Famous Hells Angels
Famous Hells Angels
Below we have listed some of the famous Hells Angels one percenters from over the decades. There are many well known members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, so we have had to narrow the field and choose only the most famous Hells Angels. You may also be interested in our list of Famous Outlaws MC Members.
Sonny Barger (Ralph Hubert “Sonny” Barger)
Of all of the famous Hells Angels, Sonny is one clearly at the top. Sonny Barger is known for being a founding member of the Oakland chapter of the Hells Angels and was born on October 8th, 1938. Sonny Barger also featured heavily in the Hunter S Thompson 1966 book “Hells Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs”.
Read our full article on Sonny Barger.
Sonny has also gone on to write many books, including:
- Hell’s Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club (2000)
- Dead in 5 Heartbeats (2004)
- Freedom: Credos from the Road (2005)
- 6 Chambers, 1 Bullet (2006)
- Let’s Ride: Sonny Barger’s Guide to Motorcycling (2010)
He has been involved in the following tv shows and movies:
- Hell’s Angels on Wheels (1967)
- Hell’s Angels ’69 (1969)
- Hell’s Angels Forever (1983), featuring Sonny Barger, Jerry Garcia, Scott Barnes, Johnny Paycheck, Willie Nelson
- Dead in 5 Heartbeats (2012)
- Sons of Anarchy (2010-2012), recurring character Lenny “The Pimp” Janowitz. The show Sons of Anarchy is said to be loosely based on the Hells Angels motorcycle club.
Hell’s Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club by Sonny Barger with Keith Zimmerman and Kent Zimmerman. The book about one the most famous Hells Angels, Sonny Barger, who founded the Hells Angels Oakland chapter and has been the public face of the club for decades. Find out more on Amazon (link opens in a new tab).
In 1988 the one percenter Sonny Barger was found guilty of conspiring to blow up the Outlaws Motorcycle Club clubhouse in Louisville, Kentucky. He spent four years in an Arizona prison.
In 1998 Sonny moved away from the Oakland chapter of the Hells Angels to the Cave Creek chapter of the Hells Angels.
In August 2016 he announced that he would be returning to the Hells Angels Oakland chapter.
More recently Sonny has worked on motorcycle safety literature.
Read our full article on Sonny Barger.
The Bishop Family – Hells Angels Founders
The Bishop Family are credited as being the original founders of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. They were British-American war immigrants and founded the club in Fontana, California. It was shortly after that they amalgamated with other clubs, most notably the Pissed off Bastards of Bloomington.
George Christie – Ventura President
George Christie is the former Hells Angels Ventura chapter President and one of the longest serving Presidents within the motorcycle club.
In 2011 he left the Hells Angels under questionable terms, some claiming that he was cooperating with police and is out in bad standings with the club. In 2013 he was sentenced to a year in prison in relation to the fire bombing and extortion of tattoo shops in Ventura, California.
He has since gone on to work with the History Channel on the show “Outlaw Chronicles”, as well as releasing his own book.
View our full article on George Christie.
David Labrava – Sons of Anarchy
David Labrava played “Happy” in the tv show Sons of Anarchy. As well as acting in the show as Happy, David Labrava was hired as a technical advisor, to help the show accurately depict one percenter motorcycle culture. He was hired as the technical advisor by the Son’s of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, after which they decided to also cast him in the role of Happy.
He was born in Miami and raised in Europe. He got his first Harley Davidson motorcycle when he was 17.
View our full article: David Labrava Hells Angels.
Chuck Zito – Sons of Anarchy
Charles “Chuck” Carmine Zito, Jr. was born on March 1st, 1953. He is currently an actor and has starred in Sons of Anarchy as well as other programs including a main role in Oz, which is how he makes this list of famous Hells Angels.
Chuck Zito was the former President of the New York Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels. He has also performed a number of other roles outside of the Hells Angels club including working as a celebrity bodyguard, stuntman and boxing trainer. In 1998 he dropped Jean-Claude Van Damme in a fight in Manhattan.
View our full article on Chuck Zito.
Rusty Coones – Sons of Anarchy
Rusty Coones is known for the role of the Nomad President Quinn in the show Sons of Anarchy and has been in the show since season 9.
Rusty Coones was the founder of the Hells Angels Orange County chapter. Rusty Coones has also been the President of the Hells Angels San Fernando Valley chapter.
He is a musician in the band Attika 7, some of their songs have appeared in the show Sons of Anarchy. He also runs a custom bike shop Illusion Motorsport.
View our full article on Rusty Coones.
Otto Friedli – Hells Angels Founder
Otto Friedli left the Pissed off Bastards of Bloomington and is credited as being one of the original founders of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in 1948 and for a time was San Bernardino Chapter President and the National President until he went to prison and Sonny Barger took over. After time in prison he left the Hells Angels to join the Black Sheep Motorcycle Ministry.
Read our full article on Otto Friedli.
Terry The Tramp – Old Time Oakland Member
One of two famous outlaw bikers who go by the name of “Terry The Tramp”, this one best known for his appearances both in the movie “Hells Angels 69” as well as making a large showing in the Hunter S. Thompson classic book “Hell’s Angels”.
His antics over the years in the Hells Angels Oakland chapter under the leadership of Sonny Barger make him a legend of the club.
He died of a drug overdose in 1970, age 30.
View our full article on Terry The Tramp.
Maurice “Mom Boucher – Former Hells Angels Montreal President
Maurice “Mom” Boucher was a former President of the Hells Angels Montreal chapter and founder of the Nomads chapter. He was involved in the events behind the Quebec Biker War. In 2002 he was convicted to life in prison for the murder of two prison guards and the attempted murder of a third.
View our full article on Maurice “Mom” Boucher.
Rocky Graves – Hells Angels San Francisco Founder
Rocky Graves founded the Hells Angels San Francisco chapter in 1953. He was originally from the San Bernardino chapter. The San Bernardino chapter was also known as “Berdoo”.
George “Baby Huey” Wethern – Author / Informant
Geroge Wethern is a former Vice President of the Hells Angels Oakland chapter.
In 1972 he turned against many other Hells Angels Oakland chapter members, including Sonny Barger, as part of an immunity plea deal.
He is author of the book Wayward Angel.
View our full article on George Wethern.
Yves “Apache” Trudeau – Former Canadian Member / Hitman
Yves Trudeau was a former member of the Hells Angels in Canada. Before joining the Angels he was the President of Popeyes MC.
He is widely believed to be the most prolific murderer within the Hells Angels, having confessed to 43 murders as part of a plea deal before he turned police informant, giving him his place on this list of the most famous Hells Angels.
View our full article on Yves Trudeau.
Yves “Le Boss” Buteau – Former Canadian National President
Yves Buteau was the former Canadian National President of the Hells Angels. Before joining the Angels he was the President of Popeyes MC.
In 1983 he was murdered by a local drug dealer, the brother of an Outlaws MC member.
View our full article on Yves Buteau.
Michel Langlois – Former Canadian President
A prominent member of the Popeyes MC and a left hand man to Yves Buteau.
When Yves Buteau is killed in 1983 Michel Langlois takes over as the Hells Angels Canadian National President.
View our full article on Michel Sky Langlois.
Mark “Papa Frisco” Guardado – Hells Angels San Francisco President / Sons of Anarchy Advisor / Murder Victim
Mark “Papa Frisco” Guardado was the Hells Angels San Francisco chapter President. He was an advisor to the Sons of Anarchy tv show.
On September 3, 2008 he was stabbed and shot by Mongols MC member Christopher Ablett. He died from the injuries.
Christopher Ablett then went on the run and later turned himself in. He was sentenced to life in prison.
There are plenty more Presidents and notable members who can be added to this list, but this completes some of the most famous Hells Angels Motorcycle Club members.
Read more:
- List of Famous Outlaws MC Members
- Hells Angels Motorcycle Club
- List of Hells Angels charters
- Pissed off Bastards of Bloomington
- Famous Bandidos MC Members
- Pagans MC
- David Labrava Hells Angels
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