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Gitans Moto Club
Founded1967
FounderGuy Auclair, Georges Beaulieu, Jacques Filteau and Richard Rousseau[1][2]
Named afterThe French-language word for "Gypsies"
Founding locationSherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Years active1967─1984[3][4]
TerritorySherbrooke[5]
EthnicityQuebeckers
Membership~20 members (c.1973)
~15 members (c.1980)
Leader(s)Georges Beaulieu (President)
Jacques Filteau (de-facto leader)
ActivitiesDrug trafficking, murder, intimidation, gangsterism, burglary, assault, hooliganism, homicide, coercion, sexual violence and prostitution (later)
Allies
Rivals
  • Atomes MC
Notable members
  • Robert "Snake" Tremblay

The Gitans Moto Club, generally abbreviated to as the Gitans MC, were a French-Canadian outlaw motorcycle gang based out of Sherbrooke, Quebec, who integrated into the larger Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) in December 1984 to become what is now the Hells Angels MC Sherbrooke charter (headquartered in Lennoxville).[6][7][8][9] The term "gitan" in the group's name is the French-language word for gypsy.

History

[edit]

Before becoming a biker gang, the Gitans initially began as a Sherbrooke street gang in the mid-1960s who called themselves the Vikings.[10] The Vikings later evolved to become an outlaw motorcycle club known as Dirty Reich MC before ultimately settling on the name Gitans (the French word for "gypsies") in 1970.[11] Headquartered within the municipality of Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, the rebranded Gitans MC kept the same center-patch its members sported whilst being known as the Dirty Reich MC.[12] The flags seen in said patch logo deliberately resemble the national flag of the Third Reich (Nazi Germany).

The Gitans Moto Club became active participants in Sherbrooke's local drug trade. They bought their narcotics stockpile from the Popeye Moto Club, a powerful Québécois biker gang who, at the time, were regarded as one of the most ruthless outlaw motorcycle clubs throughout the French-speaking province. The Popeyes maintained positive relations towards the yielding Gitans, with a couple of its members (Maurice "Le Grec" Auqer and Michel Roy) even supplying them with weapons.[13] As a result of their good relations with the Popeye MC as well as firsthand respect from Popeye leaders: Yves "Le Boss" Buteau and Yves "Gorille" Bilodeau, the Gitans were even able to buy some of their drug stash from the predominant American Hells Angels MC, who sought to expand into Canada and were considering to rebrand the Popeye Moto Club into its all-ever first Canadian chapter.[14][15] This carefully selected cogitation was highly favored by the Popeyes, as the preexisting Hells Angels Motorcycle Club had already been a substantial influence on them, as well as numerous other biker gangs in Canada.[16][17]

The Gitans MC would proceed to maintain an infamous reputation in Sherbrooke, controlling a substantial amount of the city's drug trade.[18] Along with their trafficking of illicit drugs, there had also been reported incidents of Gitans members committing robberies, attacking homosexual bystanders at random, gang raping minors and transmitting STDs via acts of unsafe sexual intercourse.[19][20][21]

Despite the fact that Georges "Bo-Boy" Beaulieu held the official title as President of the Gitans Moto Club, Jacques "Boubou" Filteau was considered to be their de-facto boss who commanded the gang.[22][23]

War with the Atomes MC

[edit]
Sherbrooke biker conflict
Part of Organized crime in Canada
Date1973-1974
Location
Sherbrooke, Canada
Caused byDispute over gang territory
GoalsTo become the dominant force over the Sherbrooke drug trade
MethodsShootings, melee combat, stabbings
Resulted inCeasefire
Parties
Atomes MC

Gitans MC

Support:

Popeye MC

Sûreté du Québec
RCMP "C" Division
Sherbrooke City Council

  • Service de police de la Ville de Sherbrooke
Lead figures
  • Réjean Gilbert
  • Rejean Adams[24]
  • Georges Beaulieu
  • Jacques Filteau
  • Marc Bureau
  • Paul-A. Benoît
Casualties
Death(s)6
Temporary ceasefire between both biker clubs

During their drug dealing operations in the early 1970s, the Gitans begrudgingly coexisted with another "one-percenter" style outlaw biker gang based in Sherbrooke known as the Atomes MC.[25][26] The Atomes, led by Réjean "Farmer" Gilbert, had roughly around thirteen members and were headquartered quite close in proximity to the Gitans, residing in Rock Forest–Saint-Élie–Deauville.[27] Moreover, the Atomes had further gained a reputation of ill repute after several of its members had sexually assaulted and gang raped a number of underage teenage girls, some who were subsequently infected with venereal diseases as a result. Much to the disliking of the Gitans MC, the Atomes also primarily profited off of selling drugs in Sherbrooke.[15]

Tensions between both groups eventually erupted in 1973, when a violent turf war commenced.[26][28] The Gitans were reported to have around a total of 20 members at the start of the bloody conflict, but by 1980, club membership was reduced down to 15.[26][29]

1973 to 1974 would mark numerous aggressive clashes between the Gitans and Atomes. A grand total of six murders would occur during this time.[15] The turf war eventually came to a halt in the following year of 1975 when both gangs reluctantly reached an agreement to share the city's drug market.[19]

Hells Angels patch-over

[edit]

1977 marked the year of the US-based Hells Angels Motorcycle Club's transnational expansion from their native USA into Canada, beginning when the gang rewarded the Popeye Moto Club with the opportunity to become the country's first-ever Hells Angels chapter: Hells Angels MC Montreal.[30][31] Meanwhile, the Gitans MC continued to thrive in Sherbrooke, despite the collective existence of the Atomes MC.[28]

In 1984, the Hells Angels Montreal chapter offered the Gitans with a chance for the club to become their own Hells Angel MC chapter under the condition they could first showcase their might by successfully wiping out the Atomes MC.[32] Taking up the opportunity to be their very own Hells Angels chapter, the Gitans unanimously acted on the proposal of Hells Angels Montreal faction.

The remaining members of the Atomes MC buried their kuttes, formally dissolving the outlaw biker gang for good.[21][33] On December 8, 1984, the Gitans MC officially became the currently active Sherbrooke charter of the Hells Angels MC. At present, they are rumored to be one of the club's wealthiest chapters amongst all its Canadian branches.[34][3][35]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Infamous Hells Angels bunker in Sherbrooke torn down | Montreal Gazette". Archived from the original on 2021-09-23. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ a b "CharlesFilteau.page". Archived from the original on 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2023-07-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Sept. 5, 1981: 200 police put squeeze on bikers' big bash in Coronation - PressReader". Archived from the original on 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  6. ^ Stevenson, Verity (2017-09-12). "Once a Hells Angels stronghold, now-deserted Sherbrooke bunker has been confiscated". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  7. ^ "Lennoxville: les policiers ont à l'oeil les Hells Angels". TVA Nouvelles. 2002-12-06. Archived from the original on 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  8. ^ Langton, Jerry (2009-12-17). Fallen Angel: The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick and the Canadian Hells Angels. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-73994-5. Archived from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  9. ^ "#5 WKT6". The Dirty Reich (Podcast). 2022-02-05.
  10. ^ @rebuiltone (2022-07-25). "Before they became the Sherbrooke charter of the Hells Angels, before they were the Gitans MC, they were known as the Dirty Reich MC. And even before that, in the mid-1960s, they were a street gang called the Vikings" – via Instagram.
  11. ^ JAllore (2022-02-05). "The Dirty Reich". Who Killed Theresa?. Archived from the original on 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  12. ^ JAllore (2022-02-13). "Father Jean Salvail The Biker Priest of Sherbrooke, Quebec". Who Killed Theresa?. Archived from the original on 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  13. ^ "The Bikers of Sherbrooke". 29 January 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  14. ^ "HASherbrookeChapter". www.oocities.org. Archived from the original on 2021-10-03. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  15. ^ a b c JAllore (2022-01-29). "The Bikers of Sherbrooke". Who Killed Theresa?. Archived from the original on 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  16. ^ Gaydos, Steven (2022-07-01). "Sonny Barger and the Hells Angels: Five Ways the Outlaw Motorcycle Club Left Tire Tracks on Pop Culture". Variety. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  17. ^ "Hell's Angels Criminal Enterprise". Office of Justice Programs. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  18. ^ https://www.oocities.org/wiseguywally/RobertTremblay.html
  19. ^ a b Schneider, Stephen (2009-12-09). Iced: The Story of Organized Crime in Canada. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-83500-5. Archived from the original on 2023-07-28. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  20. ^ Renaud, Daniel (2016-11-23). "SharQc: un Hells influent libéré sous fortes conditions". La Presse (in Canadian French). Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  21. ^ a b Lavigne, Yves (1993). Hell's Angels: "Three Can Keep a Secret If Two Are Dead". Lyle Stuart. ISBN 978-0-8184-0514-3. Archived from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  22. ^ "BAnQ numérique". Archived from the original on 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  23. ^ The Dirty Reich - #5 WKT6. Archived from the original on 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  24. ^ "The Bikers of Sherbrooke". 29 January 2022.
  25. ^ Allore, John (2022-01-31). Les Motards de Sherbrooke - Épisode 4 / (Podcast) (in French).
  26. ^ a b c "BAnQ numérique". numerique.banq.qc.ca (in French). Archived from the original on 2021-09-03. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  27. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  28. ^ a b "HASherbrookeChapter". Archived from the original on 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  29. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  30. ^ Lejtenyi, Patrick (2016-10-27). "How the Hells Angels Conquered Canada". Vice. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  31. ^ "Quebec Biker War (1994–2002)". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2023-03-11. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  32. ^ "HASherbrookeChapter". Archived from the original on 2021-10-03. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  33. ^ Proulx, Daniel (2023-02-23). Hells Angels- Les années de plomb (1980-2000): Des rebelles en moto à la conquête du monde criminel (in French). Éditions LaPresse. ISBN 978-2-89825-189-4. Archived from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  34. ^ "Beaulieu (Georges "Bo Boy") - La Mémoire du Québec". www.memoireduquebec.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  35. ^ "Hells Angels buried millions in cash - PressReader". Archived from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
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