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2006-04-08 23:25:13 UTC
http://citypaper.net/articles/2005-04-21/cb5.shtml
Investigators say the biker gang is driving their Hells Angels rivals out
of town.
by Brendan McGarvey
Are the Hells Angels leaving town with their motorcycles between their
legs? Have the Pagan cycle psychos actually terrified the world's biggest
and baddest biker gang into making a "strategic retreat" from
Philadelphia?
Law enforcement sources say yes, noting that the Hells Angels may be
considering a temporary evacuation of their club headquarters in West
Philadelphia and the suspension of any activity in the Delaware Valley.
On New Year's Eve, a Hells Angel was beaten in a South Jersey bar,
allegedly by members of the Pagan chopper gang. Two weeks later, Thomas
Wood, vice president of the Philly chapter of the Angels, was gunned down
in South Philly, reputedly by a Pagan. Now, Hells Angels in New York are
said to be furious that the Philly branch of the notorious biker gang has
yet to respond to either provocation.
Says one biker associate, "New York thinks their guys in Philly can't get
it together. It's embarrassing to them."
"They don't have the numbers in Philadelphia right now," one organized
crime investigator tells City Paper. "It appears that the Hells Angels
may have overreached here. Sources tells us they're thinking of getting
out of town until they build up enough members to step [to] the Pagans."
A Pagan associate says that "after Wood was shot, those guys said, "Hey,
this is serious. We could get killed doing this.' So they backed off.
They don't have the balls. This is Pagan country."
If the news is surprising, it's because several high-ranking Pagans
switched their allegiance to the Hells Angels back in 1999, with more
following in their tracks. (Remember, this is still Pagan territory since
their rivals have fewer members living in the area.) One defector,
Anthony "Mengie" Mengione was said to be the power behind the current
Pagan president, Steven "Gorilla" Mondevergine, before deciding to join
the Angels. His house is only three blocks from the Angels clubhouse on
Merion Avenue in West Philadelphia. Law enforcement sources claim Mengie
was the Philly Hells Angels chapter president before he went back to
federal prison on a parole violation last year.
"This isn't the first time the Hells Angels have been shut down," one
Pagan associate points out, referring to the ongoing feud in Canada
between the Hells Angels and a much smaller but just as vicious biker
gang known as the Rock Machine. (Canada has more Hells Angels per capita
than any other country in the world but has been involved in a violent,
long-running gangland war in Quebec. More than 150 people have died so
far in the turf battle over drugs, prostitution and other underworld
rackets. In order to continue their battle against the Angels, the Rock
Machine has allied itself with the Bandidos, a U.S. biker gang based in
Texas.)
While the Pagan/Hells Angels war continues in Philly, mirroring the
small-gang/big-gang battles up north, some local bikers are bragging that
the Warlocks, the Delaware Valley's third outlaw biker gang, is steadily
increasing its illegal activities, concentrating on making money while
the other gangs fight it out.
"Check out the Warlocks," one law enforcement investigator says.
"Everybody else is shooting, but they're busy making money selling drugs.
They're allied with the Pagans in a lot of deals, but they're not getting
between the middle of this shootout."
Investigators say the biker gang is driving their Hells Angels rivals out
of town.
by Brendan McGarvey
Are the Hells Angels leaving town with their motorcycles between their
legs? Have the Pagan cycle psychos actually terrified the world's biggest
and baddest biker gang into making a "strategic retreat" from
Philadelphia?
Law enforcement sources say yes, noting that the Hells Angels may be
considering a temporary evacuation of their club headquarters in West
Philadelphia and the suspension of any activity in the Delaware Valley.
On New Year's Eve, a Hells Angel was beaten in a South Jersey bar,
allegedly by members of the Pagan chopper gang. Two weeks later, Thomas
Wood, vice president of the Philly chapter of the Angels, was gunned down
in South Philly, reputedly by a Pagan. Now, Hells Angels in New York are
said to be furious that the Philly branch of the notorious biker gang has
yet to respond to either provocation.
Says one biker associate, "New York thinks their guys in Philly can't get
it together. It's embarrassing to them."
"They don't have the numbers in Philadelphia right now," one organized
crime investigator tells City Paper. "It appears that the Hells Angels
may have overreached here. Sources tells us they're thinking of getting
out of town until they build up enough members to step [to] the Pagans."
A Pagan associate says that "after Wood was shot, those guys said, "Hey,
this is serious. We could get killed doing this.' So they backed off.
They don't have the balls. This is Pagan country."
If the news is surprising, it's because several high-ranking Pagans
switched their allegiance to the Hells Angels back in 1999, with more
following in their tracks. (Remember, this is still Pagan territory since
their rivals have fewer members living in the area.) One defector,
Anthony "Mengie" Mengione was said to be the power behind the current
Pagan president, Steven "Gorilla" Mondevergine, before deciding to join
the Angels. His house is only three blocks from the Angels clubhouse on
Merion Avenue in West Philadelphia. Law enforcement sources claim Mengie
was the Philly Hells Angels chapter president before he went back to
federal prison on a parole violation last year.
"This isn't the first time the Hells Angels have been shut down," one
Pagan associate points out, referring to the ongoing feud in Canada
between the Hells Angels and a much smaller but just as vicious biker
gang known as the Rock Machine. (Canada has more Hells Angels per capita
than any other country in the world but has been involved in a violent,
long-running gangland war in Quebec. More than 150 people have died so
far in the turf battle over drugs, prostitution and other underworld
rackets. In order to continue their battle against the Angels, the Rock
Machine has allied itself with the Bandidos, a U.S. biker gang based in
Texas.)
While the Pagan/Hells Angels war continues in Philly, mirroring the
small-gang/big-gang battles up north, some local bikers are bragging that
the Warlocks, the Delaware Valley's third outlaw biker gang, is steadily
increasing its illegal activities, concentrating on making money while
the other gangs fight it out.
"Check out the Warlocks," one law enforcement investigator says.
"Everybody else is shooting, but they're busy making money selling drugs.
They're allied with the Pagans in a lot of deals, but they're not getting
between the middle of this shootout."