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HEAD office isn't happy. Sydney's Hells Angels chapters are on the verge of being shut down by their American bosses in the wake of recent violence.
The closure has nothing to do with ending the bloodshed - the Hells Angels can no longer stand the damage being done to its brand, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Bosses in America want the Sydney chapters shut to prevent further embarrassment to the international reputation of the Hells Angels. While the shutdowns appear the first real strike into Sydney's bikie wars, the truth is somewhat less satisfying. "They bikies will just run with different crews and it will just keep going," a man linked to Sydney's bikie gangs said yesterday. "They have got to smash them all at the same time, that's the only way they can end it." And it seems the Hells Angels can't even close down its chapters without causing further drama. Hells Angels president Derek Wainoho was returning from a meeting in Melbourne to discuss the chapter's possible closure when he inadvertently sparked the outbreak at Sydney airport. Wainoho ran into Comanchero on the plane before calling for reinforcements to meet him on landing. "That's why he was in Melbourne, they were on the verge of shutting down then," a source confirmed yesterday. In a small twist, the violence that followed has resulted in the gang's stay of execution as US bosses monitor events in Sydney. "They need to hang around a little bit longer now to save face. They have a wait-and-see attitude," the source said. Sunday night's shooting of Hells Angel sergeant-at-arms Peter Zervas in the wake of the airport brawl that ended in the death of Zervas's brother Anthony, sparked rumours that Hells Angels from around the world were being flown in as reinforcements. "I'm not surprised they are saying that," a man linked to the Hells Angels told The Daily Telegraph yesterday. "But how are they going to do it? "They can't get on the plane with guns, so they have to make do with what guns they have here. On top of that it's just not practical." The local Hells Angels are armed with machineguns and explosives, but are not believed to have enough weapons to arm large numbers. On top of that, the logistics of housing an adequate number of bikies until the violence is resolved - from a Hells Angels point of view - is a challenge. The Hells Angels source said it was necessary to understand there was a big difference between the Sydney chapters and its international affiliates.
