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Hells Angels Outside Their Oakland Clubhouse
This weekend the Oakland Chapter of the Hells Angels celebrated their 50-year anniversary. The Oakland Chapter has been the national headquarters of the Hells (no apostrophe) Angels since Oakland native Sonny Barger took over leadership from the original San Bernadino Chapter. Across the Bay, the second chapter of the Hells Angels had been established in San Francisco even earlier through a merger with the Market Street Commandos, one of the first motorcycle gangs in America, dating back to the mid '40s. This weekend about 800 Angels from around the world attended the anniversary, some flying in their motorcycles for the event. The celebration took place about 30 miles from the site of one of the Hells Angels most notorious incidents, the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont. There in 1969, after being paid $500 in beer to provide security for the event, the Angels beat to death an 18-year old concert-goer with pool cues.
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