Hells Angels' 50th Anniversary

(San Francisco, California) From around the world, members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang are in town to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Some members believe the gang has unfairly received a bad reputation and, to plead their case, they allowed San Francisco Chronicle reporter Julian Guthrie to tag along with and interview them.

At the beginning of the day, the atmosphere was heavy with hostility. Getting past the door of a Hells Angels' clubhouse is an unnerving, arduous task. Men with beards thick like Brillo stared stolidly, tattooed-arms crossed, cigarettes dangling from lips.

An organizer named Tony put it this way: "We do good and no one remembers. We do bad and no one forgets."

Excuse me for not being boned up on the subject, but if the Hells Angels have done something good for society, I'm incapable of remembering it because I'm unaware of it. Regarding the unforgettable part of their reputation, it's hard to have murder, racketeering, and drug convictions fade from the memory. Interestingly, while the gang members complain about their bad reputation, it was only last month that Hells Angels' clubhouses in California, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, and Washington state were raided by federal agents and 57 members were arrested and indicted on racketeering and other federal charges.

Authorities seized drugs, bulletproof vests, stolen vehicles, explosives and more than 100 weapons.

"These individuals thrive on a culture of violence," said Stephen Herkins, assistant special agent-in-charge of the San Francisco office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The gang is described by the prosecutors as "highly organized criminal enterprise in 23 states and 25 countries involved in threats, violence, murder, robbery and conspiracy to distribute drugs."

It seems that, if the Hells Angels want to be viewed positively, they need to spend the next 50 years assuring they aren't implicated in or convicted of any major felonies.