[2] The journalists Michel Auger and Peter Edwards wrote that much about Stadnick is mysterious, ranging from what is the meaning of his sobriquet "Nurget", to how a unilingual Anglo Canadian from Hamilton became the leader of the then largely French-Canadian Hells Angels. [40] A nurse recalled: "It was crazy; most of the day there were these big, burly bikers outside his room. [20] The conflict was started when the Hells Angel Yves "Apache" Trudeau shot two Outlaws in Montreal, killing one. [50] The president of the Vagabonds, Donald "Snorkel" Melanson, wanted to "patch over" to join to the Hells Angels and, as a prelude, agreed to buy his cocaine only from the Montreal "mother chapter" of the Hells Angels. [29] Upon his return to Hamilton, Stadnick found that his gang had voted themselves out of existence, he chose to continue as a Hells Angel, operating in Montreal and alone in Hamilton. Hells Angels Montreal President Maurice "Mom" Boucher plays a heavy part in the battles and is sentenced in 2002 to life in prison. [4] As a result of the mass "patch-over" in Montreal, with 168 outlaw bikers becoming Hells Angels, the greater Toronto area went from having no Hells Angels chapters to having the highest concentration of Hells Angels' chapters in the world. [78] Stadnick was unable to force Verhaege to reveal her sources and the judge rejected the attempt to stay the proceedings, but the effort had delayed his trial for 15 months. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. Sonny Barger, a leader of the Hells Angels who was key to bringing the outlaw motorcycle club to international notoriety, died on Wednesday from cancer. [101] Police sources claim that Stadnick was behind the split, hoping to create a new pro-Angel club. The ones we're losing were the careless one'". They either worked with you or they didn't care about you. [62] Since Stadnick had connections across the country, he became the Hells Angels' ambassador, traveling all over the country to recruit bikers and proceed with drug sales. Barger was 83. [42] As a result of his face becoming grotesquely deformed, Stadnick was described by Harris as becoming more introverted than before. He also won the International Book Awards in 2012, 2013, and 2014. No one wants to work against the Hells Angels independently because it's not in their interest. The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is a worldwide outlaw motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. [56] In the spring of 1988, Langlois fled to Morocco to escape charges of first-degree murder in connection with his role in the Lennoxville massacre of 1985, and Stadnick was chosen to be his successor. The president of the Toronto chapter of the notorious Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has died, according to online reports. [31] Despite orders from Stadnick not to attract attention, Mailloux together with his stripper girlfriend Connie Augustin went on a lengthy cocaine binge. He must also obey a curfew that runs between 9 p.m and 6 a.m. [58] In 1988, the Canadian Hells Angels were in decline; of the 50 members of the club in Quebec, 19 were in prison after being convicted of murder on the basis of Trudeau's testimony; 13, including the previous national president Langlois, were on the run to escape murder charges; and another five were in jail facing charges of murder. "[103] Although Ward and his gang did not formally become an Angels chapter until 2000, to all intents and purposes the Ward gang were a part of the Angels from 1998 onward.[103]. [133] Atwell also reported that Dew and the Winnipeg chapter expressed much resentment about the way that Stadnick had allowed the Ontario gangs to enter the Hells Angels on a "patch-for-patch" basis, unlike the way that he forced Dew had to wait three years before allowing him the "full patch". : Zellers reveals where its locations will return across Canada. [11] Subsequently, Stadnick was arrested for the second time for the possession of hash with the intention to distribute. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 . [59] On 23 August 1988, Stadnick was arrested at the home of Douglas Freeborn, a former Satan's Choice member and a prominent drug dealer in Hamilton. [24] John Gordon Harris of the Hamilton police told the journalist Jerry Langton: "As soon as the Wild Ones began to associate with the Hells Angels, the Outlaws told them they shouldn't do that. I think that's the way Walter does business". And the rest of the time it was these big, burly cops-it was like he was a rock star or something. [87] A Rocker, Stphane Sirois, travelled with Stadnick during his trips to Winnipeg, serving as his bodyguard. [91] Stadnick had created a drug distribution network under which all Hells Angels chapters in Canada had to buy cocaine and other drugs from the Nomad chapter. [35] The leader of the Papalia family, Johnny "the Enforcer" Papalia, one of the most feared man in the Canadian Mafia, was well known for his dislike of outlaw bikers, and made it clear he did not want a Hells Angels chapter in Hamilton. [132] Unlike the rival Bandidos, who required that new members join as "prospects", Stadnick allowed the Ontario outlaw biker gangs to all join the Hells Angels "patch for patch", which was most unusual. [6] Those who knew him in high school considered Stadnick to be a "tough little guy" who, despite his short stature, was known as a fighter. [127] The vast majority of the Ontario outlaw bikers clubs preferred to join the Hells Angels instead of the rival Bandidos as Stadnick allowed them to maintain their dignity with his "patch for patch" offer. [106] Shortly afterwards, the Redliners joined los Bravos, which increased Stadnick's influence in los Bravos. They were trading patch for patch the legendary Hells Angel patch for some of the lowest of the low". They said he was a citizen like anybody else. [119] McLeish and Gasonguary put several bullets into Kellestine's truck, but failed to kill him. [146] Greenspan and Gold appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, which refused their request in January 2003 to have all the evidence translated into English given that both Greenspan and Gold were fluent in French, and Stadnick's trial started afterwards. [62] Caine described Parente as a traditional biker leader, the working-class tough guy, while Stadnick was a modern biker leader who was more alike to a corporate CEO. A welcome email is on its way. Walter has been able to carry out his business for a long time. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. [147], On September 13, 2004, Stadnick was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for a collection of convictions including conspiracy to murder, drug trafficking involvement in gang activities. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. [77] During their short existence, the Demon Keepers failed to make a single drug sale in Toronto. [84] Stadnick's principle rival within the Hells Angels was an American living in Montreal named Scott Steinert, who was an extremely aggressive and ambitious man who aspired to be the Hells Angels' national president. [104] By the end of 1998, the only provinces without Hells Angels chapters were Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. [6] As a child, he regularly attended the local Uniate Catholic church and was described as quiet and well-behaved. [54][55], In 1988, Stadnick become the national president of the Canadian Hells Angels. It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. And La Table was a powerful clique, which is why they amassed such huge fortunes. [43] However, Stadnick stayed away from the container, leading Harris to say: "He was pretty smart. I thought he was a sort of a poser". [114] It was clear within the Ontario outlaw biker scene that henceforward one could be either for or against the Hells Angels and that the Hells Angels would be entering Ontario soon. [18] On 5 December 1977, the Popeyes of Montreal, generally considered to be the most violent of all of Quebec's many outlaw biker clubs, "patched over" to become the first Hells Angels chapter in Canada. [103] It was agreed at the "crime summit" that henceforward Ward would only buy his drugs from the Hells Angels, thereby establishing Angels' influence in the Niagara peninsula. How to Become a Hells Angel. "[4], Wolodumir Stadnik was born on the "upper side" of Hamilton atop of "the Mountain", as locals call the Niagara Escarpment, to a family of Ukrainian immigrants. Chuck Zito was the former President of the New York Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels. [103], In July 1997, Stadnick persuaded the Grim Reapers gang of Calgary to "patch over" to become Hells Angels, while also opening a new Hells Angels chapter in Edmonton, establishing the Hells Angels as the dominant outlaw motorcycle club in Alberta. On Feb. 5, 2015, three co-defendants, Marc Eliason, 37, of Lynn; Robert DeFronzo, 47, of Saugus; and Brian Weymouth, 42, of Danvers, pleaded guilty to similar charges. [89] Members of the Nomads were Stadnick, Boucher, Donald "Pup" Stockford, David "Wolf" Carroll, Gilles "Trooper" Mathieu, Richard "Bert" Mayrand, Luc Bordeleau, Pierre Laurin, Louis "Mlou" Roy, Richard "Rick" Valle, Andr Chouinard, Michel Rose, Denis "Pas Fiable" Houle, Normand Robitaille, Normand "Biff" Hamel, and Ren "Balloune" Charlebois. Founding member of Hells Angels not allowed to wear gang colours Michel Langlois, 74, pleaded guilty to being part of a network that dealt 177 ounces of cocaine and more than 290,000 meth. Everyone knew who he was and what he was all about, but he was good at what he did. Some bikers guys who weren't Angels saw me taking pictures. Petersen was born in Toronto and attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute and later studied Town Planning at York University, according to one online obituary. [36] Stadnick was on his way to attend a memorial service for Buteau, who was killed on that day in 1983, when a Catholic priest who was speeding on his way to Montreal to see Pope John Paul II, who was visiting Canada, led to the traffic incident. [11] Stadnick was charged, but made bail. [38] Stadnick had some doubts about the competence of the 13th Tribe to guard him in the daytime and instead the Hamilton police protected him in the nighttime as he recovered. Aside from being a family man with a wife and children, he was making a more than decent living with the Department of Defense and was also a Marine reservist. [50], Len Isnor of the OPP's Anti-Biker Unit once saw Stadnick at Toronto's Exhibition Grounds and was surprised to the crowd part to allow Stadnick and his bodyguards walk up to Andre Wattel, the president of Satan's Choice Kitchener chapter. [9] Stadnick did well in auto shop at the Hill Park Secondary School, but was otherwise an indifferent student. Gold as his defense lawyers. [71] Stadnick's lawyer told Verhaghe that he had a "file" on her, saying Stadnick had hired a private detective to investigate her. biker Suminder Grewal", "Canada's gang hotspots are you in one? [9] He was very ambitious; joining a biker gang as a teenager in Hamilton called the Cossacks, who were noted for their habit of growing their hair long and drilling holes in their bike helmets, into which they would run their hair through. "They want to look good. [22] The journalist Peter Edwards wrote that Stadnick seemed to have a Napoleon complex as despite his short stature that "there was something undeniably huge about the man". [104] Sher stated about the "patch over" that: "If you can't beat them, buy them. [71] In June 1993, Stadnick went to Wasaga Beach to attend a convention of the Loners outlaw biker gang and to meet their leader, Frank "Cisco" Lenti, to discuss having the Loners "patch over" to become Hells Angels. [135] Pacey stated: "Hells Angels influence is subtle, behind the scenes. [3] In 2004, the journalist Tu Thanh Ha wrote that Stadnick is "a secretive man little known to the public", but "he is one of Canada's most pivotal organized-crime figures. [137] Stadnick's common-law wife accused the Jamaican police of putting him in a "hellhole" jail cell. [114] On 7 September 1998, Stadnick persuaded the Rebels outlaw biker gang of Saskatoon to "patch over", allowing the Hells Angels to enter Saskatchewan. The ride was held in honour of long-time Toronto Hells Angels member, Donny Petersen, who died at 74 of natural causes. Founded in 1948 in California, the Hells Angels . Audience Relations, CBC P.O. [81] In November 1993, in what appeared to be an attempt to undermine Guindon's leadership of Satan's Choice, Stadnick met in Thunder Bay with several Satan's Choice chapter presidents, most notably Andre Wattel of the Kitchener chapter. [147] However, the judge acquitted Stadnick of all 13 counts of murder, saying that the Crown failed to present enough evidence that Stadnick ordered the murders. [93] Sirois testified that Stadnick had told him in 1996 that what he wanted was "The Hells Angels only, throughout Canada, with no other biker clubs". [43] One of his neighbors recalled: "He never caused any problems; he was always friendly. [88] Even though most Satan's Choice members favored joining the Hells Angels, Guindon would not hear of it throughout the 1990s. His most recent. Unauthorized reproduction is punishable by law. [4], In January 1994, Stadnick founded a puppet club in Toronto called the Demon Keepers headed by Dany Kane, while at the same time trying to persuade the Satan's Choice and Para-Dice Riders gangs to "patch over" to become Hells Angels. [119], In 1999, the Hells Angels approached Danny Wolfe, the imprisoned leader of the Indian Posse gang, which is one of the largest organized crime groups in western Canada, with the offer to become exclusive wholesalers, selling the Indian Posse drugs, which in turn they would sell on the streets. Stadnick and his partners were able to build a pyramid structure that put the Nomads on top of all the other clubs, which you don't see anywhere else. [44] Stadnick was careful enough to always hold his discussions with other bikers outside to avoid police bugs. [120] On 22 October 1999, in a drive-by shooting, a pro-Hells Angels Loner, Davie "Dirty" McLeish, and a Hells Angel from Sherbrooke, Philippe "Philbilly" Gastonguay, opened fire with a shotgun on Kellestine, who was sitting in his truck at a stop at the only intersection in Iona Station. [53] Aiding Stadnick was the conviction in 1988 of his archenemy, Parente, who had become the national president of the Outlaws, of manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of Jimmy Lewis. [28] Stadnick survived by hiding under the table. Harry Lainas, 47, was a full member of the Hells Angels' Simcoe South charter and formerly with the Keswick Hells Angels. [6] One former teacher said about him: "He clearly had a great deal of natural intelligence, but he was impossible to motivate. [63] Besides Stadnick, Donald "Pup" Stockford and another Hells Angel, Michel Rose, were also tried. He knew almost everybody. Greece. [87] Stadnick was also active in continuing to woo the Satan's Choice in Ontario, often visiting Kitchener to meet Andre Wattel, the president of the local Satan's Choice chapter, who was most interested in joining the Hells Angels. Papalia, even though he was 73 when he died, he wouldn't have put up with that". [5], For a time, Stadnick was friendly with his future archenemy, Mario "the Wop" Parente, the president of the Hamilton chapter of Satan's Choice outlaw biker gang, but the two reportedly fell out when Parente vetoed the 5'4 Stadnick's attempt to join Satan's Choice under the grounds that he was too short. Hells Angels MC President Donny Petersen has passed away. [5] His parents were Andriy and Valentina Stadnik, who lived at 98 East 16th Street, in a working-class neighborhood known for its high rate of petty crime. In July 2002, the Angels' new national leadership consisting of Gerald Ward, president of the Niagara chapter, and Billy Miller, president of the North Toronto chapter, summoned the Coates brothers and Georges "Bo-Boy" Beaulieu, president of the Sherbrooke chapter, to a meeting in Toronto to tell them to end the violence as the Ontario market was large enough to share with other gangs, and the negative publicity was attracting unwanted attention. 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