Hells Angels buy out entire Walmart bike supply for Christmas charity

[mfcorey1]

For most of the last two decades, the Hells Angels motorcycle club in California has been a major sponsor of a Christmas charity for needy children.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, one intrepid Reddit user witnessed the angels purchasing a California Walmart’s entire stock of children’s bicycles.

The 200+ plus bikes will go straight to the Poverello House, a California based-charity for the homeless and impoverished.

In 2010, the secretary for the Hells Angels opened up about why the group supports Poverello House.

http://www.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/holiday/hells-angels-buy-out-entire-walmart-bike-supply-ch/njKB3/

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

1. Bravo...

[Fred Sanders]

2. Nice of the criminal organizations to do a little charity work, corporations do the same.

[jberryhill]

5. I might have said the same thing a number of years ago

But, the Hell's Angels is not itself a "criminal organization".

Freedom of Association is one of those things which we don't put a lot of emphasis on.

Whether an organization is a "criminal organization" or "an organization with criminals in it" can be a fine line, or even "an organization with some chapters moreso than others".

But I'm sure there is a Knight of Columbus or a Shriner or two out there doing interesting things with the charity fund or brewing up meth in the basement.

Some members of any organization may conspire together to commit crimes, not necessarily as a function of the organization but because those are the people they know.

[Fred Sanders]

6. They are a criminal organization, I think any cursory review of their history would show that

without dispute.

The criminal organization is not going to present itself as a criminal organization, and comparisons to bad apples in an organization to a tree that grows only bad apples is unhelpful.

[jberryhill]

7. When was the last RICO finding against them?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racketeer_Influenced_and_Corrupt_Organizations_Act#Hells_Angels_Motorcycle_Club

In 1979, the United States federal government went after Sonny Barger and several members and associates of the Oakland charter of the Hells Angels using RICO. In United States v. Barger, the prosecution team attempted to demonstrate a pattern of behavior to convict Barger and other members of the club of RICO offenses related to guns and illegal drugs. The jury acquitted Barger on the RICO charges with a hung jury on the predicate acts: "There was no proof it was part of club policy, and as much as they tried, the government could not come up with any incriminating minutes from any of our meetings mentioning drugs and guns."


Would you say the same about, say, the Roman Catholic Church? Why or why not? There's more documented evidence of criminal conspiracy there.

[AndreaCG]

9. One of my former coworkers was on a similar jury

In NY federal court. They also found the Hells Angels not guilty. And he was a pretty RW law enforcement official so the trial must really have been a sham

[shenmue]

4. Yay!

[olddots]

8. its like Joey Gallo tipping the paper boy

Oh and the money goes to the Waltons .

[Le Taz Hot]

10. Poverello House is my favorite charity.

I've worked the kitchen there many many times. The vast majority of people who work there, 40+ hours a week, are volunteers. They feed thousands and thousands of poor families and homeless people every year. Most of the donations go directly into feeding, clothing, sheltering society's throw aways. They don't have any major fundraisers, the Director isn't given a corporate salary, a very modest one as a matter of fact, and all you have to do is go down there any day of the week and you can see where the donated money, food, clothing, blankets and other materials go -- directly to the people who desperately need them.

To all the people upthread bitching about WalMart, bitching about the Hell's Angels, what have YOU done in your community to help the homeless and the poor? There will be 200 poor kids with brand new bikes for Christmas this year and I'm guessing they (nor I) give a shit where they came from.

Finally, I've known a good many 'Angels' over the years and most of them have jobs and provide for their families and are not part of the criminal element. People trying to say that ALL Angels are criminals are talking out their ass.

[Fred Sanders]

11. All of them that belong to the organization in a formal sense are criminals and living off the

avails of crime and glorifying the criminal lifestyle, "criminal" in the general sense, that is not my ass, that is fact.


And the popularity of Sons of Anarchy makes no difference in the real non make believe world.

And I disagree, I think a lot of parents would not want their kids to have bikes bought by these folk, drug and gambling and extortion money is not a gift.

[JaneyVee]

12. They're not all criminals. I know a few...

Rule #1 is you don't shit where you eat, meaning, no matter what you do for money in your real life you don't bring it to the clubhouse. They are not willing to have their base raided because a couple of members want to make money selling coke. What you do outside is your own business.

[Le Taz Hot]

13. Uh, "Sons of Anarchy" is a television program, there, Sparky.

NONE of the Angels I've ever known, and I've known many, fit your description. Yeah, some have criminal records but so what? I can see you've never been dirt poor because I guarantee that none of these kids, nor their parents, care where these bikes came from. When they're looking at not being able to buy Christmas gifts for their kids and someone comes along and gives their kid a bike for Christmas, I'm pretty sure they're not asking for the criminal record of the donator before they accept a gift.

And one more thing. Let's say for reason of argument that every single person that ever joined the Hell's Angels is a hardened criminal. So what? They can't be compassionate and do something good for others? Will they always have the label "criminal" and no matter what they do in their lives they are still marginalized? That's a sick-assed way of looking at your fellow human being.

[Fred Sanders]

15. Why the soft spot for criminal organizations, merely stating they are "human" is not a defence.

[Le Taz Hot]

16. And you missed the entire point of the posts.

Not really surprised though.

[tammywammy]

14. They're starting the bike drive here at work for Toys for Tots.

A few years ago, a now retired, guy ended up bringing in 6 bikes on his own for the kiddos.

[sadoldgirl]

17. Okay, it is a good deed, but, but

WHY WALMART?!?!

[lpbk2713]

19. If they were smart ...

they would have called around to get the best package deal on 200 bikes.
I don't know but it might be Wally World gave them the best price.

[olddots]

18. I beleave Fred and I have met some bad bikers

And know some history and mystery about them.Yes there are decent people on the periphiferal of maybe even the Mongols but they are few and far between and not particularly perceptive .

Every year they do a Toys For Tots run as a public relations scam .America loves its anti heroes
especially at a safe distance .