The Hells Angels Facade

Known for supporting such charities as the Toys for Tots campaign and thought of as a hobby group who looks a little rough and likes leather, the Hells Angels have become an accepted part of our culture — and America’s Most Wanted. Beneath this innocuous façade lies the core of a crime syndicate as sinister as an international drug cartel.

Hells Angels Infiltration

In an unprecedented exposé — “Running with the Devil: The True Story of the ATF’s Infiltration of the Hells Angels,” by award-winning author and criminal defense attorney Kerrie Droban — the truth of this organization, and its threat to our communities, comes to light. Her book shatters the public’s image of the Hells Angels as harmless promoters of charitable organizations as it reveals the treacherous inner workings of the brotherhood.

The infamous Sonny Barger once declared that “the Hells Angels would never be infiltrated.” He was wrong, thanks to the ATF agents who risked their lives. Droban’s true-crime novel chronicles the ATF sting and the ensemble cast of undercover agents who posed as members of a Mexican renegade motorcycle club for two years, earning the trust and respect of the vicious Arizona Hells Angels. Their work led to the 2003 bust, in which the ATF seized thousands of rounds of ammunition, explosives, weapons, grenades and napalm.

“There’s a lot of glamour associated with motorcycle riding,” says Droban. “Like the Wild West, there’s an allure that draws bikers to the road in the same way that cowboys were drawn to the trail. Both are striving for a reckless freedom. But there’s a difference between the so-called ‘RUBs’ [Rich Urban Bikers] who dress the part on weekends, put on their leather chaps and vests and take to their cruisers, and the hard-core ‘1-percenters’ who are anti-establishment and involved in criminal exploits. Unfortunately, there are those who confuse the two, with tragic results.”

While both groups may occasionally mix in biker bars or share the open road, the Hells Angels are territorial and ever-mindful of their rank and file structure. Members must earn their “patches” — embroidered Death Head emblems on their leather vests — and embrace a lifestyle that pledges loyalty above all to a brotherhood of misfits.

Hells Angels Subculture

“Ironically, they’re really conformists,” Droban points out. “They strive to belong in a subculture that adheres to strict rules and regulations, a Constitution with bylaws, a felonious code of ethics and an internal government organization complete with a president, vice president, foot soldiers, sponsors, prospects and even a dress code.”

Get your copy of “Running with the Devil,” to learn more about the Hells Angels.

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