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[96] He subsequently wrote several biker-related novels. He has nothing else to live for". [53] The defense maintained that the club should not be held accountable for crimes committed by individual members. Birthday, "Hells Angels founder Sonny Barger dies at 83", "Sonny Barger, famous Hells Angel and bestselling author, dead at 83 of cancer", Hells Angels motorcycle club leader Sonny Barger dies at age 83, Hells Angels want to hold Sonny Barger memorial service at Oakland Coliseum, "An estimated 7,000 attend funeral for Hells Angels leader Ralph "Sonny" Barger at Stockton 99 Speedway", "Tucker Carlson gives speech at Sonny Barger's funeral in Northern California", "Look Homeward Angelcycle Icon Sonny Barger Kick-Starts Life as a Free Man by Violating Parole", "Hell's author; Legendary bad-ass biker Sonny Barger and his roaring Harley are burnin' up the highways on a uh book tour? [32] Barger married Gruhlke while he was incarcerated at Folsom State Prison in 1973. [36] He also claimed that he stuck a gun into Keith Richards' side, to force the Rolling Stones to keep on playing through the riot despite the band's misgivings. According to a post on Facebook, which includes a. Sonny Barger, a founder of the notorious Hells Angels motorcycle club, has died at 83 years old. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sonny_Barger&oldid=1142774329, American people convicted of drug offenses, Prisoners and detainees of the United States, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox criminal with known for parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Possession of narcotics with intent to distribute (1973), This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 08:41. [16] When Otto Friedli, the founder of the original San Bernardino Hells Angels chapter, was imprisoned in 1958, Barger was proclaimed de facto national president. [3] After forming the Oakland chapter, Barger was instrumental in unifying various disparate Hells Angels chapters and had the club incorporated in 1966. He lent the EPIC manual to Tait for photocopying after Anchorage chapter president Edwin Hubert, who also expressed retaliatory sentiment after Webb's killing, instructed Tait to acquire a copy of the manual in September 1986. [7][23] In a jailhouse interview with Cynthia Gorney of The Washington Post in October 1979, he stated: "I can tell you why they want to get rid of the Hells Angels, what I think. The warning angered the Angels hierarchy, and Caronite was demoted from his position as a national officer. [61] The trial took place in Lucas County circuit court in Toledo, a city considered Outlaws territory. The supposed peace meeting, scheduled to be held in an eastern state, was in fact an opportunity for the Hells Angels to assassinate their rivals' leadership, according to investigators. Obituary Sonny Barger was a founding member of the Oakland, California Hells Angels and a bestselling author and actor. LIVERMORE, Calif. Sonny Barger, the leather-clad fixture of 1960s counterculture and figurehead of the Hells Angels motorcycle club who was at the notorious Rolling Stones concert at Altamont. "[6] Barger appealed his convictions, contending that the government's investigative conduct had deprived him of his Fifth Amendment right to due process, that he had been incited to commit crimes by Anthony Tait and the government, and that the district court erred when it sentenced him pursuant to the Sentencing Reform Act guidelines. Son of a mother, Kathryn Carmella Barger, and father, Ralph Hubert Barger, Sonny Barger had a rough childhood. When the overall president was sent to prison in 1958, Sonny, aged 20, replaced him, and moved the mother chapter to Oakland. His mother left him when he was just four months old. Oakland police sergeant Edward "Ted" Hilliard testified in 1972 that he accepted guns, dynamite, and grenades from Barger personally in return for deals on arrests during at least fifteen separate meetings, the most recent of which took place in the spring of 1971. [49], Barger was arrested on a parole violation charge of possession of firearms when police officers discovered a 9mm semiautomatic pistol, a .38 caliber revolver, and a rifle after arriving at his Oakland home on March 27, 1978, to serve a subpoena and to conduct a parole search. Thousands turned out for the six-hour funeral service for Ralph "Sonny" Barger, 83. I'm sure some of our members own guns, whether legal or not. Barger's death on June 29 at the age of 83 made international headlines because of that reach. [67] Two EPIC manuals and a homemade explosive device were discovered in Barger's home by federal agents. Ralph Hubert "Sonny" Barger, Jr. (October 8, 1938 June 29, 2022) was an American outlaw biker, convicted criminal, author and actor who was a founding member of the Oakland, California chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in 1957. Barger died at the age of 83 of cancer in Livermore and was the founding member of the Oakland branch of the Hells Angels motorcycle club, known for its outlaw reputation and the scrapes with law enforcement that resulted. He was a total fake. Just like I'm sure some cops have sold methamphetamines. [7] Barger and the Hells Angels became associated with the counterculture phenomenon of the 1960s. Sonny (Ralph Hubert) Barger, motorcycle club leader, born 8 October 1938; died 29 June 2022, Longtime Hells Angels president who cultivated his outlaw image and turned the motorcycle club into a global brand, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Barger was also provided with an alibi from his girlfriend, Sharon Gruhlke, who claimed she was in bed with him at the time of the murder. In 1979 Barger was one of 33 people charged with racketeering under federal Rico (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) laws. Though law enforcement saw the Angels as more of a gang than a club, in the 1960s the media latched on to Barger (pronounced Bar-gurr), selling the outlaw image to the world as a form of countercultural protest that took celluloid form in films such as Easy Rider (1969). Barger claimed to have been sitting on stage drinking beer when the violence was taking place. "[6] Barger continually denied that he was the Hells Angels' leader or that Oakland was the club's headquarters, however, saying: "Theres no charter that's the boss. Unless you cross him. [83][84] Although the Outlaws failed to kill either man, a number of Hells Angels-owned businesses in southern California were firebombed. [32] The killing of Agero was one of five possibly linked murders committed in the area around that time. "[27] Barger and the Hells Angels are also depicted in Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (1968), during Ken Kesey's La Honda encampment. "[43] Barger and the others were charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, and assault with a deadly weapon. He was unimpressed with Thompson, and said of the writer: "When he tried to act tough with us, no matter what happened, Hunter Thompson got scared. [85] The Bandidos were represented by their international vice president George Wegers, Charles "Jaws" Johnson of their Houston chapter and Jim Tinndahn of the Helsingborg chapter. Despite establishing a relationship with the police that led to the Angels trading weapons for arrested members, Bargers rap sheet grew. [1][54] Barger himself admitted during the trial that he had used and sold narcotics in the 1960s, but asserted that his actions did not involve the Hells Angels. [48] In April 1977, Barger won an appeal to face a retrial on a prior marijuana possession conviction. It was something he had earned, but also an image he. One of his first actions was to relocate the club's "mother chapter" the national headquarters from San Bernardino to Oakland. Concert goers and musicians alike were subjected to violence from the Hells Angels, including Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane, who was knocked unconscious, and audience member Meredith "Murdock" Hunter, who was stabbed to death. Barger served a total of 13 years in prison, following a conviction for heroin trafficking in 1974, and a 1988 conviction for conspiracy to bomb the clubhouse of a rival motorcycle gang, the Outlaws. Sonny Barger was born as Ralph Hubert "Sonny" Barger on 8 October 1938, in Modesto, California, the United States. [66], Operation CACUS concluded on November 10, 1987, when 38 Hells Angels members and associates in Alaska, California, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina were arrested on various narcotics, weapons, explosives, and conspiracy charges. Sonny Barger, second left, in the film Hells Angels 69. [68], The conflict between the Hells Angels and the Outlaws saw a resurgence following Barger's release from prison as a result of his longstanding rivalry with Outlaws president Harry Bowman. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Sonny Barger in 2023. Various objects were thrown from the Cadillac during the pursuit, including four handguns, a shotgun, surgical gloves, and a belt with an ammunition pouch and a silver buckle engraved with the caption: "Sonny Barger Jr., 195767 president, Hells Angels Oakland. [66] During one such meeting, Barger admiringly told Tait that he represented the "Hells Angel of the '90s" clean-cut, articulate, and capable of carrying out club business. An informant had led investigating detectives to the location of the automobile in which Long's corpse was found. [4] He emerged as the Hells Angels' most prominent member during the counterculture era and was reputed by law enforcement and media to be the club's international president, an allegation he repeatedly denied. [7] Although the basic organization was in place when Barger took over leadership of the club, he introduced additional rules pertaining to new members, club officers, and the establishment of new chapters. [32] He was among 33 members of the Oakland chapter arrested on drug charges after police raided a bar and a duplex apartment in the city on August 30, 1968. [62] He denied that jurors were intimidated by the Hells Angels' presence at the trial, saying: "The only ones that are intimidated are the ones the feds tell to be". His criminal record began in 1963 after he was arrested for possession of marijuana. The Pontiac struck a tree after its tires were shot out by pursuing park rangers, and England and Stefanson fled into the brush only to be apprehended later. For at least five years beginning in 1967, Barger and the Hells Angels turned over weapons acquired on the black market or locations of weapons, which could otherwise be used by Black Panther Party and Weather Underground radicals, to the Oakland Police Department in exchange for the release of jailed Hells Angels members. The Hells Angels: Mick Jagger Dodged Murder Contract From Mad Bikers In 1970s, Sonny Barger, fearsome leader of the Oakland Hells Angels, dies at 83, Hell's Angel racketeering defendants reduced by two, They Are Not Club Activities: The Hells Angels and the Early Struggles of the RICO Statute, Mistrial Declared in 8-Month Hells Angels Trial on Coast, Legendary Hells Angels-Outlaws Biker War Can Be Traced Back To 1974 Triple Murder In South Florida, Five-state sweep produces arrests of 32 Hells Angels, Police search spectators in area Hell's Angels trial, Biker War Hit The Heartland In 1980s: Outlaws Murder In Toledo Brought Hells Angels To Town En Masse For Trial, Daughter says life in hiding led to fathers death, Gang's terror aimed at police, FBI report says, Hells Angels Stage Funeral for Leader Killed in Bar Fight, FBI report says informant uncovered Hells Angels crimes, 38 Hells Angels Arrested In Operation Roughrider, Louisville trial gives bikers an easy ride, "Jury Finds Hells Angels Leader Guilty in Plots", Jury Finds National Hells Angels Leader Guilty of Conspiracy, Harley-riding senator says bikers get bum rap, 'Taco' Bowman, ex-head of Outlaws biker gang, dies at 69, Ex-Biker Boss: Outlaws MC Power Spike ONeill Put Wrench In Potential Peace Treaty With Hells Angels In 93, The Lancaster National Speedway Slayings: Hells Angels-Outlaws Biker War Peaked In 1990s With Racetrack Fight, Bombings in Chicago, Rockford linked to motorcycle gang merger, Hell's Angels motorcycle gang expands territory in Illinois, The Legend of Taco Bowman: Beloved Outlaws MC Leaders Biker Empire Began Crumbling In Summer Of 97, Chico Mora Led the Dirty Dozen Into the Hells Angels' Camp, Claiming Arizona for the Red and White, Ex-Outlaws biker boss speaks out, sees trouble with Hells Angels, Biker killed in gang fight at Hellraiser Ball, "Biker killed in gang fight at Hellraiser Ball | the Independent | the Independent", 'Hellraisers' brawl: L.I. Barger's death was announced in a self-written Facebook post. He and Tait discussed retaliation against the Outlaws on several occasions, and Tait encouraged Barger to travel to Alaska to provide guidance to the Anchorage Hells Angels chapter on retributive action. [63] A female juror was excused from duty after her son was threatened by a group of Hells Angels at a downtown Toledo bar that he would have "lots of problems" if his mother did not "vote the right way". [23] The indictments followed two car bombings targeting law enforcement officers in northern California, which were blamed on the Hells Angels. He was 83. Flowers were laid in front of the Sonoma County Hells Angels chapter on Thursday . [12][16][107], On March 7, 2003, Barger was arrested by Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputies after a reported domestic dispute with his wife and stepdaughter at their home in New River, Arizona. Perhaps the most infamous was the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont in 1969, where Hells Angels had been hired to provide . As he was a former felon, both were illegal. In reaction to his own traumatic childhood, Barger had created a brotherhood on two wheels in Oakland, California, in 1957. He has acquired his income from his various appearances in films and television series. Wish you were here. [44], Along with fellow Hells Angels members Sergey Walton, Donald Duane "Whitey" Smith, and "Oakland" Gary Popkin, Barger was charged with the May 21, 1972, murder of Servio Winston Agero a drug dealer from McAllen, Texas, who had traveled to Oakland with a consignment of narcotics for sale which allegedly occurred following a dispute over an $80,000 cocaine deal. Having stage III laryngeal cancer, he underwent a total laryngectomy with bilateral functional neck dissections. After Cleveland chapter president Kenny Yates was shot and wounded by Outlaws in Joliet, Illinois, on September 18, 1987, Tait told Barger that he had been to Chicago and Milwaukee to carry out reconnaissance on Outlaws clubhouses there and that he would require an alibi if he was to carry out an attack, to which Barger responded: "That would be no problem." Anthony Tait, the government's key witness in the case, was housed in a safehouse in the Louisville suburb of Prospect during the trial, where he was guarded by an FBI SWAT team. [106] The marriage ended in divorce. [31] In the late 1960s, Barger began selling heroin and also developed an addiction to cocaine. [7] According to police intelligence reports, he had designated San Jose chapter president Fillmore Cross as his international successor during a motorcycle run at Bass Lake prior to his imprisonment. Sonny Barger Death Fact Check Sonny is alive and kicking and is currently 84 years old. In 1987, he was again arrested on federal conspiracy charges of drug and gun running in California, but found himself on trial in Louisville, Kentucky, accused of supplying explosives to destroy the Outlaws motorcycle gang there in a territorial dispute. [6] The defense team endeavored to expose the government's "outrageous" investigative conduct and discredit Tait, whom the government acknowledged was paid $300,000 in salary and expenses for the information he provided. Sonny Barger obituary Founding member of the Hell's Angels who revelled in beating up anti-Vietnam War 'peaceniks' and pulled a gun on Keith Richards Saturday July 02 2022, 12.01am BST, The Times. Barger's Guardian obituary also noted that "in 1979 Barger was one of 33 people charged with racketeering under federal Rico (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) laws. [91], In 1998, peace talks were opened to end the long-standing biker war with the Outlaws, which was largely because the conflict was bringing down too much police pressure on both clubs. Ralph "Sonny" Barger, the larger-than-life godfather of the Hells Angels who helped to transform a California-born motorcycle club into an icon of countercultural rebellion, forging a mythology. Barger. [1], Ralph Hubert Barger, Jr. was born in Modesto, California, on October 8, 1938, the son of Kathryn Carmella (ne Ritch) and Ralph Hubert Barger. [92] Mel Chancey, the president of the Hells Angels Chicago chapter who served as their lead negotiator, met with Barger in the spring of 1998 to discuss the negotiating terms. Three men drug dealers Kelly Patrick Smith, Willard Thomas and Gary Kemp, an acquaintance of Ivaldi were found shot to death in a house near San Leandro the day after Agero's murder, and the body of a woman, Karen S. Long, was discovered in the trunk of a car in Oakland on May 26. That's the way it goes. The biker, of California, passed away peacefully surrounded by his wife Zorana and relatives on June 29. Having given his word to the Outlaws that they would be safe at the meeting, Caronite who characterised himself as a "man of honor" reportedly warned away the Outlaws when he learned of the assassination plot. They affiliated with the Angels mother chapter in San Bernadino; the clubs unified primarily by their battles with the Jokers. [35] He blamed the Rolling Stones' extended delay before making an onstage appearance for worsening the hostility of the crowd, and said the Hells Angels refused to act as bodyguards for "a bunch of sissy, marble-mouthed prima donnas" when the band asked the bikers to escort them to the stage. [32] The drug charges against Barger were later dismissed, although Howarth was convicted and sentenced to serve five years-to-life in prison. Barger was the face of the Hells Angels for decades, but the origin story of the Hells Angels. By now, Barger had given up his job as a machinist, and taken advantage of the publicity to work as a technical adviser in exploitation biker movies, beginning with Roger Cormans Wild Angels (1966), starring Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra. "[72], On March 10, 1989, Barger was sentenced to 57 months' imprisonment at the Federal Correctional Institution, Phoenix in Arizona. In December 1969 the Angels were hired by the Rolling Stones to provide security at the Altamont free festival. [19] On November 19, 1965, five Hells Angels led by Barger held a press conference at their bail bondsman's office, announcing that the club would not attend the protest the following day as "Any physical encounter would only produce sympathy for this mob of traitors", according to Barger. Barger returned on November 29, 2011, in the season 4 finale, part one. The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is Sonny Barger's life. [41] The case was dismissed when Barger's wife Sharon testified that the guns belonged to her, not her husband. [66] While most of the Hells Angels arrested in northern California were charged with drug offenses, Barger and O'Farrell were accused of conspiring to violate federal firearms and explosives laws. [4][12] After that club disbanded, he started riding with another group of bikers, one of whom, Don "Boots" Reeves, wore a patch that belonged to a defunct Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels in North Sacramento. "If you are reading this message, you'll know that I'm gone," said Barger in a. [109] He and Noel later divorced. [16] Although always a predominantly male organization, the Hells Angels had female members until 1964 when Barger imposed a rule making the group male only. Barger also stripped the Hells Angels' "colors" of offensive patches, such as Nazi regalia and various colored wings awarded to members as a reward for sexual adventures performed in the presence of other members. Alleged kidnapping mastermind apparently fabricated family ties to Hells Angels founder, American Legend Sonny Barger celebrate his 80. The club's organized crime wasn't particularly. [23] Six Hells Angels members were arrested and a Berkeley police sergeant suffered a broken leg in the brawl. [41], On April 11, 1970, Barger was arrested on narcotics charges after Donald Howarth, a film studio property manager and 1967 Mr. America from Studio City, was apprehended while walking towards Barger's home with 17 ounces of cocaine and 30 ounces of heroin (with an estimated retail worth of $350,000) in a suitcase. The ten defendants went on trial at Louisville federal court beginning in July 1988, accused of plotting to bomb the clubhouse of the Outlaws' Louisville chapter, located in the city's Portland neighborhood, in retaliation for the killing of John Cleave Webb. Early in his biking career, after having his skull fractured by police, Barger added a 1% patch to the Angels outfit, in response to the head of the American Motorcyclist Association claiming 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding. [59], In 1983, Barger was diagnosed with throat cancer and temporarily handed control of the club over to his second-in-command, Michael O'Farrell, while he received and recovered from treatment. Fourteen months later he was discharged honourably, as he had lied about his age to join without parental permission. Between 2010 and 2012 he made three appearances on the biker TV drama Sons Of Anarchy. He joined the Hells Angels' Cave Creek chapter, and operated a motorcycle repair shop. Died: Wednesday, June 29, 2022 ( Who else died on June 29? ) [16] The founding members of the Oakland Hells Angels were "basically honest blue-collar or unskilled workers looking for excitement", according to George "Baby Huey" Wethern, who became the chapter vice-president in 1960. Barger, the founder of the Oakland chapter, died in late June at the age of 83. [66], Barger sent a stolen copy of a government document prepared by the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), which contained the identities and personal data of Outlaws members and associates, via express mail to Webb's sister in Louisville, Kentucky, who then turned it over to Hells Angels members. With warfare between gangs intensifying, in 2002 he tried to organise a peace conference at the Laughlin River Run rally in Nevada, but a battle between Hells Angels and Mongols left three dead, and the conference was cancelled. Unable to travel to the trial in San Antonio, Texas due to medical reasons, Barger testified via video link from the federal courthouse in San Francisco, denying that the Hells Angels and the Bandidos were enemies. [47], On March 16, 1973, Barger was sentenced to a prison term of ten years-to-life after he was convicted of possession of narcotics for sale (37 grams of heroin), and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Show creator Kurt Sutter spent time with Barger and other members of Hells Angels researching for the show, and acted opposite Barger in his scene. [97] In later years, Barger worked to promote motorcycle safety: he co-authored a book on the subject with Darwin Holmstrom (the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles (1998)[98]) titled Let's Ride: Sonny Barger's Guide to Motorcycling (2010). Details of death:. We invite you to share condolences for Sonny Barger in our Guest Book. He grew up along with his alcoholic father and elder sister. [117] Fox News host Tucker Carlson spoke at the funeral. [87] Barger was later a member of the Yavapai County chapter. Sonny Barger, a Hells Angel known for his role on Sons of Anarchy, died of cancer on June 29 at age 83. "[7], Barger referred to the 1970s as "a gangster era for" the Hells Angels, writing in his autobiography: "The other clubs tried to take our [reputation] from us. [48] Barger gave a series of interviews, including one with Geraldo Rivera for his Good Night America television program, in which he portrayed himself as a model prisoner and said: "They got to let me out sometime. They hated each other. When another chapter member suggested calling the Outlaws to inquire whether Webb's killing was an isolated incident, Barger replied: "Call them collect." Registered in England No. He rode his motorcycle into the pages of world history. They got exactly what they wanted a dark scary atmosphere to play 'Sympathy for the Devil'Just because you sing well doesn't mean you can act like a bunch of assholes to your fans and that's what they did that night at Altamont". But also know that in the end, I was surrounded by what really matters: My wife, Zorana, as well as my loved ones. STOCKTON - Thousands of mourners are expected to be in attendance for the funeral of Sonny Barger, one of the figureheads of the Hells Angels motorcycle club, this weekend in Stockton. Although many of his school friends became drug addicts, Barger worked at a grocery store and enlisted in the U.S. Army, aged sixteen in 1955, but was given an honorable discharge fourteen months later when it was discovered that he had forged his birth certificate in order to be able to join. [22] Barger and the Hells Angels, many of whom were military veterans, considered themselves anti-communist and anti-subversion. [15] Founding their own Hells Angels club on April 1, 1957, each member wore the patch a small skull wearing an aviator cap set within a set of wings, later copyrighted as the Hells Angels' "Death's Head" logo after having replicas made at a trophy store in Hayward. Sonny Barger was born on 8 October 1938 in Modesto, California, USA. [7] According to Barger's chief attorney James Crew, Ivaldi himself was involved in the conspiracy to kill Agero and, knowing he was a prime suspect and fearing retaliation from the "Texas Mafia", he tried to shift the blame to the Hells Angels. Ralph "Sonny" Barger, Hell's Angel[100], Barger was present at the Hellraiser Ball, a tattoo and motorcycle trade exposition in Plainview, New York, sponsored by the Long Island chapter of the HAMC, which was ambushed by dozens of members of the rival Pagans motorcycle gang on February 23, 2002, resulting in one biker being killed and at least ten injured. Keep your head up high, stay loyal, remain free, and always value honor. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [74][75] Colorado state senator Nighthorse Campbell had allegedly tried to use his influence to have Barger released from prison earlier. Sonny Barger: Funeral & Obituary. [87] The Angels' amalgamation of the Dirty Dozen was promulgated during a meeting in Oakland. [16] Barger was not the founder of the Hells Angels as is often claimed the group was founded in 1948 but he became its best known member to such an extent that he is often misidentified as the club's founder. Barger's. Sonny Barger, the longstanding kingpin of the US motorcycle club Hells Angels, has died aged 83 after a brief battle with cancer. And I went to jail for it. Sonny Barger, a leader of the motorcycle club the Hells Angels, died Wednesday of liver cancer, his former lawyer said. Sonny Barger, founder of the Oakland, California chapter of the Hell's Angels, the infamous motorcycle club. Philanthropist. We're all across the country, and now we're in foreign countries also. They divorced after a domestic dispute in which she was hospitalised for a broken rib and lacerated spleen. [7] Barger was formally indicted on December 15, 1987, along with twenty others. Report this obituary Add a photo or a video There is no photo or video of Sonny Barger. Mr. Barger's former attorney, Fritz Clapp, said he . A delegation of Angels and their chief rival motorcycle gang, the Gypsy Jokers, met the activist Jerry Rubin and poet Allen Ginsberg in front of 1,000 people at San Jose State College to negotiate clearance for the November march scheduled for Oakland.