[45] Stadnick did not own, but was described as running, the Rebel Roadhouse bar in Hamilton. [53] However, the offense was merely drunk driving, for which he was fined $750 dollars. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. 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. They are violent people who are a danger to society. When O'Neill told him that Kane had been a police informer since 1994, he reported that Stadnick looked worried. [59] Found with him were eleven ounces of hash, which led the police to charge him with intention to sell drugs, but the charges were dropped as Freeborn sworn in court that the hash belonged to him and Stadnick had nothing to do with his drug-dealing. Petersen was born in Toronto and attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute and later studied Town Planning at York University, according to one online obituary. "[4], The decision to admit Ward and his gang as the Hells Angel chapter for the Niagara peninsula, despite the fact that Ward was not a biker and did not know how to ride a motorcycle, prompted some resentment, requiring Stadnick to visit Toronto, where he declared that the new Niagara chapter, as the Ward gang had become, would be only "prospects" instead of "full patch" members. It was good place to entertain visiting Angels". Stadnick asked for and received permission from the Hells Angels' American leaders for the mass "patch over" as only once before, in Germany in 1999, had the Hells Angels accepted en masse a number of outlaw bikers from other clubs on a "patch for patch" basis. [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. [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". Earlier this week, Durham Police noted the motorcycle club is an organized crime group responsible for drug and human trafficking among other offences. [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. [101] Police sources claim that Stadnick was behind the split, hoping to create a new pro-Angel club. Newly-released parole board records dated Feb. 28, 2018 paint a glowing picture of the longtime biker, once said by police to be the national president of the Hells Angels. He certainly wasn't the most visible member of the gang. [23] The Wild Ones were considered to be one of the lesser outlaw biker clubs in Hamilton, and the Outlaws chapter tolerated their existence as they were not seen to be a threat. 1,000 Hells Angels Members Coming To Toronto Today & Here's What Police Want You To Know "This procession will inevitably cause traffic disruption in our city." Brooke Houghton July 21, 2022, 09:59 AM Updated This story was fact-checked i Hundreds of Hells Angel bikers in a funeral procession for a chapter president. [131] A number of Outlaws and the Rock Machine bikers also went over to the Hells Angels, whom Stadnick grouped into the Hells Angels new Ottawa chapter. [78], Stadnick once called John Gordon Harris of the Hamilton police, saying: "I need to speak to Sergeant Harris". I really don't know". [8] In December 1982, Stadnick returned to Hamilton after living in Montreal for a number of years together with another Wild One turned Hells Angel, Noel "Frenchy" Mailloux, who had served as Stadnick's translator during his time in Montreal. [35], On 8 September 1984, Stadnick was badly injured in a traffic incident that saw him run his motorcycle into a car driven by a Catholic priest in Drummondville, Quebec. [110] In June 1998, the Spartans gang disbanded themselves after their leader Darwin Sylvester vanished without trace. [40] A nurse recalled: "It was crazy; most of the day there were these big, burly bikers outside his room. Left is "Indian," right is "Hutch." The debate was over the planned . Joseph's. [30], Despite not speaking any French, Stadnick joined the Montreal South "mother chapter" of the Hells Angels and quickly rose through the ranks. [10] In the 1970s, outlaw biker clubs were very much subordinate to the Mafia and other organized crime groups like the West End Gang, who employed outlaw bikers to do "dirty work" that they did not wish to do themselves. [102] With Papalia who hated outlaw bikers out of the way, Stadnick moved in and made contact in the summer of 1997 with a locally prominent criminal, Gerald "Skinny" Ward who lived in Wellend. [155], Despite his conviction in 2004, Stadnick had raised the Hells Angels up to such a level of dominance that the club continued to function well without him and remained the most powerful outlaw biker club in Canada. Crime Niagara Hells Angels clubhouse demolished 14 years after police. [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. With Stadnick behind bars awaiting trial, a biker war broke out in southwestern Ontario between the London Outlaws chapter headed by Thomas Hughes and the Hells Angels' London chapter headed by Jimmy Coates, formerly of the Loners. [33] Enraged, Parente and the other Outlaws proceeded to shoot up the bus when it stopped at the Mr. Mugs coffee and doughnut shop in Wawa in an attempt to kill the two Hells Angels. [17], One Satan's Choice biker, Cecil Kirby, who first saw Stadnick at a bikers' convention in Wasaga Beach in 1977, recalled that Stadnick seemed to be trying too hard to pass himself as a "hardcore" biker, remembering: "I didn't like him. [31] On 17 February 1983, in a moment of cocaine-induced paranoia, Mailloux attempted to murder Augustin, shooting her several times, while at the same time killing her four-year son Stewart Hawley and her best friend Cindy Lee Thompson. [97] When Harris dismissed the call as a prank, Stadnick became very angry, saying: "Yes, it's Walter Stadnick. The Hells Angels ride is in honour of long-time Toronto Hells Angels member Donny Peterson, who died at 74. "[157] Pierre de Champlain, an expert on bikers for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, stated: "Since 2000, the Hells Angels have had complete control over Quebec, from Sept-les to Granby. [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. But the hard-core ones, they're still thinking they want to be Hells Angels. They were trading patch for patch the legendary Hells Angel patch for some of the lowest of the low". According to Jerry Langtons book, Fallen Angel, Petersen claimed he was once a social worker but didnt name the organization. [87] A Rocker, Stphane Sirois, travelled with Stadnick during his trips to Winnipeg, serving as his bodyguard. [137] Stadnick's common-law wife accused the Jamaican police of putting him in a "hellhole" jail cell. 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. No one wants to work against the Hells Angels independently because it's not in their interest. [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. [150], When filing for his taxes, Stadnick never claimed more than an annual income of $35,000, but after his conviction, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) performed an audit of his illegally obtained income, which was also taxable. [25] During his trip to Montreal, Stadnick survived Le Tourbillion massacre on 12 October 1978 when the Outlaws stormed into Le Tourbillion bar to shoot the Angels and Wild Ones who were meeting there, killing one of the Angels and two of the Wild Ones. [4] On 22 December 2000, Stadnick arranged for Dew and los Bravos gang to join the Hells Angels as "full patch" members after only five months of waiting as prospects instead of the normal year. [104] A number of the Outlaws together with most of the Rock Machine's Ontario members led by the Rock Machine's Kingston chapter president Paul Porter also joined the Hells Angles in the same ceremony. [61] The journalists Julian Sher and William Marsden wrote that Manitoba was crucial because it was "the axis of distribution for any drugs moving east and west in the country". [98] Stadnick had no job, but owned a house on the Cloverhill Road in Hamilton that was valued at $156,000. [46] One Hamilton police officer stated: "He had an office in the back, through the kitchen. 2023 Toronto Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. How to Become a Hells Angel. [99] Stephan Frankel, the Hamilton lawyer who has represented Stadnick since 1979, replied when asked about Stadnick's job: "What does Walter do for a living? 63 years later in March 2011 Hells Angels MC Nomads Ireland became part of this great legacy and as proud members we strive to promote and preserve our culture and brotherhood . [107] A meeting in October 1997 at los Bravos' clubhouse in Winnipeg attended by Stadnick and Stockford, together with the Rockers and Satan's Choice Thunder Bay chapter, was described as tense, with the Rockers almost coming to blows with the Choice members. [67] Throughout the 1990s, he worked hard to establish a network of drug dealers in northern Ontario that served as the basis for expanding the Hells Angels into southern Ontario. [102] Ward, who had been tried for murder three times, was the leader of a criminal gang involved in a variety of activities such as drug dealing in the Niagara peninsula. His most recent. [48] During his frequent visits to meet the Hells Angels national leaders at the "mother chapter" in Montreal, Stadnick first met in 1986 another Hells Angel, Maurice "Mom" Boucher. - Paige Taylor White/Toronto Star Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save From our newsroom to your inbox at noon, the latest headlines, stories, opinion and photos from the Toronto Sun. 523Hells Angels - Angels Never Die. Donny Petersen, 74, was a longtime presence in the world of Big Smoke outlaw motorcycle clubs and had previously been a member of Para-Dice Riders, which patched over to the Angels in 1999. [38] As a result of the burns to his body, Stadnick lost much of his nose and half of two of his fingers. [3] Detective Harris stated about the failed plot: "When Parente was running the show, they would had done it; but after he went to prison they didn't have the guts". The goal: "try to look tough and respectable at the same time.". [133] The police estimated that Ward and the Niagara chapter were responsible for selling about 75% of cocaine in the Niagara region. [69] When Bernie "the Frog" Guindon, the national president of Satan's Choice, was released from prison in 1991, Stadnick was one of the first to greet him upon his release and asked if he was willing to have Satan's Choice "patch over" to join the Hells Angels, an offer Guindon rejected. [82] Stadnick used the rivalry between the Spartans and los Bravos as a way to gradually establish Hells Angels influence in Winnipeg, becoming powerful enough by 1993 to impose a truce and end the biker war in Winnipeg that began in 1991. The iconic biker's death, reportedly caused by a"brief battle" with cancer, was announced in a statement on his official Facebook page. 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. Toronto police said in a news conference Wednesday to brace for an "unsanctioned" Hells Angel biker procession, meaning the group did not get a permit for the event from the city. [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. [65], Unlike his Quebec lieutenant "Mom" Boucher, who sought to annihilate the rival Rock Machine in the Quebec biker war, Stadnick had a more diplomatic and conciliatory approach, favoring having the majority of the other Canadian outlaw biker clubs "patching over" to become Hells Angels while leaving the rest to "wither on the vine and die". [24] The Hamilton chapter of the Outlaws started killing the Wild Ones, and after five members of the Wild Ones were killed over the course of 1978, the gang disbanded themselves. And the rest of the time it was these big, burly cops-it was like he was a rock star or something. In 1998 he dropped Jean-Claude Van Damme in a fight in Manhattan. As they rode through Toronto, CBC News caught several photos of the procession. This store sells Hells Angels merchandise. Information about your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps. "We believe tomorrow is a memorial procession that is going to go to a property on Carlaw Ave. and then is going to leave the city of Toronto." The memorial is for Donny Petersen, longtime. The property, which the Crown seized a decade ago following a series of mass arrests and sold in early 2016, was recently demolished. [93], Kane's reports mentioned that Stadnick was often in conflict with Steinert, and alleged that Stadnick wanted Steinert's bodyguard, Donald "Bam Bam" Magnussen, killed. Fox News host Tucker Carlson has come under fire for speaking at a funeral for the longtime president of the Hells Angels motorcycle club, Ralph "Sonny" Barger. He received his full patch on 26 May 1982. "[4] Richmond argued at the trial that Stadnick was guilty of the 13 counts of first-degree murders of members of the Rock Machine because: "Just as a general is liable for any war crimes his men commit, we are convinced Stadnick knew about the murders and did nothing to stop them". [57] After the Lennoxville massacre, the Angels' ace assassin, Yves Trudeau, had turned Crown's evidence, testifying against dozens of Hells Angels. [50] However, Melanson who owed his nickname to his practice of snorting cocaine with a snorkel consumed much of the cocaine he was supposed to sell and he was soon $80,000 in debt to the Hells Angels. [88] Besides for chapter presidents, Stadnick continued to meet Satan's Choice national president, Guindon, taking him to dinner in the most expensive restaurants in Toronto and the most expensive strip clubs in Oshawa to press him to "patch over". [135] Stadnick tried to maintain a respectable image in Hamilton, as he always drove his elderly parents to the local Uniate Catholic church every Sunday. [88] Even though most Satan's Choice members favored joining the Hells Angels, Guindon would not hear of it throughout the 1990s. As part of an investigation into how Langlois and other Hells Angels ran drug trafficking rings in . [33] On 17 July 1983, while riding through northern Ontario, Parente happened to see two Hells Angels from Montreal, Michel "Jinx" Genest and Jean-Marc Nadeau, on the bus to Vancouver to attend the ceremony. Founded in 1948 in California, the Hells Angels . [90] Within the Nomad chapter, there was an elite within the elite called La Table of five members with the exclusive authority to set the price for drugs. [58] Most outlaw biker clubs welcomed a chance to meet the president of the Canadian Hells Angels, the best known outlaw biker club in the world. He had a country-wide vision. [63] Besides Stadnick, Donald "Pup" Stockford and another Hells Angel, Michel Rose, were also tried. [115] During his visit, Atkinson who served as the Loners' secretary was surprised by the size of the clubhouse, which seemed more like a combination of a luxury hotel and an expensive nightclub. The Red Devils Motorcycle Club is a support club of the Hells Angels. Unauthorized reproduction is punishable by law. "They want to look good. [142] When O'Neill noticed that Stadnick had a "Filthy Few" tattoo reportedly awarded to those who killed for the Hells Angels Stadnick claimed the tattoo was because: "Oh, that's because I like to party when I stay out with the boys". [121] The Globe and Mail reported in 2004 about the Hells Angels' push into south-western Ontario: "From 1999 to 2002, when the conflict reached a peak, beatings, brawls and shootings became common". [140] He did not contest his extradition to Canada, returning on 10 April 2001. [70], Stadnick was known in the 1990s for his flamboyant way of dressing, wearing a full-length coat made from wolf's fur and a snakeskin belt with a solid gold belt buckle in the form of the Hells Angels' winged death's head that was hollowed inside to allow him to carry cash. [32] Mailloux was found afterwards wandering the streets of Hamilton, high on cocaine, blabbing nonsense, and trying to fire his empty gun at anybody he met on the streets. Motorcyclists with the Hells Angels arrive in Newmarket as they prepare for a memorial procession through Toronto. You can change your choices at any time by visiting your privacy controls. The HAMC acknowledges more than 100 chapters in over 29. [35] It was around this time that Stadnick started wearing a "Filthy Few" patch that the police say is awarded to those who kill for the gang. "[97] When Harris asked what the call was about, Stadnick complained a solid gold belt buckle shaped in the form of the Angels' deathhead logo had been damaged by the police, a matter that Harris knew nothing about. [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. [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. 3 min read. Est. Hells Angels Montreal President Maurice "Mom" Boucher plays a heavy part in the battles and is sentenced in 2002 to life in prison. Read more about cookies here. [68] In the process, Stadnick recruited a criminal from Thunder Bay into the Hells Angels, Donald "Bam Bam" Magnussen, a huge, hulking, muscular man notorious in the Thunder Bay underworld for his brutality and aggressiveness. [8], In October 1978, Stadnick went to Montreal to meet Buteau and the other Hells Angels leaders. Ciarniello is one of the original members of the Vancouver Hells Angels that patched over from the Satan's Angels. [56] At the time, most of the Angels' chapters were in Quebec, although there were also three chapters in British Columbia and one chapter in Nova Scotia. In 2000, the Musitano brothers were convicted on the basis of Murdock's testimony. [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". Hells Angels MC President Donny Petersen has passed away. To understand how it all fits together, it pays to revisit two murders in Toronto and Kelowna, B.C. [77] During their short existence, the Demon Keepers failed to make a single drug sale in Toronto. 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. [61] Caine described Stadnick as the superior strategist compared to Parente as Stadnick saw establishing the Angels in Winnipeg as important to creating a national club, while Parente was only focused on Ontario. The event remained peaceful. International. [52] On 5 November 1987, Stadnick was arrested for the first time since 1971. [43] One of his neighbors recalled: "He never caused any problems; he was always friendly. [42] As a result of his face becoming grotesquely deformed, Stadnick was described by Harris as becoming more introverted than before. (Patrick Morrell/CBC News) Toronto police. [3] In August 1992, Stadnick and Magnussen were involved in a brawl with two off-duty Winnipeg police officers that led them to be charged with assault, but the charges were dropped. [66] The journalist Jerry Langton stated: "An informant told me that if he could boil down Walter's philosophy to one sentence, it would be: 'He would rather buy his rival a drink than kick his head in. [13] Satan's Choice were the most powerful outlaw biker club in Ontario in the 1960s and 1970s. They wanted control. "[157] In 2016, it was estimated the Hells Angels had about 450 members with chapters in almost every province, giving them a level of dominance that no other organized crime group in Canada could match. Stadnick is generally credited with turning the Hells Angels into the dominant outlaw biker club in Canada. [157], "Patching over": consolidation of Canadian outlaw biking, Last edited on 30 November 2022, at 13:18, "A confederation of Angels: One man's dream come true", "Hamilton mobster changed Niagara's underworld", "The Bandido Massacre: Extended Chronology", "No happy trails for paroled Hells Angel Walter Stadnick", "Un vtran des Hells Angels recycl dans la construction", "Hamilton Hells Angel member Walter Stadnick back on the streets", "Other Hells Angels who were recently released", "Hells Angels pay respects to slain B.C. Other than that, he doesn't expect any trouble. [65] Ernie Dew, the president of los Bravos outlaw biker club in Winnipeg, which later became the first Hells Angel chapter in Manitoba, said of the Angels: "This was the club. [52] The murder of Melanson created much ill will towards the Hells Angels in the Vagabonds for some time, and the plans to "patch over" were aborted. [102] Murdock was arrested for the murders in 1998 and turned Crown's evidence, making a plea bargain where he pledged guilty to the murders in exchange for testifying against his employers. [8] As a high school student, he began a lifelong practice of dressing flamboyantly by wearing bright jewelry such as rings and chains. johnhill118 | Dreamstime [79], Stadnick spent much of the 1990s living in Winnipeg, where he courted and was courted by the city's two biggest outlaw biker clubs, the Spartans under Darwin Sylvester and los Bravos under Ernie Dew. [16] Stadnick was known for being quiet, for never smoking or doing drugs, and for drinking in moderation. [46] Stadnick used the Rebel Roadhouse as a place to conduct his business. [114] On 7 September 1998, Stadnick persuaded the Rebels outlaw biker gang of Saskatoon to "patch over", allowing the Hells Angels to enter Saskatchewan. [151] After his parole conditions forbidding him to associate with the Hells Angels expired in April 2019, Stadnick renewed his associations.