The first chapter to open outside California was established in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1961. The Oakland charter, 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. The "Frisco" Hells Angels were reorganized in 1955 with 13 charter members, Frank Sadilek serving as president, and the smaller, original logo. Other sources claim that the San Francisco Hells Angels were organized in 1953 by Rocky Graves, a Hells Angel member from San Bernardino ("Berdoo"), implying that the "Frisco" Hells Angels were very much aware of their forebears. Barger has been credited with helping to unify these various disparate chapters under common club bylaws. One of the lesser-known clubs was in North Chino/South Pomona in the late 1960s. According to Ralph "Sonny" Barger, founder of the Oakland charter in 1957, other early charters of the club were founded in Gardena, and elsewhere, with the members usually unaware that there were other clubs. The Sacramento charter later disbanded and relocated to Richmond as a Nomads chapter in 1965. A North Sacramento chapter was established in 1956, followed by another chapter in Sacramento the following year, which was formed by two brothers, James "Mother" Miles and Pat Miles, who were former members of the Hell Bent for Glory biker club. The San Francisco ("Frisco") chapter was reportedly founded by former members of the Market Street Commandos in 1954. Various autonomous Hells Angels chapters were formed throughout California in the decade following the club's foundation, by nomadic members who moved from one city to another. The club's first official charter was reportedly drawn up in Fontana in 1950. Some of the HAMC's early history is not clear, and accounts differ. This B-17F, tail number 41–24577, was named Hell's Angels after the 1930 Howard Hughes movie about World War I fighter pilots. According to the Hells Angels' website, they are aware that there is an apostrophe missing in "Hell's", but ". In 1930, the Howard Hughes film Hell's Angels showcased extraordinary and dangerous feats of aviation, and it is believed that World War II groups that used that name based it on the film. It is at least clear that the name was inspired by the tradition from World Wars I and II whereby the Americans gave their squadrons fierce, death-defying titles an example of this lies in one of the three P-40 squadrons of Flying Tigers fielded in Burma and China, which was dubbed "Hell's Angels". In a letter written to The Guinness Book of World Records by a member on the Hells Angels' behalf, it is instead stated that the club's name was taken from the "Hell's Angels" squadron of the 303rd Bombardment Group, which was active in the European theatre of World War II. Īccording to its website, the club's name was suggested by Arvid Olsen, an associate of the founders who had served in the "Hell's Angels" squadron of the Flying Tigers in China during World War II. According to an alternative theory, the Hells Angels were founded on November 15, 1951, in San Bernardino, by Dick White, a member of the Redlands Road Runners. Otto Friedli, a World War II veteran, is credited with starting the club after breaking from the Pissed Off Bastards motorcycle club over a feud with a rival gang. The Hells Angels originated on March 17, 1948, in Fontana, California, when several small motorcycle clubs agreed to merge. Many police and international intelligence agencies, including the United States Department of Justice, the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, the Australian Federal Police, and Europol, consider the club an organized crime syndicate. With a membership of over 6,000, and 467 chapters in 59 countries, the HAMC is the largest motorcycle club in the world. Common nicknames for the club are the "H.A.", "Red & White", "HAMC", and "81". In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club ( HAMC) is an international outlaw motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
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