The Hells Angels Presidents Who Came from Nothing

Intro today we're delving into the captivating Tales of individuals who defied the odds rising from humble beginnings to lead one of the most notorious motorcycle clubs in history the Hell's Angels Among them we will delve into the lives of Walter stadnik Angelo pandeli and the infamous Harry Taco Bowman tracing their paths from adversity to Authority within the Hell's Angels hierarchy we will explore the gripping narratives of their story showcasing resilience ambition and the Allure of the outlaw lifestyle let's get started Vladmir Walter Stadnick Vladimir Walter stadnik the man who sets the ball rolling into a new era of organized criminal biker gangs but unlike your typical biker boss forged under the fire and pressure of War this one forced his way into the biker world unprovoked he enters this world as an inexperienced kid with a hunger to do more hanging out with the big boys club and in no time becomes the national president of the Hell's Angels some hate him others fear him but most of them want his head on a spike if there's smoke he is the one lighting the fire and if there's a VIP list of most Wanted gang leaders he isn't just on it he wrote it stadnik a figurehead in the criminal Underworld for many years was apprehended earlier today from Secret strategy meetings to Notorious alliances and criminal undertakings that would easily rival a Hollywood Thriller Vladimir isn't your everyday biker with tattoos and the signal leather jacket on a Harley-Davidson he has all the twisty dark alleys of biker gangs at his fingertips but how does a Ukrainian immigrant rise to head the biggest motorcycle club in Canada what's so special about him and how did he do it well if you're into Tales of roaring engines buckle up for a wild ride born in 1952 into a family of Ukrainian immigrants in the Niagara escarpment Vladimir stadnik grows up in a neighborhood known for its high rate of petty crimes while he doesn't show signs of getting into the crime life his intelligence doesn't go unnoticed as one of his teachers says this about him in the book Fallen Angel he clearly had a great deal of natural intelligence but he was impossible to motivate it was almost like he didn't want to succeed but then he did and in ways no one thought he could when he enters High School Vladimir quickly gains a reputation as a drug dealer and everyone now knows him as nugget a nickname that he holds on to years later together with his love for dressing flamboyantly in extravagant jewelry chains and rings as if drug trafficking isn't enough he joins a biker gang while still in high school and that's where his journey in the criminal motorcycle underworld begins in his teenage years everyone around Vladimir feels like he has outgrown his age and his decision to join the cacs vindicates their worries before joining the gang it has a different name and is not so famous except for its members reputation of keeping their hair long and running it through holes they drill in their bike helmets in his first Act of gang dominance he names the gang the C acts in reference to his Ukrainian Heritage and his time with them is filled with controversy in October 1970 Vladimir is arrested with LSD tablets in his pocket he makes bail but is arrested shortly after for being in possession of hash with the intention to distribute it in his preliminary hearing his biker friends caused trouble in and outside the courtroom threatening the police officers who were about to testify against him while he is convicted it's it's just the beginning of an enduring Legacy that would see his name etched in the history of motorcycle clubs when he finishes his sentence stadnik comes out a reformed man except he's not looking to abandon his ways but to find an upgrade at the time the Satan's choice is the most powerful Motorcycle Club in Ontario and luckily stadnik is friends with their president Mario parente he wants to join Satan's choice but Mario thinks otherwise he informs stadnik that he can't join just because he is 5'4 in tall stadnik doesn't take the disrespect lightly and this sets the ball rolling for years of bitter rivalry while he abandons the cacs and joins the Wild Ones in 1977 while Satan's Choice Partners up with the Outlaws in the road to Hell Hamilton police officer John Gordon Harris talks about stadnik he was a little short guy he certainly wasn't the most visible member of the gang he was just a face in the crowd he was almost invisible but he did have a head on his shoulders he goes all out to disprove Mario and the Satan's Choice gang's decision not to take him in and by 1978 he is the leader of the Wild Ones in an era dominated by the mafia who hire Outlaw biker gangs to do their Dirty Work still stadnik is nowhere near Satisfied by the dominance of the Wild Ones as other clubs view them as inferior and nothing to worry about he contacts the national president of the Hell's Angels Canada eveb looking for a merger this action sends seismic shock waves in the motorcycle underworld and the outlaw MC which had joined with Satan's Choice MC take notice of this despite warnings by other Outlaws to stop associating with the Hell's Angels stadnik remains Relentless due to this most of the Wild Ones members get murdered he takes the initiative to personally visit Hell's Angels president Eve bhau in Montreal while in Montreal two contracted Outlaws follow the Hell's Angels around to find the venue of this meeting during the meeting held at lur Bon bar the two Outlaws start a shootout which leaves three dead and many others is injured stadnik survives the massacre by hiding under the table however when he returns home he finds that the Wild Ones members have already abandoned the group after agreeing to vote themselves out of existence not one to give up easily he takes a stand to operate alone in Hamilton as the only Hell's Angel and he is not done yet this is just the beginning by 1982 stadnik had risen through the ranks to become a respected member of the Hell's Angels and his ambition clearly beats his inability to hear and speak French it is for this reason that he came from Ontario with another wild one turned Hell's Angels Noel Mayu who serves as his interpreter until they returned to Hamilton in December 1982 stadnik hopes to lie low for a while before setting up a Hell's Angels chapter in in otario but his plans are derailed by Mayu during their lengthy cocaine binge Mayu and his stripper girlfriend Connie Austine got into a disagreement Mayu unsuccessfully attempted to murder her killing her four-year-old son and her best friend instead Mayu also attracts attention to himself when he is caught wandering the streets shooting at anyone within sight while he is arrested and convicted it is stadnik who feels the most affected Ed by his actions the incident destroys the reputation of the Hell's Angels in Ontario even before stadnik opens his chapter but in July 1983 Eve bhau the national hell Angels president and stadnik Mentor establishes the first ever Hell's Angels chapter outside of Quebec after convincing the Satan's Angels biker club with its three chapters to join the Hell's Angels en wrote to the opening ceremony of the new chapter Mario parente president of the Outlaws Club sees them in a rash parente and his fellow Outlaws spray bullets on the bus at Mr Mug's coffee and donut shop in Wawa hoping to kill Michelle and N do while his attempt is unsuccessful and no one is killed it serves as an indication of how the Outlaws feel about the Hell's Angels moving into Ontario through stadnik newly formed chapter instead of a new Hell's Angels chapter in Ontario the the patch over eventually takes place on July 21st 1983 in Vancouver Island where the Satan's angels are based establishing a new chapter in British Colombia on stadnik end things aren't going as planned and before he can pack his bags for another adventure another problem arises this time a bigger one on September 8th 1983 BAU is assassinated alongside guy galbert in their meeting to discuss another over for the Kitchener chapter of Satan's Choice the Assassin is later identified as Gino Grio another Outlaw and for many who know stadnik that is almost the final straw to Mark the end of his career especially as he still isn't affluent French speaker luckily he has made friends in higher places so even the new National president Michelle langis believes stadnik is the best suited to start the Ontario chapter of the Hell's Angels at this time on top of his full patch he is wearing a filthy few patch only given to those who kill for the gang however he still has a lot to do and considering the strength of the other Outlaw gangs and the mafia families of Hamilton he still has to keep a low profile just as stadnik is beginning to find his feet tragedy strikes again this time he is in Quebec on his way to the first Memorial of buto when a Catholic priest driving in a hurry to to meet the visiting Pope in Montreal runs him over in his motorcycle stadnik suffers third degree burns from the resulting fire leaving him with horrific scars all over his face and losing half of two of his fingers and much of his nose longlois requests his right-hand man Ron lard to organize for the 13th tribe biker gang from Halifax who are interested in joining the hell's angels to guard stadnik at St Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton believing he is in danger stadnik also requests the police guard him and they do so at night while the bikers watch him during the day and while some officers feel like it compromises their integrity to watch a known gang member he is a citizen like everyone else as a reward the 13th tribe biker gang is allowed to join the Angels becoming the first in Atlantic Canada meanwhile stadnik becomes even more introverted thanks to the burns and he moves to a trailer park in Carlile Hamilton if there's ever a perfect definition of lying low stadnik has to be it while living in the trailer he establishes a good rapport with his neighbors some of whom are later surprised to learn that he is part of a bike gang while living in the trailer park he tries to avoid trouble and when his neighbors find a plastic bag full of amphetamines the police put it back hoping he'd pick it but he isn't falling for their trap his cautiousness extends to where he holds his numerous meetings with the Hell's Angels including his back office at the rebel Roadhouse Bar in Hamilton which he was using to plan drug routes and expansion strategies The Outlaws led by parente are hot on stadnik heels but when parente is arrested and stadnik becomes the national chairman his influence especially in the drug trade grows significantly stadnik first order of business is to expand hell's Angel's reach and he starts with the Vikings an outlaw bikers club based in Quebec City where he places his friend and Associate Maurice bue in charge in August 1988 he is arrested at the house of a known former Satan's Choice member and prominent drug dealer and Smuggler Douglas Freeborn however the charges are dropped after Freeborn covers for him claiming the 11 ounces of hash recovered from The Raid had nothing to do with stadnik and that they were his during the court proceedings he emphasizes that he is not even the president of the Hell's Angels hoping to continue his practice of laying low even though this is just the first in a series of drug related activities that stadnik is linked to over the next few years by 1990 he has already established himself as one of the most dangerous Hell's Angels in Canada but he continues expanding his drug Empire first he identifies Manitoba as one of the most important provinces to expand into as journalists Julian Sher and William Marsden refer to it as the axis of distribution for any drugs moving East and West in the country Ontario also becomes a crucial Cog in the business as it is where most of the drugs from Montreal into the pr provinces are smuggled through as he continues to establish connections across the country he becomes the Hell's Angels Ambassador not only traveling around to forge new alliances but also to proceed with drug sales stadnik is good at eluding arrest and prosecution and he is even daring enough to call officer John Gordon Harris of the Hamilton Police at his workstation to complain about his solid gold belt buckle shaped in the form of the Angel's death head logo that the police had damaged while arresting him he is confident that the police are unable to track him down and he furthers the hell's Angel's agenda by dividing other gangs and then absorbing them into the Angel's activities including drug trafficking by 1998 he has commissioned some of the most dangerous Hell's Angels chapters including the sherbrook chapter which has since established itself as a dominant force in the World of Outlaw biker gangs in Canada in December 2000 stadnik inspires a host of ontari based biker gangs including Satan's Choice the Lobos the Vagabonds the paradise writers the last chance and a section of the loners to join his gang in a widely publicized ceremony the mass patch over is one of its kind leading to the instant growth of the Hell's Angels in the greater Toronto area into the largest chapter in the world however having so many members means difficulty in leadership which stadnik is about to find out the hard way in 2003 the sloppiness and mismanagement of information by some high-ranking officials working alongside stadnik led to his arrest in Mexico he is brought back to Canada and charged with 13 counts of murder three counts of attempted murder one count of conspiracy to commit murder two counts of Narcotics trafficking and two counts of attempting to smuggle narcotics while the charges don't stick due to a lack of concrete evidence he knows the police are on to him and he opts to lie low and put a hold on his quest for expansion but he can hide for so long before he is arrested again in 2004 this time the police are prepared to put an end to his reign of terror and he is sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for convictions ranging from conspiracy to murder to drug trafficking and involvement in gang activities in 2014 he is paroled with strict instructions forbidding him to avoid void any contact or association with biker gangs for 5 years after which he walks back into the Hell's Angels World by the time of his conviction stadnik has played his part in ensuring the Hell's Angels are set for life having grown them in numbers and strength from being born to Immigrant parents to becoming one of the most influential figures in the history of the Hell's Angels stadnik journey is nothing short of remarkable in the next chapter in our Saga the spotlight shifts Angelo Pandeli to yet another figure who emerged from obscurity to dominate the Canadian motorcycle underworld same hate him others fear him but most of them wanton his head on a spike so hold on to your breath as we delve deeper into the astonishing Ascent of yet another Hell's Angels president who emerg from nothing to shape the destiny of an Empire as he's Australia's most Wanted Man and the most elusive this person is a murderer he has shot to avoid apprehension and we consider him extremely dangerous he was once a bodyguard just a son of Turkish immigrants who moved to Australia in search of greener pastures and when he landed in the land down under he quickly Rose to the top in the confines of the biker World Angelo pandeli is a man of resilience he's not willing to go down and if he must he will take others down with him for months now detectives have been on his radar observing his movements between Dubai and turkey but always missing him by a whisker while this is going on Angelo pandeli has been secretly running the drug World churning more than than $1.5 billion every year his pockets Run Deep and he has only one goal giving authorities a run for their money the question is will he succeed when Constantino and MAA pandeli moved to Adelaide from Turkey in the 1970s they only had one goal giving their unborn child the perfect life they never heard so when Angelo pendeli joined the world he found his path already laid out the parents were Avid business people owning chains of pubs in South Australia little did they know that their plans to give him a better life would actually breed a new passion in him becoming an outlaw to the Casual Observer young Angelo pendeli seemed no different than any other child born to workingclass Immigrant parents in the small tight-knit community of Wala his parents ran the local Sundowner hotel in the 1970s a cozy establishment where routin and Chaos was the soundtrack to Angelo's earliest Years yet even in those dim smoke stained rooms of The Sundowner neighbors gathered like families but he had other plans grander passions that would eventually lead him to the darkest crevices of the outlaw underworld and when his parents decided to move to Adelaide that's when all hell broke loose Angelo quickly showed an interest in hanging out with the big boys he'd mostly frequent local pubs and bars and this is where he met John pike pike hired Angelo to provide security against rival Outlaw motorcycle club members at Heaven nightclub in Adelaide but this wasn't just any security de detail it was a nod to the underworld a quiet acknowledgment of his dreams and passion to rule the Underworld for a time he became a bodyguard rubbing shoulders with some of the most notorious Hell's Angels kingpins and that's when he decided to join the Hell's Angels as a junior member Pand deli's association with John Pike spiked law enforcements especially considering the background of Pike's Associates one of whom was Anthony soie a shareholder in Pike's company with Tai to the Gypsy Joker biky Club meanwhile Pike's other shareholders included Melbourne businessmen with their own checkered pasts it's this association with the big wigs of Hell's Angels that catapulted Angelo pandeli into his success as he began learning the ropes of drug trafficking this business proved lucrative for Angelo because by 2006 he bought a mansion in permont for $2 million hold on to that house as it will become important when police officers raid him in 2006 he was found to not be a fit and proper person to engage in security services at a local pub the new market hotel after it emerged in court that he was paid to keep other bickies out from there he moved to the bright lights of Sydney if Angelo's allegiance to the Hell's Angels marked his point of no return into the underworld's black hole it was his migration to Sydney that truly solidified his transformation into certifiable criminal royalty in the mid 2000s here his sadistic ambition and cunningness allowed him to claw his way up the biky hierarchy until he sat stubbornly upon its apex as National president after former boss Felix ly was jailed he became one of the most powerful bickies in the city known to be a regular at high-end restaurants at Star City casino by then he had taken over as the gang's National president after moving Interstate to set up the Hell's Angels Sydney City chapter and this is where things became even more heated from 2006 he dived deeper into his business while still handling his presidential duties in the entire time he was able to make millions and millions of dollars but he managed to avoid paying taxes that's until 2014 when Australia's tax authorities joined forces with police under operation Morpheus their mission crack down on criminal biker gangs pandi's home in Sydney was one of the first ones to be raided for failing to file Returns the tax office had joined forces with police under operation Morpheus ordering him to provide in come info in 2016 but pendeli didn't comply when they caught up with him pendeli admitted guilt for the tax fraud in court however like a true brother the accountant took fall for the fraud saying his tax software glitches caused Pell's missing return so the judge let pendeli off easy no conviction was recorded because the judge believed pendeli reasonably trusted his accountant's work pandi's case kicked off the tax office's biggest Crackdown on Outlaw biker gangs nearly 200 gang members were investigated for skipping taxes dodging lodgments payments and income reporting the taxmen slapped 11 bikers with a surprise $4 million tax debt notice the previous year Morpheus busted 668 suspected tax cheats linked to gangs recovering 13.3 million in od taxes they also secured 193 late returns totaling 5.9 million in over 35 prosecutions and $55,000 in fines and that's when [ __ ] got even crazier pandal worked his way up the ranks in the Hell's Angels gang down in South Australia in 2006 he took control of the Sydney Branch his power only grew after the old boss Felix Lyle went to prison but then the cops started taking notice of his activities they believed he was seriously involved in drug trafficking but by 2016 he had fled Australia and went to the Middle East so when the authorities got wind of a drug trafficking operation headed by pandaly they went to his Pont house and ated it the plan was to sneak over $250 Million worth of crystal meth into Australia using a small airplane but the American Drug police seized the drugs before the plane could take off from California they grabbed the whole load the Aussie cops also found $2.4 million Cold Hard Cash stuffed in a truck they think the money was for the drug deal too a 72-year-old airplane pilot got arrested as well before he could disappear One Cop said pandeli keeps a low profile but he is a big shot in biker gangs not just in Australia but worldwide even though pandal spends lots of time overseas the cops still raided his Waterfront house in Sydney they took boxes of papers and files as evidence and he was not the only one under Pursuit at 52 years old the former Pub worker son has undergone a grand metamorphosis into Australia's most Wanted Outlaw now operating discreetly from Turkish and cypriate enclaves pandal is the suspected new Mastermind behind the billion dooll Narco pipe line flooding drugs into the country through an undercover underworld Network stretching to Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle he has amazingly remained undetected despite controlling immense wealth and territorial power even his wife Carrie has thrived her born and Bali fashion brand becoming a hit with affluent influencers from unpromising Beginnings Angelo pandeli has stunningly risen to rule as the era's biggest Australian crime Kingpin now known as Mr Big for the law enforcement desperately trying to CCH him he is both a ghost and their ultimate opencast mind as we absorb the electrifying Saga of Chuck Zito's tumultuous Journey we're reminded Chuck Zito that within the world of the Hell's Angels every president's tale is a captivating narrative unto itself Chuck's story isn't just a bad boy turned good kind of narrative he has seen it and done it all from famously punching jeanclaude vanam multiple times to the numerous headline grabbing moments when when he was arrested for drug trafficking buckle up it's about to go down in 1979 a group of 19 Hell's Angels is hired to appear in the film dead ringer but for one biker this is no ordinary job it is an eyeopener to an inner passion and the call is too loud to ignore it ignites a fire and the fire lights up his path to the Pinnacle of Hollywood he doesn't just dominate the film and television realm he is also a respected figure in hell Angel's history his name Chuck Zito he is featured in hits like Homefront Caro's way and The Rock but his journey to Hollywood's glitzy Hills is anything but typical it's a tale of grit guts and an unexpected twist of fate that could rival any of the plots he's played on screen a one-time president of the Hell's Angels New York Chapter he's not only written on the wild side but has practically defined it Chuck's story isn't n just a bad boy turned good kind of narrative he has seen it and done it all from famously punching jeanclaude vanam multiple times to the numerous headline grabbing moments when he was arrested for drug trafficking it is not every day that you find a man whose resume reads like a crime Thriller and an action movie all rolled into one so lean closer as we dive deeper into the roller coaster life of Chuck Zito the Hell's Angels president dominating Hollywood this is one ride you don't want to miss before the storm born and raised in the bustling streets of New York Chuck Zito decides to enter the World of Sports and while his peers play cops and robbers he is busy learning the art of boxing and martial arts the home classes are courtesy of his dad a professional Welterweight boxer by the age of 17 Chuck is throwing heart-shaped at his high school sweetheart Kathy their young love leads them down the aisle at the tender age of 17 but will the marriage withstand the waves that are about to rock the boat only time will tell before diving head first into the biker life chuck had another passion tugging at his heartstrings boxing but it's one thing to learn how to throw a punch and another to step into the ring so he has a big decision to make can can he survive the grueling demands of the sport or will he find himself Counting Stars he is about to find out the hard way professional boxing Chuck is no ordinary tough kid from New York he is forced to grow up early after marrying as a teenager and the gritty gyms of New Rochelle and White Plains become his Refuge he gets in the ring for his first Golden Gloves bout and boy does he make a splash he knocks out some of the biggest names in the industry Crowds Are gasping competitors are seeing stars and he is on a roll but it is not the beginning of a stellar career yet he lacks discipline he fails to maintain a proper exercise regime and he treats boxing as a mere hobby rather than a career hitting the gym only a few days before a fight but luckily his talent doesn't go unnoticed he becomes a fixture at fights across the New York tri-state area his Charisma and skill inside the ring make him a crowd favorite and the media is all over him he even finds himself in the same room with other prolific boxers like Mike Tyson and he befriends Arturo Gatti accompanying him to the ring for major fights but just as quickly as his star Rises his interest in professional boxing Fizzles out perhaps getting punched in the face for a living isn't as fun as it sounds and that's when he decides to take an uncertain path a path that could jeopardize everything including his marriage life is Hell's Angel Chuck tries to follow in his Father's Footsteps but being a boxer is not his strongest suit he decides to pursue other interests and his Pursuit lands him on motorcycles he starts his journey in the motorcycle world with a passionate dream and to make it a reality he creates the New Rochelle motorcycle club in 1974 it's a move that changes his fortunes for the better fast forward to 1976 and he merges the club with the bronx-based chinga Ling Nomads things get rowdier and it's no longer all about bikes it's about building connections and his connection with Sandy Alexander a Hell's Angels member and pro boxer bears fruit and that's when he decides to take his bike life to the next level he wants to join his New Rochelle MC with another prominent biker Club and the Hell's Angels are the most attractive option with Sandy Alexander as his way in in 1979 he joins the Hell's Angels after being a prospect for some time the club doesn't take in anyone but he charms his way into the hearts of its members and Leadership earning himself the nickname Charming Chuck but there's a plot twist to earn his stripes he has to kill a Target or at least try and he does his Target is a man accused of shooting and injuring a hell's Angel's member Chuck uses a remote control device from a model airplane to detonate C4 explosives the target escapes narrowly with sever injuries and Chuck is lucky too he Dodges charges for the bombing but this is just the first in a long line of events that would leave everyone close to him questioning his ethics he continues to rise in influence and rank within the club and run rins with the police rise with his position in no time he becomes the hell's Angel's vice president and then a founding father and president of the Hell's Angels New York Nomads a position that puts him at loggerheads with the FBI FBI on his heels in May 1985 the FBI comes knocking over 100 Hell's Angels members and Associates are arrested in a series of raids across the country Chuck evades arrest but his luck soon runs out a warrant is issued for his arrest by this time he has already established a bodyguard hiring service and he is arrested in Tokyo Japan while performing his bodyguard duties tired of running he pleads guilty to a drug charge a 10-year sentence turns into seven and then 6 years Andy serves in 19 different federal prisons interestingly he maintains that he never did drugs and in 1991 he walks out a free man he keeps a low profile until he finds himself in the Limelight again quitting the Hell's Angels in 2004 he decides to give himself more freedom retiring from the club after 25 years and he does so in good standing it is a privilege only reserved for the most respected members and what does he leave for a passion he had discovered back in 1979 the same year he joined the Hell's Angels he has already started exploring it but now he wants to do it full-time it's a major turning point in the story of his life but will it pay off dominating Hollywood to understand how he finds himself in Hollywood let's rewind back time to 1979 Chuck's journey into Hollywood began in 1979 the year he joins the Hell's Angels along with with 18 other Hell's Angels from the NYC chapter he is hired to star in the film dead ringer the film stars none other than meatloaf and share it is never released due to legal troubles but being part of the cast leaves a lasting impact on Chuck it lights a fire under him and not even his hectic schedule as a fully-fledged biker can extinguish It With a Little Help From a leading actor and friend Mickey roor he kicks off his stuntman career in 19 1983 his first role is as Ro's stunt double in Year of the Dragon for a beginner he does significantly well but he has to get his priorities right he has to choose between his Newfound passion for film and being president of the Hell's Angels and it's a no-brainer film can always come second to his commitment to the club he puts a halt on his aspirations as an actor but only until he is arrested for drug trafficking in 1885 after pleading guilty he serves a six-year sentence and in 1991 he emerges from prison and hits the ground running in Tinsel Town he makes his first appearance in the same year portraying the bus attacker in neon City seeing the fame that the role earns him he doesn't look back fast forward and his filmography is nothing short of Epic from action-packed classics like Die Hard with a Vengeance and The Rock to Thrillers like the jur and Heaven's prisoners he's rocking the world and he makes his Mark not just in film but in television shows too in 1996 he steps into the gritty world of HBO's Oz as mobster Chucky pan becoming a fan favorite for all six seasons but that's not enough he makes a pit stop in the wrestling ring appearing on WCW Monday nro alongside Hollywood Hulk Hogan and when he retires in 2005 four he's ready to dominate Hollywood so he lands on the big screen once more in 2005's Caro's way rise to power and later in the drama television series The Young and the Restless besides film he takes the airwaves by storm on the radio keeping things spicy by hosting Chuck Zito's Italian bad boy hour on wvo ox and if he thought that controversy only lives in the world of motorcycle gangs he is wrong in 2010 Chuck throws Down The Gauntlet with a $5 million lawsuit against FX he claims that they swiped his idea for an outlaw motorcycle group after a development meeting in 2006 but the courtroom battle doesn't go his way regardless his high-profile journey to becoming an acclaimed actor in Hollywood is no walk in the park but it's not just through acting that he leaves an indelible Mark he has the mind of a businessman he takes every business opportunity as it comes and he sees one in the entertainment industry bodyguard in Hollywood 1979 is a special year for Chuck it is the year he officially joins the Hell's Angels and discovers his passion for acting but that's not all it's also the year that he opens his own company Charlie's Angels bodyguard service he is fresh from guarding actor Robert Conrad at a motorcycle convention and he discovers that it could be a lucrative business his work as a bodyguard kicks off with a bang he is hired to protect actress Lorna LT she recommends him to her half sister Liza Manelli and her Entourage and it's smooth sailing onward he isn't just any bodyguard he is Chuck Zito a former renowned boxer and martial artist word spreads fast across Hollywood and soon enough he is rubbing shoulders with the industry's a-listers his client list is not ordinary he's got the likes of Muhammad Ali Michael Jackson Shawn Penn Eric Roberts Charlie Sheen and Silvester Stallone on speed dial and so do they luckily Chuck's brother-in-law is a policeman he rounds up off-duty cops to help chuck with bodyguard duties during star studded events like award shows when he's not with the Hell's Angels safeguarding Hollywood's finest becomes his devotion but it's not all Glitz and glamour like every other life he has lived this one comes with a fair share of drama Hollywood drama first he allegedly knocks gossip columnist AJ benza out cold at Scores strip club in Manhattan for spreading a false rumor about him in the Daily News and then there's the legendary Showdown with jeanclaude vanam the muscles from Brussels they have a history but things get pretty heated at scores in February 1998 he unleashes a flourish of punches on Van Dam and what for vanam tells a bouncer that Chuck has no heart the bouncer tells Chuck about it and Chuck doesn't play when it comes to his reputation the brawl with Van Dam is like a marketing stunt he even jokes about it saying that if he had known the fight would have gotten him so much positive publicity he would have knocked vanam out 10 years earlier Chuck's life is like a roller coaster ride of of Fame Fortune and fists from the streets of New York to the star-laden corridors of Hollywood he has made a name for himself and with every role he continues to weave his intricate tale into the books of history Harry Taco Bowman as we conclude our exploration of Chuck Zito's remarkable Journey we shift our Focus to another compelling figure within the realm of motorcycle clubs known to his inner circle as taco and to law enforcement as Harry Taco Bowman his name alone Sparks in and curiosity yet beyond the headlines and law enforcement Pursuits who is The Man Behind The Myth with his legendary status Among The Outlaws motorcycle club and the Relentless Pursuit by FBI agents his story is ripe with mystery and Intrigue the FBI has added a fugitive to its 10 most wanted list it's a $2 million reward for information leading to his arrest Andor conviction either turn yourself in where his collaborative effort will continue the year is 1998 and the FBI Most Wanted list gets a new addition but unlike the others this isn't your run-of-the-mill criminal it's a man who skyrocketed to notoriety in the world of roaring engines and leather jackets yet not many people seem to have any idea who he is his close friends know him as taco and he comes to the world's attention as Harry Taco Bowman but his is not just a name he he's a living legend Among The Outlaws motorcycle club and when his name lands on the FBI goons they go on a frenzy but bman is like the Houdini of the biker world and if the FBI think catching him will be a breeze they're in for a rude shock but who is he really well grab your helmets and hold on tight because we're diving head first into the adrenaline infused tale of Harry Taco Bowman the outlaw MC founder who turned the Shadows into his playground born in July 1949 Bowman has a normal childhood life on a farm on Range Road in St Clair Township an accountant mother crunching numbers for the US government by day and managing a household of five children a night and the usual Ruckus you'd expect from any young boy his high school days at Port huran Catholic High School are relatively quiet too together with his brothers they are known as the toughest kids in the block could it be that their upbringing toughens them up or are they just naturally robust either way they sure do leave an impression because even at a young age he is no stranger to local law enforcement by the time he's a teenager he's already ruffled feathers and landed in trouble for disorderly conduct his friends call him Taco thanks to his dark complexion and resemblance to someone of Hispanic descent people thought he looked Hispanic or Mexican or whatever and called him Taco but he is about to to undergo quite a transformation from a simple Taco to Landing a top spot on the FBI's most wanted list where does it all begin how did we get here Harry is already on the naughty list of local law enforcement in the 1960s but he is aiming higher he wants more than just leaving a name behind and what better way to do that than to swich his farm boots for motorcycle ones he proceeds to join one of the most revered bike clubs in the area the Detroit Chapter of the outlaw MC as a true Renegade personifying the true essence of an outlaw he is accepted into the club with open arms and he proves he's worth his weight in gold his words instill fear in anyone who dares to cross him allowing him to climb the biker hierarchy faster than a Harley on an open road by 1970 he is sitting pretty as the president of the Detroit Chapter and under his Rule The Outlaws aren't just a biker Club they are the biker Club I mean you couldn't walk down Main Street without seeing Outlaws they dabble in everything from drug trafficking to extortion they are like the Walmart of crime offering a little bit of everything but even then they need to appear legit so they also own businesses to keep an honest front and launder their crime proceeds and that that's not the end of it Bowman is convinced that the club is lying on so much potential so he looks to Canada for a partnership with another club wreaking havoc on that side of the border the Satan's Choice motorcycle club the deal includes exclusive rights for the Outlaws to become the primary Distributors of Satan's choices hom metap PCP and meth in the US and to sweeten the pot they open a fugitive Exchange program where members of each Club fleeing from law enforcement would be harbored in the other club's country it's an alian that would come in handy later for Bowman himself but he is not just in the business of making friends from the north he is also on a mission to expand his Empire and his first order of business becomes patching over some Satan's Choice chapters into Outlaws it's like a corporate takeover only with less PowerPoint and more leather he even convinces Garnet mother macuin a big wig of the choice to defect and join the Outlaws bandwagon and mother doesn't board alone he boards with eight other Satan Choice chapters and they meet a ruthless president in the Outlaws Legend has it that Bowman ruthlessly deals with chatty members who don't understand the concept of keeping quiet a trait that makes the Outlaws elusive to the FBI at the helm in a 1982 Summit held in jolet Illinois Bowman goes from a local Legend to an international icon as the president of the Outlaws motorcycle club it is a step up into the big leagues and he takes the reigns from his mentor Harry Henderson his first order of business moving the Outlaws International headquarters from Chicago to Detroit if Detroit was the center of attention due to the number of clubs fighting for dominance it just got a whole lot more interesting all operations are run from a fortified Clubhouse on Warren Avenue Bowman deals with everything from Club policies to keeping an eye on his fellow bikers he brings changes not just in the club but also in his personal life first he moves his family to gr Point Farms a Swanky suburb of Detroit then he enrolls his three daughters in expensive private schools but his life is not like that of any other Outlaw president he seems to have one foot in the straight world and the other in the biker realm for get the long-haired bearded biker stereotype Bowman shaves his head clean which makes him look nowhere close to an Outlaw Biker he is also decked out in expensive suits like the James Bond of the biker world he cruises around in a custommade armor-plated Cadillac and he never leaves behind his armed Bodyguard by the early 90s Bowman is living a double life in Michigan and Florida complete with a wife and mistress in Detroit not to Mente a numerous girlfriends around the country but he's not just a lady as man he is a Crime Boss extraordinaire and he's slowly turning the Outlaws into a sophisticated criminal Enterprise the club is into everything from gambling to loone sharking and extortion every chapter Reigns Supreme in its Hometown on the other hand Bowman is making moves like a chess Grandmaster he forges alliances with Italian and Eastern European crime groups in the process he rubs elbows with numerous politicians judges and high-ranking police officers but another thing that is at the top of his agenda is intelligence gathering he builds an Adept Counter Intelligence Network gathering information on law enforcement efforts against the club and the Grassroots are not neglected under his leadership The Outlaws balloon to over, 1500 members his Charisma and affection for his closest friends earn him undivided loyalty this ensures that his inner circle is nearly impenetrable to law enforcement but every King has his quirks and Bowman is no exception between his mood swings paranoia and substance use he's often up for days and these don't help with his decision making in 1991 things get heated in Detroit The Outlaws extort Lebanese racketeers who are protected by the mafia this ticks off a mafia Kingpin who orders bow man's assassination but Bowman is nowhere to be found and the Assassins cannot get the job done and you won't believe who tips off Bowman the FBI he continues to run the show eliminating any threat to the club's welfare but as he cruises to the top he faces a formidable threat this time from another club on the rise eyeing his throne can he withand this new threat and keep his crown or is he about to be dethroned The Outlaws under Bowman have stamped their authority over their territories but they have an unrelenting adversary another club competing with them for greener pastures the Hell's Angels and this isn't just a spat over who has the shiniest Chrome on their bikes it's a full-blown War but it's nothing new it's a brawl that started way back in 1973 when Outlaws in Florida killed three Hell's Angels in retaliation for a beat down at a New Year's party fast forward to 1993 and the clubs are still going all out to attack each other Bowman and sunny Barger don't see eye to eye they are like alpha dogs leading their packs against each other but Bowman does not intend to start a biker War so he plays nice he holds not one but two peace talks with the Hell's Angels National officer Gorge Christie however just when things are looking nice and a treaty looks possible Bowman backs out rumor has it that one of his lieutenants convinces him that making peace is a sign of weakness and why not it's classic biker bravado in play the bombings the murders the extortions the kidnappings all came from Taco and everything always pointed to the top even worse Bowman sends a team to Minnesota to spy and plan for the assassination of the local Hells Angel's chapter chairman however they can't pull it off as the car bomb detonates prematurely injuring the bomber instead but Bowman isn't done yet Bowman versus Sunny Barger on New Year's Eve 1993 exactly two decades after the Outlaws and Hell's Angels Feud began Harry Bowman issues an address his heartfelt speech delivered at a Fort Lauderdale hotel suite officially declares war on the Hell's Angels he even allegedly places a 100 flat E and bounty on Barger and Christie the stage is set for one of the biggest bike club feuds in history and the next two years become a biker Royale BRS HD Hitman and bombings are the order of the day Bowman orders an attack on the hells henchmen clubhouse at 1734 West Grand Avenue he suspects that the henchmen are helping the Hell's Angels A Car Bomb is detonated outside the club leading to the destruction of the building steel door it is the third largest bombing in American history but it's not enough on October 18th of 1994 members of the Daytona Beach chaps of the atlas motorcycle club went down to Bard County they built a a bomb out of 5 gallon Jerry can full of gas with a a PVC pipe filled with black powder threw it through a window of the club and and blew the club up it is a successful attack and they keep coming things just escalated from there uh November 8 of 994 members went up to Chicago and blew up the hell henchman Clubhouse it's another blow for the angels and the Chicago Hell's Angels are forced to relocate but by the spring of 1995 both sides are back at the table the turf war is slowly getting out of hand and federal agencies are watching them like Hawks therefore in 1996 the club sign a peace treaty the Hell's Angels seem to get the wrong end of the deal but they have no other option they agree to back down from setting up in Chicago opting for a clubhouse in the suburb of Harvey instead but just when Bowman thinks he can catch a break another challenge is knocking on the door this time it affects Bowman directly after all this is the biker world and the road never stays quiet for long especially not for the international chair chman of the Outlaws MC End of the Road the FBI have come knocking they want their piece of meat Bowman has served the Outlaws for almost three decades now and during that time the local and federal authorities have had their eyes on him but he is not just going to give up everything and turn himself in so they set the ball rolling for his arrest and it begins with the arrest of 10 Outlaws with two of them singing like canaries to the state it brings about the change of an era marked by arrest warrants high-speed chases and a Twist no one saw coming well except Bowman fugitive in 1996 a DEA operation is in full swing they call it operation silver spoke and it uncovers all the dirty stuff that the Outlaws have been up to in Florida and under the raicho act the arrested men are feeling the heat the prosecutor's words get to them and for the best deal they dish out the big fish the international president Harry Bowman the US attorney's office slaps Bowman with a smorgas board of charges Rico violations drug trafficking explosives illegal Firearms the whole 9 yards FBI agents raid his place in gr Point Farms but he is already on the run a run that would make him a ghost for the next 18 months and while he's at it James wheeler keeps the presidential seat warm for him on the FBI's list in 1998 Bowman is elevated to the FBI's 10 most wanted list and there's a $50,000 reward for information that could lead to his arrest but remember his leadership style that clipped out any chatty member well it's doing him some good now as most Outlaws keep their mouth shut so to the public he is a mystery man but the FB is determined more than ever they go on a wild goose chase they raid clubhouses in five countries but Bowman is as elusive as a greased up Houdini in 1999 his run almost comes to an abrupt end he is pulled over cruising in a Mercedes convertible with a blonde not a care in the world but he slips away with a fake ID and when the FBI shows the traffic footage to his mistress she is ticked off after seeing him with another woman therefore she spills the beans about Bowman's upcoming visit to Detroit and the Day of Reckoning finally arrives on June 7th 1999 he's chilling in Sterling Heights in his usual Anonymous self but the FBI has this one chance to bring him in so around 40 FBI agents SWAT team members and local cops crash his party he is taken into custody without a fuss and he's off to Florida for trial for all the charges against him he's facing a lifetime in jail but he wants to see it play out to the end and he does fast forward to 2001 Bowman is in court looking sharp in spectacles and a suit but the court can't risk interference with the proceedings so the jury is anonymous to ward off Outlaw intimidation tactics and after a month-long trial Bowman is convicted on eight counts and slapped with two life sentences plus a buffet of additional time wheeler steps up permanently as the new Outlaw president Bowman spends his days in the clink until he passes away from cancer in March 2019 his death marks the end of an epic Saga but from a farm boy to biker Kingpin to the FBI's Most Wanted it's a tail you couldn't make up if you tried