There is a new book about the Hells Angels worth mentioning. It's by former Ontario Hells Angel Dave Atwell and is called The Hard Way Out: My Life with the Hells Angels and Why I Turned Against Them. It is co-written with Jerry Langton. Jerry Langton is rock solid. He spent time in New York as deputy editor for The Daily News. He has put out many credible books including Fallen Angel: The Unlikely rise of Walter Stadnick.
Jerry Langton put out one about the Bacon brothers that was informative and well written. My main concern with that one was the title. The Bacon brothers were anything but notorious. Here in Surrey they are hated for their involvement in the Surrey Six and their ass kissing of the red and white. I'm glad Jerry Langton has put out another book that I can fully endorse.
As I said during my endorsement of the book about Mob Boss Ralph Natale in The Last Don Standing, I dont normally endorse informants. Ralph Natale's case was different as was Dave Atwells. They were both screwed over by people in the game that had lost any dignity or self respect and screwed them over.
Dave Atwell sold drugs for the club in Ontario and got busted. Unlike that Justin Bieber in Cali who infiltrated Vagos, he didn't cut a deal to avoid jail time to become a rat nor was he a crystal meth dealer. He sold weed and 100 Percocets to a woman who worked at the clubhouse and turned out to be a police informant. He was arrested in a sweep with other members and spent 20 months on bail before the charges were dropped. It certainly wasn't a big bust. He wanted out but couldn’t leave because he owed the Hells Angels a huge legal bill, plus house fees.
He started selling cocaine in large quantities for the club and started working for the Ontario Biker Enforcement Unit. Similar to the OMGU here in BC that Christy Clark did away with after their huge success in Kelowna with the David Giles conviction. Atwell said he made $1,700 per kilo of cocaine he sold for the club. It was big business that had nothing to do with riding motorcycles.
I think a few of the comments made in the Macleans interview are very telling:
ReplyDelete"Within two years of the patch-over, it wasn’t about riding your motorcycle and partying anymore. It was about being a cog in a money-making wheel."
" They also gave me $1,850 every week in cash, which was the amount the OPP determined was the average cost of being a Hells Angel."
8 Grand a month just to live the lifestyle.
How many people would love to earn 8 Grand a month just to be able to have for their families, not spend 8 Grand a month to have the ability to wear a patch on their back.
Just like with anything else, if it costs a lot of money, there had better be reasons for it and it had better be worth it.
I know you've changed the outward appearance of your blog since that court case but the fact remains it is NOT just an individual here or there or one Charter here or there. It is the entire organization.
That is a lot of money to leave the life but the bottom line is that if we really want to break into that crime ring, that is what it takes. Just like Michael Plant in EPandora.
DeleteOrganized crime does indeed seem to come part and parcel with the Hells Angels however George Christie's words do ring true. The Hells Angels aren't a criminal organization because the members who are involved in criminal activity are stingy and don't share the proceeds of crime with the entire membership.
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ReplyDeleteThis book doesn't have anything to do with Michael Plante. Michael Plante was based in Vancouver and was involved with EPandora. Neil Hall wrote about that case in his book, Hell to Pay: The Hells Angels vs the Million Dollar Rat. This is a new book about Dave Atwell in Ontario.
DeleteMichael Plante didn't cop a plea to avoid jail time. The club completely f*cked him over and treated him like garbage so he said screw you and agreed to work with the cops. Yes he was well paid but he didn't do it to avoid jail time.