Rock Machine Motorcycle Club

"Rock Machine" redirects here. For other uses, see Rock Machine (disambiguation).

Rock Machine

Founded	1986 (1986)
Founder	Salvatore Cazzetta
Founded at	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Type	Outlaw motorcycle club
Headquarters	Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Region	Over 200 chapters worldwide - Canada, United States, Australia, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Hungary, Belgium, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, France, England, Spain, Serbia, Georgia, Hong Kong, South Africa, Kuwait, Armenia, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, Kosovo, Vietnam, Philippines, Turkey and Denmark
Membership	Estimated to have between 1,500-2,000 active members across the globe, plus thousands of associates
Key people	Giovanni Cazzetta Johnny Plescio Paul "Sasquatch" Porter Renaud Jomphe Nelson Fernandez Andrew "Curly" Sauvageau Gilles Lambert Claude "Ti-Loup" Vézina Marcel "Le Maire" Demers Frédéric "Fred" Faucher Robert "Tout Tout" Léger Jean "Le Francais" Duquaire André “Dédé” Désormeaux Serge "Merlin" Cyr Alain "Red Tomato" Brunette The Paradis Brothers Patrick Hénault Sean "Crazy Dog" Brown Joseph "Critical J" Strachan Prophet Rock Marc Guérin
Website	http://rockmachineworld.org/index.html

The Rock Machine Motorcycle Club (RMMC) or Rock Machine is an international outlaw motorcycle club founded in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1986. It has twenty one Canadian chapters spread across seven provinces. It also has thirteen chapters in the United States and thirteen chapters in Australia. The Rock Machine also has chapters located in 24 other countries worldwide, making it currently the largest Canadian established 1% motorcycle club in the world. It was formed in 1986, by Salvatore Cazzetta and his brother Giovanni Cazzetta. The Rock Machine competed with the Hells Angels for control of the narcotics trade in Quebec. The Quebec Biker War saw the Rock Machine form an alliance to face the Hells Angels. The conflict occurred between 1994 and 2002 and resulted in 162 deaths.

Common nicknames for the organization include "R.M.", "Black & Platinum", "RMMC", and "1813". The official Rock Machine club motto is "À La Vie À La Mort" or 'To Life Until Death'. The Rock Machine's equivalent of the Hells Angels "Filthy Few" patch is the "Seek and Destroy" patch, it is awarded for bravery. Since its resurrection, another one of the club's mottoes is "Never Forgive, Never Forget" (NFNF); this is stated in the Rock Machine's constitution. Members can earn a NFNF patch that displays the Nazi SS Schutzstaffel's Totenkopf (skull and crossbones), surrounded by the statement "Never Forgive Never Forget", in reference to their war with the Hells Angels. The club also possesses a patch that reads "RMFFRM" which stands for "Rock Machine Forever, Forever Rock Machine", an extremely common tradition among outlaw motorcycle clubs.

The Rock Machine Motorcycle Club gained the status of a "Hang-around" club in May 1999 and after eighteen months, became a probationary club of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club on December 1, 2000. Bandidos National Officer Edward Winterhalder was put in charge of overseeing the patch-over. The first generation of the Rock Machine (1986–2001) changed their colors from black and silver (platinum) to red and gold in May 1999; their colors remained red and gold until they became "Full-Patch" Bandidos on January 6, 2001. After the remaining Bandidos members quit the Bandidos Canada was dissolved. Ex-members of the Mongols, former Rock Machine and the ex-Bandidos reformed the Rock Machine under the guidance of Sean "Crazy Dog" Brown in late 2007. They adopted the original black and platinum colours as their patch. The current incarnation of Rock Machine states that it is a club of motorcycle enthusiasts that is not involvement in criminal activity. Any members of the club that do so, act of their own accord and without the consent of the club. This claim is challenged by many, including journalists and police enforcement agencies from around the world.

Since 2007. The club has spread across Canada and throughout several other countries worldwide, including the United States, Australia, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Hungary, Belgium, New Zealand, Sweden, Serbia, Norway, France, South Africa, England, Spain, Georgia, Hong Kong, Kosovo, Kuwait, Armenia, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and Turkey. As of 2022, the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club has established over 200 chapters on five continents since its inception.

Early history

Origins

The SS Motorcycle Club had initially been established under the name Outlaws Motorcycle Club in 1976 (No relation to US based club). There was some tension caused when Satan's Choice members informed the Outlaws Motorcycle Club in the United States that someone was using the club's name. They traveled to Canada with plans of removing their vests. Although tensions were initially high, a relationship was formed between the two clubs, with the US Outlaws even offering a chance at prospective status, which the Canadian club respectfully refused. The Outlaws had recently absorbed several chapters of the Satan's Choice. The Canadian Outlaws eventually changed their name to the SS Motorcycle Club in 1978, this was due to wanting to differentiate themselves following the entry of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club into Canada. Contrary to popular belief the SS was not created to be a white supremacist group. The initials "SS" actually stood for Service of Satan Motorcycle Club. The acronyms were chosen for "shock value", and the club embraced the fear that the symbol carried. Paul Porter, who would be a founding member of the Rock Machine, belonged to the Executioners Motorcycle Club. In 1984, he would leave the Executioners and established his own motorcycle club, the Merciless Riders. They would form a close alliance with the SS Motorcycle Club. The groups began to sometimes be referred to as the SS Merciless Riders by media and police, but they were two separate clubs.

By 1984, the club's membership had increased. It now contained several high-profile figures in the Canadian biker scene. This included, Salvatore Cazzetta, who was a founding member and leader of the SS. Giovanni Cazzetta, Paul Porter, Maurice Boucher, Normand Hamel, Louis "Me-Lou" Roy, Renaud Jomphe, Gillies Lambert, Normand Robitaille, Salvatore Brunetti, René "Balloune" Charlebois, André Chouinard, Denis "Pas Fiable" Houle, Gilles “Trooper” Mathieu, Michel Rose and Richard “Bert” Mayrand, and Frédéric Faucher. The SS was labeled as a white supremacist motorcycle club. It was based in Pointe-aux-Trembles, on the eastern tip of the Island of Montreal. Fellow SS member, Maurice Boucher (joined in 1982) became friends with Salvatore Cazzetta, and as leaders of the club, the pair became candidates to join the Hells Angels when that club expanded into Canada. Salvatore, Giovanni and Porter, along with others would choose not to join the Hells Angels.

The Pacific Rebels Motorcycle Club was established in Quebec City. They were seen as exceptionally aggressive by law enforcement and had conflicts with many local clubs. The Pacific Rebels frequently used explosives to attack their opponent's. Such was the frequency that some of the bombs they detonated during the 1970s were mistakenly credited to the Quebec Liberation Front. The Pacific Rebels most notorious conflict was a war between them and the Marxist, Citoyens de la Terre MC, the conflict occurred from 1973 to 1974. In June 1973, shootout that occurred outside the Pacific Rebels clubhouse that resulted in the death of Citoyens de la Terre member, Yvan "Cascadeur" Lapointe. The Pacific Rebels sent a wreath containing message to the funeral, "It's a tragic accident but on the bright side you're not in shape to chase after anybody for revenge because you're dead you damn dog." These events would start a conflict that would see at least four people killed and many more injured. The Pacific Rebels emerged victorious and by the 1980s their operations were pulling in over $1 million in drug proceeds a week. But the conflicts along with other events would lead to moderate crackdowns by police. In the late 1980s, the Pacific Rebels Motorcycle Club would patch-over to the Rock Machine.

Creation of the Rock Machine

A Lennoxville, Quebec, chapter of the Hells Angels suspected in March 1985 that the Laval chapter was interfering with drug profits through personal use of products intended for sale. The Lennoxville chapter invited the Laval chapter to a party, where they ambushed them, killed them, and sank their bodies to the bottom of the St. Lawrence River, weighted down in weightlifting plates. The event became known as the "Lennoxville massacre," and its extreme nature earned the Quebec chapter of the Hells Angels a notorious reputation. Cazzetta considered the event an unforgivable breach of the outlaw code and, rather than joining the Hells Angels, in 1986 formed his own club, the Rock Machine alongside his brother Giovanni. The club established its mother chapter in the city of Montreal. The Cazzetta brothers brought together former members of the SS Motorcycle Club, the Merciless Riders, the Black Spiders MC and the Executioners MC, who would make up the Rock Machine's initial organization. The Rock Machine adopted a ranked hierarchy system and the structure of an outlaw motorcycle club like the Hells Angels. Club membership for the most part came with probationary periods for "hang-arounds" and "prospects" making there way to "full-patch". In 1988, members of the Pacific Rebels Motorcycle Club, now under Claude Vézina joined the Rock Machine becoming their Quebec City chapter. Despite the initial high amount of outlaw bikers' and clubs' structure and regulations, the Rock Machine did not consider itself an official motorcycle club until the 1990s, as members did not need to own a motorcycle to join. However almost all full-patch Rock Machine members owned motorcycles and we're from various clubs in their past, but owning or riding a motorcycle wasn't initially mandatory. Peter Edwards, the crime correspondent of The Toronto Star, wrote the Rock Machine was not really a motorcycle club at the beginning, members did not have to own a bike to join. What brothers Giovanni (Johnny) and Salvatore Cazzetta sought to create was a cohesive confederation of drug-dealing groups.

Future Rock Machine national president, Fred Faucher later said, "Sal once told me, 'Those guys (Hells Angels), they operate their club in such a way that I didn't want to join them'". The founding members of the Rock Machine were Salvatore Cazzettta, his younger brother Giovanni and a few close friends of theirs, many of whom were members of the SS Motorcycle Club. Other founding members included Paul "Sasquatch" Porter, Johnny Plescio, Andrew "Curly" Sauvageau, Renaud Jomphe, Gilles Lambert, Martin Bourget, Richard "Bam Bam" Lagacé, Serge Pinel and several others. The Cazzetta brothers recruited some of the best talent available. This included attempts to recruit Boucher to the Rock Machine when he was released from prison; he would decline this offer. By the early 1990s, the Rock Machine had over 100 members or prospects between its Montreal and Quebec City chapters. They also formed business alliances with the Rizzuto crime family, the West End Gang, and the Dubois Gang. Under the leadership of the Cazzetta brothers, the Rock Machine flourished and expanded its influence. Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990, the club began to use their contacts in the West End Gang to purchase and import large amounts of narcotics though the port of Montreal. Salvatore Cazzetta has often been described as controlling all of the organized crime in Montreal that was not controlled by the Mafia in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Times were profitable for the Rock Machine, enough so that Salvatore had purchased a mansion worth $2 million (modern value of $4,357,676) in L 'Epiphanie, Quebec.

The Rock Machine did not keep lists of its members, nor did it initially host scheduled "church" meetings like other motorcycle clubs but instead met sporadically. These factors acted as a security measure. The club adopted a crest that depicted a bald eagle. The Rock Machine proudly displayed these emblem at businesses owned by the club. On the surface, the Rock Machine ran operations like tattoo parlors and bars, as well as motorcycle repair shops and other local businesses. But what the group truly profited off was the sale of narcotics, prostitution, loan-sharking and other crimes. The Rock Machine charged a cheaper price for their cocaine than the Hells Angels did, this allowed the club to quickly win much of the market share in the Montreal and Quebec City areas. The Hells Angels had also been badly weakened by the Lennoxville massacre in 1985, when five members of the Angels' chapter in Laval were shot by their colleagues, the police cracked down hard. Afterward the vacuum was filled by a number of Montreal-based organized crime groups most prominent being the Rock Machine. It was not until the early 1990s that the Hells Angels became a major force in Montreal organized crime again. The Rock Machine even had their own chemists and labs that produced drugs and other ingredients for the club, allowing them to procure large amounts of custom cutting agents and other ingredients more reliably and at a cheaper cost.

A gold ring given to members of the Rock Machine, alongside an Alliance ring

The Rock Machine's first patch (1995)

Initially Rock Machine members chose not to wear Hells Angels-style leather vests that could easily identify members, and instead wore rings displaying an eagle insignia (this would last until the 1995, with the adoption of three-piece vests). The official Rock Machine club motto is "A La Vie A La Mort", 'To Life Until Death'. The club employed two separate sets of meetings, one was for lower ranked Rock Machine prospects and hang-arounds. They would gather at a designated meeting place and talk about business, along with paying their monthly membership fees. ($100 for a hang-around & $400 for prospects). Full-patch members of the Rock Machine also hosted weekly meetings that were referred to as "Mass" instead of "Church" like most motorcycle clubs. Their monthly membership fees were $1,000 a month, this money was used to pay lawyer fees and for members that were incarcerated. Founding Rock Machine member, Renaud Jomphe enjoyed the popular film, Braveheart. This was due to the fact that he and other members saw the Scottish warriors as exemplary role models for the Rock Machine. "They fought for principal and freedom.", something that the Rock Machine would experience in the future. The Rock Machine used a series of code phrases and sign language to communicate with one another while avoiding detection by wiretaps. The club also used "booze-inspired" code words for narcotics trafficking, phrases like "Budweiser" and "King Can" were commonly used. Police recordings played at a later Rock Machine trial detailed a member speaking to others in reference to a drug deal. "I want you to order a case of 12 and a King Can."

In a later discussion that occurred between prominent Rock Machine member, Alain Burnette and USA Bandidos national chapter member, Edward Winterhalder. Burnette, who had joined the Rock Machine in 1991, described what it was like to prospect for the club. In order to become a RM prospect, one first needed to achieve the position of "hang-around". This was done simply by forming a relationship with members of the Rock Machine by attending parties and other events. Once a member had become a hang-around or prospect they were treated relatively well by the Rock Machine, as the club valued new members. "You weren't considered a doormat. The regular guys treated prospects with respect and class- very similar to how the European Bandidos treat their prospects." Brunette would become a full-patch member of the Rock Machine in 1995.

Both the Rock Machine and the Hell Angels remained on peaceful terms for years. There were multiple factors to this. Salvatore and Maurice Boucher were "longtime friends" and possessed a great amount of respect for one another. The Cazzetta brothers also had business dealing and ties with Italian-Canadian Mafia groups in Quebec. Particularly the Sicilian Rizzuto Crime Family. As they imported large amounts of narcotics through the port of Montreal, the Rock Machine acted as one of their distributors. The mechanists would supply their product to street level operations to be sold. Giovanni Cazzetta was particularly involved with the mafia, being friends with several high-profile mafia members. These operations gained the club considerable notoriety and influence in Quebec's criminal underground. According to RJ Parker, another possible theory the Hells Angels would not instigate any issues against the Rock Machine were out of concern the powerful Rizzuto Family would directly intervene on their behalf. It was said that the Cazzetta brothers were related to a member of the Rizzuto family. He wrote that while Boucher worked to rebuild his chapters ties with fellow Hells Angels chapters and other criminal groups. Salvatore Cazzetta had too forged alliances to mafia's and motorcycle clubs. He had also forged ties with cartels in South America, and had become one of Montreal's principal importers of cocaine and heroin.

The Rock Machine mother chapter, lead by Salvatore and Giovanni, possessed a secure bunker in the Centre-Sud from 1992 to 1997. It was located on Huron Street, near Papineau and St. Catherine. The club's presences contributed to a bad reputation for poverty, organized crime and prostitution that the neighborhood was known for. The Huron Street mansion was purchased for under $100,000 and the Rock Machine had put close to $1,000,000 (modern equivalent of $2,174,689) of renovations into the building. The club purchased three guard dogs and it was equipped with a subterranean bunker below, with an extensive tunnel system. The building was eventually condemned by police, after it was confiscated by authorities following raids in May 1997. After that the Rock Machine Montreal chapter began to operate out of several locations. It was eventually demolished in 2001, to make room for the creation of a new green space near the Jacques Cartier Bridge. The Huron Street bunker operated as a central operating position for the club, but the Rock Machine Montreal chapter clubhouse was actually located on Lesage Street.

In order to advance in the club prospective members needed to prove their value through several tasks. Rock Machine prospects and hang-arounds were also required to perform guard duty at the clubs properties. This was done in two shifts so that 24-hour security could be posted. The Rock Machine Montreal chapter bunker on Huron Street was a secure compound, the building was almost blast proof, it was surrounded by a dozen security cameras and contained a control room and monitoring station. From the control room security could electronically open the bunkers doors or allow access to the parking lot, its perimeter was surrounded in fence with razor wire. To gain entry to the bunker members would call ahead and notify security. Rock Machine members or prospects on guard duty were "forbidden" from leaving the compound until they were relieved. The club also had strict rules about discussing "dirty" business inside the compound, they had signs installed on the clubhouse walls to remind members. They said, "There are bugs in the walls." The Rock Machine had also purchased three Rottweilers worth a few thousand dollars each, they were placed in the compound. They were known as Bandit, Satan and another unnamed dog. (Bandit was seen as extremely vicious and was to be kept away from the other two dogs, who patrolled the rear of the property)

Once inside the compound, the main entrance was further reinforced with thick bulletproof glass. Beyond the entrance there was a large bar and lounge area, behind the counter of the bar there was a large neon light fixture depicting the emblem of the Rock Machine's eagle along with the SS lighting bolts. The room was furnished with pool tables and couches. On the other side of the room there was a thick fortified steel door which required an electronic access code to enter. On the other side of the door the Rock Machine had built a large living room containing a fireplace, several leather couches and the 50 inch TV. The complexes security office resided in the corner of this large room. It contained 12 security monitors and had bulletproof windows that allowed those on duty to view the parking lot. After guard duty shift ends, the one on watch is responsible for performing cleaning the security room and other maintenance around the clubhouse as needed. This included feeding the dogs, sweeping/shoveling and laundry. The second level of complex had a kitchen and dining room furnished by costly appliances. There were also five bedrooms for Rock Machine members to sleep in and a sauna too relax in. The third floor consisted of a massive conference room used by members of the Rock Machine to conduct business. In the room the club also hung commemorative plaques for its fallen members and allies. There was also a smaller room with tanning beds and additional security monitors, this way guards who were alone could relax. The buildings roof was used for parties and gatherings, it had a large Jacuzzi, a barbeque and lawn chairs. The exterior walls were raised and made bullet proof to defend the roof against possible sniper attack. In the complexes basement the Rock Machine had installed a gym complete with workout equipment, showers and a laundry room.

Rock Machine bunker lounge area

Early crimes

In 1990, Rock Machine prospect, Raymond "Mon-Mon" Lareau was arrested by Montreal police for attempted murder, extortion, possession and dangerous use of firearms. He would be released in early 1994 and would act as a mentor for Peter Paradis. Lareau had formally been a full-patch member and leader of the Black Spiders Motorcycle Club. During this period he gained a reputation for his fiery temper and explosions of violence.

In early 1992, high ranking Rock Machine member, Nelson Fernandez was arrested. He was charged with uttering death threats to two police officers. He would later be acquitted and released. In April 1992, Giovanni Cazzetta was arrested by police and charged with trafficking narcotics. Police found him to be in position of three kilograms of cocaine (valued at $2.25 million, modern equivalent of $4,893,052). In Spring 1993, he was forced to plead guilty to four charges and would be sentenced to four years in prison, Giovanni was released in 1997 and began to lead the Rock Machine again.

In January 1993, West End Gang associates, William "Billy" McAllister and Paul Larue had been in talks with Salvatore to put together another large deal for the two groups. They had been speaking with a contact named John Burns in Florida, who had agreed to supply a large amount of cocaine. The pair did not have enough money, so they were reliant on the Rock Machine and other aligned motorcycle clubs to provide most of the $875,000 (modern equivalent of $1,847,546) in US currency needed for the initial purchase. On March 10, 1993, the exchange was officially set. On March 19, 1993. Salvatore Cazzetta and fellow high-ranking Rock Machine member, Nelson Fernandez traveled to Florida. With them they brought the Rock Machine's contribution to the deal, which amounted to $660,000 (modern equivalent of $1,393,577). The two exchanged the money with Burns at a hotel. The plan was for them to take the initial portion of the shipment to two others that would be in charge of getting it across the Canadian border. The amount that they were paying for the cocaine seemed too good to be true and it was. On March 21, 1993, McAllister and Larue, along with several others were placed under arrest by Quebec police in relation importation of narcotics. Burns turned out to be an undercover DEA agent that had purposely lured McAllister into the trap. The two high ranking Rock Machine members would miraculously make it back to Canada before being arrested.

In 1993, future Rock Machine member, Tony Jalbert was partners with future Montreal Rockers member, Stéphane Gagné. Both were equal partners in an independent narcotics network. Jalbert was arrested before the Quebec Biker War began the group was forced to choose side in the conflict and had initially chosen to buy their drugs from the Hell Angels. They did this for a period of time until Gagné was arrested with a kilo of cocaine in 1994. Jalbert just recently released from prison was initially hesitant about bailing out Gagné but relented when he heard that his partner had been asking for help from the Montreal Rockers. By this point Tony Jalbert had been convinced by Jean Duquaire to switch side and had joined the Alliance and Rock Machine. He bailed Gagné out of jail and demanded that he would work to pay the $40,000 that he has lost. The situation was tense between the two individuals. Jalbert had apparently given Alliance members in prison a photo of Gagné and himself. Gagné confronted Jalbert to which he confessed. Gagné would agree to temporarily reinstate his partnership with Jalbert until his debt was paid. Once the money had been paid Gagné said he was leaving the service of the Alliance and began purchasing from the Hells Angels. Tony Jalbert would go on to become a full-patch member of the Rock Machine.

Also in 1993, Stéphane Morgan, a full-patch member of the Rock Machine's Montreal chapter was sentenced to one year in prison. He had been pulled over by police and they had found 360 grams of PCP, he was wearing a Rock Machine ball cap at the time of his arrest. When the officer demanded to know what was in the bag Morgan replied, "You know what it is. Do your job." In early 1994, full-patch Rock Machine member, Richard "Bam Bam" Lagacé was arrested by Montreal police outside his home in Saint-Lin. Authorities seized significant amounts of cocaine, PCP and hashish. They also confiscated multiple firearms and a taser. Lagracé was a Rock Machine member known for his "explosive temper", he would later be promoted to the Montreal chapter's sergeant-at-arms. In 1994, Dany Kane revealed to investigators that before the war had started the Hells Angels under Boucher had been purchasing cocaine from the Rock Machine and its members.

On March 9, 1994, Montreal police raided the Rock Machine Montreal chapter's bunker. The building was so fortified that police had to disguise themselves as firefighters to gain entry, the authorities feared that a gun fight would break out if they did not pursue this option. Police seized several firearms, motorcycles and cash. One police officer who spoke to the Montreal Gazette commented: "It's a fortress, all the entrances are barricaded so we decided to enter by the third floor where a patio door was unlocked, that way nobody was injured."

Quebec Biker war

Main article: Quebec Biker War

Arrest of Cazzetta and start of tensions

On May 6, 1994, founder of and national president of the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club, Salvatore "La Barbe" Cazzetta was arrested at a pitbull farm located in Fort Erie, Ontario. He had initially used the property to store drugs. He had been "on the run" for over a year, police found two attack dogs on the property. He was charged with attempting to import eleven tons (11,000 kg or 22,000 lbs) of cocaine. (Valued at an estimated $418,000,000, adjusting for inflation the modern value is $860,563,846.) Salvatore would be imprisoned in Quebec until 1998, when he was extradited to Florida to serve the remainder of his sentence. In June 1999, Cazzetta pled and guilty to narcotics charges, and was sentenced to 12+1⁄2 years in prison. The then Rock Machine national vice-president and Salvatore's "right hand man", Nelson Fernandez was arrested in Montreal. He was able to serve his time in Canada because he won his extradition case. He remained incarcerated for almost the entire conflict. He disliked the idea of joining the Bandidos, so he joined the Hells Angels in December 2000. Claude Vézina, who was President of the Quebec City chapter at the time, became the new national president of the Rock Machine. Gilles Lambert would replace Fernandez as the Rock Machine's national vice-president. Renaud Jomphe was unanimously voted in as president of the Montreal chapter, while Marcel Demers became the president of the Quebec City chapter.

Recently promoted Hells Angels Montreal President Boucher began to increase pressure on the Rock Machine shortly after the arrest, which initiated the Quebec Biker war. The Rock Machine Motorcycle Club formed an affiliation, the Alliance, with Montreal crime families such as the Pelletier Clan, Dark Circle and other independent dealers who wished to resist the Hells Angels' attempts to establish a monopoly on street-level drug trade in the city. Boucher organized "puppet clubs" to attempt to persuade Rock Machine-controlled bars and their resident drug dealers to surrender their illegal drug business. This led to the creation of The Palmers MC (referred to as the Palmers Clan prior to 1994), a Rock Machine MC support club with chapters in Montreal and Quebec City, it was created to counter Hell's Angels allies, the Rockers MC, Evil ones and Death Riders MC support clubs. It was led and organized by Rock Machine members Jean "Le Francais" Duquaire and André “Dédé” Désormeaux, who was initially a member of the Dark Circle but joined the Rock Machine, these two were described as the grandfathers of the Palmers MC, all of its members would be patched into the Rock Machine in 2000.

In Spring 1994, the club also began to attempt to consolidate power over there neighborhoods in the same way the Hells Angels had been using their support clubs. Progress was initially slow but the Rock Machine began walking around businesses and bars, to let people know that this was their territory and people would have to purchase narcotics from them. Peter Paradis revealed that the Rock Machine had moderate success at recruiting during this period:

"Sometimes they'd collect five, six, eight guys, sometimes a dozen, sometimes less. We'd put Rock Machine shirts on their back and install ourselves in the club or business, But usually when you go into a club it's because you know someone there, be it a manager or be it a dancer, a waiter: It could be anybody."

By the Spring 1994, as the Rock Machine saw the conflict approaching and they changed their tactics. They went from negotiating recruitment to forcing it with violence if necessary. Independent drug dealers were forced to pick a side and many chose the Rock Machine and Alliance. Throughout the mid-1990s, the Rock Machine had absorbed independent dealers [like Peter Paradis], street gangs and motorcycle clubs that did not agree with the Angels. This was done to try and stagnate said growth of the Angels. While increasing their own strength and influence.

Formation of the Alliance

The Hells Angels monopolistic attitude when it came to control of the drug market in the province Quebec led to the creation of an alliance of independent drug dealers, motorcycle clubs, crime families and criminal syndicates in Fall 1993. The Rock Machine and the Pelletier Clan were the parts of the Alliance that were more visible to the public and opposition. But they were secretly joined by the Dark Circle, a group consisting of former members of the Devils Disciples MC and Montreal businessmen who were secretly engaging in the drug trade. Most these groups or individuals did not have the manpower or strength to take on the Hells Angels alone. Many looked to the Rock Machine, Quebec's second strongest club to take the leading role. It was also having its profits affected by the expansion of the Hells Angels. Jerry Langton stated, "The Rock Machine gladly accepted them and moved to establish a new force to fight the Hells Angels". By 1994, the Rock Machine had become extremely influential in Montreal's underground, they had over 100 members and had begin to exude a large amount of control over territory and businesses located in the downtown areas of Montreal and Quebec City. The Rock Machine were dominant in these highly valuable territories, Saint-Laurent Street alone procured the Rock Machine around $5 million in profit annually (modern equivalent of almost $12 million). The Alliance members as a whole would not wear any clothing to mark their association or wear identifying emblems. Instead, each member was given a gold ring that had the letter "A" etched in diamonds. Alliance rings, a solid gold ring surrounded in diamonds, in the middle there was a stone of black onyx, more diamonds were embedded in the middle to create an "A" for Alliance. It was inscribed with the initials "A.L.V.A.L.M" which was the shared motto of the Rock Machine and Alliance, "À La Vie À La Mort" it translates to 'To Life Until Death'.

The Rock Machine began to host " Alliance hockey games", it was the idea of Rock Machine, Renaud Jomphe. The idea behind the hockey games was to increase cohesion between the groups and strengthen their bond outside of business. Families of members were also usually involved in these events. Peter Paradis would later comment that the two best hockey players in the Alliance were Rock Machine member, Martin "Frankie" Bourget and Sylvian Pelletier, leader of the Pelletier Clan.

The Alliance itself also acted as a support club/group for the Rock Machine. While some of its members joined because they wished to remain independent, some independent dealers also joined because wanted to become members of the Rock Machine or other groups. As they were known to the Rock Machine, the club would consistently recruit from the membership of the Alliance throughout the conflict.

Salvatore Brunetti had joined the Devil's Disciples MC sometime around 1960s-70s. When the club disbanded after the Satan's Choice-Popeyes War ended in 1976. From there he joined the SS Motorcycle Club, were he remained until it disbanded in 1984. In 1994, Brunetti, along with other ex-Devil's Disciples and independents founded the Dark Circle (Brunetti would join the Rock Machine in 2000, after the collapse of the Dark Circle, then joined the Hells Angels). During the conflict the Dark Circle was often described by media and police as the Rock Machine's death squad. What the Dark Circle all had in common was that all of them owned bars and/or restaurants from which drugs were sold, and drug money laundered; bars in particular were a business where transactions were often in cash, lending themselves well to money laundering. The Dark Circle's leadership was led by a committee of five men. Their chairman was Michel Duclos, he was a Montreal schoolteacher who also owned a bar that was a front for laundering profits from the drug trade.

The other main group in the Alliance was the Pelletier Clan. It was a gang led by two brothers, Sylvain and Harold Pelletier. In the early 1990s it was involved in drug trafficking to large parts of eastern Montreal. The Pelletier Clan had done business with the Hells Angels in the past, but when they attempted to force them under their employment it enraged the Clan. From there they had been convinced by their close ally, the Rock Machine to join the Alliance. Unfortunately for the Alliance, the Pelletier Clan would be neutralized basically within the first year of the conflict. With the death of leader Sylvain Pelletier on October 28, 1994. Harold Pelletier, along with Montreal's independent drug dealers formed a new group called the "Alliance to fight the Angels". Harold, along with Pelletier Clan members, Martin Simard and Martin Pellerin, participated with 8 Rock Machine members in planning an attempt to avenge Sylvain by assassinating Boucher in December 1994, the attempt failed. In October 1995, Harold Pelletier, still distraught by the death of his brother turned himself over to police. In exchange for a plea deal, he would provide authorities with information that would put many Pelletier Clan members in jail. This would basically leave what was left of the group to be led by the Dark Circle and Rock Machine, and the war would continue for seven more years.

In July 1994, it was decided that the Alliance would strike the Angels preemptively. At the start of the war, the Dark Circle only consisted of 18 members. The Alliance's plan was to first target the Hells Angels Support clubs, with the Dark Circle wanting their participation to remain a secret. Members of the Dark Circle were on good terms with the Hells Angels Sherbrooke chapter prior to joining the Alliance, they actually did business purchasing cocaine and other narcotics from them. The reason for joining was they were not willing to accept Hells Angels were expanding on their territory. It was decided the Rock Machine, along with its support groups (Palmers MC, Roberge Brothers and Bertrand Clan) and the Pelletier Clan would provide the manpower, while the Dark Circle would provide the financial backing.

Partnering with the Dark Circle gave the Rock Machine access to skilled assassins like Gérald Gallant, one of Canada's most prolific contract killers. He was in the employment of the Dark Circle, but would complete contracts for the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club, the West End Gang, and the Bertrand and Pelletier Clans during the war. Gallant was introduced to Rock Machine national president, Frédéric Faucher and national vice-president Marcel "Le Maire" Demers, both operated out of Quebec City area. Gallant began to frequently meet with the pair at the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré to receive murder contracts, as well as weapons and ammunition. Faucher hired Gallant to carry out seven murders between 1995 and 2001, Demers hired him five times. During the conflict, the Rock Machine itself would operate a variety of teams that specialized in separate tasks the club needed to complete: "We had teams, some for killing, some for burning, another was for placing dynamite. Others were to go into selling points that belonged, not necessarily to the Rockers, but everything that belonged to the Hells Angels."

The conflict

The starting point of the conflict is disputed; however on July 13, 1994, three members of the Rock Machine, including Normand Baker, entered a business in downtown Montreal. They assassinated Pierre Daoust, a member of a Hells Angel support club, the Death Riders Motorcycle Club. Once it was confirmed they had the right target he was shot 16 times in the head and torso. According to Paradis, the Rock Machine had planned the first four initial attacks of the conflict. This was done to send a message to their opposition that expansion into their territory would not be accepted.

There was very little coverage over this incident however many in Montreal's underground knew that the Rock Machine was defending its territory, months before the death of Daoust. The members of the Alliance (Rock Machine MC, Pelletier Clan, The Dark Circle) as well as other individual narcotics dealers and street gangs all met to discuss a united front against the Hells Angels after they gave the narcotics community of Quebec an ultimatum to have them as their mandatory supplier of all contraband goods and narcotics. This offer was refused and the Alliance was formed; due to the Hells Angels' "monopolistic attitude" they had decided to take the initiative and strike first.

A day after on July 14, 1994, The Rock Machine attempted to assassinate Normand Robitaille, a member of Hells Angels support club the Rockers MC and a future and prominent member of the Hells Angels. The attempt failed and Quebec police announced that they had arrested five members of the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club for planning to bomb the Evil Ones MC clubhouse which was also aligned with the Hells Angels. Police had been tipped off about the possibility of the Evil Ones South shore clubhouse being bombed. Police searched five hotel rooms belonging to Rock Machine members. This included, Fred Faucher and Martin "Blue" Blouin of the Quebec City chapter, along with André Sauvageau, Normand Baker and Guy Langlois, who were members from the Montreal chapter. Authorities also seized two loaded handguns, 12 sticks of dynamite and three remote detonators.

With current knowledge of events due to information from Sylvain Boulanger, it is known that on July 15, 1994, the hierarchy of the Hells Angels in Quebec held emergency meetings in the city of Longueuil, Quebec. All four chapters in Quebec at the time were present (Montreal, Quebec City, Trois-Rivières and Sherbrooke). There was also a meeting at Hells Angels bunker during this period of time. All chapters had to cast a vote on whether or not they would participate in the conflict against the Rock Machine and their alliance. All four chapters agreed and the club began to prepare for the long conflict ahead. The Hells Angels was an international organization and received aid from all over the country and internationally, giving them more support than the Rock Machine.

On July 17, 1994, police arrested two Rock Machine associates (Palmers) in Montreal. They were wearing bulletproof vests, masks and were armed with explosives and detonators.

On July 27, 1994, Montreal Police arrested three members of the Rockers for preparing to carry out attacks on rival Rock Machine. In summer 1994, police arrested full-patch Rock Machine member, Jean "Charley or La Français" Duquaire and Pelletier Clan member, Michel Boyer. Both were arrested in a stolen vehicle. They had been on their way to Boucher's home to kill him. Police confiscated two Cobray machine pistols and a 357 magnum.

On 19 October 1994, a local drug dealer Maurice Lavoie was gunned down in his car and his girlfriend was wounded. Lavoie had previously been buying his wares from the Pelletier Clan associated with the Rock Machine, but had recently switched to the Hells Angels, and as a result the Pelletier Clan hired a hitman named Patrick Call to kill Lavoie.

On 28 October 1994, Sylvain Pelletier, the leader of the Pelletier Clan, was killed by the Hells Angels, who threatened to murder any drug dealer who did not buy their supplies from them. After these killings, an increasingly murderous struggle for the control of the drug trade in Montreal began between the Hells Angels and the Rock Machine that would see 20 dead before the end of 1994.

In November 1994, shortly after Sylvain Pelletier's death the Alliance held a meeting in Montreal. At a local bar, representatives from the Rock Machine, Dark Circle and Pelletier Clan met to formulate a plan to assassinate Hells Angels leader, Maurice Boucher. After Pelletier death, the independent drug dealers of Montreal formed the "Alliance to fight the Angels" headed by his younger brother, Harold Pelletier. A member of the Pelletier Clan, Martin Simard, purchased enough stolen dynamite to fill a truck, which was left near Boucher's favorite restaurant by Alliance member Martin Pellerin in December 1994. The plan was to set off the explosives by remote control when Boucher arrived, killing him and everybody else in the restaurant, but a Montreal parking officer noticed the truck was parked illegally and had it towed, thus unknowingly foiling the plot.

On November 4, 1994, as the Hells Angels started to retaliate. A shooting occurred at the Sainte-4 Bar, a business operated by the Rock Machine in the Montreal neighborhood of Ste-Catherine. Daniel Bertrand was killed, three other members of the Bertrand Clan were non-lethally injured in the shooting. Daniel Bertrand had been the leader of the Bertrand Clan, a Rock Machine ally and support gang. He was also the twin brother of Michel Bertrand, a founding member of the Palmers support club.

On December 5, 1994. Bruno "Dada" Bandiera, a prospect of the Montreal Rockers, a Hells Angels support club, was killed when a bomb planted in his Plymouth Voyageur exploded. He was around 500 meters away from the Rockers clubhouse in Longueuil. The bomb had been activated via a remote detonator, Bandiera body was sent flying from the destroyed vehicle. Bandiera had formerly been a prospect in the Rock Machine and had briefly met Peter Paradis. Rockers member, Stéphane Sirois commented, "It was Bandiera who had brought me into the Rockers fold and his death had some influence in Sirois wanting to join the Rockers." What Sirois did not know, was according to Dany Kane, there was a rumor that fellow Rockers members had been responsible for his death instead of the Rock Machine.

On December 16, 1994, the Alliance plan to kill Boucher by detonating a car bomb localed inside a stolen truck in front of a restaurant he usually frequented for lunch is foiled before he arrives. Peter Sergakis, was one of Montreal's biggest restaurant and bar owners, he stated, "One of the biggest prizes of the eight-year bloodbath was the "Gay Village". The Village is the biggest drug market in Canada. I see it with my own eyes. Where there is a big market everyone wants a piece of it." Hells Angels Montreal chapter president, Maurice "Mom" Boucher was firmly homophobic, but he even he acknowledged the money that could be made. The conflict had begun as the Angels moved into the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Pointe-aux-Trembles neighborhoods. They expanded west, and began to encroach on the downtown core where the largest businesses were. This area had been under the control of the Canadian-Italian Mafia for decades. The Village was dominated by the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club, the Rizzuto Family and powerful independent dealers.

1995

Despite the initial low profile of the Rock Machine, by 1995 it had joined the Alliance and members had started wearing three piece patches and other noticeable paraphernalia. Organized crime journalist, Paul Cherry commented,

"The Rock Machine was the most visible part of the Alliance. Like the Hells Angels, members of the Rock Machine wore leather jackets and vests with three piece patches on their backs proclaiming their (club) identity. Dealers sympathetic to their side were given Rock Machine paraphernalia like T-shirts and baseball caps." (in their classic black and platinum colours)

On 24 June 1995, Boucher founded the Nomads, an elite chapter of the Angels, that unlike the other chapters, had no geographical limit and were to operate all over Canada. To join the Nomads, applicants were required to commit murders, which ensured that no undercover police agents could enter the Nomads chapter. Additionally, only the highest-quality Angels who had proven themselves could join the Nomads.

On January 1, 1995, Rock Machine member, Normand Baker was murdered while sitting with his wife in a Hard Rock Cafe in Acapulco, Mexico. The hit was carried out by the Hells Angel prospect, Francoise Hinse. Baker had been one of the men who had killed Pierre Daoust on the first day of the war. Baker was the first full-patch member of the Rock Machine to be killed in the conflict.

On January 15, 1995, a Rock Machine member dies in Montreal. He had been preparing a car bomb that accidentally detonated. Responders only found his torso, which had been protected by a bulletproof vest. On January 31, 1995, a Hells Angels associate and a member of the Mercenaries MC, a Hells Angels support club, lost his leg after a bomb planted by the Rock Machine in his vehicle exploded.

On February 3, 1995, two members of the Rowdy Crew shoot and kill Claude Rivard, a member of the Pelletier Clan in Montreal. He was a close associate of the Rock Machine. On February 12, 1995, the Rock Machine steal 2.5 tons of dynamite from a construction site in Joliette, Quebec.

On February 20, 1995, police find two vans containing bombs near a garage owned by the Hells Angels Montreal, the building was often frequented by them and their associates. One of the Vans contained a large amount of exclusives wrapped in hundreds of nails, this created a large scale nail bomb. On February 21, 1995, an explosion causes damages the l'Energie, in Montreal. The nightclub is frequented by relatives of the Hells Angels. Montreal police were forced to add 15 members to their anti-gang squad due to the increase in violence.

The Rock Machine had been behind both of these incidents, in the case of the l'Energie, they had employed 5 kg of a high explosive, this was then surrounded in a jacket of 9mm pistol rounds. When the explosion occurred it sent bullets and shrapnel flying in all directions, its caused considerable damage to the interior of building but nobody was killed. It had been a weekday and the building it was empty. "But it served its purpose, the Rock Machine had shown that they had large scale anti-personal and they were not afraid to use them."

On January 30, 1995, Jacques Ferland, one of the chemists who worked for the Rock Machine was murdered in his Quebec City home, by the Hells Angels hitman Serge Qusnel.

On February 27, 1995, Claude Cossette, an member of the Alliance and independent gang leader is shot in the head three times while leaving his home in Montreal. He had been previously injured when his car exploded on August 4, 1994. Cassette had been a close associate of the Rock Machine and was one of the oldest and wisest members of the Alliance.

In March 1995, Gagné of the Montreal Rockers was incarcerated a Bordeaux prison. When he had been arrested authorities looked at his file to find that it had not been updated with his gang afflictions. He was given a place in C-Block, an area of the prison almost completely controlled by the Rock Machine. On his first day he was approached by 6 members of the Rock Machine, including Stéphane Morgan and Jean "Charley" Duquaire. They were unaware of his identity, they administered common tests of loyalty, this included them asking him to spit on a picture of Hells Angels leader, Maurice Boucher. When he refused to do this he was savagely beaten by the Rock Machine members. Gagné lost two teeth and suffered three broken ribs. A couple weeks later, he found Duquaire alone and attacked him with a metal pipe. This event would cause him to be transferred to a prison in Sorel that was full of Hells Angels.

On March 10, 1995, 10 kg of explosives along with a timer was found outside of the Rockers clubhouse in Montreal, another bomb was found in a Hells Angels associated bar.

On March 13, 1995, authorities located a car bomb parked across the street from Maurice Boucher's home. A second explosive was also found under the vehicle of a Rock Machine from Quebec City, neither bomb is detonated.

On March 14, 1995, Denis Marcoux, an associate of the Rock Machine, had his leg blown off when a bomb in his side door exploded. The vehicles running board was sent flying through the side of a nearby apartment, only stoping feet from a 18 month old infant and a 10-year-old girl, both received minor injuries due to flying glass. On March 17, 1995, a bomb exploded and damaged the clubhouse of the Rockers in Montreal.

In May 1995, Boucher started serving a short prison sentence. He was so influential within Montreal's underground that the Rockers, a group associated with him had been attaining their drugs on loan. His imprisonment caused serious supply issues for the Rockers. By this time the Rock Machine had been making advances in Montreal, they began to take control of territory that the Rockers had maintained since 1992. Leader of the Montreal Rockers, Paul "Fon Fon" Fontaine became increasingly frustrated when he had to pay large amounts for cocaine. A conspiracy theory was developed within the Rockers ranks that the mafia had been behind the shortages. The reasoning behind this was the mafia did not like to do business with anyone besides Boucher.

On May 3, 1995, police arrested six members or associates of the Rock Machines in Montreal. They had been planning to kill two Hells Angels. Authorities also seized 9 firearms.

On May 23, 1995, a Montreal bar is rocked by a blast from an explosion. A leader of the Dark Circle was be arrested in November in connection to the bombing.

On July 3, 1995, authorities found a 3.5 kg fragmentation explosive, 122 units of TNT, 50 remote detonators, 7 firearms and a rocket launcher. They were all inside of a stolen vehicle located in Lachine.

On 9 August 1995, a drug dealer named Marc Dubé was killed by a bomb planted in his jeep. Daniel Desrochers, an 11-year-old boy playing across the street, was also killed by debris from the explosion. Dubé was leaving the Hells Angels clubhouse in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighborhood of Montreal at the time of his murder. Rockers member, Dany Kane, in his reports to police mentioned that Steinert, whom he described as an arrogant and aggressive bully, was acting very strangely after the death of Desrochers. Kane reported: "Since that day, Steinert no longer talked about the bombs he had ordered and never spoke again about using bombs. Steinert asked some of his crew what they thought of the bombing. When they told him they thought the murderer should be liquidated, Steinert didn't respond and became very pensive". According to Kane, Boucher and Steinert had discussed a plan to win over public opinion by killing one of their own in an especially brutal manner. This was done out of the hope that the public would blame the Rock Machine; Dubé who was a low level drug dealer working for the Angels was chosen as the one to be sacrificed.

On August 10, 1995, a day following the bombing, a shooting was carried out on a Rock Machine owned motorcycle shop. An innocent customer was shot and killed, this was done to make it look to the public like the Rock Machine had been responsible and the Hells Angels were retaliating. Renaud Jomphe, who was president of the Rock Machine Montreal chapter at the time was forced to react and called the press. He was interviewed and told reporter Michel Auger of the Journal de Montreal, that Rock Machine had not been behind attack, "we don't attack or target, and we certainly don't kill, children". He also added that the Hells Angels were a "bunch of goons on a power trip". Police would later rule the Hells Angels responsible for the bombing, along with the evidence provided by Dany Kane, another theory states that the Hells Angels accidentally mistook Dubé for a Rock Machine associate that had the same color and model of Jeep. Both groups reached out to the mother of Desrochers in an attempt to pay for the funeral of the boy to lessen public outrage. Both the Rock Machine and the Hells Angels were denied. She responded with a public statement, "A life has no price, no one can buy Daniel from me". This series of violence related to Operation Wolverine, a police crackdown on both groups in which 130 were arrested. By this point in the conflict over 20 people had been killed by the violence. But this was a turning point for the conflict that the Canadian public could not ignore. After a torrent of public outcry, authorities began to set up special task forces and new legislations to bring an end to the war. The Rock Machine was furious with the Hells Angels over this incident for causing the increased police pressure in Quebec. Rock Machine member, Peter Paradis expressed that he had felt guilty over the death of Desrochers,

"I felt guilty, knowing that the drug war was behind the boy's death, even if the Rock Machine had no part in it, we were players in the war."

On August 22, 1995, the Rowdy Crew's clubhouse located in La Gardeur is subject to a massive blast, the explosion was powerful enough that it obliterated the club's guard dog. The Rock Machine are assumed to be responsible by police.

On August 26, 1995, a 5 kg explosive planted by the Rock Machine causes damage to a Hells Angels motorcycle shop located in Longueil.

On August 27, 1995, a tattoo parlor owned by the Rock Machine is subject to a fire bombing.

On September 7, 1995, Rock Machine Montreal chapter member, Réal "Tin Tin" Dupont was arrested by the RCMP in possession of over $120,000,000 (modern value of $240,701,575) in counterfeit cash. He and two others were caught while transferring the money via van in Lemoyne. Two Rock Machine associates, Daniel Vachon and Barney Ross, were also arrested. Authorities released a statement, "The group planned to sell the phoney money to distributors for 12 percent of it's value, around $14 million (modern value $28,081,850). The distributors would then sell the fake $100 bills for about $25 a piece." Dupont was sentenced to 8 years in prison. He would be released before 2001. Dupont had joined the Rock Machine in the early 1990s and acted as one the club's intelligence officers. He was an expert in intelligence gathering, he would keep tons of files on Hells Angels and other opposition.

On September 11, 1995, the Dark Circle bombed a bar and restaurant associated with the Death Riders MC (Hells Angels support club). 9 people are injured including Hells Angels associate, Mario Lepore. He was a close friend of Boucher. A second unexploded bomb is located by police behind the building.

On September 15, 1995, president of the Hells Angels Trois-Rivières chapter, Richard "Crow" Émond was gunned down by a Rock Machine member in a parking lot while helping his girlfriend get into his car. He had been struck in the center mass of his torso twice and died an hour later in hospital. He was a recipient of the filthy few patch and was the first full-patch Hells Angel member to be killed in the conflict. His girlfriend was arrested by police for non-compliance, but no one was charged with the murder. Just after the murder, Peter Paradis of the Rock Machine travelled with Jomphe to Sainte-Agathe in the Laurentian mountains. There he was tasked to guard a Rock Machine member known by the alias of "Thomas". Rock Machine member, "Thomas" admitted to Peter Paradis that he had been the one to shoot and kill Hells Angel, Richard Émond. He had gunned him down as he entered his vehicle at a shopping mall in Northeast Montreal. Thomas had received a call from Tony Plescio, he notified him that he had seen Émond and his girlfriend there. Thomas arrived at the scene and fired six bullets at the pair. This was at the time, the Rock Machine's biggest success when it came to damaging the Hells Angels directly. Up until this point they had been causing monetary damage by destroying their businesses but this was this first full-fledged member of Hells Angels the Alliance had killed, and a chapter president no less. Paradis returned to Montreal a few days later.

On September 21, 1995, the day after Émond's funeral, the Rock Machine launched a series of attacks against the Hells Angels and their associates. At 1am, three Rock Machine prospects, Benoit Grignon, Daniel Paul and Pierre Patry - were attempting to plant a bomb outside of the Saint-Luc clubhouse of the Jokers Motorcycle Club. The Jokers were an Angels puppet club, a group whose activities were previously overseen by Émond. Grignon, Paul and Patry were killed instantly when a Jokers member, Stéphane Doucet noticed them and fired a shotgun at the trio. This caused the explosives they were carrying to detonate, Doucet would not be charged as the Court's ruled he was acting in self-defense. The bomb was so powerful it was heard 18 miles away from the explosion, as the men were close, the huge blast caused considerable damage to the Jokers clubhouse. The front porch and door were blasted apart and one of the Jokers vehicles was completely destroyed and flipped through the property's fence, while another vehicle was heavily damaged and pushed into the building front wall. The building had all of its windows blown out, the roof had been damaged and had portions of its metal shingling peeled back by the force of the explosion. Authorities found one of the bodies intact, but the blast almost completely obliterated the other two and scattered portions of their bodies as far away as a hundred meters from the blast site. Some of the pieces found by police were no bigger than the size of a dollar, so the police K-9 unit was brought into aid in the search.

A fourth Rock Machine prospect survived the blast, Brett Simmons had been acting as the groups "get-away" driver and was seated in a Dodge Caravan a distance away from the blast at the end of the property's long driveway. The shockwave caused the van to be thrown clear across the road and Simmons was completely ejected from the vehicle, he then fled into a nearby forest. While recovering from his injuries in hospital, he was charged and sentenced to 8 years in prison for his part in the bombing. Simmons was a native of Kingston, Ontario, he had become a prospect in the Rock Machine after being introduced to the club working as a bouncer. The attack on the Jokers clubhouse had been planned out by Rock Machine prospect, Benoit Grignon. Three other attacks targeting the Hells Angels were also carried out on the same day. First, a bar associated with the Hells Angels was firebombed. Another bomb exploded targeting a strip club in Laval, and a third at a used car dealership in Montréal-Est that was owned by a Hells Angel. No one was killed, but the buildings (especially the stripclub) received major damage, along with several vehicles in the carport. Also on September 21. The Angels responded. A clothing apparel store associated to the Rock Machines was the target of an arson attack.

On September 22, 1995, the police attempted to raid the Rock Machine Montreal chapter bunker. Rock Machine Hang-around, Peter Paradis was on guard duty at the time initially refused them entry into the compound and phoned the Rock Machine's lawyer, Gary Martin. Martin advised him that unless they had a warrant they should not be let in. Once he confirmed that they had a valid warrant, he opened the gates and was temporarily handcuffed and detained as police in riot equipment entered the compound. Police began to raid the property in search of dynamite and other explosives, none was found but they did seized an assault rifle and a couple pistols. Paradis taken to the police station and was questioned several times on the location of explosives and who was involved in the incident. Paradis at this point had not put the situation together fully and did not understand why the police were acting so erratic. Paradis had spoken with Rock Machine prospect, Benoit Grignon the day before the bombing and his subsequent death. He told Paradis that he had something big planned and that he would probably see it in the news, but refused to say more. After refusing to answer their questions he was released. These events led to the creation of the Wolverine investigation unit on September 26, 1995. This saw the combination of provincial and Montreal anti-gang units. It was a team of 60 officers whose sole purpose was to deal with the Rock Machine and Hells Angels. They or later reinforced by members of the RCMP.

Between August 15, and September 30, 1995, Police delivered a temporarily paralyzing strike to the Dark Circle. Over the span of 45 days, the Dark Circle had most of its members arrested. This included Chairman Michel Duclos, Salvatore Brunetti, Normand Paré, Jean-Jacques Roy, Louis-Jacques Deschenes, Serge Bruneau, Michel Possa, Franco Fondacaro, Jean-René Roy, André Bureau, Marcel Gauthier, Claude Joannette, Roger Lavigne, Jean Rosa, Pierre Bastien and André Désormeaux (who was by this point a member of the Rock Machine). All 16 men were charged with planning to assassinate Hells Angels member, Normand "Billy" Labelle. They would first appear in court in November 1995, some were released on bail, but all men would eventually be convicted. Labelle was high-ranking member of the Hells Angels Montreal South chapter, he was also one of the Montreal chapters original members. So he was seen as a high value target for the Alliance. This investigation along with a separate investigation pertaining to the attempted assassination of Hells Angels, Denis Houle and Richard Hudon would push the Dark Circle into the headlines and alert the people of Quebec to its existence, this event would result in several Dark Circle members losing their lives in the coming years. On September 31, 1995, an associate of the Rock Machine is shot twice while in a bar in Montreal. He would survive the shooting.

By October 1995, the police would list 30 murders committed in Montreal as being connected to the biker war. In October 1995, Harold Pelletier, the leader of the Pelletier Clan, turned himself in to the Sûreté du Québec. He confessed that on August 7, 1983, he murdered a drug dealer named Michel Beaulieu who was behind in his payments to the Pelletier Clan, and asked that the police provide him with protection from the Angels in exchange for more information about his crimes.Ultimately, Pelletier confessed to committing 17 murders between 1983 and 1995, yet he was convicted only of the murder of Beaulieu. Pelletier's murder of Beaulieu was classified as second degree murder. Harold Pelletier would also reveal critical information to authorities about the Alliance. This move would basically cripple the Pelletier Clan. In meetings with police during 1995 and 1996, Harold told police investigators several names of individuals who had been involved in the plot to kill Maurice Boucher, along with other crimes. This led to the arrest of 14 Alliance members accused of being involved in the plot. Four of fourteen would face convictions. This included independent drug dealer and Alliance member, Yvon "Mon Mon" Roy. Many of the Pelletier Clan also faced arrests. The Rock Machine had several of its members arrested, this included high-ranking members, Gilles Lambert and Serge"Merlin" Cyr. Along with Tony Jalbert and 5 other Rock Machine members. Several members were released due to inconclusive evidence.

On October 1, 1995, The Hells Angels had placed a 10 kg bomb at the front of the Rock Machine's Montreal bunker, the blast blew through the club's bulletproof windows near its main entrance and caused damage to the bar and lounge interior. Some aluminum sheets from the buildings roof were sent flying in all directions. Though the explosion was powerful and it left a large crater, the Rock Machine had indeed constructed a fortress and the buildings fortified structure suffered little damage from the attack, it also resulted in no one being killed. In less than 24 hours, the Rock Machine had ordered bricks and other building materials to repair the damage. City police would later use this bombing as a pretext to condemn the building in 1997. When inspectors from the city of Montreal examined the Rock Machine's bunker, they were stunned by the buildings construction and renovations. One engineer commented, "I don't believe this, this place was built for a real war, the foundation didn't even budge an inch." The building passed inspection and the damage was repaired, apparently the club added several areas of reinforcement. The blast wave however, did deafen one of the clubs guard dogs.

On October 3, 1995, a narcotics dealer aligned to the Hells Angels is shot and killed by the Alliance or Rock Machine. On October 4, 1995, police find an undetonated car bomb next to a supermarket in Montreal. On October 5, 1995, a prison guard had his house firebombed in Sorel.

On October 9, 1995, two imprisoned Hells Angels, Nomads chapter member, Denis Houle, and full-patch member, Richard "Bob" Hudon were victims of an unsuccessful assassination attempt. They had both been walking in the prison's yard when two Rock Machine members opened fire on them with a semi-automatic rifle from beyond the prison fence. The resulting investigation first alerted the public to the existence of the Dark Circle, and it was reported the Hells Angels would pay well for information identifying the members of the Dark Circle. Over the next two years, two members of the Dark Circle were murdered by the Hells Angels while a third escaped when the Hells Angels shot and killed the wrong Serge.

On October 17, 1995, Michel Boyer, a drug dealer for the Pelletier Clan and associate of the Rock Machine, is found dead at his residence in Lanoraie. He had been one of those who had been arrested for attempting to murder "Mom" Boucher in July 1994. On October 18, 1995, four people are injured when a car bomb exploded. On the same day, a second bomb destroyed a garage owned by the Hells Angels in Longueil. On October 26, 1995, a member of Evil Ones support club is arrested while carrying four pounds of TNT.

In late November 1995, Quebec police arrested more than 40 members of the participating parties. This included 6 members of the Hell Angels support club, the Evil Ones MC. 4 additional members or associates of the Dark Circle. Another 20 members or prospects of the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club were also arrested, along with member André Désormeaux, he had been released on bail only to be caught up in another round of raids. They received charges ranging from narcotics trafficking to accusations of planned murders. For the Alliance members, this time the charges were for their planned attempts against Hells Angels Nomad chapter members, Denis Houle and Normand Hamel while they were incarcerated.

On November 24, 1995, Giuseppe Ierfino, a member of the mafia and Hells Angels associate, was killed when his car exploded in Laval due to a car bomb. On December 22, 1995, an innocent car salesman is killed when the vehicle he attempted to start blew up.

1996

While the conflict raged in Quebec, it was also fought behind prison walls. Inmates within Bordeaux prison had been arming themselves with metal clubs. This was done by removing portions of prisoners bed frames and taping or wrapping one end to create a handle. Guards eventually removed all bed boards. Jomphe had instructed his fellow Rock Machine members to maintain their influence over C-Block. By early 1996, the Hells Angels had made several attempts to infiltrate the Rock Machine's wing. The Rock Machine launched a wave of intimidation against unknown newcomers. Those accused of Hells Angels association risked being stabbed or brutally beaten by the Rock Machine. Their methods of asking new inmates to spit on photos had long gone. New inmates would be taken a small bloodstained closet at the back of the exercise room. They were told that if they were associated to the Hells Angels, they would have a chance to admit it and ask the guards to move them.

The stains of blood made some people admit their associations immediately. If they did not, they would be interrogated and asked a variety of questions about their life outside of prison and their afflictions. They would always specifically ask the name of the lawyer that represented the individual being questioned. The Hells Angels lawyers almost exclusively worked just for them and their associates, this made it easy. The Rock Machine would notify these individuals that they would have their lawyers on the outside check the facts. If inmates were caught lying they were subject to gratuitous beatings. It became a common habit for Rock Machine members to throw their victims into the prison's garbage bins. One Hells Angels associate was beaten so badly that when guards found him in one of the bins, he was transported to the prison hospital and was never returned to the wing. Another associate attempted to run when his cover was blown. Several Rock Machine members chased him down and knocked him unconscious, he was then dragged into the washroom and savagely beaten. Badly injured, he was also thrown in the garbage bins. One member of the Palmers MC was known by the nickname "Bing-Bang" due to the fact that he reveled in landing the first punch during these interrogations. Prison authorities expressed concern to Rock Machine members about these beatings. The Rock Machine asked them to stop putting inmates involved with their opposition in C-Block. Prison authorities seemed unremorseful to this request, to which the Rock Machine responded that their safety could not be guaranteed. About a half a dozen more assaults occurred, prison staff finally relented and the Rock Machine was consulted before new inmates were moved into their territory.

In January 1996, Hells Angels associate, Glenn Cormier was killed by the Rock Machine in Quebec City. In March 1996, an associate of the Rock Machine named Richard Lebrasseur, was killed by Dany Kane of the Montreal Rockers. Early 1996 saw a decrease in fighting due to police crackdown. The first portion of the year had only seen one person on each side killed. By spring 1996, the violence began to increase again. The Rock Machine Quebec City chapter had formed an alliance with a local gang of independent drug dealers called the Roberge Brothers, which now acted as a support group. Both groups were intent on controlling the street level drug trade in Quebec City, they were also supported by the Quebec City chapter of the Palmers MC. In July 1996, both sides exchanged two more killings.

On April 26, 1996, A billiard room in Quebec City is shot at. The business is owned the Rock Machine. 10 minutes following, a gang of 10 masked men with baseball bats vandalized a Rock Machine associated bar.

On May 1, 1996, police find 20 sticks of dynamite shoved in a bag, the bag is left near the home of a popular real estate agent. Later that day, several Molotov cocktails are thrown at two business owned by an associate of the Hell Angels. On July 30, 1996, Hells Angels associate, Giuseppe Ierfino's business partner, Giuseppe Ruffolo, is shot and killed by two Rock Machine associates in Saint-Léonard.

In August 1996, Scott Steinert, who was a full-Patch Hells Angel was also one of the largest pimps in Montreal, owning the Sensations escort service, whose office in Montreal was destroyed in a case of arson in August 1996 by the Rock Machine. Also in August 1996, Salvatore Cazzetta, who was being held in the Parthenais Detention Center prior to his extradition to the United States, was attacked and wounded by six other prisoners in a "jailhouse contract".

On August 23, 1996, Quebec Police located a vehicle that had been reported stolen. It had been parked next to a warehouse in Verdun owned by the Rock Machine. It contained 90 kg of TNT, explosive experts commented, "If the bomb had been detonated it could have leveled the surrounding neighborhood."

Rock Machine members had influence at a popular Chinese restaurant called the Kim Hoa located on Wellington Street in Verdun. They often frequented the restaurant to relax and also to conduct business. These meetings would see members exchange intelligence and reports. This included information gained from Rock Machine informants and associates. The Rock Machine had numerous individuals that would report back to them with locations of their opposition or any information that might prove valuable. This included mailmen, waitresses, prostitutes, an employee for the city of Montreal (this man would report Police dispatches that involved the Rock Machine, this allowed the club and its networks to hide evidence), an employee of the Quebec Licensing Bureau and finally a high-ranking politician in Verdun. One day, after a meeting, Jomphe warned Paradis to be careful as the Hells Angels had increased their attempts to kill him.

On October 18, 1996. As the war between the Rock Machine and the Hells Angels raged on. Renaud Jomphe; president of the Montréal chapter of the Rock Machine hosted the meeting at the Kim Hoa Restaurant. Present were Jomphe, along with fellow Mechanists, Christian Deschesnes, Alain Brunette, Peter Paradis and Raymond Laureau. They were meeting with Michel Germain. Before the meeting had begun Paradis told Germain that he would not renegotiate their deal. Germain replied with a hostile "We will see", he then traveled to the restroom at the back of the restaurant. Right as the meeting was starting off, Germain told Jomphe that he would return after making a quick phone call. Shortly after, four members of the Evil Ones support club entered the building and approached their table. Two had come through the front door, while the backdoor which was normally always locked had been left open (presumably by Germain) so that two more could enter from the rear. Another man who was sitting alone in the diner also brandished a firearm. Once they spotted their targets they fired multiple shots at them from semi-automatic weapons. Jomphe simply stated "This is it" out loud before the shots began. He was killed instantly when he was shot in the head. Deschesnes, one of the Rock Machine's accountants was also killed in the attack and Laureau was wounded when he was struck by a bullet in the shoulder. Later during Peter Paradis's testimony to the Crown, he revealed that he was also present at the restaurant during night of the shooting. But had left with Alain Brunette at the request of Jomphe, to complete a quick intimidation job. While on their way they heard about the shooting and rushed back. Paradis proclaimed to the courts that Jomphe's cousin, Michel Germain, was responsible for the ambush. According to Peter, Germain sold the Rock Machine out to the Hells Angels after a disagreement between the two.

The Rock Machine hosted a funeral for their Montreal chapter president three days after the shooting. It was attended by thousands of spectators that lined the streets of Montreal. A service was held for his direct family first. Then Rock Machine members from Montreal and Quebec City paid their respects with a ceremony. The funeral parlor was decorated with wreaths and custom flower arrangements, this included a white sports car and motorcycle. Several depicted the emblem and patch of the Rock Machine. The Alliance also sent two large arrangements (one from Montreal, the other from Quebec City) depicting the letter "A". Further arrangements where presented by the Palmers MC and Rock Machine. Under forced police escort, Jomphe's coffin was paraded down the street, in front of it, masked members of the Rock Machine marched while others rode on their motorcycles to the sides of the column. Renaud Jomphe's widow rode his Harley-Davidson, with its iconic Rock Machine emblem depicted on the vehicle's gas tank. As they neared the church, authorities were forced to arrest a member of the Rowdy Crew who was taking photographs. A large crowd had gathered at the church, but authorities revealed that a bomb threat had been discovered, so only the family continued from this point. The police believed the Hells Angels would not bomb the church if the Rock Machine dispersed.

On November 8, 1996, a 25 kg bomb and 5 canister containing petrol were stowed in a stolen vehicle. They were found close to the Hells Angels clubhouse in Saint-Nicolas. The bomb was located and diffused by authorities. The explosive had been planted by the Rock Machine in an attempt to destroy the Hells Angels Quebec City chapter clubhouse. On November 14, 1996, Rock Machine Quebec City chapter president, Marcel Demers, is a victim of an assassination attempt he is shot and badly injured, but survives the event. On November 20, 1996, a bar linked to the Hells Angels is targeted by a fire bombing.

On December 13, 1996, A stripclub associated with the Hells Angels has Molotov cocktails cause serious damage. A few hours later, a bar aligned with the Rock Machine is subject to an arson attack by three Molotov's. On December 16, 1996, a Rock Machine associate is shot and killed.

On December 17, 1996, a full-patch member of the Hells Angels Quebec City chapter was shot and killed in broad daylight. Bruno "Cowboy" Van Lerberghe had been sitting in a diner when an assassin in the employment of the Rock Machine entered and shot him six times. Following the killing Van Lerberghe, Gallant was offered full-patch membership in the Rock Machine, an invitation he declined. On December 19, 1996, a bar and grill restaurant is burned to the ground by Molotov cocktails. On December 20, 1996, Rock Machine associate Pierre "Ti-Bum" Beauchamp is shot and killed while sitting in his car in downtown Montreal. At the time of his death he was in possession of $60,000 in cash. Beauchamp had been aware that the Hells Angels had put out a contract on his head. Beauchamp was an independent drug dealer aligned with the Rock Machine, he operated his business in eastern Montreal. He was also a close personal friend to high-profile Rock Machine members, Renaud Jomphe and Peter Paradis. On December 30, 1996, two associates of the Rock Machine were targeted by a shooting, both men would die from their injuries.

1997

In early 1997, Giovanni Cazzetta was released from prison, he would return to the Rock Machine, with Claude Vézina willing stepping down and Giovanni was given the position of National President in his brother's absence. He would lead the club through the conflict until his arrest in May 1997. In early March 1997, a group of Rock Machine led by Faucher, parked a vehicle containing a large amount of explosives across from the Hells Angels bunker in Saint-Nicolas. When the bomb was detonated, the residential neighborhood where it was located was shaken by the immense force of the blast. The bunker received significant damage. Future Rock Machine Quebec City chapter president, Fred Faucher gained a reputation for planning this incident. Montreal Police commented,

"Fred Faucher had a truck packed with more than 100 lbs of dynamite and crashed it through the gates of the Hells Angels' clubhouse in Quebec City, members barely escaped before the remote-control mechanism went off. The explosion rocked the residential neighborhood, tossing people from their beds, knocking doors off their hinges, and blowing the windows out of 22 buildings."

On 28 March 1997, Rocker member Aimé Simard, stating he was acting under the orders of the Rocker president, a man known as Gregory "Pissaro" Wooley, murdered Rock Machine member Jean-Marc Caissy as he entered a Montreal arena to play hockey with his friends. In Spring 1997, Stéphane Gagné of the Montreal Rockers was a victim of a hit and run incident. A Rock Machine associate in a stolen vehicle spotted him traveling Montreal's Eastside. The young man wanting to earn his Rock Machine prospect patch, drove the vehicle into Gagné bike and fled the scene. He survived but was injured severely enough that he did not turn to the Rockers until August 1997.

On May 19, 1997, raids were launched against the Rock Machine Montreal and Quebec City chapters. The raids were conducted on 66 businesses, properties and clubhouses owned by Rock Machine, over 500 police officers were involved. They arrested 18 Rock Machine members and confiscated the club's Montreal clubhouse after drugs were found on the premises. The massive raid launched by authorities as part of Operation Carcajou resulted in the seizure of a laboratory where narcotics such as PCP and methamphetamine were produced. $1,500,000 worth of various other narcotics, over 325 kg (716.5 lbs) of dynamite and other explosives along with detonators. Other weapons included, seven pistols, two fully automatic machine guns, three semi-automatic carbines, and a pistol suppressor. Authorities also seized cars, motorcycles and boats, along with homes, businesses and jewelry belonging to Rock Machine members.

Giovanni Cazzetta, who was the acting of the Rock Machine's national president, was one of those arrested in the Operation as it continued on May 20, 1997. A man from Alberta attempted to purchase 15 kilos of cocaine from Giovanni (valued at $585,000, adjusting for inflation the modern equivalent is around 1.1 million in 2022). The Rock Machine was aligned with the West End Gang, and did business with them as a supplier. Cazzetta contacted Richard Mattick about obtaining the required amount for the sale, but he stated that an amount that large was hard to acquire on such short notice. Matticks was able to supply 9 kilos at a value of around $350,000 (over $650,000 after adjusting for inflation). However the individual from Calgary turned out to be an informant for the crown. The mules, Frank Bonneville and Donald Waite, that delivered the cocaine to the informant were arrested and the narcotics seized by police. Matticks, and the mules, Bonneville and Waite pled guilty on June 17, 1997. Matticks was sentenced to three years in prison and was fined $50,000. Bonneville and Waite received four, and two years respectively. Giovanni attempted to fight the charges brought against him, but he had still been on probation from his prior narcotics charges in 1993. He would lose these appeals, he was sentenced to 9 years prison time in April 1998. He would be ordered to surrender more than $600,000 in assets to the Crown, this included several vehicles and his gold and diamond Alliance and Rock Machine rings. Rock Machine national vice president, Gillies Lambert, was arrested alongside Giovanni and received 3 years for narcotics trafficking. The others, Maria Cazzetta, Giovanni's sister and Suzanne Poudrier received one year conditional sentences. In total the police confiscated more that $4 million in Rock Machine assets from this group of arrests.

Later on May 20, 1997. Prominent Rock Machine member, Serge Cyr was placed under arrest and charged with conspiracy along, with 7 Rock Machine members and 4 others. (Gilles Lambert, Yvon Roy, Serge Boutin, Tony Jalbert, Bruno Lévesque, Hubert Lanteigne, René Pelletier, Richard Lariviere, Jen Dufresne, Martin SimardMartin Pellerin). They were charged for planning the murder of Hells Angels president Maurice "Mom" Boucher. In 1994, a stolen vehicle loaded with a large amount of dynamite was discovered outside the Cri-Cri restaurant on St. Catherine Street in Montreal, the restaurant was an establishment that Boucher often ate at. Cyr was released shortly after, following the December 2000 arrests he was promoted to a leading role in the Montreal chapter. These raids were a serious setback for the Rock Machine. Claude Vézina was forced to return to his role as national president. Frédéric Faucher, who had recently been chosen as president of the Quebec City chapter was now one of the highest-ranked member in the club. (only behind Claude Vézina, Marcel Demers and Johnny Plescio, Paul Porter but equal with Peter Paradis)

A secondary series of arrests targeting the Rock Machine would follow. As the authorities were able to confirm how the Rock Machine was getting drugs to its distribution networks in Donnacona prison. A priest who had been employed at the prison was caught having sexual intercourse with another prisoner by a member of the Rock Machine. Policies at prisons during the time usually meant that priests were not searched, so the Rock Machine member blackmailed the priest, forcing him to traffic drugs into the prison for the club. He would eventually be caught alongside his co-conspirator, a Rock Machine associate and former police officer. His stepson was with the Rock Machine, he acted as the a contact inside multiple prisons.

The first initial contact with the Bandidos occurred when Robert Léger, who was the vice-president of the Rock Machine's Montreal chapter at the time, travelled to Texas to establish a relationship between the Bandidos and the Rock Machine. Robert Léger was seen by his fellow Rock Machine as a mostly kind individual who had a real business sense. He was very successful in that aspect, but when it came to the violent crime aspect of Rock Machine he was reluctant. Léger joined the Rock Machine in 1987, and held the clubs record longest amount of time it took to become a full-patch member. Which for Léger was 7 years as a prospect, he would finally earn his full-patch in 1994. If Léger had proved himself through more violent actions that other prospects usually did, it is undoubtable that he would have earned his patch much faster. Regardless he was seen as a valuable and important member of the Rock Machine. By 1997, he had risen up the ranks and was serving a term as the vice-president of the clubs Montreal chapter.

As the war turned into a battle of attrition the Hells Angels began to gain the upper hand as ever-increasing levels of support poured in from around Canada and internationally, but at the same time, the Great Nordic Biker War was taking place, and the Rock Machine was impressed with the way that the Scandinavian branches of the Bandidos held their own against the Scandinavian branches of the Hells Angels. In June 1997, the three leaders of the Rock Machine, Quebec City chapter president, Fred Faucher, national secretary, Johnny Plescio, and then vice-president of the Montreal chapter, Robert "Tout Tout" Léger, travelled to Stockholm to establish a relationship with the Swedish branch of the Bandidos, but were expelled by the Swedish police, who declared that they did not want Canadian bikers in their country.

On July 14, 1997, the president of the Rock Machine Quebec City chapter, Frédéric Faucher, along with national secretary, Johnny Plescio and Paul Porter, who was at the time president of the club in Quebec, attended a motorcycle show in Luxembourg. There, the Rock Machine was seen by authorities meeting with high-ranking members of the Bandidos Europe. This was done to discuss patching over to the Bandidos in an attempt to "internationalize" the Quebec Biker War.

On 11 September 1997. As a part of Carcajou, Rock Machine national president Claude Vézina and Quebec City chapter, sergeant-at-arms Dany "Le Gros" Légaré were both arrested and charged with the trafficking of narcotics. In order to conduct his arrest, police had to sneak by guard dogs that he had located on his property; they entered his home and arrested him in his bedroom. They had both been arrested due to the result of a sting operation set up by the Quebec police. A police informant had completed seven transactions of narcotics with the two members of Rock Machine during a five-month period. After the arrest of Cazzetta, Vézina and other high-ranking members of the Rock Machine suffered temporary leadership issues. Frédéric Faucher, who was at the time president of the Quebec City chapter, was elected as the new national president of the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club. Alain "Red Tomato" Brunette was promoted to president of the Quebec City chapter.

On October 28, 1997. Faucher had invited Bandidos national vice-president, George Wegers to travel to Quebec City. Faucher had proposed having the Canadian Rock Machine join the US-based Bandidos. This intrigued Wegers, the Bandidos were looking to expand their influence and did not possess any chapters in Canada at the time. Faucher was very open about the Rock Machine's intentions with local press, when they asked why, he replied, “The Hells Angels, is a worldwide organization and is well organized, they will never sit down with a small group like the Rock Machine, the main goal was to be a part of an international club so one of these days they will agree to sit down to talk with us." The Bandidos had also been impressed by how the Rock Machine had taken on the much larger Hells Angels. The meeting took place at a luxurious Quebec City restaurant, the L’Astral. Authorities had been monitoring the situation and decided to raid the meeting. They arrested Wegers, along with Faucher, Richard Lagacé and Denis Belleau. The police also arrested an additional 21 members of the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club. Wegers was deported to the United States after 3 days, this was due to the fact that he had convictions for drugs and weapons.

During the conflict, Faucher would introduce a new war-time rank to the clubs hierarchy. Lieutenants were individuals experienced in combat, they were usually tasked with leading missions and due to their knowledge were involved in consulting with other high-ranking members about the clubs decisions. Gerald Gagnon, Michel Langlois and Simon Bedard would become Faucher's three main lieutenants.

1998

By the start of the late 1990s, the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club had build quite an international reputation for resisting the Hells Angels and the bloody conflict that ensued. Then Bandidos Oklahoma chapter secretary, Edward Winterhalder commented on his first sighting of the club and its insignia. Ever since he had heard of the conflict in Quebec, he had admired the Rock Machine MC for standing up to the powerful and wealthy Quebec Hells Angels and their Nomads chapter under Boucher.

"There were hundreds of bikers gathered at a small-town cemetery just outside of Seattle where the funeral was taking place. Most of them were Bandidos, but there was a solid representation of other clubs, most of which were from Washington state. I recognized quite a few of the guys and the patches they were wearing, but there was one individual who stood out in the crowd. There was something about him that caught my eye, and it wasn’t his rotund size. The first thing I noticed was his patch. It was very unusual. The top and bottom rockers and the center patch were silver on black, with red stitching on all the edges. The center patch depicted a stylized eagle’s head that did not look familiar to me. I maneuvered through the throng to get a closer look at the rockers so I could identify the club. When I got within range of the large, mysterious man, whom I estimated to be in his mid-thirties, I realized I was looking at a full-patch member of the Rock Machine. I knew little about the club, other than that they were exclusive to Canada and basically confined to the province of Quebec. I was also aware that there was a lot of bad blood between the Rock Machine and the Canadian Hells Angels.This was the first Rock Machine member I had ever seen."

The July acquittal of five members of the Rockers support club gave the Hells Angels a "second wind" and they had begun to target high-ranking members of the Rock Machine and Dark Circle in an attempt to end the war. The Rock Machine responded with a series of car bombings and attacks on Hells Angels associates and businesses. On July 31, 1998, Richard Lagacé, full-patch Rock Machine member and the Montreal chapter sergeant-at-arms is assassinated in front his gym in Saint-Lin, just north of Montreal. 45 minutes later, Yvon Roy, an associate of the Rock Machine and member of the Alliance was killed in front of his home. Lagacé's assassins had planned sloppily, the two men were forced to break into a nearby woman's house and steal her car to flee the scene.

On 23 August 1998, a team of Rock Machine killers consisting of Frédéric Faucher, Gerald Gallant, and Marcel Demers rode by on their motorcycles and gunned down Paolo Cotroni in his driveway. Cotroni was a member of the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta Cotroni crime family who were the rivals of the Rock Machine aligned Sicilian Mafia Rizzuto crime family. Cotroni was killed partly to gain more favor with the Rizzutos and partly because he was a friend of Boucher.

On September 4, 1998, two members or associates of the Rockers were injured while traveling through Montreal's Cote St. Paul district. Their pickup truck exploded due to a bomb placed under the vehicle. On September 5, 1998, a van containing a bomb detonates in Montreal, two relatives of the Hells Angels members are injured in the blast.

On 8 September 1998, Johnny Plescio, a founding member of the Rock Machine and the clubs acting national secretary, was at his Laval home watching television when his cable was severed. As he rose to see what was wrong with his television, 27 bullets went through Plescios's living room window, 16 of which struck him. At Plescio's funeral, a flower arrangement appeared bearing the word Bandidos, which was the first sign that the Bandidos Motorcycle Club of Texas was taking an interest in the Rock Machine.

On September 9, 1998 a car belonging to an associate of the Hells Angels explodes in the Point St. Charles district of Montreal, killing him. A bomb had been placed in the vehicle as retaliation for the death of Plescio. On the same day, Pierre Dore, a Rockers associate was almost killed when his vehicle exploded while driving down Ropery Street. Authorities report that the explosion had been powerful enough to blow the windows out of four nearby buildings. The shockwave was felt by residents more than two city blocks from the blast zone.

On September 24, 1998, Jean Rosa, a member of the Dark Circle is murdered by gun shots in Laval by associates of the Hells Angels. On October 22, 1998, Pierre Bastien, a high ranking member of the Dark Circle was shot dead.

On November 10, 1998, Stéphane "Ti-Cul" Morgan, a full-patch member of the Rock Machine Montreal chapter and his driver, Rock Machine associate, Daniel Boulet, were both shot dead while driving on J.J. Gagnier Street, in the Saint-Michel district of Montreal. They were on their way to complete a narcotics deal, police believe that this was used to lure them to their deaths. Police confiscated cocaine from the vehicle and when searching Morgan's home they located several items of Rock Machine memorabilia including his club ring. They also found some drugs and a photo of Rockers member, Pierre Toupin, who he had presumably planned on killing. Both men had previously been involved in attacking Hells Angels and their supporters.

The Rock Machine responded. On December 21, 1998, A bar controlled by the Hells Angels is subject to a arson attack in Quebec City. A second incident involved the shooting of a Montreal brasserie linked to the Hells Angels. One associate of the Hells Angels is killed, and two more were injured. On December 29, 1998, a local brewery associated with the Hells Angels is set ablaze.

1999

On January 16, 1999, A member of the Hells Angels support club, the Blatnois MC is murdered. His body is left in the middle of a street in Shawinigan, Quebec.

On January 28, 1999, the Montreal police preemptively arrest three members of the Montreal Rockers before they were able to commit a murderer they had been planning.

On February 15, 1999, two bars associated with the Hells Angels are subject to fire bombings in Montreal.

On March 16, 1999, A man linked to organized crime is killed, his body is found in the Laurentians.

In March 26, 1999, A relative of a Rock Machine member is murdered in Quebec City. On April 20, 1999, A man associated to the Dark Circle is seriously injured by when he is his by gunfire in Laval. On April 22, 1999, a individual with ties to the Hell's Angels is murdered in Quebec City. On April 26, 1999, Martin Dupont, a Hells Angels associate and one of the clubs preferred explosives experts, is shot dead in Montreal by members or associates of the Rock Machine.

On May 26, 1999, associates of the Rock Machine perpetrated a shooting in the gay village district of Montreal, killing one Hells Angels associate, Jean-Guy Leblanc and injuring a second one, both men had been involved in the drug trade.

By early 1999, the other factions in the Alliance had been devastated, the Rock Machine continued to fight on. However the Rock Machine itself had received substantial losses, but sustainable nonetheless. By this point, the Rock Machine MC were seriously looking to align itself with longtime Hells Angels rivals the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, they had made several failed attempts to do so in 1997. During 1997, Michael “Mick” Kulakowski, who was president of the Bandidos Australia had traveled to Quebec to talk about the possibility of the Rock Machine joining, the meeting was positive. However Kulakowski was killed along with two other Bandidos on November 9, 1997. Winterhalder believed that if these events had not occurred, the Rock Machine would have become Bandidos by December 1997. Regardless in May 1999, the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club became an official 'Hang-around" club for the Bandidos. They were sponsored by Bandidos from Europe. The Rock Machine changed its original colors, black and silver (platinum) to red and gold to show their association. Bandido member, Edward Winterhalder expressed his surprise when he discovered this revelation.

"The next Rock Machine member I saw was at the Red River Biker Rally in New Mexico in late May 1999. The memory is distinctive because it was the year after the Oklahoma Bandidos officially became full-patch members of the Bandidos Nation. I was taken aback to see that the Rock Machine’s patch had changed: it was red and gold now, no longer silver and black. Prior to attending the rally, I had heard a rumor that Bandidos Europe had recently designated the Rock Machine as a'hangaround' club; subsequently, the Rock Machine had changed their colors to the Bandidos’ red and gold standard. As the shock wore off, I found myself pleasantly surprised to discover that the rumor was indeed true."

On August 5, 1999, Rock Machine associate, Richard Parent was shot and killed at his home in Montreal's Little Burgundy district. Parent was the brother-in-law of club founders, Salvatore and Giovanni Cazzetta. He had married their sister Maria Cazzetta and while though he wasn't a member of the Rock Machine, he had operated a drug network for the club after being released from his four year prison sentence in early 1998. He had also provided the Rock Machine with information about the construction of a new Hells Angels clubhouse by Scott Steinert, he was accused by police of aiding in preparation for a attack on the property, he denied these accusations.

Expansion into Ontario

By 2000, both groups had started to expand into Ontario, with the Rock Machine beating the Hells Angels into the province. The Rock Machine's presence caused a sense of unease in Ontario that the conflict would spill over into the province "The Rock Machine - a name that ment only gangland-style shoot outs and hidden bombs to the people of Ontario". In 1999, the Rock Machine was in the process of creating three probationary or prospective chapters in Ontario. (Toronto, Kingston and Sarnia) They were also in the process of setting up a fourth chapter, the club also had members in Halton, Ontario. By June, 2000, two had become full-fledged chapters, and the Rock Machine went public in Ontario. Jerry Langton noted that the Rock Machine had also set up shop in London, Ontario. The Toronto chapter was created by the patch-over of the Outlaws North Toronto chapter in early 2000, and it consisted of 9 full-patch members. They had previously been members of the Iron Hawgs MC.

The new Kingston chapter consisted mostly of full-patch Rock Machine members from Quebec and some Kingston locals that had been recruited as probationary/prospects. The Sarnia chapter had been established sometime in 1999 and was given probationary status. Which lasted until mid 2000, when they gain full status. In total these three Rock Machine chapters had 35 members or in Ontario. Detective Staff-Sergeant, Don Bell, comment on the arrival of the Rock Machine into Ontario, he said.

"Law enforcement agencies have a heightened awareness of activity involving the Rock Machine, knowing that we have a Hells Angels presence in Ontario. That's because the Rock Machine, more than any other outlaw gang in Ontario, has a history of violence involving Hells Angels. There are 11 currently outlaw motorcycle gangs in Ontario. The gangs seem to work within the parameters they have established. Whether the Rock Machine will follow the same rules will have to be determined over time. The ongoing war in Quebec started after the Hells Angels tried to get a bigger piece of the action. If a similar situation develops in Ontario, there is a potential for violence."

The Rock Machine had been planning its expansion into Ontario for some time. In the 1990s, the club had set up contacts to provide them with distribution networks in Ontario for narcotics and weapons. In reality Rock Machine had secretly began expansion in 1999. With each of those three chapters having to pass a certain probationary period before joining the club. In January 2000, the Rock Machine's Sarnia chapter had some of its members arrested and imprisoned for "uttering threats to cause bodily harm to the owner of an escort agency." As a direct insult and provocation against Hells Angels Canada national president, Walter Stadnick, the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club changed its bottom rocker. Up until this point they had only made local territory claims by having their rocker contain the names of cities where chapters were established (ex."Montreal"). These were changed to say "Canada", meaning that the Rock Machine wanted the Hells Angels to know that they were planning to expand across the whole country. Later information given by informant to authorities revealed the Rock Machine's plan should the merger with the Bandidos fail. The club had planned on expanding throughout Canada and increasing its size in an attempt to prompt the Hells Angels to negotiate. By June 2000, the Loners Motorcycle Club had aligned themselves with the Rock Machine. Holding a party in Toronto in that was attended by dozens of "machinists", as the Rock Machine are known in outlaw biker circles. The Loners would also provide security for the Rock Machine prospective ceremony in December. In July 2000, the Rock Machine was accused by authorities of planting a bomb in front of a Georgetown, Ontario motorcycle shop, it was successfully defused by authorities after it had been inadvertently transported to Guelph, Ontario. The incident caused a local fundraiser, for U.S. veterans of the Vietnam war to be cancelled due to the threat.

In mid 2000, the Halton Police Intelligence Unit had also reported that the Rock Machine were active within the city, and continued to actively recruiting in the province. In September 2000, Quebec Provincial Police Sergeant, Guy Ouellette, stated that some of the Sarnia chapter members had been released from prison. He commented that they could be used to form the core leadership of the new chapter in Western Ontario. London, Ontario is in moderately close proximity to Sarnia and the Rock Machine were already conducting business within the city. But the official location of the proposed chapter was unknown at the time, the London chapter would appear later that year. It included 10 members, bringing Ontario's total membership to 45. RCMP Staff Sergeant, Jean-Pierre Levesque also commented on the situation stating.

"New alliances have changed the balance of power in the province. The only gang affiliated with the Hells Angels in Ontario is the Toronto Para-Dice Riders. The Vagabonds and Satan's Choice are apparently neutral, while the Outlaws, Loners and now the Rock Machine have traditionally rivalled the Hells Angels. The Hells Angels -- to enter in Ontario -- want total control, nobody escapes them. The Rock Machine is more appealing to other gangs. They only want a piece of the pie, not all of it. The Rock Machine was coming as a player. By setting up an alliance with the Rock Machine, other gangs are better able to resist a takeover of their drug territories by the Hells Angels."

At some point in 2000, the Rock Machine would also establish a chapter in Niagara Falls. This was one of the chapters to be patched over to the Bandidos on January 6, 2001. In 2000, the Kingston chapter under president, Bruce Dorian, began to act as the main operating location of the Rock Machine. As by this time, it had become the central point of their territory. Many of its high-ranking members began to operate out of the chapter. This would include Rock Machine Ontario president, Paul Porter, who was in charge of the clubs operations in the province. In late 2000, Porter would establish the Rock Machine's Ottawa chapter which was led by him until December. Alain Brunette would replace him at the Kingston chapter.

2000

In early 2000, the West End Gang, was one of the Rock Machine's principal suppliers of drugs, but they had continually sold to both sides during the conflict. They would now choose to enter the conflict on the side of the Rock Machine. High-ranking West End Gang member, Raymond Desfossés chose to align himself with the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club. That summer, he put a $250,000 murder contract on the head of Hells Angels leader, Maurice "Mom" Boucher. He would also begin to offer then Rock Machine assassin, Gérald Gallant hundreds of thousands of dollars to kill Hells Angels members and associates. Gérald Gallant planned a hit on Boucher, but the plan was called off due to the intense police surveillance Boucher was under at the time. According to Sylvain Boulanger, a member of the Hells Angels Sherbrooke chapter who became a cooperating witness for the Crown, the Angels in turn offered $100,000 to anyone willing to kill Desfossés.

In 2000, high-ranking Rockers member (formerly a Hells Angels Nomads prospect), Vincent Lamar was sentenced to over 10 years in prison for planning to kill Rock Machine Montreal chapter member, Sun Chin Kwan. The hit was never carried out, but he had been sentenced due to videos that police found in his apartment. Sun Chin Kwan was an Asian full-patch member of the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club, he was also a expert martial artist. Kwan by this time had transferred to the Rock Machine's new chapter in Niagara Falls, were he would be arrested for drug trafficking. In 2000, the Rock Machine Montreal chapter was divided. Two new chapters were formed. The Montreal East chapter and the Montreal West chapter, which would be led by presidents, Serge "Merlin" Cyr and Normand Whissel. Both would be among the chapters to join the Bandidos in 2001.

The Rizzuto family, had for the most part remained neutral in the war. By Spring 2000, it had become clear to the Rizzuto's that the Hells Angels had gained the edge in the struggle. Vito Rizzuto chose to partner with the side that looked to be winning. The Rizzuto's began formalizing their partnership with the Angels. They had a series of meetings with Vito's son, Nicolò Rizzuto and Hells Angels Nomads member, Normand Robitaille. These meetings began in April 2000. Before the conflict the Rizzuto's had been involved in supplying both the Hells Angels and the Rock Machine, the Rock Machine under the Cazzetta's had strong ties with the Rizzuto's. At points, they had supplied both sides during the conflict. The Rock Machine had even taken it upon themselves to kill a member of the Cotroni crime family to gain favor with the Rizzuto's. In Spring 1995, they had made moves that supported the Rock Machine. They were willing to do business Boucher only. When he was imprisoned for a brief period in 1995 the Rizzuto's refused to sell them cocaine. This caused the prices for a single average kilogram of cocaine purchased by the Hells Angels to skyrocket to $35,000, this caused supply issues for their support clubs. Meanwhile, the Rock Machine was still being supplied narcotics and these actions allowed them to gain momentum and claim territory that Hells Angels associated Rockers had possessed since 1992. Many Rockers blamed the Rizzuto's for this incident.

On 17 April 2000, Normand Hamel, a leading member of the Hells Angels Nomads Quebec chapter was killed. He was shot multiple times when he attempted to flee from two Rock Machine members in a medical center parking lot in Laval. He and his wife had been their to take his daughter to the doctor. The former SS Motorcycle Club member had been in the club since 1985 and he was the highest ranking member of the Hells Angels to be killed during the conflict. On 12 May 2000, as retaliation, the Angels attempted to kill the two Rock Machine members, Tony Duguay and Denis Boucher, both suspected of killing Hamel. This led to a wild car chase, during which Duguay took bullet wounds to his arms, right hand, and thigh. About forty police officers from the Carcajou squad raided the Rock Machine chapter in Beauport but found nothing worthwhile, and in June 2000, the Rock Machine began recruiting members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Quebec and Ontario. Duguay, the Rock Machine member who was convicted of killing Hamel in 2006, was acquitted in 2016 when it was established that the eyewitness who gave the testimony that had convicted him had been fed information incriminating him by Detective Benoît Roberge, the senior anti-biker detective with the Montreal police who was secretly working for the Hells Angels, and that the witness had not actually seen Duguay killing Hamel as he had testified during his trial.

Police Sargent, Guy Ouellet stated that war was far from over, the Rock Machine had begun targeting the upper echelons of Hells Angels in a effort to cause as damage as possible and regain the initiative. "Since the war started, the adversaries want to strike hard so they target a major player within the enemy to shake them and that's exactly what has happened with the death of Hamel." The killing of Hamel would see a string of violent exchanges between the two groups until the Fall of 2000. The police also reported that while though the Rock Machine had been subject to serious police crackdowns at the beginning of the conflict, and in 1997. They had around 70 members or associates that were due to be released from prison in mid 2000. This would reinforce the Rock Machine's ranks on the outside. This allowed them to increase their war efforts. Staff Sargent. Levesque stated "There will obviously be many more soldiers. I'm not saying they will all be ready to fight again, but while they were inside I'm sure not too many of them became born again." Authorities expressed genuine concern that the conflict was again about to escalate.

On April 19, 2000, Hells Angels associate, Francis Carrière was killed by the Rock Machine. His corpse was found by police in the Laurentians shoved into a dumpster.

On April 20, 2000, Stéphane Sirois, a member of the Rockers was asked to kill one of the owners of the Castel Tina stripclub located in Saint-Leonard. The business was associated with the Rizzuto crime family. The Gervasi's were a small crime family associated with the Rizzuto's. Their leader, Paulo Gervasi and his son Salvatore Gervasi were longtime friends of their leader, Vito. He even maintained an office in the Castel Tina's upper levels. Even though the talks between the Hells Angels and the Rizzuto's had been kept quiet, some of the mafias dealers had heard about them but continued associating with the Rock Machine anyway. One of these groups was the Gervasi's. It was made clear by this point in the conflict to the Hells Angels that the Gervasi's had taken the side of the Rock Machine. The bouncer at the Tina allowed Rock Machine members to enter and wear their vests inside. The venue had also been involved financially with the Rock Machine as early as 1995. The club even had a private booth permanently reserved for it's members at the Castel Tina. Salvatore Gervasi was particularly close with the Rock Machine. He had connections with full-patch Rock Machine member, Tony Plescio, who he had great respect for. He also had contacts in the Rock Machine's death squad, the Dark Circle. Rizzuto family lieutenant, Francesco Arcadia and even Vito himself had approached the Gervasi's several times to ask them to disassociate with the Rock Machine. This was ignored and soon after, Salvatore Gervasi was killed and his body was jammed into the trunk of his vehicle.

On April 23, 2000, a confrontation occurred between incarcerated members of the Rock Machine and Hells Angels in Rivière-des-Prairies prison, prison authorities managed to intervene before the situation escalated. On May 26, 2000, a Rock Machine associate successfully fleas a assassination attempt in Montreal. On June 1, 2000. Quebec police announced that they had demolished the Rock Machine's clubhouse in Beauport. The building was confiscated by police after it was damaged by fire. They decided to simply destroy it, as restoration work would cost more that the buildings demise.

On June 6, 2000, Rock Machine associate François Gagnon is the victim of a shooting inside of his Montreal residence. On June 9, 2000, Rock Machine associate escapes an assassination attempt in Quebec City. On June 22, 2000, Louis "Melou" Roy the second-in-command of the Hells Angels Nomads chapter disappears and is at the time assumed killed by his fellow Hells Angels. Melou had at one point been the richest Hells Angels in Canada. His wealth was estimated to be in the several millions of dollars. On June 27, 2000, a Hells Angels associate in Montreal is shot and injured but survives.

On July 7, 2000, Boucher's plans to set up an internet company were derailed when a high-ranking member of the Hells Angels Montreal chapter, Robert "Bob" Savard was killed. Savard operated as a loan shark who charged 52% interest on the loans he made to the desperate and needy. He was gunned down at the "Déjeuners Eggstra!" restaurant in the north end of Montreal, Savard had been a known member of the Hells Angels for several years. He was also a close associate and was considered a right-hand man to Boucher. A second full-patch member of the Hells Angels, Normand Descoteaux is also injured. Descoteaux was formerly a professional hockey player, he eventually became a loan shark. Descoteaux was also a target for the assassination, but he survived by grabbing a waitress, Hélène Brunet, and using her as an involuntary human shield, ensuring that she took four bullets meant for him. Despite the way Brunet took bullets in her arms, legs and shin, Descoteaux was not charged. The shooter's were infamous Canadian hitman, Gerald Gallant and an unidentified associate of his. Gallant was employed by Michel Duclos, the leader of the Dark Circle and also frequently carried out contracts for the Rock Machine during the conflict with the Hells Angels, from 1980 to 2003, he was responsible for 28 murders and 13 attempted murders. His most active years were during the Quebec Biker War: In 1997, he killed two people and attempted to kill a third; in 1998, he killed five, including Paul Cotroni Jr., son of mob boss Frank Cotroni. On the same day, full-patch Rock Machine member, Martin "Frankie" Bourgeta was shot and killed in Granby.

This year of the conflict had taken a huge toll on the Rockers Motorcycle Club. Since Hamel's death in April 2000, the Rock Machine had murdered three full-fledged members of the Rockers. Also on August 11, 2000, two Rockers associates were kidnapped and killed in Saint-Léonard. Giuseppe Ciancia and Gianfranco Ferrara both disappeared. Three days prior there had been an attempt to kill both. The Hells Angels had also been forced to liquidate Rocker member, Stéphane "Archie" Hilareguy. This had been due to his failure during the assassination of Rock Machine associate François Gagnon.

On August 21, 2000, the body of a independent drug dealer is found by authorities inside his home in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. He had been struck with several bullets. On September 10, 2000, Hells Angels loan shark, Marc "Jean" Dufour, was killed in Ascension, Quebec. Yannick Chagnon, a associate of the Rock Machine, was arrested and charged for the murder on November 3, 2000. On September 19, 2000, police find the burnt remains of one of the full-patch Rockers in the Laurentians.

At some point in 2000, a incarcerated member of the Rock Machine Ontario got into a altercation with a member of the now pro-Angels Satan's Choice, Harley Guindon, son of Satan's Choice founder, Bernie Guindon. The Rock Machine member knew his associations and attempted to antagonize him by drawing his attention to a sketch on a wall nearby, it depicted a man urinating on the number "81" which was the initials for the Hells Angels. This caused a violent exchange between the two that left the Rock Machine member with a fractured orbital bone, Guindon was thrown in solitary.

On December 16, 2000, just before the Rock Machine became full-fledged Bandidos. Niagara Falls police announced that they had arrested and charged a high-ranking member of the Rock Machine's Niagara Falls chapter. Sun Chin Kwon was arrested, he would later be charged by police on seven counts related to the trafficking of narcotics in March 2001. Police had also seized drugs, a loaded .45-caliber pistol and bulletproof armor. Niagara Regional Police commented "Kwon first came to the attention of the police when reports were received that indicated he was trying to establish himself as a drug supplier for the Rock Machine in the Niagara region, He is also still affiliated with the motorcycle club's Montreal chapter."

On December 24, 2000, Rock Machine Quebec City chapter member, Tony Duguay was accused of traveling to Toronto, Ontario to kill a Hells Angels associate. He was also accused of being one of the two Rock Machine members to kill Hells Angel Normand Hamel, he would later be acquitted of both due to illegitimate testimony from an informant.

Truce & joining the Bandidos

The public assassination attempt of famed reporter Michel Auger along with increasing police pressure on Quebec's underground caused the Rizzuto family to broker a truce between the two groups. This forced Boucher to reach out to Faucher about formulating peace talk between the clubs. Faucher expressed genuine surprise when he received the invitation, there was even talks of a patch-over. Faucher contacted Salvatore Cazzetta, who in a prison in Florida to tell him about the meeting. Cazzetta was "horrified", he thought the Rock Machine would be killed the second they showed up at the meeting. Regardless Faucher went ahead. On September 26, 2000, the Hells Angels and the Rock Machine met for the first time during the war to try and end the fighting. The meeting occurred in a Quebec City courthouse as authorities denied both groups preferred meeting places. The meeting went positively, this led to a second meeting two weeks later.

By October 2000, the Rock Machine's "hang-around" period was nearing 18 months and Bandidos had to make a decision. At a Bandidos meeting attended by Edward Winterhalder, it was discussed if the Rock Machine should join. The Australian and European Bandidos voiced that the Rock Machine should be given their patches immediately. Something that Winterhalder agreed with. There was resistance to this by then Bandidos USA national president, George Wegers and national vice-president Jeffery Pike. Winterhalder had heard from fellow Bandidos that Wegers had made an agreement with Hells Angels in United States and Canada that the Rock Machine would never become Bandidos. The Angels had told him that the Bandidos should never 'patch-over" anyone the Hells Angels are at war with, he agreed with this sentiment. Winterhalder did not know if it was true, but he would soon become aware Wegers duplicitous nature. After much debate it was decided by Bandidos members from the US, Europe and Australia. That once the Hells Angels and Rock Machine had brokered a peace deal, the Rock Machine would become a probationary club for the Bandidos. That night three representatives of the Rock Machine arrived at the meeting, this included Alain "Red Tomato" Brunette, Martin "Blue" Blouin and Alain "Will" Williamson. They were told by Bandidos leadership that "If you can broker peace with the Hells Angels, then and only then would the Rock Machine be allowed to become Bandidos." Everybody unanimously agreed, Winterhalder believes Wegers only agreed because he assumed the peace could never last.

Hells Angels Rock Machine truce 2000

What the Bandidos leadership did not know was that the Rock Machine was at that very moment formalizing a truce with the Hells Angels and had made significant progress. On October 8, 2000, a meeting was hosted by the Rizzuto family at the Bleu Martin restaurant on Thanksgiving Day. Representatives for the Hells Angels included Maurice Boucher, Normand Robitaille and Richard Mayrand. The Rock Machine's representatives were Fred Faucher, Paul Porter and Nelson Fernandez. At the meeting, Boucher and Faucher announce that hostilities have ended. Members of the Hells Angels and Rock Machine had dinner together at and while a photographer from Allô Police recorded the scene, the leaders of the Hells Angels and the Rock Machine exchanged handshakes, hugged and broke bread together (a common symbol in French-Canada of reconciliation). To seal the truce, the biker leaders then went to the Super-Sexe, the most exclusive and expensive strip club in Montreal on the Rue Sainte-Catherine.

On November 15, 2000, the Bandidos held an international meeting in Denmark. High-ranking Rock Machine members, Brunette, Blouin and Williamson were also present, their plan was to finalize the merger. Following the meeting the group attended a full-patch celebration for a Bandidos chapter in Aachen, Germany. Leadership from Bandidos Europe and Australia had spent the journey trying to convince Wegers to accept. Once there the Rock Machine members met with Jean "Charley" Duquaire, who was the president of the Rock Machine Quebec (oversees all of the clubs operations in the province of Quebec). He was given an update on the events of the international gathering by his fellow Mechanists. Duquaire had travelled to Germany force George Wegers to hold true to the Rock Machine and patch them over, or as Duquaire said to Winterhalder, "pull his pants up and act like a man." Duquaire met with Wegers, along with other high-ranking Bandidos and told that the Rock Machine was ready to become Bandidos. The conflict had heavy effected both the Hells Angels and the Rock Machine, the Rock Machine had endured several damaging events. The Rock Machine was intent on merging with the Bandidos to stop the violence. Wegers was forced to agree and the probationary ceremony was discussed for December 2000. It was also decided that the Rock Machine would gain full status on January 6, 2001.

On December 1, 2000, the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club became an official probationary club of the Bandidos. At the ceremony in on Jane Street in Vaughan, Ontario. Bikers from the Rock Machine, Bandidos and Loners gathered at a local banquet hall. As 45 members of the Rock Machine Ontario receive their probationary patches, Rock Machine allies, the Loners Motorcycle Club provided security for the event. Just before the Rock Machine became full-fledged members they established a new support club for the incoming Bandidos. In 2000, the Rock Machine had absorbed both chapters their support club, the Palmers so that its members could also become Bandidos. The new club was known as the Killers Beez MC, when the Rock Machine patched over to the Bandidos it instantly fell under their control. Some of its members would be involved in the 2002 crackdowns.

On December 6, 2000, 255 police officers raided 34 locations in Quebec City and the surrounding area targeting the Rock Machine. Officers also tracked and arrested 14 members of the Rock Machine's Quebec City chapter. This included, Rock Machine national vice-president Marcel Demers and national president Fred Faucher. Along with his three principle lieutenants, Gerald Gagnon, Michel Langlois and Simon Bedard. They also arrested one member from the Montreal chapter. Several associates who did business with the club were also arrested, all 16 individuals were brought up on narcotics trafficking charges. The personal "drugs rings" operated by Demers and Faucher, were accused of distributed more than two kilos of cocaine a month (value of over $400,000) and generated around $5 million in profits annually (modern equivalent of almost $10,000,000 dollars US). And this just accounted for the private sales of Faucher and Demers. Other members arrested were brought up on additional charges for their own networks. Police were "unable to place a figure on the value" but seized significant quantities of drugs, including cocaine, PCP, ecstasy and hashish. They also confiscated cash, two firearms and three vehicles. On May 11, 2001, Faucher would plead guilty to 28 separate charges, including trafficking of narcotics and ordering seven different bombings between 1996 and 1997. Demers would plead guilty to 17 charges brought against him. Jean Duquaire would be elected last national president of the Rock Machine (which was now a prospective club for the Bandidos). Alain Brunette would be promoted to the position of Rock Machine national vice-president. And Jean-Claude Belanger would replace Brunette as president of the Quebec City chapter.

Hells Angels national president, Walter Stadnick, seeking to weaken the incoming Bandidos, offered Rock Machine members Hells Angels membership on a "patch-for-patch" basis. This allowed members to trade their current patches for equivalent Hells Angels patches. This was influential due to the fact the Bandidos had refused to grant full members status to "Full-Patch" members of the Rock Machine, it forced them to become probationary members of the Bandidos and take a reduction in ranking. This angered some members, along with abandoning the Rock Machine namesake for a Texas-based entity. it was also felt by some that the Bandidos patch with its cartoonish drawing of a Mexican bandit was "silly". Stadnick offered the Hells Angels membership to the Rock Machine's Kingston, Niagara Falls and Toronto chapters while excluding the London chapter, saying that the members of the London chapter were unqualified to be Hells Angels.

Due to this offer, at least 11 members of the Rock Machine chose to join their arch rivals instead of the Bandidos from late 2000 to early 2001. This included four high-ranking members, Paul "Sasquatch" Porter, who was the Rock Machine Ontario president (oversees all of the clubs operations in the province of Ontario). Porter was extremely influential in the club and was responsible for initiating the expansion of the Rock Machine into Ontario. Following the Rock Machine's acceptance as a probationary club, messages of congratulations from Bandidos international community were posted on the Rock Machine's website. A comment from Porter on the Rock Machine's website read: "Hello to all the RMMC, I wish you the best with your new colours! Bye my brothers!" On December 19, 2000, Porter would become the president of the new Hells Angels Ontario Nomads chapter located in Ottawa area. Richard Mayrand would deliver the patches. This gave the Hells Angels their first chapter in Ontario. Other high-ranking Rock Machine members included former national sergeant-at-arms, André "Curly" Sauvageau, former national vice-president president, Nelson Fernandes and former Dark Circle member turned Rock Machine, Salvatore Brunetti. Sauvageau, Fernandez and Brunetti would instantly get membership and positions in the Hells Angels Ontario Nomads chapter. This was all done despite for years prior, all of them had planned to assassinate high-ranking members of the club they had just joined. Three Rock Machine prospects and one full-patch member that were in prison also chose to join the Hells Angels. This would include Montreal chapter enforcer, Éric "Beluga" Leclerc, Jimmy Larivée, Gaetan Coe and Stéphane Veilleux. Because three were not full-patch members of the Rock Machine, they were given prospective status in the Hells Angels. After the end of the war, from late 2002–2005 several more former Rock Machine members would join the Angels. (Salvatore Cazzetta, Gillies Lambert and Jean-Judes Faucher).

Alain "Red Tomato" Brunette, revealed that he refused an offer to switch sides as he told Detective Roberge: "They killed my friends, my brother bikers. And now they want to change sides? I'm not a prostitute". Not wanting to loose ground to the Rock Machine in the province, the Hells Angels gave a limited time offer to outlaw motorcycle clubs in Ontario (especially Satan's Choice and the Para-dice Riders). There would be no probationary period for Hells Angels club membership and all members would receive full-patch, "patch for patch". This resulted in 168 members of the Para-Dice Riders, Satan's Choice, Lobos and Last Chance joining to the Angels. This would occur on December 29, 2000, they received their new patches in Sorel. Overnight the Hells Angels went from one (Nomads) chapter in Ontario to 13, giving them a massive advantage in the province. From the Satan's Choice, they received 98 members and chapters in Thunder Bay, Kitchener, Keswick, Sudbury, Oshawa, Simco County and Toronto East. The Para-Dice Riders gave the Angels 37 members and their Downtown Toronto (aka. Toronto Central) and Woodbridge chapters. Last Chance gave them 24 members and the Toronto West chapter, and the Windsor chapter from the Lobos, along with nine members. This gave the Hells Angels 29 Canadian chapters in total, with 418 full-patch members in Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. At this point in time Toronto had the largest concentration of Hells Angels members in the entire world. At the ceremony the Angels also established a prospective chapter in Niagara Falls. It had eleven prospects and was to be led by Walter Stadnick. This brought their number of full-fledged chapters in Ontario to thirteen, with one prospective chapter.

2001

On January 6, 2001. The Rock Machine temporarily ceased to exist, and they became full-fledged Bandidos. Notable Canadian crime journalist, Jerry Langton commented on how the Hells Angels had not been able to defeat the smaller Rock Machine: "The Rock Machine might have ceased to exist, but it wasn't because of the Hells Angels, instead of surrendering Faucher and his men wanted to get stronger." The Rock Machine Kingston chapter clubhouse was chosen as the location for the ceremony. At the time, it was seen as a central point of Rock Machine's territory, which by late 2000 extended from east of Quebec City to Toronto; it even had chapters and members as far away as London, Ontario and Val-d'Or, Quebec. Present were representatives from the Bandidos USA, Sweden and Norway. The new Bandidos were merged into seven chapters in Canada. The Nomads, Toronto, Kingston, Quebec City, Montreal East, Montreal West and Niagara Falls.

The Scandinavian Bandidos had sponsored the Rock Machine and were technically responsible for them, but the Canadian Bandidos ultimately took orders from the American mother chapter. Jean "Charley" Duquaire had formerly been the Rock Machine's Quebec president (who oversees all of the clubs operations in the province of Quebec), he been promoted after the arrest of Fred Faucher in December 2000. He was (at the time) the last national president of the Rock Machine. So when the patch-over occurred he had automatically become the first national president of Canadian Bandidos (Presidente). Former Rock Machine national vice-president, Alain Brunette had received the position from Duquaire and became the Bandidos Canada first national vice-president (Vice Presidente); when elections occurred in soon after he was named national president. Robert "Tout Tout" Léger had been promoted to Bandidos Canada national secretary (Secretario). Former Rock Machine Montreal chapter full-patch and Palmers leader, André Désormeaux was tasked as Bandidos national sargent-at-arms (Sargentode Armas).

"It is a testament to the legacy of men who are now considered biker heroes, held in high regard as men of respect by bikers worldwide. The Rock Machine (Bandidos Quebec) are indicative of a fearless and principled group of men who refused to be told what to do, refused to be controlled, and who ultimately refused to sacrifice their integrity, no matter what it took." ~ Edward Winterhalder

Winterhalder, a high ranking national Bandido, had travelled from Oklahoma to Canada as the Bandidos national chapter representative at the ceremony. He was able to cross the Detroit-Windsor border with the help of his sister, he had been discussed at a construction worker. He travelled up the 401 highway from London to Toronto, but not before visiting both the London chapters of the Bandidos and Outlaws. While staying at a hotel, Winterhalder read about several American Bandidos being arrested at Pearson Airport in Toronto. Winterhalder had also been described in the article, this led him to conclude that either someone from the Bandidos or Outlaws London had talked to authorities about the Rock Machine becoming Bandidos. Winterhalder decided it wasn't wise to arrive at the Rock Machine's Kingston clubhouse. He instead met up with Robert Léger, the national secretary of the Rock Machine and former member of the Montreal chapter. Léger had been ordered by the courts to not have any contact with his fellow Rock Machine members, even though most members were now becoming Bandidos. They arrived a motel close to the clubhouse and had dinner. They had planned to go back to Quebec, from where Winterhalder could make his way home. Winterhalder and Léger sent a message to the Kingston clubhouse to inform the new Bandidos of their departure. While waiting for a reply in their motel room, they were arrested by Kingston Police and members of the Ontario Provincial Police's (OPP) Anti-Biker Unit. Winterhalder was questioned by two immigration officers. He was held by Canadian Department of Immigration and was eventually granted a $20,000 bail. On January 17, 2001, while awaiting extradition, Edward Winterhalder was granted bail and would travel with vice-president Burnette to Toronto. There they met the new Bandidos Toronto chapters.

On January 13, 2001, the truce brokered by the Rizzuto Family was broken after almost three months of peace. Roger Berthiaume, a prospect for the Hells Angels affiliated Rockers was shot and killed in Montreal. Berthiaume had formerly been an associate of the Rock Machine who charged sides in December 2000. By early 2001, authorities had established that the number of deaths in the conflict so far was over 150. On January 18, 2001, Réal "Tin Tin" Dupont was shot and killed while in his car in Montreal. Dupont had been an integral member of the Rock Machine. His area of expertise was in intelligence gathering, which he used in gathering information on the Rock Machine's enemies. When his house was later searched by police, they found a computer containing files of information about the Hells Angels and their associates. This was seen as significant because Dupont was the first full-fledged Bandido to be killed in the conflict.

In February 2001, the Bandidos North Toronto chapter (formerly Iron Hawgs, then Outlaws, then Rock Machine, then Bandidos) consisted of nine members. Five members including chapter president, Bill Miller, along with Bruce Dorian, a founding member of the Rock Machine's Kingston chapter, also joined the Hells Angels. The remaining four members of the Toronto North chapter chose to retire from "the life". But these numbers were not large enough to create a new chapter initially, so they were temporarily transferred to reinforce the new Hell Angels chapter in Woodbridge (former Para-Dice Riders). These bikers were not immediately trusted, as they had been in four clubs over the past 2 years. It was decided that they, along with a few others would form the Hells Angels Toronto North chapter on March 2, 2001. It was given prospective status, it was not allowed to recruit prospects, but was granted the ability to choose hang-around members. On December 7, 2002, the chapter would receive full-fledged status.

On February 13, 2001, Bandidos national president, Brunette was the victim of an assassination attempt. His automobile was shot at while driving down a highway near Mirabel airport. Brunette's car took four bullets while he himself took two bullets to his chest. Despite bleeding badly, Brunette was able to reverse his car and sped away from the shooters. It was now apparent to the people of Quebec that the truce between the two groups was over. Violence again began to appear in the headlines. February 14, 2001, saw the murder of Bandidos hang-around, Michel Gauthier 140 km (87 mi) north of Montreal. The Damners Motorcycle Club had been established in New Brunswick as a Hells Angels support club. They had one of their members kidnapped by the Bandidos; he was never seen again. At least an additional twenty businesses and buildings associated with the Hells Angels were either bombed or firebombed over spring of 2001.

On March 28, 2001, a massive investigation by Canadian authorities dubbed Operation Springtime was launched against the Hells Angels. The raids resulted in the arrests of 138 members of their members, including Maurice Boucher himself and associates connected with the motorcycle club. This event weakened the Hells Angels for a time and over the next couple months it would bring about a power vacuum in the country's narcotics market.

On May 22, 2001, former Rock Machine members were joined in the Bandidos by a few chapters of the Loners Motorcycle Club. Prominent members included, Peter "Peppi" Barilla, Glenn "Wrongway" Atkinson, Luis"Porkchop or Chopper" Raposo, Robert "Bob" Pammett, Wayne "Weiner" Kellestine, Giovanni "Boxer" Muscedere, James "Ripper" Fullager and eventually exiled Loners co-founder, Frank Lenti.

On August 12, 2001, Bandidos national secretary, Robert Léger was staying with his wife at his cottage in Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley. Two gunmen approached the chalet and forced their way inside. They began to shoot Léger; as he fled the building, he was followed and killed. He had been shot a total of eleven times. By August 2001, Alain Burnette had been promoted to national president of the Bandidos Canada; he had been with high ranking Bandido, Edward Winterhalder in Sturgis. When they heard of Léger's death, it deeply affected them at the time. On August 24, 2001, Normand Whissel, ordered retaliations for the assassination of Robert Léger. Tony Duguay and four other members gathered tons of weapons and travelled to Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. The plan was to assassinate Hells Angel associate, Gaétan Bradette. He was a close personal friend of Maurice Boucher. The assassination failed because the police arrested them at the last moment.

In December 2000, André Desormeaux was made the Rock Machine's national sargent-at-arms following the departure of Andrew "Curly" Sauvageau. During the summer months of 2001, he ordered a massive series of arson attacks against Hells Angels associated businesses. He stated, "I want it to burn in my area" while offering members or prospects $1,500 rewards for each arson. From June until August, 35 business or buildings belonging or associated with the Angles were burnt down with almost zero response. This caused a severe amount of financial and physical damage. The attacks were so bad that Quebec authorities actually had to threaten the Bandidos with an investigation to stop.

2002 & Operation Amigo

In January 2002, while in prison Rizzuto family soldier Ramón Fernández had heard from an associate "Jay", that did business with Hells Angels. He informed him that they had almost disappeared in Quebec due to Operation Springtime.

"I was with one of the main guys in Montreal. They're f*cked. They're all inside. All of the Nomads are inside, the Rockers are inside. On January 29, 2002, a listening device concealed in his (Jay) car recorded his conversation with Steven "Tiger" Lindsay, a full-patch member of the Hells Angels Woodbridge chapter. He complained that the Rizzuto brokered truce between the Hells Angels and the Rock Machine had not lasted long enough for the Angels to fully exploit."

On March 10, 2002, near Kingston, the OPP were involved in a short chase. for speeding on the 401 highway a car carrying Daniel Lamer and Marc Bouffard, both of whom were members of the Rockers MC the Hells Angels support club in Montreal. As Bouffard was arrested and placed in a cop car. Lamer brandishing two pistols opened fire on OPP constable Dan Brisson, who was shot through the torso. However he returned fire, killing Lamer. Found inside the car were a bulletproof vest two additional handguns and a silencer. The men were also found to be in possession of several older photos of Alain "Red Tomato" Brunette, the former national vice-president of the Rock Machine (now serving as the Bandidos national president), along with the entire membership of the prospective Rock Machine Ontario West chapter located in London, Ontario. Despite being in prison, the Hells Angels had ordered the two Rockers travel from Montreal to kill the new Bandidos.

In Spring 2002, Giovanni Muscedere was elected to become the Bandidos Ontario vice-president. This came after the arrest of his predecessor, Peter "Peppi" Barilla. He had been imprisoned under allegations of narcotics trafficking. Both men were former members of the Loners Motorcycle Club.

The Bandidos Canada were looking to take advantage of this opportunity to regain lost territory and take new territory from the Hells Angels. They had launched a campaign of intimidation against Hells Angels-owned or associated businesses, which saw 27 arsons or bombings against the Angels in just the first months of summer of 2002. This massive series of attacks launched by the Bandidos left several people injured and one dead. Several people were also made homeless. However, a concurrent investigation, Operation Amigo, was underway targeting the Bandidos Canada operations. This operation had initially gone under a different title and was created to target the Rock Machine as a result of the conflict in Quebec. When the Rock Machine patched over to the Bandidos, the Bandidos became the main focus. Authorities openly stated that Operation Amigo was a pre-emptive move by police against the Bandidos. This had initially been planned almost 3 years prior. This was done out of fear that Rock Machine would fill the void left by the resulting power vacuum when the Hells Angels had large portions of it's membership in Ontario and Quebec incarcerated due to the planned Operation Springtime in March 2001.

On June 5, 2002, raids led to the arrests of 63 former members of the Rock Machine (Bandidos Canada), including most of its membership in Quebec, along with many other associates. The Montreal East and Montreal West chapters had their entire membership put in prison, while the Quebec City chapter had half of its members arrested. The 63 defendants belonged mostly to the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Ontario had seven members arrested, 54 members were arrested in Quebec and one from New Brunswick. They were charged with a series of crimes including; gangsterism, murder, conspiracy to murder, possession of weapons and trafficking in all possible types of narcotics: cannabis, hashish, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, GHB, Viagra and even steroids.

The results of the raids in Kingston, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Val-d'Or, along with 29 other locations in Quebec were fruitful. The authorities seized close to 40 firearms of various models, 197 kg (434 lb) of hashish, 14 kg (31 lb) of cocaine, 200 marijuana plants, clothing and equipment with the colours of the Bandidos, CDs and books containing personal information about their opposition (Hells Angels and their support clubs) and over $125,000 in cash. The former Rock Machine had been trying for the last year, since Operation Springtime, to recapture their territory, and claim territory that had become open when the Hells Angels were arrested. They had even made deals with the powerful elements Canadian underworld to do just this, but the Quebec police did not give them the opportunity.

On September 25, 2002, as part of Operation Amigo, raids against former members of the Rock Machine and their associates would continued in conjunction with project Retire against the Outlaw. Authorities searched 34 locations in Ontario, Montreal, Quebec City, Témiscamingue. This time they targeted the clubs associates, drug networks and remaining members. An additional 60 individuals with associations to the Bandidos were arrested. They faced a total of 153 charges relating to the distribution under the authority of the Rock Machine and Bandidos. One man is killed by the authorities during one of these searches. These events also led to the arrest of two Quebec Licensing Bureau employees, Stéphanie Loca and her partner, Raymond Turgeon. She had been a long-time associate of the Rock Machine and had used her position to access the bureau's database and provide Rock Machine members with personal information about Hells Angels members and their associates throughout the conflict. This process continued after they joined the Bandidos. Both would plead guilty to 25 counts of unauthorized use of the database of the SDAQ.

When the raids finally subsided, they had seen 65 former Rock Machine full-patch members arrested. The club had no full-patch members remaining within their former stronghold of Quebec, while around 15 full-patch members remained in Ontario. Around 6 to 8 members had gone into hiding to avoid incarceration. These events caused the Bandidos Canada to issue a public statement, announcing that it had been forced to freeze it's three chapters in Quebec due to the raids. This included the Montreal East, Montreal West and Quebec City chapters. These had been chapters that had patched-over from the Rock Machine.

End of conflict & aftermath

These raids brought an official end to the conflict, as it was the first time since the start of the war that both sides had large numbers of men and their respective leaders in custody, facing charges. The Rock Machine and Alliance had fought the Hells Angels for seven years. With the truces bringing a temporary end to the violence, the war between the Hells Angels and Bandidos "never did fully materialize" in Canada, not like it had with the Rock Machine. The Quebec Biker War is the deadliest recorded biker conflict in history, with over 162 dead (including 17 uninvolved, innocent people), over 170 attempted murders more than 300 wounded, 500-plus arrested and 16–20 people missing. It also cost the government of Canada and province of Quebec millions of dollars in damages, with 190 bombings, and over 140 cases of arson. By comparison, the average murders attributed to outlaw motorcycle clubs in Quebec during 2006 was six, compared to an average of 35 murders a year during the conflict.

In total, 1997 had been the deadliest year so far in the conflict. Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) reported that this was the year that the conflict went from "waging turf war to total war". With twenty-eight people were killed, this brought the total for the conflict to 68 dead. From 1994 until the end of 1997, there were also 71 attempted murders, 81 bombings, 93 arsons and a total of 313 violent incidents. These are the reported instances, alone. By mid 2000, most of the conflicts over 150 deaths came from low-ranking components or associates of the two clubs. By this point, only 11 full-fledged Rock Machine members (Normand Baker, Christian Deschesnes, Renaud Jomphe, Richard Lagacé, Johnny Plescio, Denis Belleau, Stéphane Morgan, Martin Dupont, Yvon Roy, Tony Plescio and an unnamed member who died on January 15, 1995 via a bomb that detonated prematurely) and 8 full-patch Hells Angels (Richard Émond, Bruno Van Lerberghe, Normand Hamel, Steven Salhani, Richard Savard, Louis Roy, Scott Steinert and Donald Magnussen) had died during the time of the conflict, either through enemy fire, incidents or internal issues.

Following Operation Amigo, Winterhalder tried his best to support and direct the Canadian Bandidos, as a member of the Bandidos USA national chapter he was responsible for members in Canada. It was in constant contact and had several meetings with its members. The first step was electing new leadership. As Bandidos national president, Alain Brunette, national vice-president, Jean "Charley" Duquaire, national sergeant-at-arms, André “Dédé” Désormeaux, national secretary, Eric "Ratkiller" Nadeau and Bandidos Quebec president, Martin "Blue" Blouin had been imprisoned. (All chapter presidents were also arrested, this included Serge "Merlin" Cyr and Normand Whissel of the Montreal East and West chapters, along with Jean-Claude Belanger from the Quebec City chapter) With Winterhalder's consent, the incarcerated Brunette chose his successor. Bandidos Ontario vice-president, Giovanni Muscedere was promoted to Bandidos Canada national president. This was due to the fact that he was the only member of the Bandidos national chapter (Bandidos Nomads Canada) that was not incarcerated or facing some kind of issue. Glenn Atkinson was selected to replace Nadeau as the Bandidos Canada national secretary. After the raids in 2002, the remaining Ontario Bandidos resided in three chapters. In 2003, these would be merged into a single larger chapter based in Toronto.

Shortly after these events, new Canadian president Muscedere along with Toronto chapter member, Luis Raposo travelled to the United States to meet with Winterhalder. They assured him that they were still committed to the Bandidos and wanted to fix the club. With Winterhalder's guidance and instruction, they would begin planning the future of the Bandidos Canada. A plan was also developed to aid Bandidos members that were incarcerated. It took secretary, Atkinson months to compile a list of members and personal details with the trials upcoming. These were extremely turbulent times for the Bandidos Canada. Winterhalder stated, "I admired Presidente Boxer’s and Bandido Porkchop’stenacity and told them they could count on me to do whatever I could. I welcomed them into my home, and we spent an entire day discussing how we could resurrect what was left of Bandidos Canada. I knew that in order to do that, it was imperative to recruit new members and start new chapters, not justin Ontario, but in Western Canada as well."

What the Bandidos (along with the Rock Machine and Rockers before them) did not realize that Nadeau was a "career informant". Nadeau had formerly been a member of the Rockers before switching sides and becoming a Rock Machine associate. He would never join the ranks of the Rock Machine, but he had joined the group after they became Bandidos. His knowledge and veteran attitude impressed the club, especially El Presidente, Brunette. He would prove himself and quickly rise through the group's ranks. He was eventually elected Bandidos national secretary by Brunette after the death of Robert Léger in 2001. He used his position in the Bandidos to collect information for his handlers. When he was arrested he had taken most of the Bandidos Canada records with him. When it came to court, Nadeau had been the witness responsible for a vast majority of charges brought against the group. Unfortunately for the authorities in Canada, Nadeau was known to lie so his testimony was deemed "unreliable". This caused a majority of the charges to be thrown away by the prosecution.

"Many of the Bandidos (Rock Machine) sitting in jail awaiting trial, with as many as six or seven charges against them, suddenly found all charges dismissed or had to answer to only one or two. In many cases, those charges proved to be relatively minor,such as possession of a weapon or small amounts of hashish or marijuana. With freedom just around the corner, they readily pleaded guilty to those charges and received a sentence of time already served while awaiting their court date."

In total, of the over 120 former Rock Machine Quebec members or associates arrested. (This included 65 former full-patch members) Only four would become informants, with the most senior being Peter "Buddy" Paradis. Others included former members Sylvain "BF" Beaudry (former Alliance member), Patrick "Boul" Hénault and Rock Machine associate, Eric "Ratkiller" Nadeau. Out of the 65 former members of the Rock Machine, 49 would enter plea deals. In the end, only twelve would actually go to trial, these were members that faced more serious charges or accusations. The first group would be sentenced on June 12, 2003. High-ranking members included Jean Duquaire (12 years),former Rock Machine Quebec vice-president and "Duquaire's right hand man", Stéphane Paquin (4.5 years), Rock Machine gunrunner, Réginald Berger (4 years) and former Bandidos national sargent-at-arms, André Désormeaux. Désormeaux was the first of three former members of the Rock Machine to actually plead guilty to gangsterism charges during the trials. He would also plead guilty to additional charges for arson, drug trafficking, and attempted murder, he received a 16-year sentence (the longest received during Operation Amigo). The arrest of members led to some of their private properties and businesses being searched under cause following Amigo. Desormeaux had one of his properties searched, there police found a marijuana plantation with over 400 plants. These would all be seized along with almost $130,000 in cash. Duquaire also had his properties raided, police seized several kilos of hash cocaine, four illegal guns, including a fully automatic machine gun and over $40,000 in cash, while an additional $60,000 was found at a property belonging to Stéphane Paquin.

The second group consisted of five Bandidos were sentenced in September 2004. They included former Rock Machine members, Normand Whissel (15 years), Tony Duguay (13 years), Benoit Fortin (9 years), Yves Filiatreault (5.5 years) and Jacques Morin (10 years). As a group, they would plead guilty to 22 counts including, arson, narcotics trafficking, gangsterism and illegal weapons possession. The final group had actually entered court in January 2004, however the trial was postponed until June 2005. This group included former president Alain Brunette and former sargent-at-arms and Montreal chapter president Serge Cyr, each received 8 years in prison, minus time served while awaiting trial. Both men would be released in June 2007.

In July 2003, 13 months after the end of the war, the Bandidos officially dissolved in Quebec. Following the raids in 2002, Canadian authorities and politicians wantedthe world to know they were cracking down and crushing the Bandidos to protect their citizens, so it's events were highly publicized. In reality they secretly saw it as a form of revenge for their prior failure to keep the Texas-based club out of Canada to begin with.For the most part, the dismantling of Bandidos Quebec was "played to the maxby the police and media." Yet only a single small article was released in the Montreal Gazette that was dedicated to the official disillusion. The article stated that incarcerated members of the Bandidos Quebec had agreed to a deal with the Hells Angels. It was agreed that they would not resurrect the Bandidos in Quebec after their release from incarceration. In turn, the Hells Angels would guaranteed former Bandidos safety while they were serving their sentences and post release. It had been a difficult decision for all the Canadian Bandidos involved. The accounts of news media and journalists slightly vary from that of Edward Winterhalder. The high-ranking US Bandidos that had been the selected to oversees the Canadian Bandidos and provide the counsel during this period. He recalled the agreement of the Bandidos Quebec. Winterhalder said that the article had correctly stated that the Quebec Bandidos had made a deal with the Angels. But they did not mention the full agreement.

"The agreement also specified that if any of the former Quebec Bandidos had a desire to continue being Bandidos after their release from prison, they could transfer to Bandidos Ontario. Complying with this agreement meant that there would never again be Bandidos in Quebec. More important,the agreement meant that the biker killings were definitely over in “La Belle Province.” For all intents and purposes, the Hells Angels had “won” the struggle for Quebec. Ironically, it was a war won due the assistance of the authorities. By taking the Bandidos (Rock Machine) off the streets of Montreal, law enforcement actually contributed to the Hells Angels rising to the top of the biker pyramid in Canada."

By 2002, Harold Pelletier violated his June 1996 plea deal. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment with a promise that he receive full parole after 10 years served, in exchange for which he shared all he knew about the Montreal underworld. The Crown justified the plea bargain with Pelletier, given that he was guilty of 17 murders, on the grounds he was a "mine of information" about the underworld of Montreal. Pelletier's motives for striking a plea bargain was that the "Alliance against the Angels" which was an alliance of independent drug dealers was collapsing and he wanted Crown protection from the Angels. In 2002, Harold Pelletier violated the terms of his plea bargain, under which he promised not to commit any more crimes. He was caught attempting to bribe another prison inmate to kill a prisoner whom he disliked, allowing the Crown to revoke its agreement and Pelletier was not released in June 2006 as was promised 10 years earlier. Pelletier finally received full parole in December 2013 after he completed his high school equivalency degree, started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and demonstrated an ability to get along with penitentiary staff.

In March 2009, Operation Player was launched, which saw the arrest of eleven former members of the Rock Machine and the Alliance. This included former Rock Machine president's, Frédéric Faucher and Marcel Demers. These event's occurred after Former Rock Machine and West End Gang hitman, Gerald Gallant became a Crown informant. Gallant had been employed by the Rock Machine and had also been employed to do jobs by the Dark Circle. During the conflict with the Hells Angels, he had been hired by Faucher seven times, Demers was accused of sanctioning 12 murders and 5 attempted murders. Other club leaders Claude Vézina and Giovanni Cazzetta had also hired him several times between the years of 1994 and 2002. Gallant had attempted to flee to Geneva, Switzerland but was eventually arrested on credit card fraud and mistaken identity, testifying and giving more than fifty hours of statements. This enabled the authorities to apprehend Faucher, Demers, and 9 other sponsors or accomplices of his 28 murders and 12 attempted murders. On 8 November 2012, almost all accused, including Faucher and Demers, avoided going to trial over the Gallant murders; they pleaded guilty to the lesser charges, in some cases this would add additional time to their already existing sentences.

Break from the Bandidos

Fall of the Bandidos and Mongols Canada

On April 8, 2006, an event known as the Shedden massacre occurred. The incident saw the murders of eight prominent members of the Bandidos Canada at a farm house in Iona Station, located just outside of London, Ontario (it is referred to as the Shedden massacre because the bodies were dumped near the hamlet of Shedden). Following the massacre and preceding events, the Bandidos Canada closed its doors officially in October 2007. A failed attempt to get the club back on its feet by the then released Frank Lenti, lack of support from American and European Bandidos, and the Canadian members suspicions about their American counterparts involvement in the murders led to the closure. Later during 2008, it was confirmed by the president of the newly reformed Rock Machine, that there were still 27 members of the Bandidos that were still active in Canada at the time, none of which were involved in the massacre.

Following the destruction on the "No Surrender Crew" (Nomads Canada) in the Shedden massacre the Bandidos dissolved in 2007. At the time, they had six active chapters in Canada. The Toronto East, Toronto North, Toronto South, Toronto West, Winnipeg and Calgary chapters. Most of these would join the Mongols and then the resurging Rock Machine. High-ranking Bandidos member, Edward Winterhalder stated that in Fall 2007, many Loners and most of the Bandidos had joined the Mongols Motorcycle Club in Ontario and Western Canada. The membership of its Winnipeg chapter was doubled and the Mongols also created a chapter in Calgary, Alberta. Eventually becoming disgruntled with their us counterparts, the Mongols Canada was also dissolved. Most of the ex-Bandidos, ex-Mongols, and ex-Loners would go on to form the ranks of the Rock Machine. Both the former Mongols support club, Red Power and the former Bandidos support club, the Los Montoneros MC came under the new Rock Machine's control. By 2009, the only trace that remained of the Bandidos Canada was its memorial website. On it a post was made, "The are no more Bandidos in Canada, the former Bandidos were recently patched over to the newly reformed Rock Machine MC."

The Return

The Rock Machine was reestablished in Ontario during late 2007. Initially its membership consisted of disgruntled members of the now-defunct Bandidos Canada, and original members of the Rock Machine that were being released from incarceration. Also in late 2007, the Montreal chapter was also re-established for a brief period. There were members wearing the Rock Machine's colors spotted in strip clubs and bars in Downtown Montreal and North Shore. But according to a high-ranking member of the Rock Machine its wasn't too "serious" and dissolved. In early 2008, former Mongols, ex-Bandidos and ex-Loners in Western Canada, mainly in Manitoba and Alberta joined the newly reformed Rock Machine. This accounted for the group's initial membership during its expansion west. By mid 2008, the former members of the probationary Bandidos Winnipeg chapter became to call themselves Rock Machine. The Winnipeg chapter would be fully established in late 2008.

The Rock Machine was reformed under the guidance of Sean Brown, a former member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club from Ontario. They reorganized the club as the "Rock Machine Canada Nomads", adopting the original black and platinum as their colors. The move was also intended as an insult toward the Bandidos United States and Bandidos National President Jeffrey Pike in particular, but the club gained unexpected momentum. During this period the members of the Rock Machine stuck true to their new name of "Nomads" and technically did not possess chapters in territorial locations but operated around the whole country. Brown stated: "The patch for the reborn Rock Machine also includes reference to the group's nomadic status, as members come from towns and cities across Canada." (that would all change as the club growth in popularity led them to reopen and create new chapters, while still keeping the Nomads as a chapter for the club's hierarchy) In 2002 Project Amigo had led to the arrest of many Ontario and Quebec Bandidos. In 2003, they were forced to agree to a deal due to pressure from the Hells Angels, that they would retire from crime and discontinue any association with the Bandidos MC. Alex Caine, a criminal author who has also at times been criticized for accuracy, had been keeping a close eye on the subject. He was told by a member of the Rock Machine that it was these individuals that initially brought about the rebirth of the club. "Eventually, these bikers came up with the idea of rebranding themselves as Rock Machine members, a move that they felt they would not negate the deal that they had made, but which left the Hells Angels feeling hoodwinked."

Sean Brown, the new leader of the club would also state in an interview, that as time goes on original members are being released from prison and are rejoining the Rock Machine. By 2008, the club had somewhere around 100 members across Canada, with over half being original members of the Rock Machine. Jerry Langton stated that the Rock Machine started in Winnipeg in 2008, and not Ontario in late 2007. (The Rock Machine's current official website states it was reestablished in 2007) A timeline of key dates from 2008 to 2013 was given by the Winnipeg Sun in an article covering the history of the Rock Machine in the province. It shows that police monitored the first official gathering of the newly formed Rock Machine in Manitoba in late September 2008. This does confirm Langton's statement that the Manitoba Rock Machine initially had little connection with the rest of the club in 2008. Interviews from the Ottawa Citizen given by the Ontario Rock Machine, and the establishment of its Toronto and Kingston chapters predate the group's establishment in the province. An article was released in early September 2008, showed that members of the Rock Machine were already international before the Winnipeg chapter was even set up. Members from Australia had arrived in Winnipeg to help establish the chapter. Langton stated that the Rock Machine website mentioned nothing of the original Rock Machine. An article from Paul Cherry conflicts this. Cherry is a longtime journalist for the Montreal Gazette, which was a leading media outlet in the coverage of the Quebec Biker War and its participants. He had covered the Rock Machine and Quebec Biker War extensively during the time of conflict. The article from Cherry supported Brown and Caine's statements that the Rock Machine did indeed have a connection with first generation of the club. Cherry stated:

The more recent version of the Rock Machine has ties to the past version. Its website lists three Canadian members in a section titled 'Brother Behind Bars'. One of the men is Danny Borris, 40, a resident of New Brunswick who is incarcerated. Borris was arrested by Montreal police, in 2002, in Operation Amigo.

In April 2008, the club would reopen its Toronto and Kingston chapters. An interview by Peter Edwards with the Toronto spokesperson for the Rock Machine revealed that it was yet to purchase a clubhouse but that the Toronto chapter had recruited around 24 members, while the Kingston chapter had over a dozen members. Together these chapters would be redubbed Ontario West and Ontario East chapters while Sean Brown's Rock Machine Nomads continued to operate out of the Ottawa area. The entire club would be reinforced by the patch over of a Canadian motorcycle club known as The Crew MC, which had chapters in Woodbridge and Huron County, Ontario and also Western Canada, it was said that some of these were veteran bikers, however some new members had never been in a motorcycle club before.

At some point in early 2008, Sean Brown gave permission for Rock Machine chapters to be formed internationally in Australia and the United States, with each country establishing a Nomads chapter. In August 2008, now international president Sean Brown, also known as Crazy Dog agreed to an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, he stated the club contained former members of the Bandidos who were not associated with the Rock Machine beforehand and original Rock Machine members. Members who were being released from prison or joined while still incarcerated were instrumental in the revival of the club, despite the club's new rule set revolving around the inclusion of criminals in the organization. The Rock Machine were not willing to exclude former Bandidos or original members of the club that had been imprisoned. Even though they possessed criminal records, they claimed those joining would no longer be involved in criminal activities. He went on to state that the group was maintaining a low profile during their initial period of expansion and that the club "maintains a brotherhood and close association with the Western based Red Power." The Rock Machine have a different mentality and it is not the criminal organization it had been before.

The Rock Machine stated:

"We believe everybody deserves a second chance," a representative for the Rock Machine stated. "We won't throw our members out who are in jail. We don't abandon our brothers that are in jail."

Many dispute the Rock Machine's claims of leaving behind their criminal past including prominent Canadian crime journalist, Jerry Langton who argued that the Rock Machine had recruited Ron Burling into their ranks when he was already in prison serving a 17-year sentence for assault and kidnapping as he maintained that only a criminal organization would recruit a violent criminal such as Burling as a member. Typical of the members of the Rock Machine was Ron Burling, who had been selected to become the Rock Machine Winnipeg chapters first president, he was described by Langton as a man with a shaven head, bushy goatee beard, his entire body covered in tattoos except for his face and described him as a "physically huge man". Burling's Facebook profile described him as "a member of the Rock Machine Nomads" and his occupation as "Edmonton Maximum Security Penitentiary General Population". Burling had been convicted of a brazen kidnapping and assault. On 8 February 2005 as a member of the Bandidos Winnipeg chapter, Burling had smashed through the window of a car to remove a drug dealer named Adam Amundsen from his vehicle. Burling then beat Amundsen for several hours with a baseball bat and his fists to encourage him to pay back a $6,000 dollar drug debt owned to the Bandidos. In addition, Burling used a knife to slice off a tattoo off Amundsen's body and then finally used a sledgehammer to smash every bone in Amundsen's index finger and then cut off the tip of his finger. Burling was convicted of assault and kidnapping, and threatened both the judge and the crown attorneys with violence when his appeal was quashed. Burling tried to lift the bench to throw at somebody, but was tasered by the court marshals.

Edward Winterhalder, an ex-Bandido president who was involved in the process of patching in the original Rock Machine also gave his opinion on the club's claims saying: "They have claimed that they have learned from the mistakes that were made in the past, that everybody involved in the new Rock Machine is going to have a job and they are not going to allow anybody to be selling drugs for a living."

The Rock Machine were first sighted in Manitoba during 2008. Four members of the Nomads Canada chapter were present at a hotel on Notre Dame Avenue hotel. In September 2008, Michael Xanthoudakis and Eneliko Sabine, two members of the Rock Machine Nomads chapter out of Australia were arrested at the Winnipeg Airport. They were in Manitoba on request of the International Nomads to help establish the chapter in Winnipeg which consisted of former Bandidos. They claimed they were there for a fishing trip, but the Canadian government alleged they were there at the invitation of a prospective new chapter. They were held by Canadian authorities and extradited back to Australia.

In late 2008, members of a motorcycle gang in Prince George, British Columbia known as the Game Tight Soldiers MC were at a point one of the largest organized crime groups in Prince George, BC and were constantly at odds with their rivals the Renegades MC, which acted as a Hells Angels support club. At one point the Game Tight Soldiers received large amounts of negative publicity and police pressure for cutting off fingers of those who owed them money for narcotics debts and many crossed over to the Independent Soldiers who were also allied with the Hells Angels. Now weakened they were told by the Hells Angels to either leave Prince George or start to pay them for the right to work in the territory. Most of the Game Tight Soldiers led by their president, Steven Philip King, chose to relocate to Winnipeg to join the Rock Machine. However several articles including one from the Vancouver Sun stated that they fled to Ontario and joined the Rock Machine Toronto chapter there. This goes against Langton's claims that the group went to Winnipeg, however a picture shown in one of the news articles clearly shows him with a "Toronto" patch on his Rock Machine vest at the Outlaws Ottawa chapter 35th anniversary celebration.

By the end of 2008, the Rock Machine had established 5 chapters in Canada. The Nomads, Kingston (aka. Ontario East), Toronto (aka. Ontario West), Edmonton (aka. Western Canada) and Winnipeg (aka. Central). They also had an international presence with chapters in the United States and Australia. By late 2009, two years after the groups creation, the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club had over 200 full-patch members or prospects in Canada. They had also began to operate in the province of Quebec again, re-establishing their Montreal chapter during 2009. By 2015, world-wide membership of the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club had reached over 800 full-patch members. That year, around 150 members of the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club from chapters all over Germany, as well as members from Canada, Scandinavia, Belgium England and Russia were present for the clubs annual European run in Ulm.

Langton stated: The vast majority of the new Rock Machine were former members of the Bandidos and there is little connection with the first Rock Machine. In Manitoba, the former Bandido chapter in Winnipeg chose the name Rock Machine as a way of enraging the Hells Angels. Langton noted that the website for the Rock Machine had a section set aside for its dead members, which did not list a single member of the Rock Machine killed in the Quebec biker war, but instead listed the "Shedden 8" victims of the Shedden massacre. Langton wrote "These guys aren't the Rock Machine. they have little to do with them". Langton also stated, based on information that he had received from authorities, that they were simply using the club's patch and had little connection. Some of the Rock Machine's chapters exist only on the internet, one policeman told Langton about the seemingly impressive number of chapters on the Rock Machine's website calling them "Internet bikers". (This was most likely due to the Suat Faction which has been accused of starting fake chapters and selling patches online).

Regardless the Manitoba Rock Machine would become much more aligned with national leadership during the presidency of Jay "Critical J" Strachan who would become President of the Winnipeg chapter after Ron Burling. He would climb the clubs ranks, becoming the Rock Machine's national president in Canada, Stephen Cabral would replace him as the president of the Winnipeg chapter. Strachan was eventually elected International President of the Rock Machine after Sean Brown was voted out, this was due to his lack of wanting to expand back into Quebec after their initial setup in Montreal, also the club did not like the soft approach that he was taking towards the Hells Angels, a policy of appeasement. Strachan had a deep respect for both the sacrifice made by the original members of the Rock Machine and the members of the slain No Surrender Crew(Rock Machine dubbed their remembrance patch "No Mercy Crew"). He instituted commemorative patches for both events, which members of the Nomads chapter wore on their jackets. These patches, especially the patch commemorating the Quebec Biker War are still worn by members worldwide in the current day.

The Rock Machine are estimated by authorities to have 300–400 members in the country as of 2022. The club spread across Canada and throughout several other countries worldwide including the United States, Australia, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Hungary, Belgium, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, France, South Africa, England, Spain, Georgia, Hong Kong, Kosovo, Kuwait, Armenia, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and Turkey. As of 2022, the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club has established over 200 chapters, in 27 countries, on five continents since its inception.

The Rock Machine Motorcycle Club has also been responsible for the creation of several support clubs, such as The Palmers MC (1994–2002/now defunct). Founded in Montreal, it was a participant in the Quebec Biker War, the SS Elite Motorcycle Club(2009–Present) a RM created support Club with rules and mentality modelled on the Waffen SS. It has had chapters in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and the United States, the Hell Hounds MC(2010–2013), New Bloods MC(2014–Present), Fearless Bandits MC (2015–Present) and Vendettas Motorcycle Club(2009–Present) founded in Manitoba by the RMMC. Over the years it has become an international support club of the Rock Machine with chapters in Canada, Australia, Sweden, Serbia and Russia. As support clubs they are tasked with providing security and manpower, support, enforcement and logistics to any Rock Machine MC chapter. The support club reports to the mother chapter in Quebec but is also required to support local chapters across the country/world. For those that complete this task for the duration of the probationary period, they will receive request to become members of the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club. Most of these clubs shared the same colors, due to this the community is called the "Black and Platinum Family" Not to be confused with The Black & Platinum Crew, which is the Rock Machine's equivalent of the Hells Angels Red & White Crew, the Outlaws Black & White Crew, and the Bandidos X-Team. These are all support gangs, in which it's members are not required to own or ride motorcycles.

The current iteration of the Rock Machine MC maintains an enmity towards the Texas-based Bandidos, despite claims in Alex Caine's book The Fat Mexican that Rock Machine members in 2008 made a secret deal with high-ranking members of the Bandidos national chapter to re-open in Canada, as of 2022 the Bandidos have still not returned to Canadian soil. In 2021, Detective Scott Wade of the Ontario Provincial Police's Anti-Biker Enforcement Unit commented on the strictness of the Rock Machine's new ruleset stating, "The gang is not going to be the Rock Machine of old, [in the past] they recruited addicts, small-time criminals. They're violent guys but they weren't established and organized." This statement claims that the Rock Machine were really starting to become more organized.

Meeting with the Pagans

For decades the Pagans Motorcycle Club had looked north to Canada for possibility of expansion. It also found the idea of supporting Hells Angels rivals beneficial. The Rock Machine Motorcycle Club, a Canadian-based international motorcycle club with chapters all over the world, has fought several conflicts with the Hells Angels including the Quebec Biker War, the deadliest motorcycle conflict in history. The Pagans deeply respected these feats and sought to establish a relationship with the Rock Machine. In late 2011, dozens of the Pagans traveled to the Canadian province of New Brunswick to meet with the Rock Machine. At the time New Brunswick was a Canadian province that had little outlaw motorcycle influence. The meeting was to consolidate a friendship and probe the province for expansion. However, in 2018, Pagans member, Andrew "Chef" Glick revealed that the group had abandoned its plans to expand northward, partly because of the Canadian Hells Angels' reputation for violence.

“In Canada and Australia, that's where the heaviest (toughest) one per centers are,” Glick said. “Being a one per center in Canada, I would say is a little more dangerous than being a one per center in the U.S." New Jersey bikers are tough, but “not near as violent as what I've seen and read (about) in Montreal and Toronto.”

Allies

• Dark Circle – It as a part of the alliance to fight the Hells Angels during the Quebec biker war. During the conflict the Dark Circle was often described by media and police as the Rock Machine's death squad.
• Dubois Brothers – Rock Machine formed an alliance with the Dubois Gang in the 1980s, this would stay active throughout the Quebec Biker War.
• Gervasi crime family - The Gervasi's were a small crime family associated with the Rizzuto's. Their leader, Paulo Gervasi and his son Salvatore Gervasi were longtime allies of the Rock Machine.
• Gremium Motorcycle Club – During the club's expansion into Europe, it made an alliance with Gremium MC, one of the largest motorcycle clubs in Germany.
• Loners Motorcycle Club – A fellow Canadian-based international motorcycle club, an alliance between the two was established in 2000.
• Mongols Motorcycle Club (assumed formerly) – When the Rock Machine expanded into Europe it established ties with the Mongols in Germany and Sweden. A ongoing conflict between the two clubs in Australia may have effected relations.
• Medellín Cartel & various other South American cartels – Business relationships were formed between the Rock Machine and cartels in South America during the late 1980' to early 1990s, the Rock Machine would use their contacts to purchase narcotics.
• Night Wolves MC – When the Rock Machine held its first national run in Russia, the Night Wolves were present at the celebration were they established ties.
• Outlaws Motorcycle Club – The Outlaws Motorcycle Club had initially given minor support to the Rock Machine during the Quebec Biker War. The two clubs formed an alliance as the Rock Machine had entered Ontario. The Outlaws were also fighting the Ontario Biker War with the Hell's Angels during this period. The alliance was later reestablished between the resurrected Rock Machine and the Outlaws in 2011, during the Rock Machine's conflict with the Hells Angels in Manitoba.
• Rizzuto crime family – When the Rock Machine was formed in 1986, its founders Salvatore and Giovanni Cazzetta, supposedly had family members in the mob, thus there was a very good relationship between the two groups even after the imprisonment of Giovanni in 1993 and Salvatore in 1994.
• Satudarah Motorcycle Club – The Rock Machine established a relationship with the Satudarah MC, specifically from the Netherlands.
• Serbian Mafia – By the 2010s, the Rock Machine had formed contacts in Serbian Mafia.
• Vendettas Motorcycle Club – A RMMC created support club that was founded in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Serves as an international support club for the Rock Machine with chapters in Canada, Australia and Russia.
• West End Gang – Rock Machine formed a partnership with the Irish-Canadian gang in the 1980s, this would stay active throughout the Quebec Biker War and into the modern-day.
• Bandidos Motorcycle Club (formerly/1998–2006) – The Rock Machine became probationary Bandidos in May 1999. After 18 months, they became an official probationary club, all members of the Rock Machine would be fully patched into the Bandidos on January 6, 2001. They would remain as a single entity until the events of the Shedden Massacre and the subsequent closure of the Bandidos MC Canada. The Rock Machine was reestablished by former Bandidos, Rock Machine (the Bandidos who had survived the 2002 crackdown) and disgruntled members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club.

Support clubs

• Avengers MC (USA)
• Bertrand Clan (Canada)
• Black & Platinum Crew (Denmark)
• Turks MC (Australia)
• Fearless Bandits MC (Alberta)
• Ghost Gang MC (Germany)
• Hell Hounds MC (Manitoba)
• KillerBeez MC (Canada)
• New Blood MC (Canada)
• Palmers MC (Quebec and Ontario)
• Platinum Crew MC (Sweden)
• Red Power (Western Canada)
• SS Elite Motorcycle Club (Canada and USA)
• Roberge Brothers (Canada)
• Silent Soldiers MC (Canada)
• Vendettas Motorcycle Club (Canada USA, Russia, Serbia, Sweden, Germany and Australia)

Probationary clubs

• Black Jackets (Germany, Europe)
• Ching-a-Ling MC (USA)
• Cross Riders MC (Georgia)
• Kingsmen MC (USA)
• Manitoba Warriors (Canada) – recruited a decent amount of Manitoba Warriors to boost their strength in 2011.
• North Island Gang (New Zealand) – patched over in 2013.
• Pacific Rebels MC (Quebec) – Patched over in 1988.
• Sadistic Souls Motorcycle Club (USA, New Zealand, Australia and England)
• Syndicate MC (Russia) – Patched over to the Rock Machine in 2014.
• Syndicate Legion (Sweden) – Members of this gang became the Platinum Crew support club in 2014.
• The Crew (Ontario and Western Canada) – patched over in 2008
• Tight Game Soldiers (Canada) – patched over in 2009.
• Wrecking Crew MC (USA)

Rivals

• Bandidos Motorcycle Club (2007–present) – Tensions between the Bandidos and Rock Machine started in the mid-2000s, with the Shedden Massacre and the dissolution of the Bandidos Canada, driving a wedge between the re-emerged Rock Machine and their former ally. The rivalry would escalate into conflict in 2011, when the two clubs clashed for control of the German city of Ulm. Thercont. has since been several conflicts fought between the two groups in multiple countries.
• Comanchero Motorcycle Club – The Rock Machine's expansion saw the two clubs clash in 2012.
• Cotroni crime family (1994–2002) – The Rock Machine was involved in hostilities against the Cotroni Family during the Quebec Biker War and was responsible for the assassination of Paolo Cotroni in 1998.
• Hells Angels Motorcycle Club – The Hells Angels actions during the Lennoxville massacre, directly led to the creation of the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club itself. Despite this, the two clubs existed in relative harmony until the 1994 arrest of Rock Machine President, Salvatore Cazzetta. From 1994 to 2002, the Rock Machine and the Hells Angels would engage in the deadliest motorcycle conflict in history. This cemented their rivalry, there has been several sporadic incidents since then.
• Mongols Motorcycle Club (2021–present) – A violent conflict is ongoing between the Mongols and Rock Machine in Australia.
• No Surrender Motorcycle Club – A conflict is ongoing between the two clubs since 2018.
• Rebels Motorcycle Club – The rivalry between the Rock Machine and the Rebels Motorcycle Club started when the Canadian club expanded into Australia, this saw the beginning of the Rock Machine-Rebels conflict.
• Red Devils Motorcycle Club – the Red Devils are the official support club of the Hells Angels, they have had several incidents with the Rock Machine.
• Satan's Choice Motorcycle Club - By 2000, the Satan's Choice had aligned itself with former rival, the Hells Angels. This resulted in incidents in Ontario.
• WolfSSChanze Faction – A former splinter faction of the Rock Machine.
• Alaska Vets Riding Club – Support club of the Hells Angels.

Chapters worldwide

The club has more than 140 active chapters worldwide.

Map displaying Rock Machine chapters across the world

Canada (21)

• World-wide/Country-wide
  • RMMC International Nomads
  • RMMC Nomads Canada
  • RMMC Militia Nomads chapter
  • RMMC Infantry Nomads chapter
• Alberta
  • Edmonton
  • Calgary
  • Lethbridge
  • Medicine Hat (Death Valley chapter)
• British Columbia
  • Vancouver
• New Brunswick
  • Saint John
  • RMMC 506 chapter (506 Crew)
• Ontario
  • Windsor
  • Kawartha (Vengeance chapter)
  • Huron County (Redemption chapter)
  • Peterborough
• Quebec
  • Montreal (Mother chapter)
  • Sherbrooke
  • Quebec City
  • Trois-Rivières
  • Dead City chapter (Chapter 13)
• Manitoba
  • Winnipeg (Murder-Peg chapter)
• Saskatchewan
  • Regina (Psycho City chapter)

International (7)

• RMMC International Nomads (based in Canada)
• RMMC Militia Nomads (based in Canada) – Estimated to be 100+ world-wide
• RMMC Infantry Nomads (based in Canada)
• RMMC Death Squad Chapter (based in Lippstadt, Germany)
• RMMC Empire Nomads chapter
• RMMC Viking Nomads chapter
• RMMC South America Nomads (based in Brazil)
• RMMC European Nomads chapter (Frozen)

Other chapters (115)

• Australia (15)
  • Perth
  • Perth South (O'Connor)
  • Melbourne (Badlands)
  • Sydney (NSW chapter)
  • Sydney West (Rock City)
  • Tasmania
  • Queensland
  • Gold Coast
  • Adelaide
  • Midland
  • Mandurah
  • Karratha
  • Sin City chapter
  • Forbidden City chapter
  • Nomads Australia
• Armenia (1)
  • Yerevan
• Belgium (4)
  • RMMC Belgium chapter
  • Badtown chapter
  • Militia Nomads chapter (Belgium)
  • Nomads Belgium
• Brazil (3)
  • RMMC Brazil chapter (São Paulo area)
  • Militia Nomads chapter (Brazil)
  • Nomads Brazil
• Denmark (1)
  • Copenhagen
• France (5)
  • Paris
  • Mozell
  • Alsace
  • Militia Nomads chapter (France/ Metz)
  • Nomads France
• Germany (19)
  • Germany Southwest (Freiburg)
  • Sigmaringen
  • Hessen Rock
  • Midland chapter
  • Ruhr Area chapter (Essen)
  • Stuttgart
  • Southeast
  • Munich
  • Bad City chapter
  • Westend
  • Nomads Germany
  • WolfSSChanze Chapter (Erköse faction)
  • Battlefield chapter (Ulm, Erköse faction)
  • Valhalla chapter (Erköse faction)
  • Dardania (Blue Rockmachine Mother chapter)
  • Neu-Ulm (Blue RM)
  • Germany Central (Ulm, Blue RM)
  • New City chapter (Blue RM)
  • RMMC Blue Nomads (Farben)
• Great Britain (2)
  • RMMC England Chapter (London area)
  • Nomads Great Britain
• Georgia (2)
  • Tbilisi (Russian RMMC Chapter)
  • Tbilisi (Georgian RMMC Chapter)
• Hungary (1)
  • Budapest
• Hong Kong (1)
  • Hong Kong City
• Indonesia (3)
  • Bali
  • Djakarta
  • Bali Nomads
• Italy (1) (Formerly probationary)
  • European Nomads
• Kosovo (2)
  • Dardania
  • Nomads Kosovo
• Kuwait (1)
  • RMMC Nomads Kuwait
• New Zealand (2)
  • Christchurch
  • Nomads New Zealand
• New Caledonia (1)
  • RMMC South Pacific chapter (Numea)
• Norway (8)
  • Stavanger
  • Emmen
  • Sapmi
  • Oslo
  • Klubben
  • Eastside chapter
  • Militia Nomads chapter (Norway)
  • Nomads Norway
  • Jessheim (Frozen)
• Philippines (1)
  • RMMC Nomads Philippines
• Romania (3)
  • Bucharest
  • Westland chapter (Timișoara)
  • Nomads Romania
• Russia (9)
  • Moscow
  • Moscow North (Zelenograd)
  • Southland chapter
  • Krasnodar
  • Kazan
  • St. Petersburg
  • Vladivostok
  • Militia Nomads chapter (Russia)
  • Nomads Russia
• Serbia (2)
  • RMMC Serbia chapter (Belgrade)
  • Nomads Serbia
• South Africa (2)
  • RMMC South Africa chapter (Cape Town)
  • Nomads South Africa (Johannesburg)
• Spain (2)
  • Gerona
  • Nomads Spain
• Sweden (9)
  • East Gothia
  • Scaniae
  • Wasteland chapter (Klippan)
  • Perstorp
  • Kalmar
  • Karlskrona
  • Kristianstad
  • Stockholm (Capital City)
  • Nomads Sweden (Hyllstofta)
• Switzerland (1)
  • Nomads Switzerland
• Thailand (2)
  • RMMC Thailand chapter (Bangkok)
  • Nomads Thailand
• Turkey (2)
  • Militia Nomads chapter (Turkey)
  • Nomads Turkey
• United States (13)
  • Connecticut
  • Florida (Miami)
  • Alaska
  • Idaho
  • Missouri
  • Oklahoma
  • Northern Carolina
  • Southern Carolina
  • Virginia
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • Arizona
  • Militia Nomads chapter (USA)
  • Nomads USA
• Vietnam
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Frozen)

Original, frozen, formerly probationary chapters (62)

• International/Continental (1)
  • RMMC European Nomads (Frozen)

Canada (28)

• Ontario
  • Toronto (Original Rock Machine chapter, est. 2000)
  • Kingston (Original Rock Machine chapter, est. 2000)
  • Sarnia (Original Rock Machine chapter, est. 1999)
  • Niagara Falls (Original Rock Machine chapter, est. 2000)
  • London (Original Rock Machine chapter, est. 2000, probationary)
  • Ottawa/Nomads (became international Nomads, first chapter of the revived Rock Machine, est. Late 2007)
  • Ontario West/Kingston (Frozen, reestablished 2008)
  • Ontario East/Toronto (Frozen, reestablished 2008)
  • Woodbridge (Merged, est. 2008)
  • Hamilton (Relocated, est. 2010)
  • Markham (Frozen, est. 2010)
  • Quinte (Frozen)
  • Hawkesbury (Frozen)
  • Casselman (Frozen)
  • Ottawa, Vengeance chapter (relocated to Kawartha)
• Quebec
  • Montreal (Original Mother chapter, est. 1986, re-established in 2008)
  • Quebec City (Original Rock Machine chapter, est. 1988, re-established in the 2010)
  • Montreal East (Original Rock Machine chapter, Montreal was divided in 2000)
  • Montreal West (Original Rock Machine chapter, Montreal was divided in 2000)
  • Val-d'Or (Original Rock Machine chapter, est. 2000, probationary)
  • Gosford (Frozen)
  • 13th Legion chapter (Frozen)
  • Lanaudière (Merged)
  • Gaspé (Frozen)
  • Elite chapter (Merged)
  • Farnham (Frozen)
  • Gatineau (Formerly probationary)
• New Brunswick
  • Moncton (Merged)
• Nova Scotia
  • Halifax (Frozen, est. 2009)
  • Cape Breton (Frozen, est. 2010)
• Manitoba
  • Eastside (Frozen, est. 2012)
  • Brandon (Merged)
• Faction
  • RMMC Black & White Faction (Montreal, dissolved 2022)
• Australia (5)
  • Australian Capital Territory/Canberra (Merged, est. 2011)
  • Australia West (Merged, est. 2011)
  • Northern Territory (Merged, est. 2011)
  • Australia South (Merged, est. 2011)
  • Clayton South (Frozen)
• Germany (14)

Rock Machine Germany

• • Farben/South Baden (Became Blue RM, First chapter in Germany, original Mother chapter)
  • Germany Nomads North (Merged, est. 2011)
  • Germany Nomads South (Merged, est. 2011)
  • Germany Nomads East (Merged, est. 2011)
  • Germany Nomads West (Merged, est. 2011)
  • Germany Westside (Merged with Westend, est. 2012)
  • Dardania (Became Blue RM mother chapter)
  • Badlands chapter (Merged, est. 2012)
  • South Central (Frozen, est. 2012)
  • Darkside chapter (Merged, est. 2014)
  • North Gate chapter (Frozen, est. 2014)
  • Southend (Freiburg, frozen, est. 2014)
  • Ruhrpott (Frozen)
  • Lörrach (Frozen)
  • Militia Nomads chapter (Frozen, Germany)
• Blue Rockmachine
  • South Gang (Frozen)
• United States (15)
  • Nevada (Frozen, est. 2009)
  • Minnesota (Merged, est. 2010)
  • New Mexico (Frozen, est. 2010)
  • Kansas (Frozen, est. 2011)
  • Colorado (Frozen, est. 2011)
  • Wyoming (Frozen, est. 2011)
  • California (Frozen, est. 2012)
  • Arkansas (Frozen, est. 2012)
  • Mississippi (Frozen, est. 2012)
  • North Illinois (Frozen, est. 2012)
  • Central Illinois (Frozen, est. 2012)
  • South Illinois (Merged, est. 2012)
  • Tennessee (Frozen, est. 2013)
  • Texas (Frozen, est. 2013)
  • Las Vegas (Frozen, est. 2016, Erköse faction)
  • New Hampshire (Frozen)

Membership

The Rock Machine Motorcycle Club's Mother chapter resides in Quebec Canada. All official chapters follow the rules and regulations set out by the mother chapter. The United States has 2 national chapters, Connecticut being the East coast Mother chapter and Alaska being the West coast. With recent updates and reformats to the club's official Constitution in 2019, the rules are much more stringent, more relatable to other high-profile biker groups such as the Hells Angels. "Such constitutions forbids club members from divulging details about their organizations, which are based on the structure of the military."

Earning membership and rules

Like most other Outlaw motorcycle clubs, members must own and operate a North American or British-made motorcycle with an engine of at least 750cc, have valid vehicle insurance and “sufficient riding skills not to be a danger to themselves or others”. Members must also travel a minimum of 5,000 kilometers per year. All chapters must follow and support Canada as the Motherland and fulfill all requests sent from Canada. “To earn their full patch membership, (a potential member) must also travel to the Mother Chapter in Quebec.”

In order to become a Rock Machine prospect in Canada rules are particularly strict. Candidates must have a valid license, a motorcycle and have the right set of personal qualities. Prospects are not allowed to use social media to post any pictures or make any comments relating to the club; they cannot contact members of any other clubs this must be left to a Full-patch member. After a period of trial a prospective member is first deemed to be a "hang-around", indicating that the individual is invited to some club events or to meet club members at known gathering places. If the hang-around is interested, he may be asked to become an "associate", a status that usually lasts a year. At the end of that stage, he is reclassified as "prospect", participating in some club activities, but not having voting privileges while he is evaluated for suitability as a full member. Ending in highest membership status, is "Full Membership" or "Full-Patch". Fees for Rock Machine members are typically around $100 a month, except for members who are in prison.

Nomads and officers

In the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club, Nomads are ranked officers. Anyone who has experience and excels in the club has the potential to become a Nomad. They play several vital roles including serving as a role model to other members. Nomads are spread all over any particular country the Rock Machine is operating in. They are tasked with setting up meetings, solving issues within chapters and scouting areas for expansion. Nomads will usually arrive ahead of time to establish a relationship and help set up a chapter. Unlike some other motorcycle clubs in the Rock Machine, a Nomad can also belong to a chapter. While though the chapter might have a president, Nomads are usually the highest-ranking officer in clubs ranking and thus highest in the chapter. In the Rock Machine, a member can be a chapter president, vice president, lieutenant, secretary, sergeant at arms, treasurer or a road captain and thus an officer without possessing status as a Nomad. When it comes to National Nomad chapters, usually the president of said chapter is also the president of the club in that country, unless it contains multiple Nomad chapters. The hierarchy of the Nomads consists of an International Nomads chapter operated out of Canada. Most Nomad chapters look to it for direction and instruction. When it comes to establishing chapters, the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club operates as an independent motorcycle club, Nomads will select a suitable location and will go about establishing a chapter. The president of the Hawksbury chapter made a comment during an interview stating,

“We are an independent biker group, like the Outlaws or the Mongols. We don't pay any odds to the Hells Angels. When I want to open a new chapter, I don't need to ask their permission."

Racial policy

The club's racial policy is all-inclusive and possesses members from several different ethnicities around the world, including African Canadian/Americans. Despite the group's use of the Waffen SS's Schutzstaffel lightning bolt on several of their patches. It is mainly to show respect to the club's historical roots as opposed to the racial meaning of the symbol. This is due to large numbers of their founding members being a part of the SS Motorcycle Club. It is also worn due to its status in the motorcycle community. It is seen as an outlaw symbol, as society dictates people should not wear it, thus outlaws usually wear it as a sign of rebellion against societal standards, as opposed to racial ideology. Even the first generation of the Rock Machine established in the 1980s did not let its past with the SS Motorcycle Club affect its membership. They did not exclude members based on race or religion. Sun Chin Kwan was an expert martial artist and a full-patch Asian member of the Rock Machine. The Palmers Motorcycle Club (previously known as the Palmers Clan) was a Rock Machine controlled support club that had chapters in Quebec City and Montreal. It was led and organized by Rock Machine members Jean "Le Francis" Duquaire and André "Dédé" Désormeaux. It allowed African-Americans into its ranks. Its Montreal chapter had several black members. (Most Palmers members would join the Rock Machine in 2000.) In the modern-day, the Rock Machine also has alliances and close ties to a number of Aboriginal Canadian crime groups in Western Canada collectively known as "Red Power". They have also recruited native members from the Manitoba Warriors.

Past members

Well-known former members of the Rock Machine included Salvatore Cazzetta, Giovanni Cazzetta, Claude Vézina, Paul Porter, Andrew Sauvageau, Marcel Demers, Richard "Bam-Bam" Lagacé (deceased), Johnny Plescio (deceased), Tony Plescio (deceased), Renaud Jomphe former president of the Montreal chapter (deceased), Martin Bourget, Serge Pinel, Frédéric Faucher. Alain Brunette, who would become the first national president of the Canadian Bandidos in 2001 and Peter Paradis, who later testified for the Crown at the trials of other members, in the club's 15 years of existence he would be its first member to turn crown's evidence. The Rock Machine was merged with the Bandidos Motorcycle Club on January 6, 2001, in a patch-over ceremony located at the Rock Machine's Kingston chapter clubhouse. It was overseen by high-ranking Bandidos member Edward Winterhalder. They remained Bandidos for seven years. Around ten Rock Machine members at the time joined their former arch-enemy, the Hells Angels, due to the Bandidos refusal to grant full members status to "Full-Patch" members of the Rock Machine forcing them to become probationary members of the Bandidos and take a reduction in ranking, this angered some members along with abandoning the Rock machine namesake for a Texas-based entity, it was felt by some that the Bandidos patch with its cartoonish drawing of a Mexican bandit was "silly". Furthermore, Stadnick offered Hells Angels membership on a "patch-for-patch" basis, allowing members to trade their current patches for equivalent Hells Angels. Many Rock Machine had gained respect from the Hells Angels that they had faced during the conflict and saw them as a better alternative. Notable members who defected to the Angels included original members Paul Porter and Andrew Sauvageau. "Full-Patch" members Gilles Lambert, Nelson Fernandes, Bruce Doran (who founded the Kingston chapter) and Fred Faucher's brother Jean Judes Faucher. Fernandes would die of cancer within months of becoming a Hells Angel. Another man to join the Angels was former full-patch Rock Machine, Stéphane Trudel. He had been stripped of his ranking and removed from the Rock Machine in 1997. In early 2001, he became a Hells Angels prospect, where he would be partnered with Daniel Leclerc. Upon his release, club founder Salvatore Cazzetta joined Hells Angels in 2005, as the Rock Machine had merged with the Bandidos and was no longer active at the time.

Jean Paul Beaumont, a Sargent at Arms for the Rock Machine Winnipeg chapter was tragically killed in 2012.

Criminal allegations and incidents

Main article: Rock Machine MC criminal allegations and incidents

Since its rebirth, the Rock Machine maintains that it is a group of motorcycle enthusiasts and claims that it now dismisses members who are involved in known crimes or criminal activity. Any members that do commit crimes, do so without the club's permission. Many law enforcement agencies and journalists criticize these claims. An in-depth list on allegations and incidents appears at Rock Machine MC criminal allegations and incidents.

See also

• List of outlaw motorcycle clubs
• List of gangs in Canada

References

Bibliography

• Caine, Alex (2009). The Fat Mexican: The Bloody Rise of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club. Toronto: Random House of Canada. ISBN 9780307372765.
• Cherry, Paul (2005). The Biker Trials: Bringing Down the Hells Angels. ECW Press. ISBN 155022638X.
• Edwards, Peter (2010). "The Bandido Massacre". Peter Edwards' Bandido Massacre site. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
• Edwards, Peter; Auger, Michel (2012), The Encyclopedia of Canadian Organized Crime: From Captain Kidd to Mom Boucher, McClelland & Stewart, ISBN 9780771030499
• R. v STEVEN PATRICK LINDSAY and RAYMOND LAWRENCE BONNER. Decision: Fuerst, J. (Ontario Superior Court of Justice 30 June 2005), Text. Bibliotheque Quebec, Canada Decision CEIC-R-3616, PDF file direct download.
• James, Peter (2021), The Crime Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained, DK, ISBN 978-1465466549
• Langton, Jerry (2006). Fallen Angel: The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick and the Canadian Hells Angels. Toronto: Harper Collins. ISBN 144342725X.
• Langton, Jerry (2010). Showdown: How the Outlaws, Hells Angels and Cops Fought for Control of the Streets. Toronto: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0470678787.
• Langton, Jerry (2013). The Notorious Bacon Brothers : inside gang warfare on Vancouver streets. Etobicoke, Ontario: J. Wiley and Sons Canada. ISBN 978-1118388679.
• Lavigne, Yves (1999). Hells Angels at War. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780002000246.
• O'Connor, D'Arcy (2011). Montreal's Irish Mafia: The True Story of the Infamous West End Gang. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780470676158.
• Paradis, Peter (2003). Nasty Business: Peter Paradis. HarperCollins Publishers Canada, Limited. ISBN 978-0006391586.
• Proulx, Daniel (2023). Hells Angels- Les années de plomb (1980–2000): Des rebelles en moto à la conquête du monde criminel (in French). Éditions LaPresse. ISBN 9782898251894.
• Raufer, Xavier (April 2001), "Annexe 2: La Guerre des motards au Canada" "[The Biker Wars in Canada]", Gangs de Motards Criminalisés [Criminal Biker Gangs] (in French), Institute of Criminology of the University of Paris II; Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, pp. 116–125, (Timeline of incidents, casualties) – via the Xavier Raufer: Criminologue, enseignant et écrivain website archives. PDF download available from Scribd
• Schneider, Stephen (2009). Iced: The Story of Organized Crime in Canada. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780470835005.
• Winterhalder, Edward (2006), Out in Bad Standings: Inside the Bandidos Motorcycle Club – the Making of a Worldwide Dynasty, Blockhead City Press, ISBN 0-9771747-0-0 [2007 edition from Seven Locks Press]
• Winterhalder, Edward; De Clercq, Wil (2008), The Assimilation: Rock Machine Become Bandidos - Bikers United Against the Hells Angels, ECW Press, ISBN 978-1-55022-824-3

External links

• CBC News In Depth: Biker Gangs in Canada
• CBC News In Depth: Canada's Anti-gang Law
• The Fifth Estate: The Road to Hell: The Rise of the Hells Angels in Quebec
• York University's Nathanson Center for the Study of Organized Crime and Corruption