ET Please received our heartfelt condolences. Please help us out by hitting the Share button so that we can keep bringing you more articles and Follow us on Facebook so that you get updated when we release new articles. George Wegers Death | Obituary | George Wegers Dead | Died | Funeral Plans - We heard about the great loss, that George Wegers is no more and has reportedly passed away. [ 186 more . Was it smart expanding into different countries in the first place? Stevens pressed Ojemann on whether he had ever said before that he left the club by mutual agreement. They were dressed in steel-toed boots, jeans, and their colors: denim or black leather vests covered with a variety of red-and-gold patches that carried such slogans as Loyalty is our honor, Our colors dont run, and Expect no mercy. On the back of every vest was a large patch of a bellicose Mexican bandit brandishing a pistol and a machete. Wed go flat out on our motorcycles all day long, eighty to ninety miles an hour, and then at night, wed hold our parties far out in the woods so the cops wouldnt find us. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Wegers suffered severe spinal damage while cruising alone on his Harley Street on the afternoon of Sunday, September 27. In the decades since, a town has been split on what they think really happened But the fact was that few of the new Bandidos were compiling spectacular rap sheets. Hasnt the motorcycle world been taken over by lawyers, doctors, and advertising executives, all those self-proclaimed chromosexuals who pull back their hair in neat ponytails and don designer sunglasses and expensive black leather jackets so that they can take leisurely rides through the countryside on sunny weekend afternoons? Ex-Bandido says national president kicked predecessor out over TV interview. Sonny Barger and the Hells Angels Creed. After the service, all the Bandidos headed to their bikes. The specific charges were hardly flashy: Wegers and the others were accused of such varied crimes as stealing motorcycles, kidnapping a rival motorcycle club member (the kidnapping lasted a day . The "1%" sign references an old saying that 99 percent of bikers are law-abiding citizens. Divorced, with a grown son, two grandkids, and other family in Whatcom and Skagit counties. We were walking in our bathing suits on the sidewalk next to the seawall when a group of them roared past us on the adjoining boulevard, their engines as loud as fighter jets. These so-called outlaws are the remaining 1 percent. We even believed that, just for fun, they had sex with dead women. The music on the jukebox cranked up, and I saw Jeff Pike by a pool table. Today the police seem more determined than ever to bring the Bandidos down. Here are 21 facts about this group of motorcycling enthusiasts. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Without saying a word, I bought a round for everyonea total of 96 beers. Hodge was nicknamed "Mr. Next to the Harleys was his Bandidos vest, hanging from a coat rack. It was the Bandidos founder, Donald Chambersonly he rode a Harley instead of a horse. Throughout that Friday afternoon and into the evening, Bandidos continued roaring toward the funeral home, some of them coming from as far northwest as Washington and as far southeast as Alabama. lifted one of his meaty arms and poked me so hard in the chest with his forefinger that I thought my sternum was going to crack. [12] Chambers named the club in honor of the Mexican bandits who lived by their own rules, and he recruited members from biker bars locally in Houston as well as in Corpus Christi, Galveston, and San Antonio. David J. Phillip/AFP via Getty Images Updated 7:28 p.m. However most original recruits came from the Greater Houston area, including Chambers, his right-hand man Ronnie Hodge and another founder Robert "Grandpa Bob" Shields. [ 186 more . January 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Theres my stuff, he said, handing me a bottle of water. For a second, I didnt know what to say. [59], The first chapter opened in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in 2016 and it is considered the first international motorcycle club to open in the Middle East. Shop Now. It was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life. But it was also a rare look inside the Bandidos and at the life of the man who has been . The message, George said, was simple call home immediately. John Xavier Portillo, former national vice president of the Bandidos, arrives at Feb. 27 the San Antonio federal courthouse for the first day of his racketeering trial. The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools, West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians. [12], Ronald Jerome "Ronnie" Hodge took over from Chambers as the Bandidos' president in 1972. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The obituary was featured in Legacy on March 14, 2006. . Wearing high heels and miniskirts, they passed out flyers and free drink tickets, telling the Bandidos that they ought to visit later that night to watch them perform. When I walked in, F.O., who was there with his Old Ladies, leaned into my ear and said, Buddy, it would behoove you to buy some beers. Im almost always in bed by ten p.m. Come on down, Ill talk to you.. For a while, we admired his house, which he was building himself; one side of the upstairs had floor-to-ceiling windows and a long balcony. 'George Wegers ' has Passed Away. Like the Elks, the Bandidos had their own clubhouses, and like the Masons, they had their own initiation rites. They obviously had their own business to discuss. As part of his role as the Bandidos International President, or El Preisdente, as it is often referred to within the Bandidos, he decided to move the clubs headquarters from Texas to Bellingham, Washington, although the Bandidos will always be considered as a Texas outlaw motorcycle club. It is worth noting that paperback/hardback version of this book has been split into two parts for the Kindle, which just makes things confusing! This is a carousel. 1 taler om dette. (Written on the front of the panties was the phrase Support Your Local Bandidos.). [55], The Bandidos formed its first chapter in the Netherlands in 2014. The police said that before killing the dealers, Chambers had made them dig their own graves. The feds thought that they finally had us with that one, that there would be no one left to run the club, chuckled Schmick, who, along with Hodge, was given a five-year sentence. History. Unrepentant, the Bandidos insisted that they had not shot the prosecutor or the judge and that the only reason they were being harassed was because of their anti-establishment posturing. George Wegers was the International President (El Presidente) of Bandidos MC from 1998 until 2005. Get down! my father yelled, as if he thought the Bandidos might shoot us. Lenny, who was married with four kids, worked for an electric cooperative in the Hill Country. Loved by many, loved by few. With an estimated 800 to 1,000 members in sixteen states (about 400 in Texas alone) and another 1,400 members in Canada, Europe, and Australia, they are now as large as the fabled Hells Angels, from California, and according to law enforcement officials who investigate the club, the new Bandidosor at least some of themare just as ribald and rebellious as the originals, whom the cops used to chase day and night. George Weger passed away. IN 1998 THERE WAS TALK ONCE AGAIN that the Bandidos had suffered a fatal blow: Craig Jaws Johnston, who was then the Bandidos president, and other leaders pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that they had conspired to manufacture and sell as much as a thousand pounds of methamphetamine. [46], There are approximately ninety Bandidos chapters in Europe. I remember him turning down the radio and saying he wanted Galveston Johns (backside), Ojemann said. He wanted the badass bikers who cared about nothing except riding full time on their Harley-Davidsons. [24], The Bandidos' insignia, known as the "Fat Mexican", consists of a caricature of a Mexican bandit wearing a sombrero and holding a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. Nineteen search warrants were executed. Ill be honest, it was a lot more fun back then. Find out more on Amazon (link opens in a new tab). People who worked in the nearby stores and businesses rushed outside to get a better look. I bought another round, and then anotherasking questions the entire time about Bandido life to anyone who would look my way. Membership fees are required, and are used to cover club expenses, such as funeral costs, and contribute to a legal defense fund. A few years ago, Pike owned a large street-rod shop in Tomball. I hope you dont believe all that bullshit the feds are feeding you, he said in a surprisingly cheerful voice. Members were accused of conspiracy to commit murder, witness . [42] The club has since expanded substantially in Australia and there are forty-five Bandidos chapters throughout the country. The Bandidos? We are made to known about his death on September 23, 2020. We talked about Bandidos carrying bombs with them on their motorcycles, which they used to blow up gas stations that refused to serve them. Why cant the feds just accept the fact that were a bunch of old bikers who love to get together and have some fun? [53] Chapters were then founded in Italy in 2001[54] and on the Channel Islands in 2003. We mourn with the family of George Wegers for this great loss. As Ojemann rode with Pike back to his house, Ojemann said Pike seethed. The Bandidos were so brazen that they even started their own Web site. [9], Numerous law enforcement and international intelligence agencies classify the Bandidos as an organized crime syndicate. 5 talking about this. Don wasnt looking for people who fit into what he called polite society, said one of Chamberss first members, Royce Showalter. The FBI went so far as to buy a biker bar in Dallas, bringing in as the owner a New York agent who tried to find out what the Bandidos were up to. Just like the Lions Club, its members had vests and were given rules about wearing them. These are not your fathers Bandidos, said Kent Schaffer, a well-known Houston attorney who has been defending the club for 23 years. There was booze and drugs everywhere. Ojemann said that on one occasion, Lammins was tipped off and didnt show up to where Ojemann and others would have pummeled him, or he was in places that were too public for an attack. The European Bandidos proved themselves to be just as aggressive as their American counterparts, setting off a turf war with Europes Hells Angels and at one point firing anti-tank grenades at two Hells Angels clubhouses in Denmark. Built like a professional wrestler, he had thick black hair and a black Fu Manchu mustache, and just below his chin was a tuft of beard tied up with string and held in place by a fourteen-karat gold skull with diamonds in the eyes. His nickname was Spook. You probably have no inkling that they were once the terrors of Texas, so fearsome that when a rumor spread through a town that they were coming, people literally headed inside their homes and locked their doors. Bandido Chuco, who had died at the age of 65 from liver cancer. The Bandidos deny that they're "white supremacists.". We take our clothes to the dry cleaners. In 2005 the feds made their next assault on the Bandidos empire. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act was used to indict Bandidos in 2005. It is derived from the Gospel of St. John. The Rev. The family will receive friends and loved ones on Monday . Pike was like, (expletive) him. Briefly the Canadian president. George Wegers was born in Whatcom County in Washington State around 1953. Skip Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narratives. Hi, how are you? I said to a Bandido wearing a bandanna and dark sunglasses. The hearse and the motorcycles proceeded down a major boulevard, then turned into the cemetery, the sound of the bikes so deafening that other mourners who were laying out flowers for their loved ones put their hands to their ears. Consider, for instance, the gold-colored courtesy card that Chambers printed up for his members to give to citizens (the word they used to describe nonmembers). He is charged in several different conspiracy counts, including a conspiracy to traffic in motor vehicles and motor-vehicle parts. John (Boxer, Prize) Muscedere. And in the middle of each card was the phrase Bandido by profession, Biker by trade, Lover by choice, You have just had the honor of meeting , which was followed by that particular members signature. He suffered spinal injuries from a motorcycle crash when he exiting Interstate 5 in Skagit County, Washington State in 2010. They looked at the helicopter, and once again, as if given a silent cue, they lifted their hands in unison and flashed their middle fingers toward the sky. . Phone: (660) 584-2626. The love we have for one another as brothers. He paused and stared at me. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. Their suspicions about him only deepened after the Benesh and the Canadian affairs. Shane Kenneth (Wheels) Maloney of Wolfpack gets parole relaxed, Bad Blood goes international as Netflix Original, Former Bandido biker Randolph Brown gets maximum security prison time for murder, He was crying, sweating: Boxers daughter stares down hitman who killed her father. [32], Bandidos members must be male[33] and own at least one Harley-Davidson motorcycle (although other American-made motorcycles can also be allowed). But heres the thing. This is the one and only official Facebook page for George Wegers, the former National and International President of the largest motorcycle club. The Bandidos Motorcycle Club, also known as the Bandido Nation,[1] is an outlaw motorcycle club[6][7][8] with a worldwide membership. You knew that Jeff was concerned that with the war on terrorism, the Bandidos might get a reputation that they have terrorists? DeGuerin asked. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of George Wagers (Manchester, Kentucky), who passed away on December 3, 2021 at the age of 71. In the past, he had been a member of other Houston-area motorcycle clubs, but they had bored him. According to homicide detective Frank Rodriguez, in the days before his murder, Benesh had been receiving telephone calls from Bandidos telling him to stop wearing a vest that displayed Hells Angels patches. The Bandidos Motorcycle Club was founded by 36-year-old dockworker Donald Eugene Chambers on March 4, 1966, in San Leon, Texas. It was all chrome and noise, he said. There was a tall front gate with a Go Away sign attached to it, but it was wide open. Copyright 2010, Peter Edwards. Up in Washington, one of our Bandidos is an engineer at Microsoft.. (To protect their privacy, Pike asked me not to name the school.) BY SATURDAY MORNING, AT LEAST FOUR HUNDRED Bandidos were in San Antonio, gathered in the parking lot of an evangelical church for Chucos funeral. [22], According to the club's website, the Bandidos' Western Hemisphere chapters became autonomous from the international chapters in Europe and Australia on July 17, 2007. Even a handful of European Bandidos had flown in for the occasion, borrowing motorcycles from members of the San Antonio chapter so they too could ride. IN THE LATE SEVENTIES, the Bandidos became suspects in two of the states most publicized shootings: the attempted slaying in 1978 of James Kerr, an assistant U.S. attorney in San Antonio who was reportedly conducting an investigation into the club, and the 1979 assassination of U.S. district judge John Wood Jr., of San Antonio, who was known as Maximum John for his merciless sentences for drug offenders, a few of whom were Bandidos. But would they call that entire department a criminal enterprise? [29], The Bandidos' mottos include "Cut one, we all bleed",[9] "God forgives, Bandidos don't",[1] "Our colors don't run"[30] and "We are the people our parents warned us about". [48] This was followed by expansion into the Nordic countries, with branches being established in Denmark in 1993,[49] Sweden in 1994,[50] and Finland and Norway in 1995. Kaiser-Wiegers Funeral Home. And, there were some Bandidos members in those chapters who, when arrested, were found to have pictures of Osama bin Laden at their homes, DeGuerin said. For the 1967 film, see, Bandidos MC criminal allegations and incidents, "Law agencies prep, keep watch, as outlaw biker club rides in for holiday weekend | St George News", "Number of Hells Angels charters and Bandidos chapters worldwide", "Bandidos: 5 things to know about second-most dangerous motorcycle gang | USA Today", "FBI and DEA arrest top Bandidos Motorcycle Leaders in San Antonio, Houston", "How the Bandidos became one of the world's most feared biker gangs", "Texas Monthly: "The Gang's All Here" by Skip Hollansworth", "Milperra - the spark that started the bikie violence", Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, "Biker wars dredge up something rotten in the state of Denmark", Hells Angels under pressure as outlaw motorcycle clubs from across the globe expand into Canada, "USA Based Motorcycle Clubs kicking out or shutting down chapters overseas. They had sex with dead women and on the back of every was! 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