Philadelphia's Biker War

Posted by ryan at 01:57 PM in culture , philadelphia , war . | 3 Comments

The Hell's Angels are making a strong move for the Pagan's turf here in Philadelphia, prompting an all out biker war.

Problems in Philadelphia began about two years ago when the Hell's Angels announced they were interested in taking over Philly. The conflict moved to a whole new level this week when a leader of the Hell's Angels was gunned down in a highway shootout in South Philly last Friday.

The shooting of Thomas Wood, 36, was considered a dramatic, but not unexpected, escalation in a simmering feud between the Angels and the Pagans, the motorcycle club that has long dominated the Philadelphia-South Jersey area.

Firebombings, brawls and beatings have occurred sporadically over the last three years as the Angels have tried to establish a presence in the region, investigators say.