Hidden Meanings

This may (or may not) come as a shock to you, but organized gangs have existed under your very nose for not simply years -- but decades. In Europe and Asia, for centuries.

Likely there are signs of gangs in your very neighborhood; do you see them? Do you recognize them for what they are?

Many of their clues are in plain sight, but you must have the ability to read, literally, the signs.

I did not mean to make this post. However, in the process of driving up to my cabin two days ago, I chanced upon the vacant car lot with the sign as it exists above, in Sacramento. This is a completely unaltered photograph, should some of you wish to declare my intransigence.

This is a Hells Angels car lot. Or it's owned by someone who wants you to think it's a Hells Angels car lot -- though pretending wouldn't be very healthy for the owner.

Of course, the Hells Angels (or HA as they are called) have a website; that should come as no surprise. There's even a website so that you can learn how to date a Hells Angel. They offer hats, calendars, support patches, bracelets, clothing, Harley-Davidson bolt-ons and other merchandise. The Hells Angels are even on Webshots.

Further, as I'm sure you realize, many gangs have entered into business venues; some legitimate, some not quite so. In this case, the HA's have a car lot.

So what caught my eye as I passed this sign at 50 mph?

First, the name. Obviously.

Second, the colors. The HA's are also known as the "red and white." On their website, note the white background and red letters -- same as the above sign.

Third, the red wings framing the name of the business. The logo on the backs of their jackets (called "colors") is trademarked. And the wings are quite similar.

When you see HA's on the freeway wearing their jackets, that's called "flying colors."

You may also see some numbers associated with the Hells Angels. "81" may be found on paperwork, tatoos, rings, merchandise, etc., because the 8th letter of the alphabet is "H" and the first letter is "A". You might see "1%-er" associated with the Angels as, a number of years ago, this sentence was bandied about: "Ninety-nine per-cent of motorcyclists are good; it's the 1% that are bad."

Hells Angels have what are called "three-piece patches." That means there is the standard "deaths-head" skull in the center, the top semi-circular "rocker" patch containing the name HELLS ANGELS, and the bottom semi-circular "rocker" patch which will usually contain the geographic club to which the member belongs.

Historically the Hells Angels, at least to my knowledge and experience on the Left Coast, have been involved in crank and its distribution, prostitution, money laundering, weapons distribution, major theft (from ports, trucks, airports, etc.) and stolen vehicles. They have cadres of attorneys, well paid, on retainer.

HA's are not stupid. When they make runs, there are usually lead vehicles (cars are called "cages") and follow vehicles, sometimes vans and SUVs. Few riders (en masse) carry guns on their persons anymore, though usually, on runs, weapons are nearby.

Perhaps some of you recall the 2002 confrontation between the Hells Angels MC (motorcycle club) and the Mongols at the Harrah's Casino in Laughlin, Nevada. Three were killed and 12 persons were injured. Another biker's body was found along I-40 a few hours later.

In Canada, a biker war involving the HA's is brewing this week.

Gangs. They're all around you. Perhaps it's time to see them and their markings.

BZ