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You write about how the Pagans had no problem challenging the Philadelphia mob. Is it all big talk?
"I was tending bar one time and an older guy came in talking about he used to be the head of the Pagans. I thought, 'Oh boy, am I going to have fun with him.' But then he ripped down his sweater and showed me the tattoo over his heart, so we hit it off. He told me the whole story. I initially had his name in the book but removed it at the request of the head of the Norristown Pagans because he's in the witness protection program now. I spoke with somebody who went to write the history of the Philly mob and he told me there's really no such thing. You had some Italians, and yeah, the cops would arrest them, but the real badasses were the Irish in Kensington. I mean, Angelo Bruno? Do you really think he was controlling all the drugs in the black communities? The Mafia as we know it is a creation of journalists."
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1. CHUCK said... on Oct 2, 2008 at 04:14PM
“GREAT BOOK!!!! I STARTED RIDING IN THE EARLY 70'S ON LONG ISLAND.IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES. I KNEW AND RODE WITH MANY PAGANS. I AM STILL RIDING AND STILL RUN INTO PAGANS WHEREVER I GO ON THE EAST COAST. PAGAN'S MC WILL ALWAYS BE LONG ISLAND LEGENDS.”
2. Cale said... on Oct 7, 2008 at 04:01PM
“What is the attitude toward Gays?”
3. dan rayel said... on Oct 9, 2008 at 06:02PM
“i' m dan rayel bob and janes youngest son just got your book i ride very fast i live in maple grove pa number in book give me a call love to talk to you”
4. Jim Rayel said... on Oct 13, 2008 at 05:15AM
“Thanks for writting this book..learned alot about my Grandfather.E-mail me if you get a chance.Look forward to talking to you Thanks jimrayel@verizon.net”
5. Tink said... on Jan 31, 2009 at 05:38PM
“Great Book! I ride frequently when I am not out on business. Really captivating to see how it was, and How depressing it is to see what some have molded it into today, would love to get in contact sometime. Prosepro02@aol.com”
6. Randy Ashley said... on Apr 3, 2009 at 12:56PM
“Hey I am hoping That john hall gets my email address.Mr Hall I DO NOT BELIEVE you are snitching on anyone and the question astonishes me.You are writing about people you were obviously very fond of and connected to.As the President of a small club in upstate ny I found your book inspiring,I have been around many Pagans MC members and liked almost all of them and felt a kinship with again most,as aposed to the other big club here in ny who is mostly an associasion of motorcycle big buisness criminals (you know).I just wanted to say thanks for writing the book and beeing so passionate about the life there are questions I would love to ask you and If need be I would travel If you get this please email me at whitedevilrandy@yahoo.com”
7. mark said... on Sep 29, 2009 at 01:32PM
“great book ,glad youve made something of yourself all the best”
8. bigbobo said... on Oct 10, 2009 at 08:31AM
“rode with the warlocks for a long damn time .... battles with the PA pagans were not always so equitable ... books ? the old times ? all bull shit ....current pagan chapters/mother clubs have become a biusness venture first... the club activities second .... still blow in the wind.... but i'm out of that club buisness for good.... bobo”
9. GI Jack said... on Feb 23, 2010 at 12:42PM
“I just got done reading your book and I was blown away. I've read several other accounts by one percenters and your book stands out as my fav.
I think its because the life is so many years behind you and you have nothing to prove by it, and since most of the people mentioned are long dead or forgotten no consequences will come of the book.
snitches and narcs are going to have a hard slant against clubs for personal reasons
current high ranking members are going to try and keep the heat off no matter what.
few unintrested parties seem to exist while others tend to gloss over the nitty gritty, john is unapologetic and tells it how it is. I like that”
10. bigbobo said... on Apr 12, 2010 at 07:49PM
“so here we are 2010 ... any0ne puts a patch on there back thinks there a bad morya forya ! have ya seen some of the HA probates riding round baltimore latley??? the word's joke~punk~doper comes to mind...go figure... PAGANS turning on each other for a trumped up rap no one would get more then a cheap five year bit for ...loacal va. OUTLAWS older then my freaking grandfather i mean OLD!... and your writting a rag bout how tough the 1% clubs are ? maybe just maybe when your old ass was in the PAGANS you could carry yourself... but today ...it aint happening ... BETHESDA BOYS CLUB could take down any of these sissy club... long live the WARLOCKS !”
11. Anonymous said... on Apr 24, 2010 at 06:31PM
“Anybody ever heard of Smiley from PA?
Robert Gilbert?”
12. Trickbag said... on May 2, 2010 at 12:48PM
“It's all Bullshit.”
13. Anonymous said... on Jun 20, 2010 at 06:11PM
“There is a mention of a member of the rat pack being hung out to dry .i was there i would like to know who were the three guys who gave there patches up to hippie steve”
14. TRUTH said... on Jul 5, 2010 at 10:45PM
“The book is boring. Way off base. The author is just trying to cash in.Maybe he should write a script for Sons of Anarchy. Get real,”
15. Anonymous said... on Jul 8, 2010 at 01:39AM
“warlock ken committee a,k,a, spic”
16. Anonymous said... on Sep 17, 2010 at 11:47AM
“Yes I know "Smiley" personnaly....”
17. Anonymous said... on Oct 11, 2010 at 09:51PM
“Somebody should write for SOA.Kurt sutter wouldn't know a real outlaw from a Wild Hog.I say if you can make a legal buck from years with knees in the breeze,do it.Lets fight the real enemy,the people who want to silence my engine and check my helmet.BTW,my DOT helmet worked,I'm still here typing.Bike is another story.”
18. Anonymous said... on Oct 20, 2010 at 07:05AM
“fact or fiction? maybe a bit of both. it was still a good read.Life was easier back then
way too complicated now”
19. JOHNO said... on Apr 3, 2011 at 07:43AM
“I just finished the book last night at work.............great job. The younger Guys will have a hard time understanding how important it is to "Pull the dead out of their Graves". I spend a lot of time thinking about my dead Brothers and I try to keep their memory alive.”
20. Anonymous said... on May 18, 2011 at 04:22PM
“I see alot of folks ragging on a book about an era that most unless they were in it would know butkis about. Outlaws like the fellas talked about in the the aren't made or self created their Born and bred. You'll never understand what you don't know to be real. Todays mc members for the most part excluding a choice few aren't even from the same cloth sure you hear the old values upfront, but thats only at face value. Truth is the only ones that even care about the old code are either to old to care or are dead. Anyway Loved the book reminded me of the days as a kid going to meets when dad was alive in the 70's an early 80's”
21. pagan pinto said... on Jul 13, 2011 at 09:28AM
“WOW!!! has the club sure changed, a 1%er, is just that all the way to the bone, first and formost...”
22. Road Captain said... on Dec 15, 2011 at 11:19PM
“I read a lot of these books and ever since I wrote a book review about this book Motorbooks publishing keeps sending me more. I have to say John Hall's book is in a class by itself! This is not a self biography. This is a captivating story written by a talented and educated man. I don't know how much of the book is true and how much is embellishment... but it wouldn't be a good biker tale without the embellishment. We all owe John Hall thanks for putting out a class act book from a true biker that will entertain and also document the romance of the beginning of biker brotherhoods.”
23. Linda said... on Jan 22, 2012 at 02:47AM
“Anyone know what happened to Shout who was President of the Delaware Co. Chapter around 1973-1974, he was an old friend and we lost touch when I moved to CA. Just wondering what happened to him.
”
24. Anonymous said... on Feb 29, 2012 at 11:57PM
“Any one remember David taylor, aka "dirt", aka "dock" later. R.I.P.”
25. Red the Head said... on Apr 12, 2012 at 10:55AM
“I was there. Reading's Pres. was Chuck Ginder. Bobby Rayels was the V.P.
Rayels had two boys Bob Bob and Dan Dan. Rayels died of a stroke or heart attack. Most of us went to prison after shooting up the bar in Oley, Pa
Any other Reading PMC still out there kickin?.”
26. J.Rayel said... on Jun 4, 2012 at 08:16AM
“Hey red the head, my name is Jim rayel. Bobby rayel was my grandfather. Shoot me an email if you get this. jimrayel@verizon.net”
27. chris said... on Jul 12, 2012 at 12:08AM
“John this book was great, I'm a lot younger but grew up around 1% club members my whole life bc of my father. Great book couldn't put it down”
28. Anonymous said... on Oct 30, 2012 at 12:43AM
“Anyone remember Jim Carbaugh rode a 47 Knuckle,lived in the Reading area and in Philly in the late 60's and early 70's”
29. bobby said... on Feb 25, 2013 at 09:54PM
“hey does any one no where lightning or any of the crazies from the nassau county chapter contact email bobby7912@hotmail.com”
30. 1369er said... on Apr 17, 2013 at 07:45AM
“Bill Whiteknight was a legend in the Lehigh Valley....The story of him liftin a sportster into a truck was true...that happened at the Parkway in A Town..”