Associated Press
PLAINVIEW, N.Y. – By their own account, the Pagans needed “to show face” as the rival Hells Angels staged a widely publicized biker convention on Long Island – turf the Pagans once dominated and still considered their own.
The resulting melee on Feb. 23 at the Hells Angels’ “Hellraisers Ball” resulted in one death and at least 10 injuries. It raised fears that it was not a one-time confrontation between the motorcycle clubs.
“This was a first salvo in the gang war,” said Yves Lavigne, author of several books about motorcycle gangs.
It took two hours for dozens of state and local police to restore order. Hundreds of weapons were seized, from knives, bats and brass knuckles to handguns, shotguns and a Tech-9 machine pistol.
A Hells Angel is charged with murder in the killing of a Pagan. More than 70 Pagans face federal charges for allegedly plotting the assault.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Conway said a number of incidents in recent weeks increased tensions between the groups. He would not elaborate, but Newsday reported a spate of recent defections by Maryland Pagans to the Hells Angels.
Prosecutors allege the Pagans – Long Island’s dominant gang until their ranks were thinned by federal prosecutions in 1998 – were outraged that the Hells Angels had scheduled an event on what they still consider their home turf.
“By putting on a public display like this, they are sending a message that they control the area and if anyone wants to do business in that area, they’re going to have to do it with them,” Lavigne said.
The Hells Angels have about 2,500 members in 200 chapters worldwide. The Pagans’ reach is smaller, with 90 chapters in the eastern United States.
Lavigne predicts any further violence will come quietly.
“You may hear about assassinations on expressways, vans pulling alongside guys on bikes and opening fire this summer,” he said. “You won’t have big rumbles – this is something that will be done professionally.”
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