"Outlaw Chronicles: Hells Angels" Making Money

1 00:00:07,751 --> 00:00:09,486 Americans love an outlaw. 2 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:11,888 From Billy the Kid to John Dillinger, 3 00:00:11,922 --> 00:00:16,293 these one-of-a-kind types capture our imaginations. 4 00:00:16,327 --> 00:00:20,464 The Hells Angels are modern-day outlaws. 5 00:00:20,497 --> 00:00:23,634 They spent decades finding new ways to fill their coffers 6 00:00:23,667 --> 00:00:27,070 and build their empire legally and illegally. 7 00:00:28,572 --> 00:00:30,774 George Christie, the former president 8 00:00:30,807 --> 00:00:35,712 of the Ventura chapter, was there almost from the beginning. 9 00:00:35,746 --> 00:00:37,848 I'm one of the few people alive 10 00:00:37,881 --> 00:00:39,883 that knows the whole truth. 11 00:00:39,916 --> 00:00:41,518 Now, for the first time ever, 12 00:00:41,552 --> 00:00:44,121 a member of the Angels is setting the record straight 13 00:00:44,155 --> 00:00:45,189 and telling the secrets 14 00:00:45,222 --> 00:00:46,490 no one's ever heard, 15 00:00:46,523 --> 00:00:49,293 including how the Angels fought the law and rival gangs 16 00:00:49,326 --> 00:00:52,529 to become one of the most feared organizations in the world 17 00:00:52,563 --> 00:00:54,898 and make billions of dollars along the way. 18 00:01:01,405 --> 00:01:04,475 The Hells Angels motorcycle club is a massive entity 19 00:01:04,508 --> 00:01:07,611 with more than 400 chapters in nearly 50 countries 20 00:01:07,644 --> 00:01:09,079 worldwide. 21 00:01:09,112 --> 00:01:11,014 They protect their brand and trademark 22 00:01:11,047 --> 00:01:13,016 as fiercely as they protect their turf. 23 00:01:13,049 --> 00:01:15,352 - We don't want any trouble. - Now what do you say, you guys? 24 00:01:15,386 --> 00:01:17,388 Let's get that bastard. 25 00:01:17,421 --> 00:01:19,356 But they haven't always been so powerful 26 00:01:19,390 --> 00:01:21,692 or so rich. 27 00:01:21,725 --> 00:01:24,561 In the early days, they were just a small club 28 00:01:24,595 --> 00:01:27,264 riding for good times and cheap thrills. 29 00:01:34,471 --> 00:01:36,373 The Altamont Speedway Festival 30 00:01:36,407 --> 00:01:40,411 is often referred to as the end of the '60s. 31 00:01:40,444 --> 00:01:42,646 The west coast's answer to Woodstock 32 00:01:42,679 --> 00:01:46,550 features the Rolling Stones performing for nearly 300,000. 33 00:01:46,583 --> 00:01:49,853 Among them are about 100 Hells Angels, 34 00:01:49,886 --> 00:01:52,556 but they're not there to party. 35 00:01:52,589 --> 00:01:54,358 They're working security. 36 00:01:54,391 --> 00:01:56,360 People in the club had personal relationships 37 00:01:56,393 --> 00:01:58,795 with the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane. 38 00:01:58,829 --> 00:02:00,697 And Rock Scully, the Dead manager, 39 00:02:00,731 --> 00:02:03,500 suggested they use the Hells Angels as security. 40 00:02:03,534 --> 00:02:07,504 I think the payment was gonna be all the beer they could drink. 41 00:02:07,538 --> 00:02:10,741 The rumor is $500 worth of beer was bought. 42 00:02:10,774 --> 00:02:13,444 That's what the fee for security was. 43 00:02:13,477 --> 00:02:15,846 The Angels and their bikes form a barrier 44 00:02:15,879 --> 00:02:19,115 in front of the stage separating the crowd from the bands. 45 00:02:20,851 --> 00:02:22,419 Animal was Paul Hibbits, 46 00:02:22,453 --> 00:02:24,187 someone I went to high school with, 47 00:02:24,221 --> 00:02:27,324 a very close brother of mine. 48 00:02:27,358 --> 00:02:31,428 Paul acquired the name "Animal" by his hygiene habits. 49 00:02:31,462 --> 00:02:33,264 He didn't like to bathe. 50 00:02:33,297 --> 00:02:35,098 Animal worked in the movie industry. 51 00:02:35,131 --> 00:02:36,132 He was a stuntman. 52 00:02:36,166 --> 00:02:38,635 He's got hands that are huge, 53 00:02:38,669 --> 00:02:40,571 big fists, a good fighter, 54 00:02:40,604 --> 00:02:43,740 someone that you didn't want to maybe mess with. 55 00:02:43,774 --> 00:02:45,309 He was definitely Animal. 56 00:02:45,342 --> 00:02:47,043 He was there at Altamont, 57 00:02:47,077 --> 00:02:48,745 and, of course, he knew there'd be a lot 58 00:02:48,779 --> 00:02:50,547 of attention from the media, 59 00:02:50,581 --> 00:02:55,151 so he wore the hat with the fox head on it. 60 00:02:55,185 --> 00:02:58,221 When the Jefferson Airplane played, 61 00:02:58,255 --> 00:03:01,992 he actually was the security guard at the stage. 62 00:03:02,025 --> 00:03:04,361 Opening act Jefferson Airplane performs 63 00:03:04,395 --> 00:03:07,731 as the surging crowd pushes up against the Angels' motorcycles, 64 00:03:07,764 --> 00:03:09,733 and the Angels push back-- 65 00:03:09,766 --> 00:03:11,201 hard. 66 00:03:11,234 --> 00:03:12,603 Airplane singer Marty Balin 67 00:03:12,636 --> 00:03:15,472 starts yelling at the Angels to ease up. 68 00:03:15,506 --> 00:03:16,973 He was complaining. 69 00:03:17,007 --> 00:03:19,876 He wasn't gonna perform. He refused to go on. 70 00:03:19,910 --> 00:03:21,878 Animal was asked to go talk to Marty. 71 00:03:21,912 --> 00:03:24,348 He went up and said, "Hey, 72 00:03:24,381 --> 00:03:25,949 you know, they're pushing on the bikes," 73 00:03:25,982 --> 00:03:28,585 and Marty told Animal to go himself. 74 00:03:28,619 --> 00:03:32,556 And Animal actually gave him a chance to back out of it. 75 00:03:32,589 --> 00:03:35,526 He said, "I don't want you talking to me that way, Marty." 76 00:03:35,559 --> 00:03:37,928 Marty repeated three times in a row, 77 00:03:37,961 --> 00:03:41,164 "you. you." 78 00:03:41,197 --> 00:03:44,668 On the third "you," Animal knocked him out. 79 00:03:44,701 --> 00:03:47,270 You could hear Grace Slick grabbing the microphone 80 00:03:47,304 --> 00:03:50,240 and saying, "Well, somebody just knocked out our singer." 81 00:03:52,843 --> 00:03:54,845 At sunset, tensions rise 82 00:03:54,878 --> 00:03:56,913 between the Hells Angels and the audience. 83 00:03:56,947 --> 00:03:59,282 Everybody just cool out. 84 00:03:59,316 --> 00:04:01,918 When the Stones finally take the stage, 85 00:04:01,952 --> 00:04:05,121 the violence quickly escalates. 86 00:04:05,155 --> 00:04:08,359 Brothers and sisters, come on, now. 87 00:04:08,392 --> 00:04:12,228 A guy named Meredith Hunter pulled a gun out, 88 00:04:12,262 --> 00:04:14,998 pointed a gun at the stage. 89 00:04:15,031 --> 00:04:17,968 Allen Passaro thought that he was acting in a manner 90 00:04:18,001 --> 00:04:19,970 to protect not only the Hells Angels 91 00:04:20,003 --> 00:04:23,574 but people performing on the stage, 92 00:04:23,607 --> 00:04:27,611 and he stabbed Meredith Hunter. 93 00:04:27,644 --> 00:04:28,745 He died. 94 00:04:36,887 --> 00:04:40,190 When the show is over, the Stones fly back to England, 95 00:04:40,223 --> 00:04:42,526 but the battle is far from over. 96 00:04:42,559 --> 00:04:45,228 Altamont didn't end in December '69. 97 00:04:45,261 --> 00:04:47,330 It went on for a few years. 98 00:04:47,364 --> 00:04:49,032 Allen was acquitted by the jury. 99 00:04:49,065 --> 00:04:53,504 He acted in self-defense, but it was a long, costly trial, 100 00:04:53,537 --> 00:04:56,807 and the Hells Angels felt that the Rolling Stones 101 00:04:56,840 --> 00:05:00,877 owed us the $50,000 that we'd paid to defend Allen 102 00:05:00,911 --> 00:05:03,514 from going to prison for the rest of his life, 103 00:05:03,547 --> 00:05:05,982 and the Stones didn't want to pay the money. 104 00:05:06,016 --> 00:05:07,283 The Rolling Stones, 105 00:05:07,317 --> 00:05:09,185 and especially lead singer Mick Jagger, 106 00:05:09,219 --> 00:05:13,256 are about to find out how the Angels collect unpaid debts. 107 00:05:13,289 --> 00:05:15,626 A member of the Hells Angels told congress today 108 00:05:15,659 --> 00:05:19,963 that the motorcycle gang has a, quote, "open murder contract" 109 00:05:19,996 --> 00:05:21,698 to kill rock star Mick Jagger. 110 00:05:23,467 --> 00:05:25,502 On a summer evening in the early '70s, 111 00:05:25,536 --> 00:05:27,571 several Angels gather in the Hamptons, 112 00:05:27,604 --> 00:05:30,707 an exclusive beach community east of New York City. 113 00:05:30,741 --> 00:05:32,843 It's rumored that Jagger's in town, 114 00:05:32,876 --> 00:05:36,413 and these Angels have come heavily armed with knives, guns, 115 00:05:36,447 --> 00:05:38,348 and C4 explosives. 116 00:05:38,381 --> 00:05:39,850 A clandestine group 117 00:05:39,883 --> 00:05:43,219 of Hells Angels got a raft together and were on their way 118 00:05:43,253 --> 00:05:46,490 to a yacht that Jagger had been relaxing in. 119 00:05:46,523 --> 00:05:48,625 They were gonna blow it up just to kind of send a message 120 00:05:48,659 --> 00:05:50,694 that we still were waiting for the money. 121 00:05:50,727 --> 00:05:53,196 These were some individuals that took it upon themselves 122 00:05:53,229 --> 00:05:56,667 to make an impression, let's say, on the Rolling Stones. 123 00:05:58,401 --> 00:05:59,736 They went to settle the score. 124 00:06:01,472 --> 00:06:03,840 But when a storm swamps the Angels' boat, 125 00:06:03,874 --> 00:06:06,610 the Angels realize that navigating at sea 126 00:06:06,643 --> 00:06:09,613 is nothing like cruising down the highway on a Harley. 127 00:06:09,646 --> 00:06:12,583 They are forced to turn around and retreat to dry land. 128 00:06:15,218 --> 00:06:18,789 Ultimately, though, the mission is a success. 129 00:06:18,822 --> 00:06:20,791 Hells Angels has tried 130 00:06:20,824 --> 00:06:24,394 and will try again to kill rock star Mick Jagger. 131 00:06:24,427 --> 00:06:26,563 I don't know what transpired on the way there. 132 00:06:26,597 --> 00:06:29,432 The raft, I was told, sunk. 133 00:06:29,466 --> 00:06:32,869 But I think the message somehow got to Mick Jagger, 134 00:06:32,903 --> 00:06:35,739 and shortly after that, a check for $50,000 135 00:06:35,772 --> 00:06:38,542 came to the Hells Angels from the Rolling Stones. 136 00:06:40,276 --> 00:06:43,213 The Hells Angels took something from the Altamont disaster 137 00:06:43,246 --> 00:06:45,716 even more valuable than the Stones' money: 138 00:06:45,749 --> 00:06:48,284 a business lesson that legit jobs 139 00:06:48,318 --> 00:06:50,286 are just too much of a hassle, 140 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:51,622 too low-paying, 141 00:06:51,655 --> 00:06:55,158 and no way for a bunch of bikers to make money. 142 00:06:55,191 --> 00:06:57,460 Luckily a more lucrative solution 143 00:06:57,494 --> 00:06:59,530 was right in front of them. 144 00:07:04,768 --> 00:07:06,803 Everybody was partying. Everybody was drinking. 145 00:07:06,837 --> 00:07:08,204 There were drugs everywhere. 146 00:07:08,238 --> 00:07:10,340 It would only be a matter of time until certain members 147 00:07:10,373 --> 00:07:12,342 of the Hells Angels realized that they could make 148 00:07:12,375 --> 00:07:15,979 a lot of money fast getting involved in the-- 149 00:07:16,012 --> 00:07:17,147 the drug business. 150 00:07:19,983 --> 00:07:22,986 The explosion of drug culture in the 1960s 151 00:07:23,019 --> 00:07:27,057 created a huge market for mind-altering substances. 152 00:07:27,090 --> 00:07:29,693 Some Angels had a long history with drugs, 153 00:07:29,726 --> 00:07:31,995 from selling bags of marijuana to hippies 154 00:07:32,028 --> 00:07:34,064 to dropping acid with the Grateful Dead. 155 00:07:36,933 --> 00:07:38,802 They were poised to turn drug dealing 156 00:07:38,835 --> 00:07:42,105 from a small side business into a huge, lucrative industry. 157 00:07:46,810 --> 00:07:49,379 An Oakland Hells Angel by the name of George Wethern 158 00:07:49,412 --> 00:07:52,749 befriends the notorious chemist Owsley "Bear" Stanley, 159 00:07:52,783 --> 00:07:56,452 whose homemade LSD was famously potent. 160 00:07:56,486 --> 00:07:58,855 Some Angels start selling what became known 161 00:07:58,889 --> 00:08:00,757 as the Owl's acid, 162 00:08:00,791 --> 00:08:02,626 and as the demand for it grew, 163 00:08:02,659 --> 00:08:05,195 so did the profits. 164 00:08:05,228 --> 00:08:10,300 Soon, these Angels were raking in as much as $50,000 to $70,000 165 00:08:10,333 --> 00:08:11,968 per transaction. 166 00:08:12,002 --> 00:08:14,605 Yet a new, even more addictive drug 167 00:08:14,638 --> 00:08:16,206 was about to come their way. 168 00:08:17,941 --> 00:08:22,345 Personally, I don't think the LSD impacted the club 169 00:08:22,378 --> 00:08:23,780 as much as the meth. 170 00:08:28,118 --> 00:08:31,287 In 1974, a chemist from a large oil company 171 00:08:31,321 --> 00:08:33,523 starts manufacturing methamphetamine 172 00:08:33,556 --> 00:08:34,658 in large quantities. 173 00:08:34,691 --> 00:08:36,693 He has connections to the Hells Angels, 174 00:08:36,727 --> 00:08:38,394 who are the perfect test subjects 175 00:08:38,428 --> 00:08:41,331 for his new high-octane drug. 176 00:08:41,364 --> 00:08:43,299 We weren't people looking for problems. 177 00:08:43,333 --> 00:08:45,602 We were people looking for a good time. 178 00:08:45,636 --> 00:08:49,472 As far as the Hells Angels being used as guinea pigs, well, 179 00:08:49,505 --> 00:08:50,607 people would give you drugs, 180 00:08:50,641 --> 00:08:53,343 and they wanted to test the drugs on people. 181 00:08:53,376 --> 00:08:56,680 For a lot of Angels, meth was an instant party, 182 00:08:56,713 --> 00:09:00,283 but for a few, it soon meant a whole lot more. 183 00:09:00,316 --> 00:09:01,417 If you could figure out 184 00:09:01,451 --> 00:09:03,687 the best, fastest way to make meth, 185 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,858 it was literally a license to print money. 186 00:09:07,891 --> 00:09:09,159 There weren't people in the club 187 00:09:09,192 --> 00:09:10,560 that knew how to make drugs, 188 00:09:10,593 --> 00:09:14,130 but eventually, one or two guys got the recipe and became cooks, 189 00:09:14,164 --> 00:09:15,632 and I'll tell you, 190 00:09:15,666 --> 00:09:17,067 guys that had the recipes, 191 00:09:17,100 --> 00:09:18,769 they guarded them like a grandma 192 00:09:18,802 --> 00:09:22,072 would guard her secret spaghetti sauce. 193 00:09:22,105 --> 00:09:24,675 Getting the recipe was the first challenge. 194 00:09:24,708 --> 00:09:27,878 The harder job was securing the ingredients. 195 00:09:29,212 --> 00:09:30,881 P2P is a substance 196 00:09:30,914 --> 00:09:33,183 that is used to manufacture methamphetamine. 197 00:09:33,216 --> 00:09:35,852 It's one of the chemicals necessary. 198 00:09:35,886 --> 00:09:38,354 It eventually became a controlled substance. 199 00:09:38,388 --> 00:09:39,990 What this means is that the Hells Angels 200 00:09:40,023 --> 00:09:44,427 were not able to obtain P2P in bulk quantities. 201 00:09:44,460 --> 00:09:47,330 The first chapter established in Australia was in 1975. 202 00:09:47,363 --> 00:09:50,466 They were able to provide large quantities of P2P 203 00:09:50,500 --> 00:09:53,970 during that time period to the United States. 204 00:09:54,004 --> 00:09:55,538 You could do it in your kitchen. 205 00:09:55,571 --> 00:09:57,007 You could do it in your bathtub. 206 00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:59,042 You literally manufacture it. 207 00:09:59,075 --> 00:10:01,211 Very, very low risk. 208 00:10:01,244 --> 00:10:03,279 High, high gain. 209 00:10:06,449 --> 00:10:08,985 Some Angels were said to prefer 210 00:10:09,019 --> 00:10:10,887 making single batches that could yield 211 00:10:10,921 --> 00:10:12,956 up to 79 pounds of meth, 212 00:10:12,989 --> 00:10:15,291 each worth nearly $2 million. 213 00:10:17,327 --> 00:10:19,462 It turns out they had the perfect vehicle 214 00:10:19,495 --> 00:10:22,632 to hide their drugs already in place. 215 00:10:22,665 --> 00:10:25,268 There was a lot of ways people were hiding their drugs. 216 00:10:25,301 --> 00:10:27,904 I mean, they were hiding them in pockets on their bikes, 217 00:10:27,938 --> 00:10:30,373 tanks, handlebars, 218 00:10:30,406 --> 00:10:31,507 seats. 219 00:10:31,541 --> 00:10:33,710 One of the most unique ones I saw 220 00:10:33,744 --> 00:10:38,648 was the broken-down motorcycle in the back of the pickup truck. 221 00:10:38,681 --> 00:10:40,350 You know, who would have ever stopped 222 00:10:40,383 --> 00:10:43,486 and thought a rear tire would be packed with narcotics? 223 00:10:43,519 --> 00:10:45,021 You know, nobody. 224 00:10:45,055 --> 00:10:47,090 With all the pieces for a successful business 225 00:10:47,123 --> 00:10:48,558 fitting perfectly together, 226 00:10:48,591 --> 00:10:50,994 many Angels start to reap the rewards. 227 00:10:51,027 --> 00:10:52,495 Some guys were making a lot of money. 228 00:10:52,528 --> 00:10:54,230 They were flying first class. 229 00:10:54,264 --> 00:10:56,032 I mean, I'd show up at the airport, 230 00:10:56,066 --> 00:10:58,902 and I had Hells Angel members upgrade me to first class 231 00:10:58,935 --> 00:11:00,303 before. 232 00:11:00,336 --> 00:11:02,739 It was nice. It was easy to get used to. 233 00:11:02,773 --> 00:11:06,542 People wearing diamonds, driving fancy cars, 234 00:11:06,576 --> 00:11:08,511 there was a lot of money around, 235 00:11:08,544 --> 00:11:10,213 and there's no doubt about that. 236 00:11:10,246 --> 00:11:12,949 In 1972, the California attorney general 237 00:11:12,983 --> 00:11:14,550 credited the Angels with trafficking 238 00:11:14,584 --> 00:11:16,887 $31 million of illegal drugs 239 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:18,554 in a three-year period. 240 00:11:18,588 --> 00:11:20,456 Some Angels wanted to expand, 241 00:11:20,490 --> 00:11:22,258 but a rival was standing in their way. 242 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:30,074 243 00:11:31,001 --> 00:11:33,736 The Hells Angels began as a loose association 244 00:11:33,770 --> 00:11:35,705 of outcasts looking for nothing more 245 00:11:35,738 --> 00:11:40,210 than some good times and ways to stick it to the man. 246 00:11:40,243 --> 00:11:41,912 But the rise of the drug business 247 00:11:41,945 --> 00:11:46,783 transformed some members into money-making machines. 248 00:11:46,817 --> 00:11:47,951 We had contacts, 249 00:11:47,984 --> 00:11:51,521 and we had a distribution system set up, 250 00:11:51,554 --> 00:11:54,224 and all we needed was the drugs, 251 00:11:54,257 --> 00:11:56,326 and that's when meth came onto the scene. 252 00:11:56,359 --> 00:11:58,061 Everything changed. 253 00:11:58,094 --> 00:11:59,629 During the '70s and '80s, 254 00:11:59,662 --> 00:12:01,564 the Hells Angels were in control 255 00:12:01,597 --> 00:12:03,867 of the methamphetamine trade in California 256 00:12:03,900 --> 00:12:05,135 and the West Coast. 257 00:12:05,168 --> 00:12:07,203 They were the kings of methamphetamine. 258 00:12:07,237 --> 00:12:09,372 Some Angels want to expand their business 259 00:12:09,405 --> 00:12:10,506 to new areas. 260 00:12:10,540 --> 00:12:13,209 Two forces, however, stand in their way: 261 00:12:13,243 --> 00:12:15,411 other drug-dealing motorcycle clubs 262 00:12:15,445 --> 00:12:16,412 and the law. 263 00:12:18,514 --> 00:12:22,152 The problem with dealing meth in the club 264 00:12:22,185 --> 00:12:25,721 is that you immediately attract the attention of the feds. 265 00:12:25,755 --> 00:12:27,657 It brought a lot of problems with the police. 266 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:32,262 And there were Hells Angels getting arrested. 267 00:12:32,295 --> 00:12:33,629 Drugs were bad 268 00:12:33,663 --> 00:12:37,333 because they created heat, costs for lawyers, for bail. 269 00:12:37,367 --> 00:12:39,836 You're talking about a lot of lawsuits. 270 00:12:39,870 --> 00:12:41,237 In 1978, 271 00:12:41,271 --> 00:12:43,874 George became president of the Los Angeles charter 272 00:12:43,907 --> 00:12:45,308 of the Hells Angels. 273 00:12:45,341 --> 00:12:46,977 His first major decision: 274 00:12:47,010 --> 00:12:50,780 move the club to a new location, Ventura, California. 275 00:12:50,813 --> 00:12:53,816 His reason: to get away from the law 276 00:12:53,850 --> 00:12:56,752 and create his own business empire from the ground up. 277 00:12:59,189 --> 00:13:00,656 I was a member, 278 00:13:00,690 --> 00:13:02,625 and later a leader, in Los Angeles, 279 00:13:02,658 --> 00:13:04,594 and that was great, but moving to Ventura 280 00:13:04,627 --> 00:13:06,796 gave me the opportunity to build a charter 281 00:13:06,829 --> 00:13:08,031 the way I wanted to run it. 282 00:13:10,433 --> 00:13:12,835 All the drug activity down in Los Angeles 283 00:13:12,869 --> 00:13:14,770 had created a lot of heat for us, 284 00:13:14,804 --> 00:13:17,307 and I was really excited to move up to Ventura 285 00:13:17,340 --> 00:13:21,177 and insulate us from all that police pressure. 286 00:13:21,211 --> 00:13:23,779 One of the first things that we had to do as a new chapter 287 00:13:23,813 --> 00:13:26,950 was stake our claim and open up a clubhouse. 288 00:13:26,983 --> 00:13:29,920 One of the motorcycle clubs already operating in Ventura 289 00:13:29,953 --> 00:13:31,687 is called "The Orphans." 290 00:13:35,425 --> 00:13:37,793 The Orphans were some local individuals. 291 00:13:37,827 --> 00:13:39,462 Those guys had a big clubhouse, 292 00:13:39,495 --> 00:13:41,364 and they had about 20 members, 293 00:13:41,397 --> 00:13:43,766 and apparently they were under the impression 294 00:13:43,799 --> 00:13:45,335 that Ventura was their town, 295 00:13:45,368 --> 00:13:47,570 so we decided we had to deal with them. 296 00:13:47,603 --> 00:13:49,372 As far as Christie is concerned, 297 00:13:49,405 --> 00:13:51,975 The Orphans have to go. 298 00:13:52,008 --> 00:13:53,543 So we went looking for them, 299 00:13:53,576 --> 00:13:56,646 and when we found them, we used our fists to do the talking. 300 00:13:58,314 --> 00:14:00,716 One night we wound up at the Rudder Room... 301 00:14:02,618 --> 00:14:05,655 And there were three or four Orphans there, 302 00:14:05,688 --> 00:14:07,890 so we started pushing on them a little bit... 303 00:14:10,026 --> 00:14:12,996 And wound up out in the street fighting. 304 00:14:13,029 --> 00:14:15,665 I look down the street, and I see a police car pulling up. 305 00:14:15,698 --> 00:14:18,334 I thought, "Okay, this is gonna be it. 306 00:14:18,368 --> 00:14:22,372 We're gonna get arrested and probably wind up in jail." 307 00:14:22,405 --> 00:14:24,040 The last thing Christie wants 308 00:14:24,074 --> 00:14:26,109 is to tangle with the Ventura Police 309 00:14:26,142 --> 00:14:28,811 before getting his new clubhouse up and running. 310 00:14:28,844 --> 00:14:30,413 You know, we kind of stopped, 311 00:14:30,446 --> 00:14:33,683 and the cops rolled up really slow on us. 312 00:14:33,716 --> 00:14:36,819 But the cops are too smart to get involved in a beef 313 00:14:36,852 --> 00:14:39,522 between two motorcycle clubs. 314 00:14:39,555 --> 00:14:42,058 The cop drove up, rolled his window down, 315 00:14:42,092 --> 00:14:45,295 and he said, "Don't leave anyone in the street." 316 00:14:45,328 --> 00:14:48,531 I kind of gave him a salute, 317 00:14:48,564 --> 00:14:50,733 so he took off, and we finished the job. 318 00:14:53,769 --> 00:14:56,973 And that was the beginning of the end for The Orphans. 319 00:14:57,007 --> 00:15:00,643 Not long after the brawl, The Orphans' Ventura clubhouse 320 00:15:00,676 --> 00:15:02,612 burns to the ground. 321 00:15:02,645 --> 00:15:05,315 As I remember it, when the firemen showed up, 322 00:15:05,348 --> 00:15:07,317 they just stood there and watched it burn. 323 00:15:07,350 --> 00:15:10,086 They didn't want those guys there any more than we did. 324 00:15:14,424 --> 00:15:16,459 Christie and his Angels run The Orphans 325 00:15:16,492 --> 00:15:18,828 and every other local club out of town. 326 00:15:20,530 --> 00:15:21,998 With the competition cleared out, 327 00:15:22,032 --> 00:15:25,235 Christie is ready to get down to business in Ventura. 328 00:15:28,004 --> 00:15:31,341 The Hells Angels drug business evolved, I think, 329 00:15:31,374 --> 00:15:34,144 as many drug organizations evolve, 330 00:15:34,177 --> 00:15:37,613 from a very street-level small amount of distribution 331 00:15:37,647 --> 00:15:39,315 to new markets. 332 00:15:39,349 --> 00:15:41,217 New areas of interest. 333 00:15:41,251 --> 00:15:43,119 They didn't create a charter 334 00:15:43,153 --> 00:15:44,754 just for the sake of creating charters. 335 00:15:44,787 --> 00:15:47,657 These are for a drug distribution link-- 336 00:15:47,690 --> 00:15:49,759 something to establish the Hells Angels' 337 00:15:49,792 --> 00:15:50,760 criminal enterprise. 338 00:15:52,695 --> 00:15:55,198 The way the Hells Angels grew internationally 339 00:15:55,231 --> 00:15:58,534 was by starting chapters in other countries. 340 00:15:58,568 --> 00:16:02,272 Germany, Australia, some of the Scandinavian countries, 341 00:16:02,305 --> 00:16:03,673 Japan. 342 00:16:04,974 --> 00:16:07,210 By the mid-1980s, the Hells Angels 343 00:16:07,243 --> 00:16:09,612 have started chapters in 12 countries. 344 00:16:09,645 --> 00:16:13,083 It opened up avenues to distribute methamphetamine 345 00:16:13,116 --> 00:16:15,085 outside the United States. 346 00:16:15,118 --> 00:16:16,919 But despite their reach to places 347 00:16:16,952 --> 00:16:19,855 as far from home as New Zealand in the Pacific, 348 00:16:19,889 --> 00:16:23,259 their strongest international chapters 349 00:16:23,293 --> 00:16:24,794 are in Canada. 350 00:16:26,229 --> 00:16:28,198 Marijuana's king in Canada. 351 00:16:28,231 --> 00:16:30,933 They distribute it on incredible scales-- 352 00:16:30,966 --> 00:16:32,468 multi-million dollar scales. 353 00:16:32,502 --> 00:16:34,137 Drugs aren't just a one-way street. 354 00:16:34,170 --> 00:16:37,740 If North American-grown marijuana is going to Europe, 355 00:16:37,773 --> 00:16:39,442 ecstasy is coming here. 356 00:16:39,475 --> 00:16:41,077 One hand washes the other. 357 00:16:41,111 --> 00:16:43,579 In the end, they all make money. 358 00:16:45,281 --> 00:16:47,317 The Hells Angels had paid informants 359 00:16:47,350 --> 00:16:49,952 working the docks in Montreal and Vancouver. 360 00:16:51,721 --> 00:16:54,557 If you're bringing in drugs into North America, 361 00:16:54,590 --> 00:16:57,160 the best way is to bring it in by cargo ship. 362 00:16:57,193 --> 00:16:59,462 Hells Angels members work at the ports. 363 00:16:59,495 --> 00:17:02,398 Hells Angels members infiltrated the unions. 364 00:17:02,432 --> 00:17:05,968 They know the ports are the lifeblood of our economy. 365 00:17:06,001 --> 00:17:09,639 They're also the lifeblood for drug distribution. 366 00:17:11,641 --> 00:17:13,309 With the drug business booming 367 00:17:13,343 --> 00:17:15,678 and new markets opening constantly, 368 00:17:15,711 --> 00:17:19,048 it's crucial that the Hells Angels add security, 369 00:17:19,081 --> 00:17:25,455 and everyone associated with the club has a part to play. 370 00:17:25,488 --> 00:17:27,757 Coming up... 371 00:17:27,790 --> 00:17:30,326 Many Hells Angels have become major players 372 00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:33,629 in the international drug business, prostitution, 373 00:17:33,663 --> 00:17:35,965 and gunrunning. 374 00:17:35,998 --> 00:17:39,902 Like any well-managed enterprise, they're expanding. 375 00:17:39,935 --> 00:17:43,173 George Christie is the leader of the Ventura, California, charter 376 00:17:43,206 --> 00:17:47,143 and one of the most influential Angels in the organization. 377 00:17:47,177 --> 00:17:50,012 He realizes if their success is to continue, 378 00:17:50,045 --> 00:17:52,548 changes will have to be made. 379 00:17:52,582 --> 00:17:54,350 I had one foot in the real world 380 00:17:54,384 --> 00:17:56,919 and one foot in the underworld. 381 00:17:56,952 --> 00:17:59,322 It was a very dangerous place to be, 382 00:17:59,355 --> 00:18:02,292 and I didn't want to have any unwanted attention 383 00:18:02,325 --> 00:18:03,926 coming from the cops and the feds. 384 00:18:05,461 --> 00:18:08,898 The Hells Angels are up to their hips 385 00:18:08,931 --> 00:18:10,666 in the methamphetamine trade. 386 00:18:10,700 --> 00:18:12,768 The Hells Angels is not involved 387 00:18:12,802 --> 00:18:16,071 in narcotics transactions as an organization. 388 00:18:16,105 --> 00:18:17,607 There are all kinds of men's clubs. 389 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:19,775 They're not investigating Kiwanis. 390 00:18:19,809 --> 00:18:22,778 All of a sudden, I knew that if we were gonna survive, 391 00:18:22,812 --> 00:18:24,414 I would have to come up with a set of rules 392 00:18:24,447 --> 00:18:25,715 for the underworld. 393 00:18:30,186 --> 00:18:32,255 More than 8,500 illegal labs 394 00:18:32,288 --> 00:18:34,990 were raided nationwide as law enforcement scrambles 395 00:18:35,024 --> 00:18:36,392 to stop its spread. 396 00:18:36,426 --> 00:18:38,160 Christie's first rules are made 397 00:18:38,194 --> 00:18:40,330 to protect the businesses of the Hells Angels 398 00:18:40,363 --> 00:18:43,466 from the potential consequences of dealing and using drugs. 399 00:18:43,499 --> 00:18:46,802 We didn't restrict members from dealing with meth, 400 00:18:46,836 --> 00:18:49,004 but if they got caught, they were on their own, 401 00:18:49,038 --> 00:18:51,341 and they had to answer to the charges 402 00:18:51,374 --> 00:18:52,908 without any support from the charter. 403 00:18:55,945 --> 00:18:59,315 Heroin was outlawed in the club in the late '60s, 404 00:18:59,349 --> 00:19:02,785 because somebody with a bad heroin habit can't be trusted. 405 00:19:02,818 --> 00:19:04,554 They'll steal from their own mother. 406 00:19:04,587 --> 00:19:06,222 If you get caught shooting heroin, 407 00:19:06,256 --> 00:19:07,390 you get kicked out of the club. 408 00:19:09,325 --> 00:19:12,027 We had a guy in the club named Larry Newman. 409 00:19:12,061 --> 00:19:13,496 He had a heroin problem, 410 00:19:13,529 --> 00:19:15,130 and one time came around the club. 411 00:19:15,164 --> 00:19:16,699 He knew what the rule was, 412 00:19:16,732 --> 00:19:19,569 and he assured me that he had chased his demons away. 413 00:19:19,602 --> 00:19:22,972 But as time passed, he started getting that itch again. 414 00:19:25,608 --> 00:19:30,346 So he got caught in the next town over buying heroin, 415 00:19:30,380 --> 00:19:33,516 and after the cops figured out who he was, 416 00:19:33,549 --> 00:19:35,084 they threatened him. 417 00:19:35,117 --> 00:19:37,119 They said, "You know what? You give us three busts, 418 00:19:37,152 --> 00:19:39,522 and we'll forget about everything." 419 00:19:41,424 --> 00:19:43,426 Larry decides his only way out 420 00:19:43,459 --> 00:19:46,128 is to betray his brothers. 421 00:19:46,161 --> 00:19:47,663 Larry set up three people, 422 00:19:47,697 --> 00:19:50,065 and after he did that, 423 00:19:50,099 --> 00:19:51,100 he met with them again, 424 00:19:51,133 --> 00:19:52,668 and they said, "We talked to our boss, 425 00:19:52,702 --> 00:19:54,203 "and that's not good enough. 426 00:19:54,236 --> 00:19:56,639 "You're gonna have to give us three Hells Angels now, 427 00:19:56,672 --> 00:19:58,641 and we want one of them to be George Christie." 428 00:20:00,710 --> 00:20:03,178 I got a phone call from Larry's lawyer one afternoon, 429 00:20:03,212 --> 00:20:04,947 and he asked me to come to his office. 430 00:20:06,382 --> 00:20:07,817 I walked into his office, 431 00:20:07,850 --> 00:20:09,619 and he had a tape recorder on his desk. 432 00:20:11,454 --> 00:20:13,489 He pushed the play button and walked out. 433 00:20:15,858 --> 00:20:17,593 I listened over the next 90 minutes 434 00:20:17,627 --> 00:20:19,629 to Larry being pressured by the cops 435 00:20:19,662 --> 00:20:21,196 and talking about setting me up 436 00:20:21,230 --> 00:20:23,733 and two other Hells Angels up. 437 00:20:23,766 --> 00:20:25,701 He gave them some information 438 00:20:25,735 --> 00:20:28,070 and helped them set up three people outside the club. 439 00:20:30,973 --> 00:20:33,142 But when it came time to set us up, 440 00:20:33,175 --> 00:20:34,877 I don't know if it was brotherhood 441 00:20:34,910 --> 00:20:38,548 or his feelings for the club, 442 00:20:38,581 --> 00:20:41,116 but he basically disappeared out of town. 443 00:20:41,150 --> 00:20:43,118 So we now had this evidence 444 00:20:43,152 --> 00:20:47,022 that they were gonna use against Larry in our possession. 445 00:20:47,056 --> 00:20:50,426 What it told me was the cops can be just as dirty as anybody. 446 00:20:50,460 --> 00:20:52,928 They had never intended for anything less 447 00:20:52,962 --> 00:20:54,129 than setting me up. 448 00:20:56,298 --> 00:20:57,800 Rats are hated more than anything, 449 00:20:57,833 --> 00:21:01,671 and Larry knew what the consequences would be 450 00:21:01,704 --> 00:21:05,675 and wound up dead in a hotel room back east. 451 00:21:05,708 --> 00:21:09,178 Nobody ever figured out what happened. 452 00:21:09,211 --> 00:21:11,547 For the moment, George has avoided entrapment 453 00:21:11,581 --> 00:21:12,948 by law enforcement, 454 00:21:12,982 --> 00:21:16,819 but for a Hells Angels leader, danger is everywhere. 455 00:21:22,592 --> 00:21:24,894 Comie 1980s, law enforcement 456 00:21:24,927 --> 00:21:27,497 is aggressively targeting the Hells Angels as a major 457 00:21:27,530 --> 00:21:29,565 drug trafficking organization. 458 00:21:29,599 --> 00:21:32,034 Ventura president George Christie is determined 459 00:21:32,067 --> 00:21:35,104 to keep his charter beyond the grasp of the police 460 00:21:35,137 --> 00:21:36,506 and the feds. 461 00:21:38,774 --> 00:21:43,846 When we moved up to Ventura, the town was wide open, 462 00:21:43,879 --> 00:21:45,748 and there was a tattoo shop 463 00:21:45,781 --> 00:21:47,750 in town owned by a friend of mine. 464 00:21:47,783 --> 00:21:49,785 His name was Scurvy George. 465 00:21:49,819 --> 00:21:51,286 He drank constantly. 466 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:53,889 He died of cirrhosis of the liver, 467 00:21:53,923 --> 00:21:57,059 and his wife didn't know what to do with the tattoo shop 468 00:21:57,092 --> 00:21:59,061 and basically gave it to me. 469 00:21:59,094 --> 00:22:00,195 I gave her some money for it, 470 00:22:00,229 --> 00:22:01,597 but she said, "I'm sure George 471 00:22:01,631 --> 00:22:03,766 would want you to have this," 472 00:22:03,799 --> 00:22:06,035 so I wound up taking over this shop. 473 00:22:06,068 --> 00:22:08,938 It was called Ventura Tattoo at the time. 474 00:22:08,971 --> 00:22:11,841 George quickly realized that owning a tattoo shop 475 00:22:11,874 --> 00:22:15,511 was very useful for a man in his position. 476 00:22:15,545 --> 00:22:18,714 If you worked at a tattoo shop, 477 00:22:18,748 --> 00:22:22,251 it was a great source of information. 478 00:22:22,284 --> 00:22:23,986 You're sitting in a chair for three or four hours 479 00:22:24,019 --> 00:22:26,956 getting the tattoo. What do you do? 480 00:22:26,989 --> 00:22:27,990 You talk. 481 00:22:30,225 --> 00:22:35,798 And these tattoo artists would have made great interrogators. 482 00:22:35,831 --> 00:22:38,000 In all the businesses I've had in 40 years, 483 00:22:38,033 --> 00:22:40,836 that was the best one for information, 484 00:22:40,870 --> 00:22:43,205 and it was lucrative as well. 485 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:47,810 Despite the Hells Angels' notoriety, 486 00:22:47,843 --> 00:22:50,646 many members owned completely legit businesses 487 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:51,647 like bike shops. 488 00:22:53,315 --> 00:22:54,550 And while George Christie's 489 00:22:54,584 --> 00:22:57,219 Ventura chapter also has some legitimate businesses, 490 00:22:57,252 --> 00:22:59,955 some members may also enjoy some side benefits. 491 00:23:03,258 --> 00:23:05,828 I had a concert promotion business 492 00:23:05,861 --> 00:23:09,765 that promoted Jerry Garcia, Waylon Jennings, 493 00:23:09,799 --> 00:23:11,901 Jerry Lee Lewis. 494 00:23:14,036 --> 00:23:16,371 One of the most eventful shows I ever did 495 00:23:16,405 --> 00:23:18,007 was with Johnny Paycheck. 496 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:19,842 Johnny Paycheck had a novelty song-- 497 00:23:19,875 --> 00:23:21,811 you know, "Take This Job and Shove It." 498 00:23:21,844 --> 00:23:24,213 But Christie would learn that Johnny Paycheck 499 00:23:24,246 --> 00:23:25,981 is a walking time bomb. 500 00:23:26,015 --> 00:23:27,950 Johnny was having so much fun 501 00:23:27,983 --> 00:23:31,220 that he forgot to put a lid on the bottle. 502 00:23:31,253 --> 00:23:34,323 So Johnny does the show in Santa Barbara at the Chili Factory 503 00:23:34,356 --> 00:23:36,425 and falls off the stage, he's so drunk. 504 00:23:38,293 --> 00:23:41,997 So 18 months passes and Johnny's career's in the toilet. 505 00:23:42,031 --> 00:23:45,134 He's got a bad reputation of not showing up, 506 00:23:45,167 --> 00:23:48,370 and when he does show up, he can't perform. 507 00:23:48,403 --> 00:23:50,573 So I call his management company... 508 00:23:52,374 --> 00:23:54,476 And I book a show with him. 509 00:23:54,510 --> 00:23:56,411 They're really honest with me because we're friends, 510 00:23:56,445 --> 00:23:58,147 and they say, "You know what happened last time up there," 511 00:23:58,180 --> 00:23:59,148 and I said, "Yeah, I know." 512 00:23:59,181 --> 00:24:01,684 I said, "But I got an idea-- 513 00:24:01,717 --> 00:24:04,386 have Johnny fly in on Thursday." 514 00:24:04,419 --> 00:24:06,121 He thinks the show is that night. 515 00:24:06,155 --> 00:24:07,690 Johnny's all excited. 516 00:24:07,723 --> 00:24:10,693 He's been on the plane for six hours or five hours drinking, 517 00:24:10,726 --> 00:24:14,296 so I get Johnny in the motel room, 518 00:24:14,329 --> 00:24:16,398 and I get another Hells Angel to watch him, 519 00:24:16,431 --> 00:24:17,700 and I tell Johnny--I go, 520 00:24:17,733 --> 00:24:19,234 "See you Saturday." 521 00:24:19,268 --> 00:24:22,104 He goes, "Wait a minute. I'm supposed to perform." 522 00:24:22,137 --> 00:24:25,040 And I go, "No, you don't perform till Saturday." 523 00:24:25,074 --> 00:24:27,376 And I told the guys, I go, "No liquor. 524 00:24:27,409 --> 00:24:29,311 "He doesn't go out of the room. 525 00:24:29,344 --> 00:24:30,713 "Bring the food to him. 526 00:24:30,746 --> 00:24:33,282 Don't let him out of your sight." 527 00:24:33,315 --> 00:24:35,017 He's pissed. 528 00:24:35,050 --> 00:24:37,720 You can imagine what he's saying to me. 529 00:24:37,753 --> 00:24:39,889 Christie is not going to back down. 530 00:24:39,922 --> 00:24:43,058 So he is just kept prisoner at the motel till Saturday, 531 00:24:43,092 --> 00:24:45,194 and he showed up clean and sober at the concert. 532 00:24:47,930 --> 00:24:50,766 Put a hell of a show on. 533 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,435 That was the best performance Johnny had done in years. 534 00:24:57,106 --> 00:24:58,240 He was a good sport. 535 00:24:58,273 --> 00:24:59,842 We laughed about it for years after that. 536 00:24:59,875 --> 00:25:01,143 Any time I ran into him, you know, 537 00:25:01,176 --> 00:25:02,444 he'd tell me, "You son of a bitch. 538 00:25:02,477 --> 00:25:03,946 You're not gonna lock me in a room, are you?" 539 00:25:10,019 --> 00:25:12,187 Christie's businesses are flourishing, 540 00:25:12,221 --> 00:25:14,624 but he quickly learns that as an outlaw, 541 00:25:14,657 --> 00:25:18,794 even his legit operations have risks that threaten his life. 542 00:25:25,467 --> 00:25:28,137 I remember, years ago, I got home, 543 00:25:28,170 --> 00:25:29,972 and I'm sitting in my kitchen, 544 00:25:30,005 --> 00:25:32,808 and I look out front, and I see this guy, J.T., 545 00:25:32,842 --> 00:25:35,310 who's a friend of mine, 546 00:25:35,344 --> 00:25:40,015 and he also works as a collector for people. 547 00:25:40,049 --> 00:25:41,884 He comes to the door, and I open the door up. 548 00:25:41,917 --> 00:25:43,318 I go, "Hey, what the hell's going on? 549 00:25:43,352 --> 00:25:44,987 Come on in," you know? He comes in. 550 00:25:45,020 --> 00:25:47,056 We greet each other. 551 00:25:47,089 --> 00:25:48,824 You know, not a real friendly greeting, 552 00:25:48,858 --> 00:25:51,560 a little bit distant and cold. 553 00:25:51,593 --> 00:25:54,263 I'm kind of thinking, "Well, what's going on here?" 554 00:25:54,296 --> 00:25:55,865 We sit down at this little table 555 00:25:55,898 --> 00:25:56,966 in the kitchen, 556 00:25:56,999 --> 00:25:59,001 and we're talking, and he goes, 557 00:25:59,034 --> 00:26:00,402 "You know why I'm here, George." 558 00:26:00,435 --> 00:26:01,603 My mind's starting to go, 559 00:26:01,637 --> 00:26:03,572 "This doesn't sound like a social call." 560 00:26:03,605 --> 00:26:07,176 J.T. has come to collect on a long-overdue debt. 561 00:26:07,209 --> 00:26:09,178 And he tells me the guy that sends him, 562 00:26:09,211 --> 00:26:11,313 he's my old partner in a business. 563 00:26:11,346 --> 00:26:13,015 Him and I had a falling out, 564 00:26:13,048 --> 00:26:15,017 and in my mind, I didn't owe him anything. 565 00:26:15,050 --> 00:26:18,754 J.T. says, "Well, he thinks that you owe him money," 566 00:26:18,788 --> 00:26:20,289 and then he goes, 567 00:26:20,322 --> 00:26:23,192 "I took the job to collect it." 568 00:26:23,225 --> 00:26:24,593 And as he says that, 569 00:26:24,626 --> 00:26:26,729 he leans back, and he pulls a gun out of his waistband, 570 00:26:26,762 --> 00:26:28,430 and he sets it on the table. 571 00:26:33,803 --> 00:26:35,037 Many Hells Angels 572 00:26:35,070 --> 00:26:37,272 have all kinds of ways of making money-- 573 00:26:37,306 --> 00:26:42,344 drugs, guns, theft, extortion, 574 00:26:42,377 --> 00:26:45,147 even legitimate businesses-- 575 00:26:45,180 --> 00:26:46,882 but part of living the outlaw life 576 00:26:46,916 --> 00:26:49,518 means that sooner or later, you're going to find yourself 577 00:26:49,551 --> 00:26:52,154 staring down the barrel of a gun. 578 00:26:52,187 --> 00:26:54,023 George Christie is no exception. 579 00:26:56,225 --> 00:26:58,728 My ex-partner in this bike shop-- 580 00:26:58,761 --> 00:27:00,896 somehow, in this guy's mind, 581 00:27:00,930 --> 00:27:02,364 he's thinking I owe him money. 582 00:27:04,366 --> 00:27:07,236 He hires J.T., who happens to be a collector. 583 00:27:07,269 --> 00:27:10,105 He takes a gun out of his waistband, 584 00:27:10,139 --> 00:27:11,573 sets it down on the table. 585 00:27:11,606 --> 00:27:14,376 I said, "You really think I owe that money, J.T.?" 586 00:27:14,409 --> 00:27:16,779 And he goes, "Yeah, I think you owe that money." 587 00:27:21,150 --> 00:27:22,985 And before he could do anything, 588 00:27:23,018 --> 00:27:25,120 I reached across the table, and I grabbed the gun, 589 00:27:25,154 --> 00:27:27,122 and I picked it up, 590 00:27:27,156 --> 00:27:29,258 and I said, "Well, then, if you think I owe the money, 591 00:27:29,291 --> 00:27:30,659 why don't you add this to the bill?" 592 00:27:30,692 --> 00:27:32,261 And I stuck the gun in my waistband, 593 00:27:32,294 --> 00:27:34,997 and I just kind of leaned forward and smiled at him. 594 00:27:35,030 --> 00:27:36,598 J.T. didn't know what to do. 595 00:27:36,631 --> 00:27:39,969 I think he felt he got a little bit outgunned and out-commanded, 596 00:27:40,002 --> 00:27:41,937 and he got up and left. 597 00:27:41,971 --> 00:27:44,673 That's actually the last time I saw J.T. 598 00:27:52,848 --> 00:27:55,450 In the mid-1990s, the Hells Angels 599 00:27:55,484 --> 00:27:59,054 are continuing to expand their territory. 600 00:27:59,088 --> 00:28:00,589 As they move into the Midwest, 601 00:28:00,622 --> 00:28:04,293 they enter the turf of one of their greatest enemies, 602 00:28:04,326 --> 00:28:06,428 the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. 603 00:28:09,198 --> 00:28:12,467 The Outlaws were a motorcycle club in the Midwest 604 00:28:12,501 --> 00:28:16,005 that we had had problems with for years. 605 00:28:18,774 --> 00:28:21,343 On June 25, 1994, 606 00:28:21,376 --> 00:28:25,815 Outlaw president Peter Rogers, aka Greased Lightning, 607 00:28:25,848 --> 00:28:27,850 is cruising down a Chicago freeway 608 00:28:27,883 --> 00:28:29,785 when a van pulls up behind him. 609 00:28:31,954 --> 00:28:33,555 A shooter pops out. 610 00:28:38,794 --> 00:28:41,096 Somebody shot him in the leg, 611 00:28:41,130 --> 00:28:43,833 and I think he may have also taken a round in the stomach. 612 00:28:50,672 --> 00:28:52,407 Many believe the Hells Angels 613 00:28:52,441 --> 00:28:54,443 are sending the Outlaws a message. 614 00:28:54,476 --> 00:28:57,412 They are moving into their territory. 615 00:28:57,446 --> 00:29:00,782 Their next action is more strategic. 616 00:29:00,816 --> 00:29:02,217 Different individuals in our club 617 00:29:02,251 --> 00:29:04,253 felt that we needed more growth in the Midwest, 618 00:29:04,286 --> 00:29:07,356 and at the time, the Hell's Henchmen had been around, 619 00:29:07,389 --> 00:29:08,824 like, 25 years, 620 00:29:08,858 --> 00:29:11,393 and they had a relationship with us, 621 00:29:11,426 --> 00:29:13,595 and they coexisted with the Outlaws. 622 00:29:17,166 --> 00:29:18,767 We took the Hell's Henchmen 623 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,437 and prospected them for Hells Angel membership, 624 00:29:22,471 --> 00:29:26,075 and they were right in the midst of the Outlaw territory. 625 00:29:27,642 --> 00:29:29,311 Like any large corporation, 626 00:29:29,344 --> 00:29:31,546 the Hells Angels use an acquisition 627 00:29:31,580 --> 00:29:34,149 to quickly gain a strong presence in the Midwest 628 00:29:34,183 --> 00:29:37,486 by absorbing the Hell's Henchmen into the Hells Angels, 629 00:29:37,519 --> 00:29:39,989 and the Henchmen are more than happy to become part 630 00:29:40,022 --> 00:29:44,326 of the most prestigious motorcycle club in the world. 631 00:29:44,359 --> 00:29:47,129 The rival Outlaws, however, are not amused. 632 00:29:51,266 --> 00:29:53,235 Once the Outlaws got word 633 00:29:53,268 --> 00:29:58,340 that we were entertaining the Henchmen for membership, 634 00:29:58,373 --> 00:30:01,243 all hell broke loose. 635 00:30:01,276 --> 00:30:02,711 In the mid-1990s, 636 00:30:02,744 --> 00:30:06,448 law enforcement begins to track so-called "Angel Hunts" 637 00:30:06,481 --> 00:30:08,017 in which Outlaws attack 638 00:30:08,050 --> 00:30:11,386 any Hells Angels or Hell's Henchmen in their territory 639 00:30:11,420 --> 00:30:14,623 with anything from baseball bats and screwdrivers 640 00:30:14,656 --> 00:30:16,258 to knives and guns. 641 00:30:18,093 --> 00:30:20,395 One of the most gruesome assaults takes place 642 00:30:20,429 --> 00:30:24,299 on June 1, 1993. 643 00:30:24,333 --> 00:30:25,734 Around every club-- I don't care 644 00:30:25,767 --> 00:30:27,836 if it's the Outlaws or the Hells Angels-- 645 00:30:27,869 --> 00:30:29,504 you got hang-arounds, wannabes. 646 00:30:29,538 --> 00:30:31,340 You got people that want to prove their mettle, 647 00:30:31,373 --> 00:30:34,609 and they'll do just about anything to do that, 648 00:30:34,643 --> 00:30:39,548 and one guy I'm thinking of in particular is this David Wolf. 649 00:30:39,581 --> 00:30:41,316 David Wolf was a wannabe 650 00:30:41,350 --> 00:30:44,353 desperate to impress the Outlaws. 651 00:30:44,386 --> 00:30:47,156 Wolf selected as his target LaMont Mathias. 652 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:52,461 This guy, David Wolf, 653 00:30:52,494 --> 00:30:56,298 got his routine down by watching him for several days. 654 00:30:58,968 --> 00:31:01,136 Followed him into his workplace, 655 00:31:01,170 --> 00:31:03,572 and as he was going about his day, 656 00:31:03,605 --> 00:31:05,407 shot him several times... 657 00:31:10,145 --> 00:31:12,181 Beat him in the head with the butt of the gun 658 00:31:12,214 --> 00:31:14,483 until it broke, 659 00:31:14,516 --> 00:31:19,521 then took a screwdriver from Lamont's toolbox, 660 00:31:19,554 --> 00:31:21,390 stabbed him in the neck several times... 661 00:31:23,858 --> 00:31:24,994 And killed him. 662 00:31:28,197 --> 00:31:30,565 This is a perfect example of what can happen 663 00:31:30,599 --> 00:31:33,402 if you encroach on somebody's territory. 664 00:31:33,435 --> 00:31:35,170 Police believe the rival gangs 665 00:31:35,204 --> 00:31:36,972 are killing off each other's leaders. 666 00:31:37,006 --> 00:31:40,542 Officials say they are at a loss over the inter-gang murders. 667 00:31:40,575 --> 00:31:41,743 Mathias' funeral 668 00:31:41,776 --> 00:31:44,379 is attended by more than 300 Hells Angels, 669 00:31:44,413 --> 00:31:46,848 and David Wolf is made a full-patch Outlaw. 670 00:31:49,951 --> 00:31:53,388 The Angels and Outlaws are now at war. 671 00:31:53,422 --> 00:31:55,190 We were pretty much encroaching 672 00:31:55,224 --> 00:31:56,525 on the Outlaws' territory. 673 00:31:56,558 --> 00:31:58,293 They'd been there for years, 674 00:31:58,327 --> 00:32:00,429 and I know how I would have felt 675 00:32:00,462 --> 00:32:02,197 if they would have moved into Ventura. 676 00:32:02,231 --> 00:32:04,233 It would've been a real problem. 677 00:32:04,266 --> 00:32:06,001 We were infringing on their action. 678 00:32:06,035 --> 00:32:07,269 We were pushing on them, 679 00:32:07,302 --> 00:32:09,704 and they didn't like it. 680 00:32:09,738 --> 00:32:11,306 George takes it upon himself 681 00:32:11,340 --> 00:32:12,507 to try and broker a peace 682 00:32:12,541 --> 00:32:14,809 between the rival motorcycle clubs. 683 00:32:14,843 --> 00:32:16,811 Christie goes to Terre Haute, Indiana, 684 00:32:16,845 --> 00:32:18,780 to seek out Harry "Taco" Bowman, 685 00:32:18,813 --> 00:32:21,150 the Outlaws' leader. 686 00:32:21,183 --> 00:32:24,019 I went to Terre Haute prison, Indiana, 687 00:32:24,053 --> 00:32:26,821 because of an invitation from two Hells Angels 688 00:32:26,855 --> 00:32:28,123 that were doing time there, 689 00:32:28,157 --> 00:32:29,524 and in that prison, 690 00:32:29,558 --> 00:32:31,260 along with these two Hells Angels, 691 00:32:31,293 --> 00:32:34,196 was Big Jim Nolan, who, at one time, 692 00:32:34,229 --> 00:32:37,099 was the international president of the Outlaws. 693 00:32:37,132 --> 00:32:39,334 Some of those guys were in prison for a reason 694 00:32:39,368 --> 00:32:41,870 directly related to the war 695 00:32:41,903 --> 00:32:43,605 between the Hells Angels and the Outlaws, 696 00:32:43,638 --> 00:32:45,074 and they wanted to end it. 697 00:32:45,107 --> 00:32:47,342 They didn't want to see any more Hells Angels go to prison. 698 00:32:47,376 --> 00:32:49,611 They didn't want to see any more Hells Angels die. 699 00:32:49,644 --> 00:32:50,912 They had an agenda, 700 00:32:50,945 --> 00:32:54,849 and the agenda was to open up a line of communication. 701 00:32:54,883 --> 00:32:57,486 In prison, George meets with former Outlaws leader, 702 00:32:57,519 --> 00:32:58,953 Big Jim Nolan, 703 00:32:58,987 --> 00:33:01,956 who tells him the whereabouts of their leader, Taco Bowman. 704 00:33:01,990 --> 00:33:05,694 They let me know that Taco Bowman was at a motel 705 00:33:05,727 --> 00:33:08,497 just down the road, 706 00:33:08,530 --> 00:33:09,698 and I made a decision 707 00:33:09,731 --> 00:33:11,900 to go to the motel that day and talk to Taco 708 00:33:11,933 --> 00:33:15,904 and do my best to try to put our differences aside. 709 00:33:15,937 --> 00:33:17,172 I wanted to end the war 710 00:33:17,206 --> 00:33:18,973 between the Hells Angels and the Outlaws 711 00:33:19,007 --> 00:33:21,143 because I was getting tired 712 00:33:21,176 --> 00:33:24,779 of waiting for a gun to shoot at me. 713 00:33:24,813 --> 00:33:28,383 Ventura clubhouse bombed twice. 714 00:33:28,417 --> 00:33:31,052 A hand grenade exploded in there. 715 00:33:31,086 --> 00:33:32,053 People were dying. 716 00:33:35,390 --> 00:33:36,691 We were in a war, 717 00:33:36,725 --> 00:33:39,328 but I thought, "Maybe I have a way to end it." 718 00:33:50,004 --> 00:33:52,374 into the Midwest, which until now 719 00:33:52,407 --> 00:33:54,843 has been the territory of their chief rivals, 720 00:33:54,876 --> 00:33:56,145 the Outlaws. 721 00:33:56,178 --> 00:33:58,847 The two clubs are in the middle of a bloody turf war, 722 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:01,082 and Hells Angel leader George Christie 723 00:34:01,116 --> 00:34:03,152 is about to pay surprise visit 724 00:34:03,185 --> 00:34:04,386 to the Outlaws' leader, 725 00:34:04,419 --> 00:34:06,721 the notorious Harry "Taco" Bowman, 726 00:34:06,755 --> 00:34:09,090 at a motel in Indiana. 727 00:34:09,124 --> 00:34:11,360 It seems like a suicide mission. 728 00:34:15,430 --> 00:34:17,098 I start walking into the motel, 729 00:34:17,132 --> 00:34:20,269 and I've got about 15 Outlaws come charging out there, 730 00:34:20,302 --> 00:34:25,340 and they're just going, "What in the hell are you doing?" 731 00:34:25,374 --> 00:34:27,342 And I said, "Well, I want to talk to Taco," 732 00:34:27,376 --> 00:34:29,110 and they said, "Does he know you're coming?" 733 00:34:29,144 --> 00:34:31,280 And I go, "No, I don't think so," 734 00:34:31,313 --> 00:34:32,914 and they go, ", man, 735 00:34:32,947 --> 00:34:34,783 wait here." 736 00:34:34,816 --> 00:34:35,817 In the back of my mind, 737 00:34:35,850 --> 00:34:38,086 I knew there was a possibility 738 00:34:38,119 --> 00:34:40,555 that could have been the end of my life that day. 739 00:34:42,056 --> 00:34:43,858 Bowman was known for being ruthless 740 00:34:43,892 --> 00:34:45,827 with members of rival clubs 741 00:34:45,860 --> 00:34:47,929 and was accused of multiple murders. 742 00:34:50,098 --> 00:34:53,134 I'm by myself. 743 00:34:53,168 --> 00:34:55,470 And I'm starting to think, "What the hell's going on here?" 744 00:34:57,506 --> 00:34:59,040 So all of a sudden, 745 00:34:59,073 --> 00:35:01,876 I see this guy walking out of the motel. 746 00:35:01,910 --> 00:35:04,646 He's got a black headband on. 747 00:35:04,679 --> 00:35:06,215 That was Taco's trademark. 748 00:35:08,183 --> 00:35:10,319 And he's got a smile on his face, 749 00:35:10,352 --> 00:35:11,920 so I'm thinking, "Well, that's a good thing. 750 00:35:11,953 --> 00:35:13,788 He's got a smile on his face," but he's shaking his head, 751 00:35:13,822 --> 00:35:14,923 and he's kind of laughing. 752 00:35:19,261 --> 00:35:21,663 And he just goes, "What the hell are you doing here?" 753 00:35:21,696 --> 00:35:23,998 He goes, "You crazy?" 754 00:35:24,032 --> 00:35:25,700 I said, "Well, Taco, I want to talk to you." 755 00:35:28,169 --> 00:35:30,104 And he goes, "Well, I'm listening." 756 00:35:30,138 --> 00:35:31,206 And we started talking, 757 00:35:31,240 --> 00:35:33,908 and our relationship built from there. 758 00:35:33,942 --> 00:35:35,844 Christie carefully talks to Bowman 759 00:35:35,877 --> 00:35:39,748 about how and why their two clubs should make peace. 760 00:35:41,883 --> 00:35:43,852 We had to put some differences aside, 761 00:35:43,885 --> 00:35:45,487 and we had to make some agreements. 762 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:48,523 We had a shaky truce, if you will, 763 00:35:48,557 --> 00:35:50,992 and that was something we accomplished together. 764 00:35:53,127 --> 00:35:55,163 Christie and Bowman part on good terms, 765 00:35:55,196 --> 00:35:58,733 and for several years, the landmark truce holds 766 00:35:58,767 --> 00:36:01,303 until a tragic mistake by a group of Angels 767 00:36:01,336 --> 00:36:02,737 threatens everything. 768 00:36:04,806 --> 00:36:07,676 Now, we still had this uneasy truce going on. 769 00:36:07,709 --> 00:36:10,579 This had gone on several years, 770 00:36:10,612 --> 00:36:13,382 and it ended abruptly 771 00:36:13,415 --> 00:36:17,519 when a group of Hells Angels stopped in an Outlaw town, 772 00:36:17,552 --> 00:36:20,455 and they wound up in a Outlaw bar. 773 00:36:21,823 --> 00:36:25,894 And one of the things that was asked by the Outlaws 774 00:36:25,927 --> 00:36:28,963 was, if you stop in any of our towns, 775 00:36:28,997 --> 00:36:32,033 don't come to our bars with your patches on. 776 00:36:36,170 --> 00:36:40,309 Now, they're in this Outlaw bar running around partying, 777 00:36:40,342 --> 00:36:44,779 and there's no way you can go into a Hells Angel bar, 778 00:36:44,813 --> 00:36:45,914 an Outlaw bar, 779 00:36:45,947 --> 00:36:48,182 a Mongol bar, a Bandido bar-- 780 00:36:48,216 --> 00:36:50,018 someone's gonna call one of them and tell them, 781 00:36:50,051 --> 00:36:51,786 "Hey, your enemy's here. 782 00:36:51,820 --> 00:36:53,322 What's going on?" 783 00:36:53,355 --> 00:36:55,524 And that happened. 784 00:36:55,557 --> 00:36:57,125 Out of nowhere, 785 00:36:57,158 --> 00:37:00,329 a dozen or so unidentifiable masked men 786 00:37:00,362 --> 00:37:02,331 walked into the bar, 787 00:37:02,364 --> 00:37:04,666 and with absolutely no warning signs... 788 00:37:06,768 --> 00:37:08,903 Attacked the Hells Angels that were in there 789 00:37:08,937 --> 00:37:11,205 with axe handles. 790 00:37:11,239 --> 00:37:14,108 They started hitting them. 791 00:37:14,142 --> 00:37:17,145 They started kicking them. 792 00:37:17,178 --> 00:37:19,348 They knocked these guys out cold. 793 00:37:23,318 --> 00:37:25,454 And when they awoke, their patches were gone. 794 00:37:27,389 --> 00:37:30,224 My phone immediately starts ringing off the hook, 795 00:37:30,258 --> 00:37:32,927 so I called Taco, 796 00:37:32,961 --> 00:37:36,197 and I go, "Taco, man, you got to get me these patches back." 797 00:37:36,230 --> 00:37:37,766 Taco gives me the standard, 798 00:37:37,799 --> 00:37:40,569 "I don't know what you're talking about," 799 00:37:40,602 --> 00:37:42,303 and I just said, "Look, 800 00:37:42,337 --> 00:37:44,205 "you've got to get the patches back, man. 801 00:37:44,238 --> 00:37:47,275 Everything we've worked for is gonna unravel." 802 00:37:47,308 --> 00:37:49,578 And said he'd do what he could. 803 00:37:49,611 --> 00:37:50,612 He'd get back to me. 804 00:37:53,782 --> 00:37:57,486 So the next day, my phone rings, 805 00:37:57,519 --> 00:37:59,320 and now it's Taco calling me, 806 00:37:59,354 --> 00:38:01,122 and he goes, "You know, I'm right in the middle 807 00:38:01,155 --> 00:38:02,791 "of trying to get these patches back, 808 00:38:02,824 --> 00:38:04,659 someone throws a grenade in one of our houses." 809 00:38:06,961 --> 00:38:08,897 "What the hell's going on?" 810 00:38:08,930 --> 00:38:10,565 Well, I didn't know what was going on, 811 00:38:10,599 --> 00:38:13,301 and I don't think he believed me. 812 00:38:13,334 --> 00:38:14,669 In all honesty, I didn't believe 813 00:38:14,703 --> 00:38:16,204 he didn't know where the patches were. 814 00:38:16,237 --> 00:38:17,906 Anyways, he said, "Well, you know what? 815 00:38:17,939 --> 00:38:20,509 "Until this grenading can be answered for, 816 00:38:20,542 --> 00:38:22,677 I'm gonna quit looking for the patches." 817 00:38:22,711 --> 00:38:24,513 And I said, "That's your position on this?" 818 00:38:24,546 --> 00:38:26,581 And he said, "Yeah," and I said, "Well, you know what? 819 00:38:26,615 --> 00:38:29,418 You'll never hear from me again, Taco." 820 00:38:34,523 --> 00:38:35,957 And that was the last time 821 00:38:35,990 --> 00:38:38,560 I talked to Taco for several years. 822 00:38:38,593 --> 00:38:40,495 The end result-- 823 00:38:40,529 --> 00:38:42,897 we wound up exactly where we started... 824 00:38:44,833 --> 00:38:46,501 Taking each other's lives again. 825 00:38:49,303 --> 00:38:50,572 The truce ends, 826 00:38:50,605 --> 00:38:53,475 and the war between the Angels and the Outlaws resumes. 827 00:38:56,110 --> 00:38:59,013 Then, one day in 2000, Christie's back in Ventura 828 00:38:59,047 --> 00:39:01,983 when he is visited by a local cop. 829 00:39:02,016 --> 00:39:05,086 This police officer wanted to let me know that Taco Bowman 830 00:39:05,119 --> 00:39:07,722 had been arrested with a group of individuals, 831 00:39:07,756 --> 00:39:11,225 and in their possession was a silenced weapon, 832 00:39:11,259 --> 00:39:12,927 a map of Ventura, 833 00:39:12,961 --> 00:39:14,996 a map laying out my house, 834 00:39:15,029 --> 00:39:16,865 and pictures of me. 835 00:39:16,898 --> 00:39:20,635 I understood what was going on with the Outlaws. 836 00:39:20,669 --> 00:39:24,439 They had sent out a hit team to kill me. 837 00:39:24,473 --> 00:39:27,942 Taco Bowman's plan to assassinate George is a failure, 838 00:39:27,976 --> 00:39:31,345 and Bowman, who'd been on the FBI's most wanted list, 839 00:39:31,379 --> 00:39:33,014 was finally apprehended. 840 00:39:35,349 --> 00:39:37,652 The Hells Angels' expansion into the Midwest 841 00:39:37,686 --> 00:39:41,255 had been a costly one, with blood shed on both sides, 842 00:39:41,289 --> 00:39:45,860 but George proved that peace between clubs was possible, 843 00:39:45,894 --> 00:39:48,863 and in the end, the Angels won control of the region 844 00:39:48,897 --> 00:39:51,700 while Bowman paid a high price for his crimes. 845 00:39:53,568 --> 00:39:55,837 Taco is doing life for racketeering. 846 00:39:55,870 --> 00:39:57,739 He also got an additional ten years 847 00:39:57,772 --> 00:40:00,341 for the assassination attempt on my life. 848 00:40:02,276 --> 00:40:04,178 And when I talk to him, I says, "You know, Taco, 849 00:40:04,212 --> 00:40:05,614 I've got to ask you this question," 850 00:40:05,647 --> 00:40:06,915 and I think Taco, knowing me, 851 00:40:06,948 --> 00:40:08,282 knew what was coming, 852 00:40:08,316 --> 00:40:10,619 and I said, "Are you gonna do the life sentence first, 853 00:40:10,652 --> 00:40:13,655 or are you gonna do the ten years first?" 854 00:40:13,688 --> 00:40:14,989 And he told me to go to hell. 855 00:40:20,795 --> 00:40:22,564 As far as business for the Hells Angels, 856 00:40:22,597 --> 00:40:26,535 everything changed at the end of the '80s. 857 00:40:26,568 --> 00:40:29,337 The fellows that had been doing the cooking of the drugs 858 00:40:29,370 --> 00:40:30,705 were all in prison, 859 00:40:30,739 --> 00:40:32,473 and something new was happening. 860 00:40:32,507 --> 00:40:34,709 The Mexicans came to me, and they said, 861 00:40:34,743 --> 00:40:36,210 "We're getting in the drug business, 862 00:40:36,244 --> 00:40:37,646 and we're looking for outlets." 863 00:40:39,614 --> 00:40:41,049 During the '70s and '80s, 864 00:40:41,082 --> 00:40:43,518 the Hells Angels were predominantly in control 865 00:40:43,552 --> 00:40:45,286 of the methamphetamine trade. 866 00:40:45,319 --> 00:40:47,321 Eventually, the Mexican nationals 867 00:40:47,355 --> 00:40:49,423 started producing it at a cheaper rate 868 00:40:49,457 --> 00:40:53,427 and providing it at a cheaper rate to the customers. 869 00:40:53,461 --> 00:40:56,698 But the Hells Angels are always looking for something 870 00:40:56,731 --> 00:40:59,233 to establish the Hells Angels' criminal enterprise. 871 00:41:02,470 --> 00:41:05,406 The Hells Angels members continue to have interests 872 00:41:05,439 --> 00:41:06,975 in a variety of businesses 873 00:41:07,008 --> 00:41:09,243 and remain a powerful global force. 874 00:41:12,413 --> 00:41:16,618 Their position is maintained by their history, reputation, 875 00:41:16,651 --> 00:41:17,919 and most of all, 876 00:41:17,952 --> 00:41:20,822 their willingness to protect their outlaw lifestyle 877 00:41:20,855 --> 00:41:23,725 and their turf at all costs. 878 00:41:23,758 --> 00:41:25,660 Look, if you want to control things 879 00:41:25,694 --> 00:41:27,295 through inferences of violence, 880 00:41:27,328 --> 00:41:29,397 you have to be prepared to commit violence, 881 00:41:29,430 --> 00:41:31,566 and we all know the Hells Angels is ready 882 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:33,267 to commit violence if they have to. 883 00:41:33,301 --> 00:41:34,869 They will rise to the occasion. 883 00:41:35,305 --> 00:42:35,942 -== [ www.OpenSubtitles.com ] ==-