The Hells Angels has rolled back into Akron — and the motorcycle club isn’t exactly being welcomed with open arms.
Several residents and city leaders are concerned about the notorious motorcycle club restarting an Akron charter after a nearly 25-year absence and taking up residence in North Hill.
“They live in a peaceful neighborhood,” said Akron Councilman Jim Hurley. “It needs to stay that way.”
The motorcycle club has moved into the former home of the North Coast Motorcycle Club on North Howard Street near the intersection of Vesper Street. The house, which is painted gray with burgundy accents and boasts neatly landscaped grass and beds, doesn’t look like a place where nefarious activity is happening.
The club proudly displays its name and logo on a sign lit up at night in the front of house, as well as its “death head” logo on a gated fence. Signs on the front door declare, “It’s not illegal to be a biker,” and urge people to “watch for motorcycles.”
So far, no one from the club is commenting on the club’s return to the Rubber City. A man in the club’s driveway on a recent morning declined comment, and no one from the club returned a request for an interview left in the club’s mailbox and submitted via the national club’s website.
A neighbor living near the club, who has been in her home for 16 years, said the club hasn’t bothered her, just as the North Coast club didn’t. She wasn’t willing, though, to open the door to speak with a Beacon Journal reporter and photographer.
“They don’t bother me,” she said through her storm door. “They don’t be too rowdy or nothing like that or I’d call the police.”
Another resident who lives nearby attended a recent council meeting and urged that the city take steps to get the Hells Angels back out of town. He asked that the newspaper not use his name for fear of retaliation.
“They do not belong in my neighborhood,” he said.
John Valle, Akron’s director of neighborhood assistance, thinks the city needs to talk to the club’s leaders before assuming they’re up to no good because of past history. He noted that the city didn’t have complaints about North Coast. He said North Coast would have a lot of motorcycle riders at the clubhouse when it was having a cookout and during the Alcoholic Anonymous Founders Day weekend, which draws many cyclists to town.
“I think we need to make contact and say, ‘We’re a little nervous,’ ” Valle said. “If there are problems, we need to know who is the contact person.”
Valle, who has been with the city in one capacity or another since the mid-1980s, vaguely recalls a Hells Angels club being in South Akron, but doesn’t remember much about it.
“We need to give them the opportunity to be part of this community,” he said. “Hells Angels 30 years ago may not be the same they are today.”
The Hells Angels has a troubled history in Akron. The former charter, started in 1979, was located at 71 Ira Ave. in South Akron, and shut its doors in early 1991. It was weakened by feuds among members, poor leadership and arrests, according to Beacon Journal archives.
The arrests included drug and weapons charges. Clyde S. Trent, the president of the Akron chapter in 1989 and early 1990, survived two assassination attempts. James Caronite, the first president, retired from the Angels after being released from prison in 1986. He had served four years for receiving stolen property and altering an auto title, according to Beacon Journal archives.
More recently, a search of Hells Angels on Google News produces a host of stories, with most negative. The headlines included “Rocket Launcher, Arsenal Found in Hells Angels investigation,” “Hells Angels member gets 5-year prison term for extortion,” and “Ex-Hells Angel member helps police get drugs off street.”
Hells Angels, which dates back to 1947 and began in San Bernardino, Calif., has charters worldwide, with the club’s website showing only two others in Ohio, one in Cleveland and another listed as “Lake East.” The Cleveland charter was formed in 1966, while Lake East was started in 2002. The site lists the start date for the Akron charter as 2014, though the club only recently displayed its sign on its new North Hill home.
Detective Jennifer Ciaccia, a Cleveland police spokeswoman, said the club’s Cleveland charter hasn’t caused any major problems in recent years.
“Nothing major enough to put out from a public-information standpoint,” said Ciaccia, who has handled media requests for about three years.
Akron Police Chief James Nice said the department isn’t concerned about the club at this point.
“We haven’t had any problems with them,” he said. “I don’t think there’s much to say from our standpoint.”
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith. Read the Beacon Journal’s political blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/ohio-politics.