Hells Angels Abandon Philadelphia
Greg Carr
Did 'Gorilla' cause Angels to take flight?
Source: Pagan leader scared 'em from Philly
By KITTY CAPARELLA
THIS IS A three-question outlaw-biker test:
Who ran the Hells Angels out of town?
Who claims "get-outta-town" bragging rights?
Who's next to take on the Pagans?
Eleven days ago, the outlaw bikers packed up their belongings and
moved out of their clubhouse on Merion Avenue near Girard.
Neighbors, usually invited to their barbecues, haven't seen them in
weeks.
"They were cordial, nice and respected everyone," said one neighbor
who didn't realize they had moved. "They were closed down before and
came back."
The Mother Club disbanded the Philly chapter Nov. 18 in a meeting in
New York, where three Philly Angels turned in the "colors" for the
rest of the 12-member chapter, which had four or five prospects or
recruits, according to law-enforcement officials.
Only members can wear the Angels "colors" - the death-head insignia
with the chapter location on the back of members' vests and jackets.
So, who claimed credit for driving them out of town?
How about that confirmed Angel-hater, Pagans leader Steve "Gorilla"
Mondevergine, even though authorities say there's another contender.
"Gorilla beat their ass and sent 'em packin'," said a biker source.
Mondevergine, whose Pagans frequently clashed with the Angels, vowed
retaliation against four Angels founders, who had been Pagans when
they "patched over" to the rival club in 2003.
Mondevergine believes that at least one founder set him up to be shot
multiple times in 1999, sources said.
On Halloween, the Pagans allegedly stole their rivals' green street
sign, which reads "Hells Angels" on one side and "Philadelphia" on the
other. The sign stood in front of their clubhouse.
The theft prompted a brief exchange of gunfire, according to biker
sources.
A law-enforcement source familiar with the bikers said it wasn't the
Pagans who drove the Angels out of here, but poor Angels leadership,
citing their East Coast leader John "John the Baptist" LoFranco.
The Philly chapter "was being ordered to carry out a war with the
Pagans" to avenge the Jan. 14 death of its president, Tom "Thinker"
Woods, fatally shot on the Schuylkill Expressway, the offical added.
The shooting occurred 11 days after LoFranco allegedly declared war on
the Pagans, according to biker and police sources. LoFranco denied he
had made such a declaration.
"The Angels here are not prepared to carry out a biker war," said a
law-enforcement biker expert. "They had a lack of support up and down
the East Coast. If you're not from Manhattan or Long Island, you don't
exist."
Countered a biker source: "If it wasn't for Gorilla and his crew who
they're afraid of, they would have retaliated."
But the biker expert said: "These Hells Angels here are not going to
ambush and shoot. They're older. Two are 65 [years old]. They're into
riding their motorcycles and wearing their colors. They're less of an
outlaw group, and more of a fraternity."
And Wood's widow, Margie, would rather have law enforcement handle her
husband's murder than have more Angels shot and killed, said the
law-enforcement source.
Last month, the Angels' chapter founder and president, James "Slim
Jim" Wysong, 55, quit, came back and then left the club again.
He wanted to operate his auto mechanic business and live in peace,
when he sent a message to Mondevergine seeking a rapprochement,
according to biker and law-enforcement sources. Mondevergine nixed the
"turncoat," bikers sources said.
After Wysong stepped down, vice president Steve DeMarco became Angels
president, even though some biker sources claimed he didn't own a
motorcycle.
Pagan-turned-Angel Mark "Marky" Mangano then became vice president and
is now one of three Angels, along with "Kirk" of Scranton and "George"
of South Philadelphia, who remained in the club after the Philly
chapter closed, the law-enforcement sources said.
The three survivors are expected to be assigned chapters in York, Pa.,
Manhattan or Long Island.
Will anyone take on the Pagans now?
Try the Outlaws, a national outlaw motorcycle club.
Nine bikers from the Warlocks, which has five regional chapters,
"patched" over to the Outlaws recently, setting up temporary
headquarters at a cycle shop in Kensington, biker and law-enforcement
sources said.
On Nov. 6, the Outlaws and Pagans had a face-off at the head of the
Toys-for-Tots Run. The run drew 20,000 bikers, lined up four bikes
across on Columbus Boulevard, stretching from Spring Garden to Snyder
Avenue, before heading to Children's Hospital.
The confrontation began as 30 to 50 Outlaws, from Connecticut to
Texas, sought to cross Columbus Boulevard so they could reach vendors
along Spring Garden Street. They were blocked by 100 Pagans and
several Warlocks in the half-hour staring contest, which was ended by
a biker handling security before cops stepped in.
"If the Angels got that support back in the day, they'd still be
around," said the biker expert.
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In recent years the Hells Angels have closed their chapters in Halifax
and Philadelphia and of course the infamous Laval (North) chapter. The
Halifax one was closed because of police and citizens, Philly was shut
down by the Pagans MC and Laval was slaughtered by other members of
HAMC.
I recall one time 5 of their members were murdered by a rival 1% club
but don't remember the city except it was in the US.
