,048 --> 00:11:13,649 In my opinion, 242 00:11:13,683 --> 00:11:19,655 Sonny was so upset that people didn't show up in Sturgis, 243 00:11:19,689 --> 00:11:23,193 he divided the line right down the center of the club. 244 00:11:25,195 --> 00:11:28,564 And now I found myself with Sonny on one side 245 00:11:28,598 --> 00:11:32,635 and me on the other. 246 00:11:34,537 --> 00:11:36,172 narrator: Hells Angel member Sonny Barger 247 00:11:36,206 --> 00:11:37,908 has just returned to the club 248 00:11:37,941 --> 00:11:39,575 after his release from prison. 249 00:11:41,044 --> 00:11:42,745 Determined to reestablish his position 250 00:11:42,779 --> 00:11:43,947 as the face of the club, 251 00:11:43,980 --> 00:11:46,850 he orders a massive run to Colorado. 252 00:11:46,883 --> 00:11:49,519 But at the last minute, he changes the destination 253 00:11:49,552 --> 00:11:52,055 to Sturgis, South Dakota. 254 00:11:52,088 --> 00:11:54,757 Half the club never gets word of the change, 255 00:11:54,791 --> 00:11:56,759 including George Christie. 256 00:11:56,793 --> 00:12:01,297 Sonny is furious at those who didn't follow him to Sturgis, 257 00:12:01,331 --> 00:12:02,632 and Christie wants to make peace. 258 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,236 - You know, I've been in the club about five years now. 259 00:12:06,269 --> 00:12:08,504 I have my own charter in Ventura 260 00:12:08,538 --> 00:12:10,140 that I helped establish. 261 00:12:10,173 --> 00:12:11,908 I was a leader. 262 00:12:11,942 --> 00:12:14,244 I've got guys coming to me 263 00:12:14,277 --> 00:12:17,047 wanting to get this problem resolved. 264 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:20,250 So I decide the best way to do this is to go to Sonny 265 00:12:20,283 --> 00:12:21,918 on his own turf, up in Oakland. 266 00:12:25,588 --> 00:12:27,824 narrator: Christie rides out to Sonny's home in Oakland 267 00:12:27,858 --> 00:12:30,693 to meet with the most powerful Hells Angel 268 00:12:30,726 --> 00:12:34,164 and also the most unpredictable. 269 00:12:34,197 --> 00:12:35,331 - I get on the spot, 270 00:12:35,365 --> 00:12:36,599 and he--he looked at me--said, 271 00:12:36,632 --> 00:12:38,034 "It must be pretty important for you 272 00:12:38,068 --> 00:12:40,436 to come all the way up here." 273 00:12:40,470 --> 00:12:43,173 I said, "Well, I think the club 274 00:12:43,206 --> 00:12:45,675 all heading in the same direction is pretty important." 275 00:12:45,708 --> 00:12:46,843 I said, "You know, everyone 276 00:12:46,877 --> 00:12:48,644 looks to you for leadership, 277 00:12:48,678 --> 00:12:52,048 and you, in essence, are dividing the club." 278 00:12:52,082 --> 00:12:54,450 I said, "it's not the smart thing to do." 279 00:12:54,484 --> 00:12:56,586 narrator: Barger is unpredictable, 280 00:12:56,619 --> 00:12:58,188 but he isn't shy or subtle. 281 00:12:58,221 --> 00:13:00,056 - The way I remember it, 282 00:13:00,090 --> 00:13:02,225 we start talking about leadership styles, 283 00:13:02,258 --> 00:13:03,359 and he said some things 284 00:13:03,393 --> 00:13:06,362 that were very telling to me that day. 285 00:13:06,396 --> 00:13:07,663 He said, "You know, George, 286 00:13:07,697 --> 00:13:10,433 I burn every bridge I ever cross." 287 00:13:10,466 --> 00:13:12,002 I thought to myself, 288 00:13:12,035 --> 00:13:14,004 "Where's the brotherhood?" 289 00:13:14,037 --> 00:13:15,505 I said, "Look, I'm a team player. 290 00:13:15,538 --> 00:13:17,507 Let's put the team back together." 291 00:13:17,540 --> 00:13:18,909 narrator: As the meeting ends, 292 00:13:18,942 --> 00:13:21,511 it appears that progress has been made. 293 00:13:21,544 --> 00:13:22,946 - At the end of the meeting, 294 00:13:22,979 --> 00:13:24,847 I think Sonny understood what I was trying to do. 295 00:13:24,881 --> 00:13:26,049 I think he appreciated it. 296 00:13:26,082 --> 00:13:29,819 And ultimately, he resolved the problem 297 00:13:29,852 --> 00:13:31,554 by just saying, "Hey, you know what, 298 00:13:31,587 --> 00:13:35,525 "it was bad communications and misunderstandings. 299 00:13:35,558 --> 00:13:38,128 Let's move forward." And that's what we did. 300 00:13:38,161 --> 00:13:39,295 Sonny waved his hand, 301 00:13:39,329 --> 00:13:40,496 and it--it all ended. 302 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,302 Sonny is a heavy smoker. 303 00:13:46,336 --> 00:13:49,872 I think he was a non-filtered smoker 304 00:13:49,906 --> 00:13:50,907 when he was in prison. 305 00:13:50,941 --> 00:13:53,109 He comes home, 306 00:13:53,143 --> 00:13:56,146 and he gets the news that he's got throat cancer. 307 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:00,316 - I got to tell you, I was one of the ones that was worried, 308 00:14:00,350 --> 00:14:04,087 because I didn't know what the hell was gonna happen. 309 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:06,489 narrator: Sonny undergoes radiation treatment 310 00:14:06,522 --> 00:14:07,690 and a laryngectomy. 311 00:14:09,692 --> 00:14:10,927 - Sonny, how you feeling? - Very good, thanks. 312 00:14:10,961 --> 00:14:12,395 - That's good. 313 00:14:12,428 --> 00:14:15,065 - He had a vibrator he could hold up to his neck 314 00:14:15,098 --> 00:14:19,369 and, you know--sounded something like Darth Vader. 315 00:14:19,402 --> 00:14:21,171 - What about motorcycle riding? 316 00:14:21,204 --> 00:14:23,439 I know you're eager to get back on a bike? 317 00:14:23,473 --> 00:14:25,808 - Yeah, I have a DMV appointment in an hour. 318 00:14:25,841 --> 00:14:26,809 - Oh, no! 319 00:14:28,411 --> 00:14:30,746 narrator: With Sonny undergoing treatment for his cancer, 320 00:14:30,780 --> 00:14:33,349 George's role grows, earning him respect 321 00:14:33,383 --> 00:14:36,386 and recognition as a levelheaded leader. 322 00:14:36,419 --> 00:14:38,021 But George's increased exposure 323 00:14:38,054 --> 00:14:41,791 also means unwanted attention from the FBI. 324 00:14:41,824 --> 00:14:44,060 - To a lot of people, I was the new face of the Hells Angels-- 325 00:14:44,094 --> 00:14:46,396 especially to law enforcement. 326 00:14:46,429 --> 00:14:48,965 And the feds continued to target both Sonny, 327 00:14:48,999 --> 00:14:50,433 and me as well. 328 00:14:50,466 --> 00:14:54,837 They knew that, if they brought down Sonny and myself, 329 00:14:54,870 --> 00:14:59,409 it would make a major statement not only to the outlaw world, 330 00:14:59,442 --> 00:15:01,344 but to society at large. 331 00:15:01,377 --> 00:15:02,712 narrator: In 1986, 332 00:15:02,745 --> 00:15:05,081 the feds launch a full-scale investigation 333 00:15:05,115 --> 00:15:07,283 to gather intelligence on both Sonny Barger 334 00:15:07,317 --> 00:15:08,718 and George Christie. 335 00:15:08,751 --> 00:15:11,187 It would become one of the largest operations 336 00:15:11,221 --> 00:15:13,223 ever launched against the Hells Angels. 337 00:15:15,992 --> 00:15:17,293 - Operation CACUS 338 00:15:17,327 --> 00:15:22,332 was an FBI investigation that stemmed from an informant 339 00:15:22,365 --> 00:15:25,101 that the Alaska FBI had developed. 340 00:15:25,135 --> 00:15:27,537 His name was Tony Tait. 341 00:15:27,570 --> 00:15:30,340 - Tony Tait was not a law-enforcement officer. 342 00:15:30,373 --> 00:15:32,542 He had friends in law enforcement, 343 00:15:32,575 --> 00:15:34,044 and he took a dare. 344 00:15:34,077 --> 00:15:36,512 Somebody said, "I bet you can't infiltrate the Hells Angels." 345 00:15:36,546 --> 00:15:38,648 And Tony said, "I bet you I can." 346 00:15:38,681 --> 00:15:43,186 And that's how that whole thing started, over a bet. 347 00:15:43,219 --> 00:15:46,189 narrator: Tony Tait quickly rises to the rank of sergeant 348 00:15:46,222 --> 00:15:48,558 at arms within the club, 349 00:15:48,591 --> 00:15:53,263 all while serving as informant for the ATF and the FBI. 350 00:15:53,296 --> 00:15:54,297 - Anthony Tait, 351 00:15:54,330 --> 00:15:57,300 as an informant, was a dream come true. 352 00:15:57,333 --> 00:16:00,203 Here you have an individual who is already part of-- 353 00:16:00,236 --> 00:16:01,904 not only of the club, 354 00:16:01,937 --> 00:16:04,607 but in the hierarchy of the officer level. 355 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,077 And that's extremely difficult, 356 00:16:07,110 --> 00:16:11,714 once-in-a-lifetime opportunity given to law enforcement. 357 00:16:11,747 --> 00:16:15,485 - In each case, what I said was exactly the truth. 358 00:16:15,518 --> 00:16:17,953 That's why the club calls me Tony Truth. 359 00:16:17,987 --> 00:16:23,526 I've murdered them with the truth. 360 00:16:23,559 --> 00:16:25,928 narrator: Coming up... 361 00:16:25,961 --> 00:16:27,630 narrator: The Hells Angel motorcycle club 362 00:16:27,663 --> 00:16:29,465 is under assault. 363 00:16:29,499 --> 00:16:31,734 Their most prominent leader, Sonny Barger, 364 00:16:31,767 --> 00:16:33,903 is battling throat cancer. 365 00:16:33,936 --> 00:16:36,372 George Christie, president of the Ventura charter, 366 00:16:36,406 --> 00:16:38,040 has stepped up in Sonny's absence 367 00:16:38,074 --> 00:16:40,676 as a powerful voice within the club. 368 00:16:40,710 --> 00:16:42,445 But the FBI is more determined 369 00:16:42,478 --> 00:16:45,315 than ever to take the Angels down, 370 00:16:45,348 --> 00:16:46,582 starting with George Christie 371 00:16:46,616 --> 00:16:47,883 and Sonny Barger. 372 00:16:47,917 --> 00:16:50,153 - We were a target of law enforcement, 373 00:16:50,186 --> 00:16:53,156 and you had to watch every step of the way. 374 00:16:53,189 --> 00:16:55,625 It was like a-- it was like a minefield. 375 00:16:55,658 --> 00:16:57,127 narrator: Unknown to either man, 376 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,995 the feds now have an informant deep inside the club: 377 00:17:00,029 --> 00:17:01,597 Anthony Tait, who, 378 00:17:01,631 --> 00:17:05,535 by 1986, rises to the position of West Coast sergeant at arms. 379 00:17:06,736 --> 00:17:09,105 - Anthony Tait, seen here in disguise, 380 00:17:09,139 --> 00:17:11,073 was a national officer in the Hells Angels, 381 00:17:11,107 --> 00:17:13,075 and for nearly three years, 382 00:17:13,109 --> 00:17:16,045 the FBI's principal informant inside the club. 383 00:17:19,315 --> 00:17:23,219 narrator: On August 12, 1986, 384 00:17:23,253 --> 00:17:26,689 a Hells Angel named John Webb has a run-in with two members 385 00:17:26,722 --> 00:17:28,258 of a rival motorcycle club, 386 00:17:28,291 --> 00:17:29,725 the Outlaws. 387 00:17:29,759 --> 00:17:33,896 - John Webb runs into these two Outlaws that he knows. 388 00:17:33,929 --> 00:17:37,267 And there's a dispute over some money. 389 00:17:37,300 --> 00:17:38,934 They wind up getting in a gunfight. 390 00:17:41,137 --> 00:17:43,173 John gets shot and murdered. 391 00:17:44,740 --> 00:17:46,742 narrator: A meeting of the Hells Angels leadership 392 00:17:46,776 --> 00:17:49,078 is called to discuss the killing. 393 00:17:49,111 --> 00:17:50,913 - I'm the chairman. 394 00:17:50,946 --> 00:17:53,115 The secretary's sitting to my left, 395 00:17:53,149 --> 00:17:56,386 and the West Coast sergeant at arms is sitting to my right. 396 00:17:56,419 --> 00:17:57,587 And now that's Tony Tait. 397 00:17:59,222 --> 00:18:02,558 narrator: Tait arrives to the meeting with a cast on his arm. 398 00:18:02,592 --> 00:18:04,994 - Tony Tait walks into this meeting. 399 00:18:05,027 --> 00:18:07,630 He says he's been in a bike wreck. 400 00:18:07,663 --> 00:18:09,765 He's got this cast on. 401 00:18:09,799 --> 00:18:13,636 It's bright white, looks like they just put it on him, 402 00:18:13,669 --> 00:18:15,671 no road rash whatsoever. 403 00:18:16,906 --> 00:18:18,208 I go, "You're a lucky guy, Tony." 404 00:18:18,241 --> 00:18:19,275 And he gets kind of nervous. 405 00:18:19,309 --> 00:18:21,277 He goes, "Why would you say that?" 406 00:18:21,311 --> 00:18:22,645 I said, "You got in a bike wreck, 407 00:18:22,678 --> 00:18:24,714 and you don't have any road rash?" 408 00:18:24,747 --> 00:18:26,382 He's shifting in his seat, 409 00:18:26,416 --> 00:18:28,784 and he's making excuses why he doesn't have any road rashing. 410 00:18:28,818 --> 00:18:32,488 Come to find out there's a bug in the cast. 411 00:18:33,923 --> 00:18:35,825 narrator: Court documents would later reveal 412 00:18:35,858 --> 00:18:38,794 Tait was concealing a recording device. 413 00:18:38,828 --> 00:18:40,296 As the meeting gets underway, 414 00:18:40,330 --> 00:18:42,632 Tait does everything he can to encourage 415 00:18:42,665 --> 00:18:45,100 a murder plot to avenge the death of John Webb. 416 00:18:46,702 --> 00:18:49,372 If Tait can record Christie and the other leaders planning 417 00:18:49,405 --> 00:18:53,609 to commit murder, the FBI will have evidence for arrests. 418 00:18:53,643 --> 00:18:56,879 - Tony wanted to move forward with a war. 419 00:18:56,912 --> 00:18:59,048 And he's in this officers' meeting, 420 00:18:59,081 --> 00:19:00,082 and he's talking about, 421 00:19:00,115 --> 00:19:02,418 he wants to blow these guys up. 422 00:19:02,452 --> 00:19:03,419 I'm very suspect of this. 423 00:19:03,453 --> 00:19:04,854 First of all, 424 00:19:04,887 --> 00:19:06,722 you don't bring stuff up like this in meetings. 425 00:19:06,756 --> 00:19:08,123 Then, you know what, 426 00:19:08,157 --> 00:19:09,792 we're already at war with the Outlaws. 427 00:19:09,825 --> 00:19:11,494 What the hell does he need permission 428 00:19:11,527 --> 00:19:12,595 to go to war with the Outlaws? 429 00:19:13,996 --> 00:19:15,431 narrator: Christie makes sure the group sticks 430 00:19:15,465 --> 00:19:18,334 to the Hells Angels rules stating illegal acts 431 00:19:18,368 --> 00:19:21,103 are never discussed at meetings. 432 00:19:21,136 --> 00:19:24,139 Tait fails to record any useful evidence. 433 00:19:24,173 --> 00:19:26,409 - Because I confronted Tony about the cast, 434 00:19:26,442 --> 00:19:28,344 they decide to try something new. 435 00:19:28,378 --> 00:19:30,079 Now they put the bug in a beeper 436 00:19:30,112 --> 00:19:31,547 and send him to Sonny's house. 437 00:19:35,418 --> 00:19:38,454 And what they're doing is, in the course of the afternoon, 438 00:19:38,488 --> 00:19:40,089 they're paging Tony. 439 00:19:40,122 --> 00:19:41,357 Tony looks at the number, 440 00:19:41,391 --> 00:19:42,792 and then says to Sonny, 441 00:19:42,825 --> 00:19:44,660 "Can I borrow your phone, Sonny?" 442 00:19:44,694 --> 00:19:46,562 And Sonny says, "Sure, why not?" 443 00:19:46,596 --> 00:19:49,999 Tony's now using Sonny's phone to call the feds, 444 00:19:50,032 --> 00:19:52,868 and the feds are directing Tony and telling him 445 00:19:52,902 --> 00:19:55,671 what he needs to get Sonny to say to get the indictment. 446 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,476 narrator: Tony Tait wants Sonny Barger to order him 447 00:20:00,510 --> 00:20:03,413 to bomb the Outlaws who killed John Webb. 448 00:20:03,446 --> 00:20:06,949 - He's doing everything imaginable to get us, 449 00:20:06,982 --> 00:20:09,652 as a club, to go to war with the Outlaws. 450 00:20:09,685 --> 00:20:12,322 He wants to blow them up in their Kentucky clubhouse. 451 00:20:12,355 --> 00:20:14,957 Tony said, "There's gonna be collateral damage." 452 00:20:14,990 --> 00:20:16,058 And Sonny said, 453 00:20:16,091 --> 00:20:18,193 "I know, but it's worth it." 454 00:20:18,227 --> 00:20:20,162 And the feds now have it on tape. 455 00:20:20,195 --> 00:20:22,632 narrator: Sonny Barger has just incriminated himself 456 00:20:22,665 --> 00:20:25,000 in a murder plot. 457 00:20:25,034 --> 00:20:26,836 But the FBI wants more. 458 00:20:26,869 --> 00:20:28,804 They want George Christie. 459 00:20:28,838 --> 00:20:31,507 So before arresting Barger and blowing Tait's cover, 460 00:20:31,541 --> 00:20:34,276 they send Tait after Christie one more time. 461 00:20:34,310 --> 00:20:36,646 - About a week later, he shows up in Ventura. 462 00:20:36,679 --> 00:20:38,381 And he goes, "I got a real problem, George. 463 00:20:38,414 --> 00:20:41,183 I--I need some help." 464 00:20:41,216 --> 00:20:42,685 I said, "What kind of problem?" 465 00:20:42,718 --> 00:20:44,654 He goes, "I need a good drug connection." 466 00:20:44,687 --> 00:20:46,221 He goes, "I got myself in a jam 467 00:20:46,255 --> 00:20:48,257 "with a Oakland heavyweight, 468 00:20:48,290 --> 00:20:51,293 "and I'm $30,000 down, man. 469 00:20:51,327 --> 00:20:53,929 "And I need to score some pure crank 470 00:20:53,963 --> 00:20:56,031 so I can get out of debt." 471 00:20:56,065 --> 00:20:58,033 And, you know, I said, "You know, Tony." 472 00:20:58,067 --> 00:20:59,268 I said, "I want to tell you something, man." 473 00:20:59,301 --> 00:21:00,803 I said, "I'm not in the drug business." 474 00:21:00,836 --> 00:21:02,304 And I said, "I don't plan 475 00:21:02,338 --> 00:21:05,508 "on starting any involvement in the drug business 476 00:21:05,541 --> 00:21:07,643 to get you out of a jam." 477 00:21:07,677 --> 00:21:08,978 narrator: Tait's persistence 478 00:21:09,011 --> 00:21:12,782 has Christie more suspicious than ever. 479 00:21:12,815 --> 00:21:15,985 - I'm in the clubhouse talking to Animal. 480 00:21:16,018 --> 00:21:17,753 Now, Animal and I go back a long ways. 481 00:21:17,787 --> 00:21:19,121 I went to high school with him. 482 00:21:19,154 --> 00:21:20,956 Now we're Hells Angel brothers together. 483 00:21:20,990 --> 00:21:22,392 And I said, "Look, 484 00:21:22,425 --> 00:21:24,927 I know everybody's embracing this guy, Tony Tait." 485 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:26,929 I said, "I got a bad feeling about him." 486 00:21:26,962 --> 00:21:29,264 I said, "He's talking about doing dope deals, 487 00:21:29,298 --> 00:21:30,500 "and he's in a jam, 488 00:21:30,533 --> 00:21:31,801 and he needs help." 489 00:21:31,834 --> 00:21:34,269 But I said, "Man, I'm not feeling this guy." 490 00:21:34,303 --> 00:21:35,738 narrator: Tait is, once again, 491 00:21:35,771 --> 00:21:38,173 unsuccessful getting Christie to conspire 492 00:21:38,207 --> 00:21:40,142 to break the law on tape, 493 00:21:40,175 --> 00:21:43,913 and the FBI believes Christie is now suspicious of him. 494 00:21:43,946 --> 00:21:47,817 - The feds pull Tony Tait off the street. 495 00:21:47,850 --> 00:21:50,252 In my opinion, the clubhouse was bugged, 496 00:21:50,285 --> 00:21:53,756 and the FBI had reached a decision that Tony Tait 497 00:21:53,789 --> 00:21:57,493 had been compromised by my conversation with Animal. 498 00:21:57,527 --> 00:22:00,029 narrator: Giving up on Christie, the FBI acts 499 00:22:00,062 --> 00:22:02,432 on the evidence Tait has already obtained. 500 00:22:02,465 --> 00:22:06,268 On November 10, 1987, they make their move. 501 00:22:07,369 --> 00:22:08,704 - Go, go! 502 00:22:08,738 --> 00:22:11,340 - The FBI says tonight it has rounded up top members 503 00:22:11,373 --> 00:22:14,143 of the Hells Angels motorcycle club in California, 504 00:22:14,176 --> 00:22:15,277 Alaska, Kentucky, 505 00:22:15,310 --> 00:22:16,779 and the Carolinas. 506 00:22:16,812 --> 00:22:18,981 In San Francisco, Ralph "Sonny" Barger 507 00:22:19,014 --> 00:22:21,684 was one of the leaders of the Angels arrested. 508 00:22:21,717 --> 00:22:23,352 Officials say some of those charges 509 00:22:23,385 --> 00:22:26,321 deal with an alleged attempt by the Hells Angels to kill 510 00:22:26,355 --> 00:22:32,261 members of a rival motorcycle gang, the Outlaws. 511 00:22:35,130 --> 00:22:36,165 narrator: In 1987, 512 00:22:36,198 --> 00:22:37,600 an undercover operation 513 00:22:37,633 --> 00:22:40,369 by the FBI results in the arrest of Hells Angels 514 00:22:40,402 --> 00:22:43,205 leader Sonny Barger for a plot to blow up the clubhouse 515 00:22:43,238 --> 00:22:45,941 of their rivals, the Outlaws. 516 00:22:45,975 --> 00:22:49,512 Ventura President George Christie escapes Tait's trap, 517 00:22:49,545 --> 00:22:51,947 but many in the club aren't so lucky. 518 00:22:51,981 --> 00:22:54,750 - Anthony Tait was critical to the investigation, 519 00:22:54,784 --> 00:22:57,820 because he was the vehicle through which law enforcement 520 00:22:57,853 --> 00:22:59,989 was able to get inside the inner workings 521 00:23:00,022 --> 00:23:01,557 of the Hells Angels. 522 00:23:01,591 --> 00:23:05,828 - After Sonny got arrested, I made a commitment to myself. 523 00:23:05,861 --> 00:23:07,763 And that commitment was, 524 00:23:07,797 --> 00:23:08,864 "I'm never gonna 525 00:23:08,898 --> 00:23:11,467 "have a conversation with anybody 526 00:23:11,501 --> 00:23:15,337 that I wouldn't want my attorney to play in court." 527 00:23:15,370 --> 00:23:17,006 Tony Tait shows up in Ventura. 528 00:23:17,039 --> 00:23:19,475 He asks me to set him up in the drug business. 529 00:23:19,509 --> 00:23:21,644 Not being in the drug-- drug business, I informed him, 530 00:23:21,677 --> 00:23:22,978 "No, I cannot help you. Sorry." 531 00:23:23,012 --> 00:23:24,980 - What do you think he was trying to do--entrap you? 532 00:23:25,014 --> 00:23:26,081 - Absolutely. 533 00:23:26,115 --> 00:23:28,684 I saw that these guys played dirty. 534 00:23:28,718 --> 00:23:31,687 And if I was gonna stay on the street and beat 'em, 535 00:23:31,721 --> 00:23:33,388 I had to be one step ahead of 'em. 536 00:23:33,422 --> 00:23:35,290 And that's what kept me out of jail. 537 00:23:35,324 --> 00:23:37,092 narrator: Operation CACUS results 538 00:23:37,126 --> 00:23:39,862 in 32 Hells Angels being sentenced to prison, 539 00:23:39,895 --> 00:23:41,731 including Sonny Barger. 540 00:23:41,764 --> 00:23:43,566 Sonny is sentenced to four years 541 00:23:43,599 --> 00:23:45,100 and nine months in prison. 542 00:23:46,702 --> 00:23:49,672 George Christie is now viewed by many as the spokesman 543 00:23:49,705 --> 00:23:51,106 of the Hells Angels. 544 00:23:52,474 --> 00:23:53,743 And Sonny Barger's rein, 545 00:23:53,776 --> 00:23:56,145 many believe, has ended. 546 00:23:56,178 --> 00:23:58,180 - Sonny gets busted, 547 00:23:58,213 --> 00:24:00,883 and there are people in the club talking about, 548 00:24:00,916 --> 00:24:03,418 "Maybe he's losing it a little bit." 549 00:24:03,452 --> 00:24:05,487 Getting caught up 550 00:24:05,521 --> 00:24:08,591 in this scheme to blow up the Outlaws 551 00:24:08,624 --> 00:24:11,360 was just kind of the last straw. 552 00:24:13,362 --> 00:24:16,265 - What convicted Sonny Barger were his own words. 553 00:24:16,298 --> 00:24:17,933 It wasn't just what Anthony Tait 554 00:24:17,967 --> 00:24:19,201 said Sonny Barger was saying. 555 00:24:19,234 --> 00:24:20,502 There were recordings. 556 00:24:20,536 --> 00:24:22,538 - You do become damaged goods. 557 00:24:22,572 --> 00:24:24,774 You are no longer invincible. 558 00:24:24,807 --> 00:24:27,509 You are no longer this mythic individual 559 00:24:27,543 --> 00:24:30,245 that is smarter than the other side. 560 00:24:30,279 --> 00:24:31,380 No, you're vulnerable, 561 00:24:31,413 --> 00:24:33,282 and now you're compromised. 562 00:24:33,315 --> 00:24:36,218 To some members, that was the final blow against Sonny 563 00:24:36,251 --> 00:24:38,721 as a leader in the club. 564 00:24:38,754 --> 00:24:41,691 But Sonny was never gonna stop fighting. 565 00:24:41,724 --> 00:24:42,692 And he didn't. 566 00:24:46,528 --> 00:24:48,631 narrator: It's the fall of 1992. 567 00:24:48,664 --> 00:24:51,567 After spending almost five years behind bars, 568 00:24:51,601 --> 00:24:53,636 Sonny Barger comes home. 569 00:24:53,669 --> 00:24:54,770 - Welcome home. 570 00:24:54,804 --> 00:24:56,071 - Missed you. 571 00:24:56,105 --> 00:24:58,173 - Hi, Sharon. - How you doing? 572 00:24:58,207 --> 00:25:00,743 - What're you gonna do next? - Uh, try to stay out of jail. 573 00:25:03,045 --> 00:25:06,916 You got to remember--I thought I was doing the right thing. 574 00:25:06,949 --> 00:25:09,218 The FBI come to me and said, 575 00:25:09,251 --> 00:25:11,453 "We got to kill these guys." 576 00:25:11,486 --> 00:25:12,955 And that--after a while, 577 00:25:12,988 --> 00:25:14,757 I said, "Okay, I'll help you." 578 00:25:14,790 --> 00:25:16,191 And they arrested me. - Okay. 579 00:25:16,225 --> 00:25:17,492 - What are you gonna do, you know? 580 00:25:17,526 --> 00:25:19,161 - Yeah. - You look awful happy today. 581 00:25:19,194 --> 00:25:20,195 - I'm very happy. 582 00:25:21,831 --> 00:25:24,499 narrator: But Sonny returns to Oakland to find the club 583 00:25:24,533 --> 00:25:26,001 has moved on without him. 584 00:25:26,035 --> 00:25:27,703 In Sonny's absence, 585 00:25:27,737 --> 00:25:29,939 George Christie's influence has grown, 586 00:25:29,972 --> 00:25:32,642 and he's taking the club in a new direction. 587 00:25:32,675 --> 00:25:34,309 - You know, I wanted the club to be at peace 588 00:25:34,343 --> 00:25:35,678 with their rivals. 589 00:25:35,711 --> 00:25:37,346 I wanted to keep a low profile, 590 00:25:37,379 --> 00:25:40,616 keep law-enforcement interest down to a minimum, 591 00:25:40,650 --> 00:25:44,586 and make things as profitable as possible for us. 592 00:25:44,620 --> 00:25:47,222 Sonny, on the other hand, does things his way. 593 00:25:47,256 --> 00:25:50,893 We had two completely different leadership styles. 594 00:25:50,926 --> 00:25:52,928 You know, we reached a point 595 00:25:52,962 --> 00:25:56,231 in time when there was a fork in the road. 596 00:25:56,265 --> 00:25:57,299 And he went one way, 597 00:25:57,332 --> 00:25:59,034 and I went the other. 598 00:25:59,068 --> 00:26:01,336 narrator: With the changing landscape in California, 599 00:26:01,370 --> 00:26:03,673 Sonny Barger decides to start over 600 00:26:03,706 --> 00:26:05,908 and build a new chapter in Arizona. 601 00:26:09,645 --> 00:26:12,481 - Sonny Barger gets out of prison in Arizona, 602 00:26:12,514 --> 00:26:13,949 likes the dry air, 603 00:26:13,983 --> 00:26:17,820 but realizes maybe Arizona is a riper place 604 00:26:17,853 --> 00:26:20,355 for him to try to expand the Hells Angels. 605 00:26:21,390 --> 00:26:22,491 He had a problem, though. 606 00:26:22,524 --> 00:26:26,061 In the sixth largest state of the union, 607 00:26:26,095 --> 00:26:29,164 there was not a single member of the Hells Angels. 608 00:26:29,198 --> 00:26:32,902 Who does he choose to build up the Hells Angels in Arizona? 609 00:26:32,935 --> 00:26:34,403 A gang called the Dirty Dozen. 610 00:26:37,606 --> 00:26:40,142 - I had met the Dirty Dozen back in the '70s. 611 00:26:40,175 --> 00:26:42,011 And the whole state was wide-open, 612 00:26:42,044 --> 00:26:43,713 and the Dirty Dozen ran that state. 613 00:26:43,746 --> 00:26:45,247 They controlled the state. 614 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:48,650 - When Sonny wanted to bring the Hells Angels into Arizona, 615 00:26:48,684 --> 00:26:51,921 they were the one and only choice of the club to absorb, 616 00:26:51,954 --> 00:26:54,256 because they were rough boys. 617 00:26:55,290 --> 00:26:56,491 The courtship started. 618 00:26:56,525 --> 00:26:59,528 The prospecting phase started. 619 00:26:59,561 --> 00:27:01,630 And depending on how you look at it, 620 00:27:01,663 --> 00:27:02,631 the best of the best-- 621 00:27:02,664 --> 00:27:03,833 or the worst of the worst-- 622 00:27:03,866 --> 00:27:07,169 Dirty Dozen became Hells Angels. 623 00:27:07,202 --> 00:27:09,371 narrator: Sonny Barger makes the Dirty Dozen 624 00:27:09,404 --> 00:27:11,774 into full-patch Hells Angels members 625 00:27:11,807 --> 00:27:14,576 and forms a new chapter in Cave Creek, Arizona, 626 00:27:14,609 --> 00:27:15,845 with himself as president. 627 00:27:17,346 --> 00:27:20,415 Some believe Barger intends to use this new chapter 628 00:27:20,449 --> 00:27:22,484 to reemerge as the face of the club. 629 00:27:24,887 --> 00:27:26,756 - There's a lot of problems between me and Sonny. 630 00:27:26,789 --> 00:27:28,090 There's a lot of dynamics. 631 00:27:28,123 --> 00:27:30,059 There's a lot of problems just going on, period. 632 00:27:31,961 --> 00:27:35,397 Ventura gets in a fight with some Arizona guys, 633 00:27:35,430 --> 00:27:39,969 and they do something that they shouldn't have done. 634 00:27:41,536 --> 00:27:44,239 They pull the patch of an Arizona member. 635 00:27:44,273 --> 00:27:45,307 They beat this guy up. 636 00:27:45,340 --> 00:27:46,308 They took his patch. 637 00:27:46,341 --> 00:27:47,409 This is one of Sonny's guys. 638 00:27:47,442 --> 00:27:48,643 So this creates a problem. 639 00:27:48,677 --> 00:27:50,679 And there's a meeting coming up. 640 00:27:50,712 --> 00:27:54,316 The meeting's gonna take place 641 00:27:54,349 --> 00:27:56,085 in Cave Creek, Arizona. 642 00:27:56,118 --> 00:27:57,686 That's Sonny Barger's charter. 643 00:27:59,521 --> 00:28:01,556 I've got about five of my guys heading out that way, 644 00:28:01,590 --> 00:28:03,325 and I'm not feeling good about it. 645 00:28:03,358 --> 00:28:05,194 And I get one of my feelings that I get, 646 00:28:05,227 --> 00:28:07,096 that something bad is about to happen. 647 00:28:08,297 --> 00:28:09,899 I said, "Don't get caught in the desert 648 00:28:09,932 --> 00:28:10,966 in the middle of the night." 649 00:28:12,434 --> 00:28:13,402 They don't listen. 650 00:28:18,473 --> 00:28:20,609 narrator: After serving a five-year prison sentence, 651 00:28:20,642 --> 00:28:21,877 Sonny Barger's role 652 00:28:21,911 --> 00:28:25,214 as leader and spokesman of the club lessens. 653 00:28:25,247 --> 00:28:27,282 A rivalry between Sonny and Ventura, 654 00:28:27,316 --> 00:28:30,452 California, President George Christie emerges. 655 00:28:30,485 --> 00:28:31,921 By the 2000s, 656 00:28:31,954 --> 00:28:35,590 Barger has set up a new chapter in Cave Creek, Arizona. 657 00:28:35,624 --> 00:28:38,760 But squabbles between his group and Christie's Ventura chapter 658 00:28:38,794 --> 00:28:41,263 are causing even more tension between the two leaders. 659 00:28:45,367 --> 00:28:48,670 crowd: Four, three, two, one! 660 00:28:48,703 --> 00:28:50,172 - By 2002, 661 00:28:50,205 --> 00:28:52,541 there's a lot of problems between me and Sonny. 662 00:28:52,574 --> 00:28:54,243 Some of my guys from Ventura wind 663 00:28:54,276 --> 00:28:56,846 up getting in a fight with Sonny's guys 664 00:28:56,879 --> 00:28:58,580 New Year's Day morning. 665 00:28:58,613 --> 00:29:02,852 I wasn't there, but I was told that the Ventura guys wind up 666 00:29:02,885 --> 00:29:06,588 taking one of the patches off of a Arizona member. 667 00:29:06,621 --> 00:29:07,656 They beat this guy up. 668 00:29:07,689 --> 00:29:09,124 They took his patch. 669 00:29:10,359 --> 00:29:11,927 That's something you just don't do. 670 00:29:11,961 --> 00:29:14,663 This is one of Sonny's guys, so this creates some problem. 671 00:29:14,696 --> 00:29:17,466 narrator: The Hells Angels are at war with rival motorcycle 672 00:29:17,499 --> 00:29:21,703 club the Mongols, who have been targeting and killing Angels. 673 00:29:21,736 --> 00:29:24,473 A meeting to discuss the Mongol war is to be held 674 00:29:24,506 --> 00:29:26,375 at Barger's Cave Creek, Arizona chapter. 675 00:29:27,943 --> 00:29:31,180 - I had every intention to go to the meeting in Cave Creek, 676 00:29:31,213 --> 00:29:33,715 but I was on felony probation. 677 00:29:34,749 --> 00:29:37,219 I go to my probation officer, 678 00:29:37,252 --> 00:29:39,221 and I request a travel pass. 679 00:29:39,254 --> 00:29:41,456 I'm told in no uncertain terms 680 00:29:41,490 --> 00:29:42,724 that I'm not gonna 681 00:29:42,757 --> 00:29:45,827 be allowed to go anywheres out of California. 682 00:29:45,861 --> 00:29:48,463 I've got about five of my guys headed out that way, 683 00:29:48,497 --> 00:29:50,599 and I'm not feeling good about it. 684 00:29:50,632 --> 00:29:52,234 You know, I tell my guys--I said, "Look, 685 00:29:52,267 --> 00:29:54,669 "there's a lot of stuff going on between Sonny and I. 686 00:29:54,703 --> 00:29:58,207 When the meeting adjourns, come immediately back." 687 00:29:58,240 --> 00:29:59,841 I said, "Don't get caught in the desert 688 00:29:59,875 --> 00:30:01,810 in the middle of the night." 689 00:30:01,843 --> 00:30:02,811 They don't listen. 690 00:30:06,481 --> 00:30:08,951 narrator: On the night of June 8, 2002, 691 00:30:08,984 --> 00:30:10,719 Ventura Hells Angel Josh Harber 692 00:30:10,752 --> 00:30:13,255 and his crew are partying at the Coyote Wild bar 693 00:30:13,288 --> 00:30:15,157 in Cave Creek, Arizona. 694 00:30:15,190 --> 00:30:16,258 - From what I was told, 695 00:30:16,291 --> 00:30:18,627 one of the members is playing video games. 696 00:30:18,660 --> 00:30:23,132 He sees Josh Harber is now engaged in a conversation 697 00:30:23,165 --> 00:30:26,268 with somebody standing out in front of the bar. 698 00:30:26,301 --> 00:30:28,904 What happens is, this individual pulls a gun 699 00:30:28,938 --> 00:30:30,072 out of his waistband. 700 00:30:34,176 --> 00:30:35,945 Several hours later, Josh Harber dies. 701 00:30:37,446 --> 00:30:39,848 narrator: Some speculate that the murder of Josh Harber 702 00:30:39,881 --> 00:30:42,217 is done out of revenge for the beating of one 703 00:30:42,251 --> 00:30:45,020 of Barger's Cave Creek Angels by the Ventura club. 704 00:30:45,054 --> 00:30:46,288 - There was all types of rumors. 705 00:30:46,321 --> 00:30:48,057 There was all types of speculation going on. 706 00:30:48,090 --> 00:30:49,458 It was a--it was a mess. 707 00:30:50,892 --> 00:30:52,761 Was that a message from Sonny? 708 00:30:53,895 --> 00:30:55,130 I'd rather not say. 709 00:30:56,598 --> 00:31:00,169 narrator: A member of the Ventura chapter is dead, 710 00:31:00,202 --> 00:31:03,705 but things are about to get even worse. 711 00:31:03,738 --> 00:31:06,275 Daniel Leroy Seybert, better known as "Hoover," 712 00:31:06,308 --> 00:31:08,277 was Sonny Barger's closest ally in Arizona. 713 00:31:09,711 --> 00:31:12,081 On top of belonging to the Cave Creek charter, 714 00:31:12,114 --> 00:31:15,784 Hoover and Barger owned and ran Sonny Barger Cave Creek Cycles 715 00:31:15,817 --> 00:31:18,387 in Northern Phoenix. 716 00:31:18,420 --> 00:31:21,090 On the night of March 21, 2003, 717 00:31:21,123 --> 00:31:24,126 Hoover and a group of guys from Cave Creek finish partying 718 00:31:24,159 --> 00:31:25,194 at their local hangout, 719 00:31:25,227 --> 00:31:26,528 Brigett's Last Laugh. 720 00:31:28,197 --> 00:31:29,864 As they get on their bikes, 721 00:31:29,898 --> 00:31:33,268 one man notices that Hoover's slumped over his handlebars. 722 00:31:33,302 --> 00:31:36,071 The men think he's passed out drunk. 723 00:31:36,105 --> 00:31:37,339 They go to wake him up 724 00:31:37,372 --> 00:31:39,808 and make a grisly discovery-- 725 00:31:39,841 --> 00:31:42,077 a bullet hole in Hoover's forehead. 726 00:31:42,111 --> 00:31:44,313 Hoover's been shot dead by a sniper. 727 00:31:47,649 --> 00:31:49,051 - Things are really in a turmoil now. 728 00:31:49,084 --> 00:31:51,486 There's a lot of rumors flying around. 729 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:54,056 I go back in to my probation officer again. 730 00:31:54,089 --> 00:31:56,391 He goes, "Well, I'm gonna tell you, law enforcement 731 00:31:56,425 --> 00:31:58,760 "says Sonny killed Josh, 732 00:31:58,793 --> 00:32:00,262 and you killed Hoover." 733 00:32:00,295 --> 00:32:02,331 And I said, "I don't know what you're talking about." 734 00:32:02,364 --> 00:32:03,932 I said, "I've not been out of state. 735 00:32:03,965 --> 00:32:07,269 "You're the first I've talked to about this. 736 00:32:07,302 --> 00:32:08,637 So I don't want to talk about it." 737 00:32:10,772 --> 00:32:12,207 narrator: Christie is becoming 738 00:32:12,241 --> 00:32:14,776 more and more concerned about the growing animosity 739 00:32:14,809 --> 00:32:16,778 between him and Sonny Barger. 740 00:32:16,811 --> 00:32:18,313 But he must be cautious 741 00:32:18,347 --> 00:32:21,850 to avoid causing an all-out civil war within the club. 742 00:32:23,852 --> 00:32:26,188 Then a few months after the Hoover murder, 743 00:32:26,221 --> 00:32:29,224 Barger does something that forces Christie to act. 744 00:32:32,694 --> 00:32:35,197 - It's now 2003, 745 00:32:35,230 --> 00:32:37,432 and I get a phone call. 746 00:32:37,466 --> 00:32:40,369 I'm asked, "Have you seen the "Phoenix Magazine"?" 747 00:32:41,970 --> 00:32:44,173 And I say, "I--I don't know what you're talking about." 748 00:32:44,206 --> 00:32:46,375 And they say, "Hang on. We're gonna fax it to you." 749 00:32:47,976 --> 00:32:50,045 It said, "Sonny and Noel"-- 750 00:32:50,079 --> 00:32:51,346 Sonny's wife-- 751 00:32:51,380 --> 00:32:54,649 "Get in a confrontation on the freeway." 752 00:32:57,286 --> 00:32:58,787 Sonny's riding his bike, 753 00:32:58,820 --> 00:33:00,922 and he's got some girl that he's picked up from the bar 754 00:33:00,955 --> 00:33:02,491 on the back. 755 00:33:02,524 --> 00:33:05,727 And Noel is chasing him down the highway, 756 00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:07,729 and she's trying to run him over 757 00:33:07,762 --> 00:33:10,532 and run him off the road, according to this article. 758 00:33:10,565 --> 00:33:14,436 Sonny and her wind up back at their home together... 759 00:33:15,570 --> 00:33:16,738 And they get into it. 760 00:33:20,309 --> 00:33:22,777 Sonny, according to this report, beats her up. 761 00:33:24,346 --> 00:33:27,382 And she says she can't move, and she needs an ambulance. 762 00:33:27,416 --> 00:33:30,385 So Sonny calls 911, 763 00:33:30,419 --> 00:33:35,257 and this is where the problem comes up for the club members. 764 00:33:35,290 --> 00:33:37,092 narrator: According to the Hells Angels code, 765 00:33:37,126 --> 00:33:39,728 members are forbidden to contact law enforcement 766 00:33:39,761 --> 00:33:42,197 or dial 911 for any reason. 767 00:33:42,231 --> 00:33:44,966 The punishment is expulsion from the club. 768 00:33:44,999 --> 00:33:47,769 - The average person at home is thinking, 769 00:33:47,802 --> 00:33:49,871 "Well, big deal-- he called 911." 770 00:33:49,904 --> 00:33:51,306 Well, if you're a Hells Angels, 771 00:33:51,340 --> 00:33:52,607 it is a big deal. 772 00:33:52,641 --> 00:33:54,042 narrator: Based on the information 773 00:33:54,075 --> 00:33:56,345 disclosed in the "Phoenix Magazine" article, 774 00:33:56,378 --> 00:33:59,314 the club wants answers from Sonny. 775 00:33:59,348 --> 00:34:00,915 - The club wanted an answer, 776 00:34:00,949 --> 00:34:03,518 but the people in the club were afraid to confront him. 777 00:34:03,552 --> 00:34:06,621 And I was asked to lead the charge, 778 00:34:06,655 --> 00:34:07,622 and I did. 779 00:34:09,023 --> 00:34:11,426 narrator: At the next West Coast officers meeting, 780 00:34:11,460 --> 00:34:14,429 George Christie addresses Barger's 911 call. 781 00:34:15,530 --> 00:34:18,099 - I confronted him. 782 00:34:18,133 --> 00:34:20,269 He said, "Ah, that article's bull." 783 00:34:20,302 --> 00:34:21,803 He said I was lying-- 784 00:34:21,836 --> 00:34:25,574 that that's not what transpired on that phone call. 785 00:34:25,607 --> 00:34:28,210 That's when I dropped the bombshell on him. 786 00:34:28,243 --> 00:34:30,545 I said, "I have the 911 tape to prove it," 787 00:34:30,579 --> 00:34:32,747 and he was just livid. 788 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:40,074 Support us and become VIP member to remove all ads from www.OpenSubtitles.org 789 00:35:01,743 --> 00:35:03,044 - You don't give information 790 00:35:03,077 --> 00:35:05,079 to the police that can be used against somebody. 791 00:35:05,113 --> 00:35:08,950 What he should've done is, he should've called the ambulance. 792 00:35:08,983 --> 00:35:12,954 He should've said to the 911 operator, "There's a problem. 793 00:35:12,987 --> 00:35:14,489 "My wife says she's in pain. 794 00:35:14,523 --> 00:35:15,924 She can't move." 795 00:35:15,957 --> 00:35:17,659 And that should've been the end of it. 796 00:35:24,233 --> 00:35:26,701 - The way I remember it, he told me, "You know, 797 00:35:26,735 --> 00:35:28,337 we may fight over this." 798 00:35:28,370 --> 00:35:29,704 And the only thing 799 00:35:29,738 --> 00:35:30,705 I could think to do was, 800 00:35:30,739 --> 00:35:31,706 I took off my glasses 801 00:35:31,740 --> 00:35:33,575 and handed them to a Ventura member. 802 00:35:33,608 --> 00:35:35,109 We kind of stood there for a moment, 803 00:35:35,143 --> 00:35:37,178 and then one of the guys said, 804 00:35:37,212 --> 00:35:38,647 "Why don't we go in the back room?" 805 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:40,549 So we retired to the back room 806 00:35:40,582 --> 00:35:43,552 and for the next two hours, we argued. 807 00:35:43,585 --> 00:35:44,886 I go, "This is a mistake. 808 00:35:44,919 --> 00:35:46,421 "What you did was wrong, 809 00:35:46,455 --> 00:35:47,856 "and you need to admit it was wrong. 810 00:35:47,889 --> 00:35:49,624 "And you need to tell the general membership 811 00:35:49,658 --> 00:35:51,926 "of the Hells Angels that, 'You know what, 812 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:53,595 "'it was a bad decision that day. 813 00:35:53,628 --> 00:35:54,596 "'I'm sorry I did it, 814 00:35:54,629 --> 00:35:56,798 and let's move on.'" 815 00:35:56,831 --> 00:35:58,433 He goes, "I don't answer to anybody." 816 00:36:01,202 --> 00:36:02,704 I think that said it all. 817 00:36:04,639 --> 00:36:06,508 You know, I didn't take delight in doing this, 818 00:36:06,541 --> 00:36:10,545 and I was really mad that the angry mob 819 00:36:10,579 --> 00:36:14,416 that initiated this whole thing was nowhere to be found. 820 00:36:14,449 --> 00:36:16,851 Everyone backed down. 821 00:36:16,885 --> 00:36:18,287 In the end, they backed Sonny. 822 00:36:22,424 --> 00:36:25,226 I was hoping that was gonna be the end of our conflict, 823 00:36:25,260 --> 00:36:26,695 but it wasn't. 824 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:33,935 narrator: Sonny Barger, the man most closely identified 825 00:36:33,968 --> 00:36:35,203 with the Hells Angels-- 826 00:36:35,236 --> 00:36:37,872 and at one time, its undisputed leader-- 827 00:36:37,906 --> 00:36:40,008 is living in Cave Creek, Arizona. 828 00:36:43,412 --> 00:36:44,813 narrator: But some of his actions-- 829 00:36:44,846 --> 00:36:46,881 including calling the police during a dispute 830 00:36:46,915 --> 00:36:49,651 with his wife-- violate Hells Angels rules, 831 00:36:49,684 --> 00:36:52,321 and cause a rift between himself and George Christie. 832 00:36:53,988 --> 00:36:56,891 Now, to make matters worse, he's about to commit an act 833 00:36:56,925 --> 00:36:59,828 that Christie considers an unforgivable betrayal. 834 00:37:00,862 --> 00:37:04,065 - Sonny wrote his life story, 835 00:37:04,098 --> 00:37:06,034 "My Life and Times with the Hells Angels," 836 00:37:06,067 --> 00:37:07,168 by Sonny Barger. 837 00:37:07,201 --> 00:37:08,403 And it was a very popular book. 838 00:37:08,437 --> 00:37:12,073 He was approached by some different directors 839 00:37:12,106 --> 00:37:14,175 to buy the option on this book. 840 00:37:14,208 --> 00:37:16,210 And he did, at one point, 841 00:37:16,244 --> 00:37:18,246 make a decision to sell the rights 842 00:37:18,279 --> 00:37:19,348 to Tony Scott, 843 00:37:19,381 --> 00:37:20,749 the movie director. 844 00:37:20,782 --> 00:37:23,151 Now, I have no problem with him selling the rights to the book. 845 00:37:23,184 --> 00:37:24,152 It's his story. 846 00:37:24,185 --> 00:37:25,420 But, in addition, 847 00:37:25,454 --> 00:37:26,788 the Hells Angel name 848 00:37:26,821 --> 00:37:30,859 and logo was also to be attached to the movie, 849 00:37:30,892 --> 00:37:34,396 and the Hells Angels would receive no compensation 850 00:37:34,429 --> 00:37:35,397 for that. 851 00:37:36,831 --> 00:37:39,401 I've got members complaining to me that, 852 00:37:39,434 --> 00:37:41,169 "Sonny is breaking his own rule. 853 00:37:41,202 --> 00:37:42,671 What the hell is going on?" 854 00:37:42,704 --> 00:37:46,941 And I thought to myself, "Aw, here we go again." 855 00:37:49,243 --> 00:37:50,311 This is one of the things 856 00:37:50,345 --> 00:37:51,646 that people don't understand. 857 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:52,814 There are people, you know, 858 00:37:52,847 --> 00:37:54,483 in prison for the rest of their lives, 859 00:37:54,516 --> 00:37:56,785 and there's people that died for that name and that logo. 860 00:37:56,818 --> 00:37:58,286 It means everything to 'em. 861 00:37:58,319 --> 00:38:00,889 Why the hell would we want an actor wearing something 862 00:38:00,922 --> 00:38:02,256 that we worked hard for 863 00:38:02,290 --> 00:38:03,825 and are willing to give our lives up for? 864 00:38:05,259 --> 00:38:08,497 In my opinion, Sonny lost sight along the way-- 865 00:38:08,530 --> 00:38:12,601 and feeling that the-- the club belonged to him. 866 00:38:12,634 --> 00:38:15,036 narrator: Without the approval of the club, Sonny Barger 867 00:38:15,069 --> 00:38:17,372 licenses the rights to the Hells Angels name 868 00:38:17,406 --> 00:38:19,140 and logo to Tony Scott, 869 00:38:19,173 --> 00:38:21,275 director of big-budget Hollywood movies 870 00:38:21,309 --> 00:38:23,978 like "True Romance" and "Enemy of the State." 871 00:38:24,012 --> 00:38:25,747 - Sonny had a contract, 872 00:38:25,780 --> 00:38:28,316 and he was paid a substantial amount of money. 873 00:38:28,349 --> 00:38:30,452 And the club got nothing. 874 00:38:30,485 --> 00:38:34,456 I felt that Sonny thought he was the Hells Angels. 875 00:38:34,489 --> 00:38:36,257 narrator: Feeling that the Hells Angels code 876 00:38:36,290 --> 00:38:37,692 is being violated, 877 00:38:37,726 --> 00:38:40,729 George once again addresses the matter with Sonny. 878 00:38:40,762 --> 00:38:43,097 - I'd been petitioned by member after member 879 00:38:43,131 --> 00:38:44,365 after member in the club. 880 00:38:44,399 --> 00:38:46,134 They wanted Sonny confronted. 881 00:38:47,936 --> 00:38:50,371 I took the problem back to the club, 882 00:38:50,405 --> 00:38:54,375 and nobody was willing to confront Sonny to his face. 883 00:38:54,409 --> 00:38:56,144 I stood alone. 884 00:38:56,177 --> 00:38:58,212 That made it look like-- not only to Sonny, 885 00:38:58,246 --> 00:38:59,881 but to a lot of the people in the club-- 886 00:38:59,914 --> 00:39:01,516 that I had my own agenda, 887 00:39:01,550 --> 00:39:02,984 which is just the opposite 888 00:39:03,017 --> 00:39:06,120 of what I believed about brotherhood and the club. 889 00:39:07,556 --> 00:39:09,090 Sonny didn't have to address the issue, 890 00:39:09,123 --> 00:39:12,494 and I think it goes to show not only his tenacity 891 00:39:12,527 --> 00:39:13,628 to not give in, but, 892 00:39:13,662 --> 00:39:15,163 you know, the power he wields. 893 00:39:15,196 --> 00:39:17,699 narrator: For Christie, it is a sign that the club 894 00:39:17,732 --> 00:39:19,701 he has devoted his entire adult life 895 00:39:19,734 --> 00:39:21,703 to--almost 35 years-- 896 00:39:21,736 --> 00:39:24,005 is no longer the band of outlaw brothers 897 00:39:24,038 --> 00:39:27,809 who hold their code of fierce loyalty above all else. 898 00:39:27,842 --> 00:39:29,143 - All these conflicts 899 00:39:29,177 --> 00:39:32,847 with Sonny were starting to reflect on me as a leader. 900 00:39:32,881 --> 00:39:35,183 And I knew it. 901 00:39:35,216 --> 00:39:41,022 My whole agenda was trying to uphold the code of the club. 902 00:39:41,055 --> 00:39:44,593 In my opinion, Sonny felt that he was above the rules, 903 00:39:44,626 --> 00:39:47,028 and he was gonna do what he wanted. 904 00:39:47,061 --> 00:39:49,931 If you're a leader and you have a vision, 905 00:39:49,964 --> 00:39:52,701 and nobody but you can see that vision, 906 00:39:52,734 --> 00:39:54,769 maybe you're not a leader anymore. 907 00:39:54,803 --> 00:39:56,605 So, you know, 908 00:39:56,638 --> 00:39:59,040 I made a decision-- which, to me, 909 00:39:59,073 --> 00:40:00,775 was the hardest thing I'd done in my life. 910 00:40:00,809 --> 00:40:01,843 I exited the club. 911 00:40:05,747 --> 00:40:09,017 The easy thing would've been for me to stay in the club, 912 00:40:09,050 --> 00:40:10,552 to keep my mouth shut, 913 00:40:10,585 --> 00:40:15,924 just enjoy the sun setting on my career as a Hells Angel. 914 00:40:15,957 --> 00:40:18,426 But I couldn't do that because that's not me. 915 00:40:18,459 --> 00:40:20,495 narrator: On April 22, 2011, 916 00:40:20,529 --> 00:40:22,964 George Christie resigns as president 917 00:40:22,997 --> 00:40:25,199 of the Ventura chapter of the Hells Angels 918 00:40:25,233 --> 00:40:26,901 and leaves the club. 919 00:40:26,935 --> 00:40:30,572 It's been 35 years since he put the sacred Hells Angels patch 920 00:40:30,605 --> 00:40:32,140 on for the first time. 921 00:40:32,173 --> 00:40:34,242 - I don't know if I changed, 922 00:40:34,275 --> 00:40:35,376 if the club changed, 923 00:40:35,409 --> 00:40:36,678 or if the world changed. 924 00:40:36,711 --> 00:40:38,913 But I quit the club. 925 00:40:40,749 --> 00:40:43,217 narrator: Abandoning the only life he has ever known, 926 00:40:43,251 --> 00:40:46,588 Christie is entering uncharted territory. 927 00:40:46,621 --> 00:40:48,056 He knows it will be difficult, 928 00:40:48,089 --> 00:40:50,725 but he's about to find out that old enemies 929 00:40:50,759 --> 00:40:52,827 never let go easily. 930 00:40:52,861 --> 00:40:56,330 - Here I was now, getting used to my new life, 931 00:40:56,364 --> 00:40:58,066 and I get a phone call. 932 00:40:58,099 --> 00:41:01,536 And it's the new president of the Ventura charter. 933 00:41:01,570 --> 00:41:04,238 And he tells me, "You know what, 934 00:41:04,272 --> 00:41:05,540 "we've changed your status. 935 00:41:05,574 --> 00:41:10,244 You're now out bad, with no contact." 936 00:41:10,278 --> 00:41:13,181 That would mean I was not 937 00:41:13,214 --> 00:41:15,950 to come around anybody or try to talk to anybody, 938 00:41:15,984 --> 00:41:18,019 because they weren't allowed to talk to me either. 939 00:41:18,052 --> 00:41:19,187 And I know where that all came from. 940 00:41:19,220 --> 00:41:20,655 That came from Sonny, you know? 941 00:41:20,689 --> 00:41:24,325 And anybody that says it didn't is a damn liar. 942 00:41:25,526 --> 00:41:26,861 That's what I feel in my heart. 943 00:41:26,895 --> 00:41:28,496 And that's what I'll always feel. 944 00:41:28,529 --> 00:41:29,798 narrator: Christie is forbidden 945 00:41:29,831 --> 00:41:32,366 to speak to any of the brothers he rode, 946 00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:34,235 fought, partied with, 947 00:41:34,268 --> 00:41:37,138 and risked his life for time and time again. 948 00:41:37,171 --> 00:41:39,641 - It's been a long journey. 949 00:41:39,674 --> 00:41:40,909 And you know what, 950 00:41:40,942 --> 00:41:42,476 I don't have any regrets. 951 00:41:42,510 --> 00:41:45,246 I'm not sorry for any decisions I've made, 952 00:41:45,279 --> 00:41:46,815 and I wouldn't change anything. 953 00:41:46,848 --> 00:41:52,020 I'm gonna enjoy my last days on Earth as a solo outlaw. 954 00:41:57,892 --> 00:42:00,061 The man makes the patch. 955 00:42:00,094 --> 00:42:01,596 The patch don't make the man. 955 00:42:02,305 --> 00:43:02,734 Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE www.osdb.link/lm