Hells Angels
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Today, found throughout most of the developed world, the Hells Angels is an organization that has alternately been known as a relatively benign motorcycle club for gritty, counter-cultured Harley Davidson enthusiasts as well as outlaw bikers participating in drug dealing, prostitution and gun running. It is for this outlaw image that the Hells Angels have become known through several documentary works and a very large number of fictitious portrayals. An entire genre of exploitative films from the 1960s could be said to be based upon the Hells Angels motif and “Altamont” (in reference to the famous and deadly concert caught on film) has become a term that is synonymous with plans that have gone horribly awry.
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The Hells Angels “brand” of arguably and occasionally criminal behaviour that is observed in most chapters is a far cry from a small group of rowdy pilots who returned from service in World War II and formed motorcycle clubs in California. That said, the basic tenants of membership remain the same, as it is essentially a fraternal (men only) organization of trusted and like-minded people that awards membership in ranks, as represented by patches.
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Even the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Company maintains that only a small fraction (1%, as the patch says) of its customers could be considered outlaws. And certainly, not all Hells Angels members are involved in criminal activity. In fact, many chapters organize charitable events and road rallies instead of cooking amphetamines, though law enforcement officers often target Hells Angels clubhouses based upon the arguably self-perpetuated stereotype. True to the Hells Angels membership rules of the 1940s, you can't buy your way in (not even on online auction sites that have everything else for your motorcycle dreams such as MotoYard.com and others. Most importantly, last names are still unimportant.
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