Hells Angels

The Hells Angels were originally started by Scottish-American war immigrants, the Bishop family in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontana,California" title="Fontana, California">Fontana, California</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels#cite_note-Drewery2003-8">[8]</a> followed by an amalgamation of former members from different motorcycle clubs, such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pissed_Off_Bastards_of_Bloomington" title="Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington">Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels#cite_note-history_channel-9">[9]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels#cite_note-10">[10]</a> The Hells Angels' website denies the suggestion that any misfit or malcontent troops are connected with the motorcycle club. The website also notes that the name was suggested by Arvid Olsen, an associate of the founders, who had served in the Flying Tigers' "Hells Angels" squadron in China during World War II.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels#cite_note-11">[11]</a> The name "Hells Angels" was inspired by the typical naming of American squadrons, or other fighting groups, with a fierce, death-defying title in both World War I and World War II, e.g., the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Tigers" title="Flying Tigers">Flying Tigers</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Volunteer_Group" title="American Volunteer Group">American Volunteer Group</a>) in Burma and China fielded three squadrons of P-40s and the third Squadron was called "Hell's Angels".<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels#cite_note-12">[12]</a> In 1930, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Hughes" title="Howard Hughes">Howard Hughes</a> film <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell%27s_Angels%28film%29" title="Hell's Angels (film)">Hell's Angels</a> displayed extraordinary and dangerous feats of aviation, and it is believed that the World War II groups who used that name based it on the film.

Some of the early history of the HAMC is not clear, and accounts differ. According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph%27Sonny%27_Barger" title="Ralph 'Sonny' Barger" class="mw-redirect">Ralph 'Sonny' Barger</a>, founder of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland,California" title="Oakland, California">Oakland</a> chapter, early chapters of the club were founded in San Francisco, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardena,_California" title="Gardena, California">Gardena</a>, Fontana, as well as his chapter in Oakland, and other places independently of one another, with the members usually being unaware that there were other Hells Angels clubs.

Other sources<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels#cite_note-13">[13]</a> claim that the Hells Angels in San Francisco were originally organized in 1953 by Rocky Graves, a Hells Angel member from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California" title="San Bernardino, California">San Bernardino</a> ("Berdoo") implying that the "Frisco" Hells Angels were very much aware of their forebears. The "Frisco" Hells Angels were reorganized in 1955 with thirteen charter members, Frank Sadilek serving as President, and using the smaller, original logo. The Oakland chapter, at the time headed by Barger used a larger version of the "Death's Head" patch nicknamed the "Barger Larger" which was first used in 1959. It later became the club standard.

The Hells Angels are often depicted in a similarly mythical fashion as other modern-day legends like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James-Younger_Gang" title="James-Younger Gang">James-Younger Gang</a>; free-spirited, iconic, bound by brotherhood and loyalty. At other times, such as in the 1966 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Corman" title="Roger Corman">Roger Corman</a> film <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_Angels" title="The Wild Angels">The Wild Angels</a> where they are depicted as violent and nihilistic, they are portrayed as a violent criminal gang and a scourge on society.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels#cite_note-14">[14]</a>

The club became prominent within, and established its initial notoriety as part of, the 1960s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterculture_of_the_1960s" title="Counterculture of the 1960s">counterculture</a> movement in San Francisco's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haight-Ashbury" title="Haight-Ashbury">Haight-Ashbury</a> scene, London, in England, and elsewhere where it played a part at many of the movement's seminal events. Original members were directly connected to many of the counterculture's primary leaders, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Kesey" title="Ken Kesey">Ken Kesey</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Pranksters" title="Merry Pranksters">Merry Pranksters</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Ginsberg" title="Allen Ginsberg">Allen Ginsberg</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Garcia" title="Jerry Garcia">Jerry Garcia</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grateful_Dead" title="The Grateful Dead" class="mw-redirect">The Grateful Dead</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Leary" title="Timothy Leary">Timothy Leary</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles" title="The Beatles">The Beatles</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones" title="The Rolling Stones">The Rolling Stones</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Farren" title="Mick Farren">Mick Farren</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Wolfe" title="Tom Wolfe">Tom Wolfe</a>. The club launched the career of "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzo" title="Gonzo">Gonzo</a>" journalist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_S._Thompson" title="Hunter S. Thompson">Hunter S. Thompson</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels#cite_note-15">[15]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels#cite_note-16">[16]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels#cite_note-17">[17]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels#cite_note-18">[18]</a>

The Brotherhood of Love, p. 42 by Tendler and May - Ginsberg

Hells Angels

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