[14] Unable to join Satan's Choice, Stadnick instead joined the Wild Ones outlaw biker club in 1977. The modern Hells Angels organization in Canada was largely Stadnick's work. The Brooklin chapter of the Hells Angels will host the Canada Run from Friday, July 22 to Sunday, July 24 and chapters from across the country are expected to attend. [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. [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. [35] At the time of his assassination, Buteau was meeting Guy Gilbert, an emissary of the Kitchener chapter of Satan's Choice, who was also killed by Goudreau, to discuss "patching over" to become Hells Angels. [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. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. [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. [77] During their short existence, the Demon Keepers failed to make a single drug sale in Toronto. [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. View our full article on Chuck Zito. [123], In June 2000, La Table faction of the Nomads met with Vito Rizzuto, the boss of Canada's most powerful Mafia family, the Rizzuto family, in a Montreal restaurant to negotiate the price of cocaine in Canada[2] It was agreed that the price of cocaine was to be $50,000 per kilogram, and Montreal was divided into territories controlled by the Rizzuto family and the Hells Angels to prevent competition between the two most powerful organized crime groups in the country. [91] Stadnick was also regularly seen in Ontario, attending outlaw biker events sponsored by both the Loners and the Satan's Choice gangs throughout the 1990s. Toronto police have warned of ongoing traffic disruptions as the bikers. Papalia, even though he was 73 when he died, he wouldn't have put up with that". [131] The minutes of a Hell Angels meeting on 3 February 2001 stated: "the patch-for-patch is over tonight. 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. He was the last guy that had some seniority and some smarts". [28] Of the Wild Ones, George "Chico" Mousseau and Gary "Gator" Davies were killed. Of course it's Walter Stadnick! 108 mp3 mp3 Hells Angels. "[2], One police officer told Langton about the mass "patch over" in Montreal: "They [the Angels] were truly scraping the bottom of the barrel. I'm kind of a quiet guy". ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walter_Stadnick&oldid=1124782180, Drug possession with the intention to sell (1971), This page was last edited on 30 November 2022, at 13:18. [43] Detective Harris stated "it was full of amphetamines and we knew it was his. [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. "[4], In 1995, Stadnick had the Angels' puppet club in Montreal, the Rockers, set up a puppet club in Winnipeg called the Redliners. 2000. [5][11] On 6 January 1971 when the preliminary hearing was held to decide whatever Stadnick's case would go to trial or not, Stadnick's biker friends showed up and misbehaved in court, leading the judge to expel them from the courtroom. The motorcycle club is expected to ride through the city's east end between 11 a.m. and noon . [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. On Jan. 29, 2003, Clay McCrea and Mr. Harrie were each sentenced to six years for trafficking, after pleading guilty to selling cocaine to Bill. [32] The incident badly damaged the image of the Hells Angels in Ontario, making them look to be out of control and dangerous, and Stadnick was forced to suspend his efforts at trying to set up a Hells Angels chapter in Ontario for some time. [16] On 1 July 1977, Parente together with the rest of the Hamilton chapter of the Satan's Choice "patched over" to join the Outlaws, who wanted to expand into Canada. [15] As the Wild Ones were more a senior club than the Cossacks, being allowed to join was a step-up for Stadnick. "[149] Stadnick was "transferred from a medium to a maximum-security prison in 2006 and 2009 for illegal trafficking activities and large-scale loansharking" in a Kingston area prison. A bikers' "rodeo" was held by the shores of Lake Simcoe in August 1998, hosted by the Loners gang and attended by members of the Satan's Choice, Red Devils, Vagabonds, Last Chance and Para-Dice Riders outlaw biker clubs. [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. [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". And we had to make sure we dotted all our is and crossed all our t's and did it properly". Hells Angels Montreal President Maurice "Mom" Boucher plays a heavy part in the battles and is sentenced in 2002 to life in prison. Don Brennan's Closing Lines newsletter offers trustworthy insights into the sports betting game, The Closing Lines newsletter offers trustworthy insights into the sports betting game, Hells Angels Toronto boss Donny Petersen reportedly dead at 74, Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes hire lawyers as affair scandal deepens, A look at Olivia Dunne, the college gymnast with 6.7 million TikTok followers, LOOKS LIKE A PENIS:' Sculpture dedicated to MLK sparks criticism from family, Britney Spears gets new tattoo and immediately regrets it, THEY'RE BAAAA-ACK! [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. [143] 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. Chuck Zito was the former President of the New York Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels. [11] Subsequently, Stadnick was arrested for the second time for the possession of hash with the intention to distribute. [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. drug addicts who were said to mumble all the time because of their drug-addled status). [154], In 2018, it was reported that Stadnick was employed as a construction worker. [156] Peter Edwards, the crime correspondent for the Toronto Star described the Hells Angels in 2016 as the most powerful organized crime group in Canada, saying "In Ontario, you had the Hells Angels and the people the Hells Angels let exist. Scott Baptiste toldreporters Wednesday." 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. [104] Sher stated about the "patch over" that: "If you can't beat them, buy them. [46] Stadnick's right-hand man, a film stuntman and Hells Angel who served as the Nomad vice-president, Donald "Pup" Stockford, lived in neighboring Ancaster. Police had the building destroyed in January. [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. More than 1,000 bikers, including members of Hells Angels and enthusiasts, rode through the Toronto area on Thursday in memory of a member who died recently. He used to be one of the most badass bikers in Ontario, one former OPP officer told Langton. The president of the Toronto chapter of the notorious Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has died, according to online reports. "We expect a large procession of motorcycles . "This procession will inevitably cause traffic disruption in our city," Toronto Police Service Supt. [103] Ward was not an outlaw biker, but he was the leader of a locally powerful criminal gang, and Stadnick wanted to do business with him. [141] Langton dismissed the theory that Stadnick had advance knowledge of Operation Springtime, stating if Stadnick did know, then he would have gone to a country with no extradition treaty with Canada like Brazil rather than Jamaica, which does. You start to realize this guy is smart. [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. It was like he was a rock star or something". The ride was held in honour of long-time Toronto Hells Angels member, Donny Petersen, who died at 74 of natural causes. [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. [94] Magnussen had killed David Boyko, a member of los Bravos, in a moment of drunken rage at a party in Halifax on 12 May 1996, an act which reportedly very much angered Stadnick as it set back his plans to have los Bravos "patch over" to the Hells Angels. The Hells Angels formed their first Canadian chapter in 1977 in Montreal, which remains the hub of the Canadian HAMC, eventually making their presence felt across the country. Everyone in the Nomads club had a role. In 2003, Stadnick was brought to trial for "13 counts of murder, 3 counts of attempted murder, 1 count of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of narcotics trafficking and two counts of attempting to smuggle narcotics". "I would imagine Toronto is a little more consolidated, but there's a lot of different groups," Edwardsadded. The funeral of Mark "Papa" Guardado, the 46-year-old president of the San Francisco chapter shot down after a barroom brawl, brought about 2,000 Hells Angels to Duggan&x27;s Serra Mortuary in Daly. In May 1999, Stadnick asked for the Glenn "Wrongway" Atkinson and Pietro "Peppe" Barilla of the Loners to visit him at the clubhouse of the Angels' Sherbrooke chapter, saying that the difficult relations between the Loners and Para-Dice Riders in Toronto were a matter of concern to him. His advice for onlookers is "don't touch the bikes." [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. All three accused Hells Angels pleaded guilty. [86] A Winnipeg police officer, Ray Parry, said of the Redliners: "They were the most polished. They wanted control. [151] In 2008, Stadnick filed for personal bankruptcy, claiming to be unable to afford to pay his back taxes. [145] Greenspan and Gold were able to delay the trial by demanding that the Crown translate all 500,000 papers of documents and ten CD-ROMs worth of evidence into English, a request that the Quebec government refused as it would cost more than $23 million. [88], On 24 June 1995, Stadnick and close friend Maurice Boucher founded the Nomad chapter with eight other members. John Michael Hangman Dykeman, a member of Bottles For Brothers, mourned on his Facebook page: With Deepest Sorrow I have to inform the group that Donny Petersen has passed away today we here send our thoughts and prayers to Donnys family and all the Downtown Toronto club and all the red and white chapters on the loss of such a great man. [20] The conflict was started when the Hells Angel Yves "Apache" Trudeau shot two Outlaws in Montreal, killing one. [151], Stadnick was paroled in June 2014, lasting less than a month on probation due to suspicion that he was associating with people with criminal records as well as the biker club. [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. He certainly wasn't the most visible member of the gang. "[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. [34], On 8 September 1983, Stadnick's patron Buteau was assassinated by an Outlaw, Gino Goudreau, in Longueuil, which many assumed at the time would be the end of Stadnick's career as he did not speak any French while being a member of what was then a predominately French-Canadian outlaw biker club. One expert said the procession is akin to a PR event for the biker group. [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. [140] He did not contest his extradition to Canada, returning on 10 April 2001. [52] The following morning, the cleaners at the hotel discovered Melanson's corpse with two bullets in his head while the money was gone. [21] The Wild Ones worked as subcontractors for the Mafia, being used to bomb businesses that refused to pay extortion money. Given his past criminal spending habits, and amounts of money within drug trafficking the Board will monitor his revenues and expenses. And the rest of the time it was these big, burly cops-it was like he was a rock star or something. He must also obey a curfew that runs between 9 p.m and 6 a.m. [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. AboutPressCopyrightContact. He received his full patch on 26 May 1982. Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. They hunted them down like animals. [58] Harris stated: "He got it by default. . [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. They don't want to call bad attention to themselves," the Toronto Star journalistsaid. [102] One police officer, Shawn Clarkson, of the Niagara Falls Police stated: "There was nobody to stand up to the Hells Angels the way Barillaro or Papalia would have. [124] Sher stated: "[Stadnick] is part of that key cocaine industry that turns the Hells Angels from basically gofer boys of the Mafia into powerbrokers who are sitting down with the Mafia and negotiating the price of cocaine". We just said 'No'. I thought he was a sort of a poser". AUSTRALIA March 20, 2021 6 of 56 7 of 56 November 11, 1965: Hells Angels at a San Jose State debate. [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". [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. It isn't so much in your face. Toronto police will update the status of road closures throughout the day. Why would he want a chapter? [131] Coussens stated Satan's Choice and the Para-Dice Riders were "sophisticated gangs", but the Last Chance and the Lobos were "mumblies" (i.e. [4] Stadnick also frequently travelled to Saskatoon to meet the leaders of the Rebels outlaw biker club to discuss having them "patch over" to become Hells Angels. [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. But the hard-core ones, they're still thinking they want to be Hells Angels. I thought we were compromising our integrity. They have a lot of non-white members.". The iconic biker's death, reportedly caused by a"brief battle" with cancer, was announced in a statement on his official Facebook page. [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. You could tell these bikers were small-town boys; they weren't used to the cops like what we had here in Hamilton. - Richard Lautens/Toronto Star By Richard Lautens The former home of the Downtown Toronto Hells Angels Motorcycle Club on Eastern Avenue is no more. [127] Outlaw biker clubs operate in a very authoritarian, hierarchical manner, and patches are extremely important for the self-image of outlaw bikers with those having obtained "full patch" status jealously guarding their status and expecting the "prospect" and "hang-around" members to defer to them at all times. [30], Despite not speaking any French, Stadnick joined the Montreal South "mother chapter" of the Hells Angels and quickly rose through the ranks. It was reported that bikers were ridingin honour of Donny Petersen. [8] As a high school student, he began a lifelong practice of dressing flamboyantly by wearing bright jewelry such as rings and chains. 'Yeah', I said, but let remember who he is and what he belongs to". He worked in the depths of criminal activity and kept himself one step away, which made it difficult to collect the necessary evidence and charge him. [81] Stadnick offered them the possibility of selling cocaine, which required less work and was more profitable than auto theft, to the two Winnipeg outlaw biker clubs. From our newsroom to your inbox at noon, the latest headlines, stories, opinion and photos from the Toronto Sun. [88] He also went to Thunder Bay to woo the local Satan's Choice chapter. Hells Angels leader Sonny Barger dies at 83. , (Reuters) . "[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". There was an error, please provide a valid email address. [39] Lessard arranged for members of the 13th Tribe biker gang from Halifax led by David "Wolf" Carroll, who were hoping to join the Hells Angels, to guard Stadnick. [43] However, Stadnick stayed away from the container, leading Harris to say: "He was pretty smart. (Patrick Morrell/CBC News) Toronto police. [42] As a reward for guarding Stadnick, the 13th Tribe were allowed to join the Hells Angels on 5 December 1984, becoming the first Angel chapter in Atlantic Canada. [78] Charges were dropped when he settled on forfeiting the money. 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. Police said they were called to 2301 Danforth Ave., near Oak Park. 523Hells Angels - Angels Never Die. Petersen was born in Toronto and attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute and later studied Town Planning at York University, according to one online obituary. [80] In 1984, a pact had been signed by the Satan's Choice chapter in Thunder Bay, the Grim Reapers outlaw biker gang in Alberta and los Bravos gang to keep the Hells Angels out of western Canada. [2] The records showed that Stadnick's codename was Gertrude and that between 30 March 1999 and 19 December 2000, the Nomads had sold $111.5 million worth of cocaine and hashish all over Canada. "Stand tall, stay loyal, remain . Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. After departing Newmarket at around 11 a.m., the motorcycle riders. [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. He doesn't need it". [94][81] After attending Boyko's funeral, Stadnick was denied permission to enter los Bravos' clubhouse in West Winnipeg as feelings in the gang were much against the Hells Angels. Hells Angels MC President Donny Petersen has passed away. [4] On 4 November 1997, Steinert, together with his bodyguard Magnussen, were last seen alive leaving the Lavigueur mansion where they lived to see Boucher. Hells Angels ride through Toronto for memorial procession 108,113 views Jul 21, 2022 629 Dislike Share Save CityNews 389K subscribers Hundreds of Hells Angels rode through Toronto. Hells Angels MC Ireland | Nomads On the 17th of March 1948 the first Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was founded in San Bernardino California. [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. I don't know. [42] As a result of his face becoming grotesquely deformed, Stadnick was described by Harris as becoming more introverted than before. '"[2] There are three ways to expand an outlaw biker club recruiting local criminals to found a new chapter; having members of an existing chapter move to a new city to establish another chapter; or having an outlaw biker club "patch over" to join another club. [103] Ward had been buying his cocaine from the Magaddino family of Buffalo, New York, and was considered to be the most powerful drug dealer in the Niagara peninsula. [32] Buteau's successor as national president, Michel "Sky" Langlois, together with his right-hand man, Rjean "Zig Zag" Lessard, both decided that Stadnick offered their best hope of establishing the Hells Angels in Ontario. [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. [102] Clarkson stated: "I don't think (Ward) really wanted to do it, but I don't think they gave him a choice. [68] Stadnick chose northern Ontario because of the relative smaller number of outlaw biker clubs there as compared to southern Ontario, and because of the lack of competition. [84] During the Quebec biker war of 19942002, Stadnick visited Montreal at least once a month to confer with Boucher. [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. [28] Stadnick survived by hiding under the table. [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. [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. Devils Choice MC, in Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Spain and Sweden. It was either he joined up, or the Hells Angels would bring in ten guys from Quebec to do it. "[41] The policeman called Stadnick a "French fry" while the bikers called the Hamilton policemen the "dougnut gang"; several times Harris warned that he would have Carroll and the rest all arrested if they persisted with their disruptive behavior. [104] On 3 September 1997, Stadnick visited Toronto and met with Donny Petersen, the secretary of the Para-Dice Riders. [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. [87] A Rocker, Stphane Sirois, travelled with Stadnick during his trips to Winnipeg, serving as his bodyguard. [129] On that day, dozens of chartered buses from Ontario arrived at the Sorel clubhouse, carrying the bikers. [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. [26] One of the Angels, Jean Brochu, was killed, while Lapierre and another Angel, Bruno Coulombe, were badly wounded. [72] However, the meeting ended badly, with Lenti rejecting Stadnick's offer. Information about your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps. [151] After his parole conditions forbidding him to associate with the Hells Angels expired in April 2019, Stadnick renewed his associations. [59] Stadnick denied being the national president, saying "Ah, just because you get more attention than the others, all of a sudden you're named president by the media". In the United States and Canada, . [155] On 18 August 2019, he attended the funeral in Delta, British Columbia of a murdered Hells Angel, Suminder "Allie" Grewal. Dupre said the Hells Angels have grown incredibly . [51] After remortgaging his house, Melanson contacted the Hells Angels to say he had some $50,000 in cash of the $80,000 that he owed and he would meet them in a room in a hotel on Yonge Street to hand it over, promising he would pay off the remaining $30,000 soon. After university, Petersen wrote books and operated Heavy Duty Cycles in the citys east end. [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. [27] One Angel, Louis "Ti-Oui" Lapierre, rose to confront the two American Outlaws, only to be gunned down when one of the Outlaws pulled out his handgun while the other pulled out a sawed-off shotgun and opened fire on the party in the booth. [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. [84] Steinert mocked Stadnick for the failure of the Demon Keepers and, reflecting Stadnick's damaged status, Magnussen switched over to serving as Steinert's bodyguard. Petersen even helped set up a Harley riders group in Cuba at the behest of the Canadian government. [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. Petersen was a technical journalist for Harley-Davidson Twin Cam and Shovelhead motorcycles. [77], Shortly before his trial for living off the proceeds of crime was due to start on 4 October 1993, the Winnipeg Sun ran an article on Stadnick, which led his lawyer to ask for the charges to be dropped, claiming the story by the journalist Melanie Verhaeghe had jeopardised his ability to get a fair trial. [8] Harris stated that as the Wild Ones kept being killed: "A lot of them are thinking, 'you know what, maybe I don't want to be a biker anymore'. [43] Harris described Stadnick as being "civil enough, but he never had a sense of humor". Thru his books and meeting him, he taught me a lot. Gold as his defense lawyers. [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.