Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Exile on Front Street
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1947
WEBSITE: http://www.georgechristie.com/
CITY:
STATE: CA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://www.history.com/shows/outlaw-chronicles-hells-angels/articles/about-george-christie-jr
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: n 2016042205
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n2016042205
HEADING: Christie, George
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670 __ |a Exile on Front Street, 2016: |b ECIP t.p. (George Christie) dataview (George Christie was born in Ventura, California. He served as a Marine reservist after graduating high school, and after completing his service became an electrician and communications specialist for the Department of Defense. He “prospected” for the Hells Angel Motorcycle Club in 1975, becoming a full-patch member in 1976. Eventually founding the Ventura Chapter and serving as its president for over 30 years, George would go on to carry the Olympic torch for the 1984 Olympic Games. He also served as the club’s international spokesman for more than two decades. He has owned several businesses, including a custom motorcycle garage, a widely renowned tattoo shop, and a bail bonds and legal referral business he ran in tandem with his daughter’s legal practice. He currently resides in Ojai, California.)
PERSONAL
Born 1947, in Ventura, CA; married Cheryl (divorced); married Nikki; children: George Jnr. III, Moriya, Aubree, Finn.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Entrepreneur, communications expert, community organizer, consultant, and writer. Previously worked as an electrician, served as a communications specialist for the U.S. Department of Defense, and owned a tattoo shop, a custom motorcycle garage, a legal referral business, and a bail bonds operation; consults with defense attorneys, first-time offenders, and news outlets. Subject/star of the documentary film The Last American Outlaw and the History Channel documentary Outlaw Chronicles: Hells Angels (2015–).
MIILITARY:Served as a U.S. Marine reservist.
MEMBER:Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (founder and former president of Ventura chapter, until 2011, international spokesman).
AWARDS:Carried the Olympic Torch in 1984.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
George Christie is a writer, consultant, and former leader in the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. He was the founder of the Ventura chapter of the Hells Angels and was its president for over three decades. Christie also served as the international spokesman for the motorcycle club for over twenty years. In addition to his involvement with the Hells Angels, he has worked as an electrician, served as a communications specialist for the U.S. Department of Defense, and owned a tattoo shop, a custom motorcycle garage, a legal referral business, and a bail bonds operation. Christie is the subject of the History Channel documentary series Outlaw Chronicles: Hells Angels and the documentary DVD release The Last American Outlaw.
In 2016, Christie released his memoir, Exile on Front Street: My Life as a Hell’s Angel … and Beyond. The book begins with Christie describing his childhood in Ventura. His Greek American family was close and supportive. Christie recalls seeing a biker for the first time in 1955 and being drawn toward living that man’s lifestyle. However, he first joined the reserves of the U.S. Marines. After finishing his time with the marines, Christie began working for the U.S. Department of Defense. He also joined the Hells Angels. In an interview with Seth Ferranti, contributor to the Vice Web site, Christie discussed his reasons for joining the club, stating: “I felt there was really a code of honor despite what society at-large would think. These were guys I could trust. I knew if I confided in them or told them something, they wouldn’t take it and use it against me. It was very esoteric and closed, and once you were accepted and people knew who you were, you had a real family and an extended home. I could go anywhere in California, and I always had a couch to sleep on, a place to work on my bike.”
Christie explains that when he first became a Hells Angel, there were feuds among members and with other clubs, as well as unnecessary violence. He determined to establish peace in the organization and ultimately became his chapter’s president. Christie fondly recalls carrying the Olympic Torch when the Olympics were held in Los Angeles in 1984. He describes his nemesis, Sonny Barger, who ran the Oakland chapter of the Hells Angels. Christie concludes by describing how he left the club after serving time in prison. In the interview with Ferranti, Christie stated: “It kind of reminded me of a divorce: At first, everyone wanted to be amiable. They weren’t happy about my decision, but they understood it. As things progressed, it became aggressive, and it was hard to take.”
“Christie is a convincing narrator, though it’s impossible to believe that he’s the Boy Scout he makes himself out to be,” asserted a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Candy Chand, a friend of Barber’s, also expressed skepticism about the contents of Christie’s book in an assessment that appeared on the Huffington Post Web site. Chand suggested: “Throughout the manuscript, George implies he was the unofficial peacemaker for the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. In example after example, he paints himself with almost messianic imagery—riding in to save the day, offering goodwill for all mankind. Yet, records show: this is the same individual who was indicted, and pled out, to the fire-bombing of a competitor’s tattoo parlor.” Chand added that “George’s book appears little more than an attempt to benefit financially from his former club’s status.” She also stated, “Throughout the manuscript, George comes across as a man utterly incapable of taking personal responsibility.” Chand concluded, “Please, save yourself: Don’t waste your time or money on this book. The amount of wine required—to make Christie’s story appear even remotely believable—will put you under for days.”
BIOCRIT
BOOKS
Christie, George, Exile on Front Street: My Life as a Hell’s Angel … and Beyond, Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press (New York, NY), 2016.
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, July 25, 2016, review of Exile on Front Street, p. 63.
ONLINE
George Christie Home Page, http://www.georgechristie.com (April 25, 2017).
Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ (May 13, 2016), Candy Chand, review of Exile on Front Street.
New York Daily News Online, http://www.nydailynews.com/ (September 17, 2016), Sherryl Connell, review of Exile on Front Street.
One Percenter Bikers, http://www.onepercenterbikers.com/ (April 25, 2017), author biography.
Vice Online, https://www.vice.com/ (August 30, 2016), Seth Ferranti, author interview.
"
The man that law enforcement is pursuing no longer exists. Like the Western outlaws of old he walked into a new century and vanished. He is gone, and I ask you to let him rest in peace.
It’s true, for forty years I rode with the Hells Angels. Thirty-five of those as one of its leaders and spokesmen. Although I am no longer a member or participant in that lifestyle, it is hard to separate my past from the present for many people, as well as the man from the myth, and that includes myself at times.
Over time I have tried to become smarter, wiser and more tempered. I’ve not always taken the correct turns in life but when I have realized I was off course I have always tried my best to once again find true north.
Several years ago I made a decision to not just relinquish my office, but to end my tenure as a club member: A difficult personal decision I knew would arouse suspicion in many. Through providence, I found myself on a road down which I was no longer willing to take my wife and young son.
As a leader, you can either fish each day for your men or teach them to fish for themselves. I thought I had taught them the art of fishing. I made a mistake in judgment as their leader. And, as I slowly let go of power it created a vacuum. That set off a power struggle that created a series of events that brings me before the court.
Although I did not personally direct anyone, I accept that if I am truly guilty of anything it is a lack of leadership. So I stand here before you ready to accept the punishment for the crimes I’ve pled guilty to and once again find true north.
"
George Christie, Statement to the Court
The rear view
Picture
George Christie, Jr. was born in 1947 in Ventura, California to a family of Greek immigrants and grew up as an only child. From an early age he was fascinated by motorcycles and outlaw culture, and by the time he started school his intelligence and rebellious attitude set him apart from his peers. As a teenager he became an avid surfer, who are outlaws in their own rite.
Over the objections of his father he bought his first bike, a 1957 Panhead, for $200 in 1966, and was soon hanging around with outlaw bike clubs The Question Marks, Satan Slaves and famous motorcycle customizers Von Dutch and Dick Woods. As George puts it, "some people run away and join the circus. I ran away and joined the Hells Angels." He became a full-patch Hells Angel in the Los Angeles charter in 1976 and, six months later, became president of that charter before founding the Ventura charter in 1978. His tenure as such was the longest in the clubs history, spanning 7 U.S. Presidential terms beginning with Gerald Ford and ending with Barack Obama.
As a club leader in Ventura, he became one of the most powerful voices in the national Hells Angels organization, and spent three decades battling the law, rivals and members of his own club while building the club’s daily business operations. He famously carried the Olympic torch in the 1984 Los Angeles Games. After challenging the Kennedy family over fund disbursements for Special Olympics, he found himself on the radar of many police agencies as well as the establishment. Never one to back down, he went on a world wide pilgrimage for peace between all outlaw bike clubs declaring law enforcement their common enemy. This made him a police target for the next three decades. In 1986/87 he was tried for a murder that never happened and after spending a year in federal prison he was found not guilty and cleared of all charges.
In 1997, the Ventura District Attorney launched an investigation and after three grand juries, George was arrested in 2001 with a 59 count indictment. He spent a year in solitary confinement before the case collapsed under its own weight. George was offered a plea bargain for time served, which he took.
In 2011, he resigned his presidency of the Ventura charter and left the club. George was quickly excommunicated by his former brothers. The feds wasted no time and within weeks came with an indictment for a 2006 conspiracy to firebomb two Ventura tattoo shops. As George faced a mandatory life sentence if found guilty, the government offered a plea deal, but he would have to accept responsibility for the arson. In a surprise move just before sentenced was rendered, Mr Christie asked to address the court. He explained to Judge Wu that he had not directed anyone to burnout the two shops but would accept responsibility for poor leadership. The court accepted his explanation, and after two years on house arrest recovering from double hip replacements, George left for a Texas Federal prison where he would spend the next year. In August of 2014 he was released from custody.
George currently serves as a consultant for defense attorneys, news outlets and works with first time offenders to understand the judicial process. He lives with his wife and son in Southern California and has three adult children.
He has no regrets.
The road ahead
Picture
Since his departure as a leader and voice in the world of outlaw motorcycles, George has been keeping very busy. He has learned that to lead you must have vision -- his lifestyle and experiences have given him a unique range of view and an ability to help others.
George’s life experiences have given him great insight into the judicial system. He has worked with some of the best criminal attorneys in the United States in both state and federal courts. He has used his knowledge to assist friends, associates and clients and, at times, to fight for his own freedom. In 2011, George launched Felony Prison Consultants and works with defense attorneys to analyze their cases and prepare strong legal defenses. He also works with defendants to assist them in coming to terms with their situation and prepare for the complexities of court as well as protocol of prison life.
The demand continues for George’s voice and stories, and he has many exciting projects in the works. New projects will be unveiled here as they are ready for public release. George is always ready to share his stories and his view on life and he has never met an audience that he didn’t like. For interviews, media opportunities and speaking engagements contact sazma@flutieent.com.
A few current notable projects:
Outlaw Chronicles, The History Channel
A six-part series spanning 30 years of George’s life as a leading voice in the notorious outlaw motorcycle club, the Hells Angels. The Outlaw Chronicles is a captivating series that shares George’s insights to this unique world and introduces viewers to stories that have never been shared in public. The series aired in the US and internationally and is now available on iTunes.
A Different Christmas Story
A special short story written by George for his family while he was incarcerated in a Texas prison. George shared the story, chapter by chapter, with his followers over the month of December as a special holiday gift. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet you can find it in the blog archive.
The Book -- George Christie's Memoirs
The new book is scheduled to release in September of this year. If you liked the Outlaw Chronicles you will love this book. Pre-sales will be starting soon -- keep watching for more information.
TV & Movie Projects
George has several other things in the works. We keep everyone posted via the blog. Stay tuned!!
George Christie
OnePercenterBikers George Christie, George Christie Hells Angels
George Christie is the former Hells Angels MC Ventura Chapter President.
George Christie Hells Angels
George Christie Hells Angels
George Christie Personal Life
George Christie was born in Ventura, California in 1947. He is an only child with Greek immigrant parents.
As a teenager he was a surfer, which was where he was first introduced to motorcycles, as a friend of his had a Harley Davidson motorcycle which he brought down to the beach one day.
In 1984 he carried the Olympic Torch as part of the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
He owned a tattoo shop in Ventura known as The Ink House up until early 2013.
He has four children, George Jnr III, Moriya, Aubree and Finn, and a wife, Nikki. His youngest child, Finn, lives with him and his wife in Southern California.
One of his elder children, George Christie Jnr. III also had some involvement with the Hells Angels, becoming the Vice President of the Ventura chapter. In August 2015 he unexpectedly died in his sleep, aged 39, information about his cause of death could not be found.
George Christie’s daughter, Moriya Lynn Christie, is a criminal attorney and has acted on behalf of her father on numerous occasions.
After leaving the Hells Angels and serving some time in prison he acts as an organized crime consultant to networks including CNN as well as working with inmates to help them to understand the judicial process through his company “Felony Prison Consultants”.
George Christie Hells Angels MC Motorcycle History
In 1966 at the age of 19 he purchased his first motorcycle, a 1957 Harley Davidson Panhead, reportedly for $200. He then began hanging around The Question Marks outlaw motorcycle club, based in Ventura where he met Von Dutch and Dick Woods.
He joined the Hells Angels Los Angeles chapter and became a fully patched member in 1976 and only 6 months later was promoted to the Los Angeles chapter President.
In 1978 he left the Los Angeles chapter to start a new chapter in Ventura, where he held the role of Ventura President for several decades, leaving him as one of the longest serving Presidents and also one of the most famous hells angels members.
George Christie was thought to be a level-headed leader in most cases. Over his years as President he was able to build up relatively good relationships between the Mongols and Hells Angels in the Ventura, California area, at least in comparison to the widespread hatred that occurred between the Hells Angels and the Mongols elsewhere in the country.
In 2011 he was put out of the club in bad standings, with beliefs that he had cooperated with law enforcement. George Christie claims that he retired from the club.
George Christie Crimes
1986 – Charged with conspiracy to commit the murder of a drug dealer. He was acquitted, however had spent a year in prison by the time of the acquittal.
1998 – Indicted on 59 counts relating to the distribution of drugs. He spent a year in prison and pled guilty to conspiracy to sell prescription drugs as well as pleading no contest to the filing of a false tax return. This indictment covered multiple members of the Christie family including his ex-wife Cheryl, son George Christie Jnr III, daughter Moriya Christie and her husband Layne Bell.
2007 – 6 July, 2007. Molotov cocktails are thrown into two tattoo shops, Scratch the Surface and Twisted Ink, both located in Ventura. These two tattoo shops were thought to have some connections with the Mongols MC, who are a traditional Hells Angels enemy, however are on much better terms with the Hells Angels in the Ventura, California area.
George Christie Scratch the Surface Tattoo Ventura
Scratch the Surface Tattoo Ventura
2011 – 12 August, 2011. Indicted (with a superseding indictement in December, 2011), along with Benito Hurtado, Brian Andrew Russell, Kyle Douglas Gilbertson and Richard Reeves Russell III, on federal charges relating to extortion and the July 2007 firebombing of Scratch the Surface and Twisted Ink tattoo shops. George Christie is charged with one count of conspiracy to use fire or explosive to damage property, and two counts of use of fire or explosive to damage property.
The FBI statement at the time stated:
“The indictment alleges that Christie, while the president of the Ventura County Chapter of the Hells Angels, conspired to threaten the owners of rival tattoo parlors in an effort to force them to close down their businesses. When the owners remained in business, Christie allegedly conspired to firebomb the businesses.”
2011 – 2 September, 2011. George Christie is released on $200,000 bail and placed under house arrest. The trial is due to begin 31 January, 2012, however is delayed multiple times and does not start until January, 2013.
2013 – 1 February, 2013. A plea deal is reached, which sees him plead guilty to two counts of conspiracy.
2013 – August, 2013. He is sentenced to serve one year in FCI (Federal Correctional Institution) La Tuna, located in Anthony, Texas.
George Christie La Tuna FCI Texas map
George Christie La Tuna FCI Texas map
George Christie Media
Documentary – Filmmaker Nick Mead made the documentary, “The Last American Outlaw”, which started filming just before Christie was indicted in 2011. Originally started as a film about freedom within America, it turned into a biography of sorts about George Christie. The documentary was shown at the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, however later on pulled from mass release after serious concerns were raised that the stories told by George Christie were not factual. Threats have since come claiming that filmmaker Nick Mead may be sued if the production doesn’t continue.
Book – Exile on Front Street: My Life as a Hells Angel . . . and Beyond by George Christie.
George Christie’s biography takes you through his history in the Hells Angels, with of course a lot of details around the Ventura chapter in particular. The book has received some reviews stating that the story doesn’t quite line up with the facts, however that was to be expected to a certain degree. Find out more on Amazon (link opens in a new tab).
George Christie book Exile on Front Street My Life as a Hells Angel and Beyond
George Christie book Exile on Front Street My Life as a Hells Angel and Beyond
TV – The Outlaw Chronicles – History Channel.
Outlaw Chronicles is a 2015 collaboration between George Christie and the History Channel providing an overview of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. Many consider this collaboration to be spilling “club business”, however that much is also over-dramatized. Find out more on Amazon (link opens in a new tab).
QUOTED: "I felt there was really a code of honor despite what society at-large would think. These were guys I could trust. I knew if I confided in them or told them something, they wouldn't take it and use it against me. It was very esoteric and closed, and once you were accepted and people knew who you were, you had a real family and an extended home. I could go anywhere in California, and I always had a couch to sleep on, a place to work on my bike."
"It kind of reminded me of a divorce: At first, everyone wanted to be amiable. They weren't happy about my decision, but they understood it. As things progressed, it became aggressive, and it was hard to take."
STUFF
What Happened When I Left the Hells Angels
Seth Ferranti
SETH FERRANTI
Aug 30 2016, 1:50pm
After decades as the public face of the Hells Angels, George Christie and the club parted ways. That's when his life got weird.
Get the VICE App on iOS and Android.
When George Christie was a kid in California in the mid 1950s, he caught sight for the first time of a long-haired, denim-jacketed biker, and knew that life was for him. By the late 60s, after a stint as a reservist with the Marines, Christie was hanging out with the Questions Marks and Satan Slaves, two California outlaw motorcycle clubs that lived in the shadow of the elite: the Hells Angels. The Angels were the top of the food chain in outlaw-bike culture, and it was Christie's dream to join the infamous club, a prospect he often likens to running away and joining the circus.
By the mid 70s, Christie had realized that dream, and in his forthcoming book, Exile on Front Street: My Life as a Hells Angel, and Beyond, he describes his roughly four decades with the most notorious biker club in American history. From founding the Ventura, California, charter to carrying the Olympic Torch in the Los Angeles games to starring in his own History Channel series, Outlaw Chronicles, Christie emerged as perhaps the definitive (if controversial) public face for a deeply polarizing group.
So it isn't exactly shocking that he ran into some trouble with the law along the way. Among other things, Christie was charged with orchestrating a murder for hire involving the leader of the Mexican Mafia prison gang, before eventually being acquitted in 1987. And in 2011, he was arrested over the firebombing of rival tattoo parlors four years earlier, pleading guilty to one charge and doing about a year in prison. It was around this time that Christie says he decided to leave the organization he called home—a split that quickly got ugly, with rumors swirling that he was forced out after turning government informant.
VICE chatted with Christie to learn what it was like to be a Hells Angel, why they parted ways, and how his life has changed since.
George Christie brandishing the Olympic Torch in California in 1984
VICE: What was it about the Hells Angels and outlaw motorcycle clubs in general that was so attractive to you in the first place?
George Christie: I felt there was really a code of honor despite what society at-large would think. These were guys I could trust. I knew if I confided in them or told them something, they wouldn't take it and use it against me. It was very esoteric and closed, and once you were accepted and people knew who you were, you had a real family and an extended home. I could go anywhere in California, and I always had a couch to sleep on, a place to work on my bike.
It was like one continuous party—and I'm not talking about being intoxicated all of the time. We were coming out of the 60s into the 70s, and that whole counterculture thing was kind of unhinging. Here was a group of individuals who had rules and regulations that you had to adhere to, all about honor and self-respect and discipline. A lot of people might find that hard to believe, but that's what it was all about.
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You were once the yin to [Hells Angels leader] Sonny Barger's yang—a key part of the group as a prominent spokesman. How did that relationship deteriorate?
There was a period when I really looked up to Sonny. But one of the things that I felt was really interesting was the first time I went to prison, I went to FCI Terminal Island and asked one of the brothers on the yard, "Who do we have a problem with in here?" and he said, "We don't fight in prison."
Clubs that we were fighting with on the streets we didn't have a problem with inside—in fact, we would interact with them. So when I got out in '87, I started reaching out to a lot of the different clubs, negotiating truces with the Outlaws, the Bandidos, the Mongols. I even talked to the Pagans a few times. That was my vision, and I think Sonny's interest didn't go beyond his own little orbit.
Why did you ultimately sever ties with the club?
I felt we became the people we rebelled against, and that's exactly what I told them at the meeting when I left. At one time, we would interact with all the clubs up and down the coast, and by 2011, we were fighting every major outlaw-bike club in the United States—plus law enforcement. That's where some people lost perspective of what the initial intent was of the whole outlaw lifestyle. It seemed more military, like an army fighting another army.
Was it always your plan to write a book about your time with the Angels, and did you anticipate blowback?
After my departure from the club in 2011, there was a lot of misinformation going on about me. I had [formally] quit the club. I went to the meeting, and I did it the way you're supposed to, followed protocol, faced everybody, and I said I think we have different visions and I'm going to call it a day, and I took my patch off, folded it up, put it on the table, and everybody seemed to understand my position. And then a couple of weeks later, I think, Sonny Barger was instrumental in getting my status changed. I got a phone call that I was no longer "out in good standing"—I was "out bad" with no contact.
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They went on a campaign to shame me in social media, and all of a sudden I had people I've never met before, who weren't even club members, who were maybe who you'd call loose associates or fans or whatever, coming at me, making accusations and whatnot. I decided to set the record straight.
Is that the extent of how ugly it got—some broken friendships?
If they want to say I'm "out bad," I don't have a problem with that, but they're also inferring that I am an informant, which is absolutely not true. If I am, who did I testify against, and what trials did I testify at? There's no paperwork on me. The US attorneys sealed my case files [over the allegations of arson and conspiracy to commit arson against rival tattoo parlors] because there are ten informants in it. From that point on, all the records were sealed. They seal cases all the time, and I was the only one who went to jail.
What's the big deal about being "out bad?" It sounds like it's still hanging over you.
Being "out bad" with no contact in the outlaw-motorcycle world is like a stigma—they don't want people interacting with you, they don't want people talking to you. Club members who I was friendly with after I left had their memberships in jeopardy if they communicated with me.
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When I left, it kind of reminded me of a divorce: At first, everyone wanted to be amiable. They weren't happy about my decision, but they understood it. As things progressed, it became aggressive, and it was hard to take. The phone rings and you pick up, and it's one of your former brothers and he tells you you're no longer a friend to us. That's my whole life, because I didn't have many friends outside the club. It was a hard pill to swallow.
QUOTED: "Christie is a convincing narrator, though it's impossible to believe that he's the Boy Scout he makes himself out to be."
Exile on Front Street: My Life as a Hell's Angel, and
Beyond
Publishers Weekly.
263.30 (July 25, 2016): p63.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Exile on Front Street: My Life as a Hell's Angel, and Beyond
George Christie. St. Martin's/Dunne, $26.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-250-09568-8
Christie, a onetime member of the Hells Angels, points out in this lucid member that the greatest threat to an outlaw isn't cops--it's his outlaw
brothers. Raised in a close-knit Greek-American family in Ventura, Calif., Christie encountered a denim-clad, long-haired biker in 1955 and saw
his future. After a stint in the Marines and an unfortunate marriage, Christie started riding with the Angels while raising a family and working for
the Department of Defense. Troubled by the club feuds and senseless killings, Christie tried to mediate the strife and rose to the presidency of the
Ventura chapter, cementing his role of peacemaker by running with the torch at the 1984 Olympics. Yet no amount of PR could overcome the
sectarian squabbling and endless police harassment. Christie is a convincing narrator, though it's impossible to believe that he's the Boy Scout he
makes himself out to be. Legal concerns may explain his circumspection, and his numerous enemies certainly have a very different take on their
disagreements. Sonny Barger, the legendary president of the Oakland Angels, features as a Machiavellian villain, intent on destroying anyone
who threatens his place in the spotlight. That said, Christie articulately defends his outlaw code, which he adhered to at great personal cost.
Although he resigned from the Angels in 2010, his past, as he engagingly writes, continues to haunt him. As Christie wryly observes, "You don't
just stop being an outlaw." (Sept.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Exile on Front Street: My Life as a Hell's Angel, and Beyond." Publishers Weekly, 25 July 2016, p. 63. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA460285536&it=r&asid=1c1383c75d5dbdefe4d9d1b9394f91e6. Accessed 10 Apr.
2017.
4/9/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1491799464893 2/2
Gale Document Number: GALE|A460285536
Former Hells Angels boss Sonny Barger was a fraud who beat his wife and 14-year-old stepdaughter, ex-gangster George Christie writes in 'Exile on Front Street' tell-all
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Ralph "Sonny" Barger.
Ralph "Sonny" Barger. (MARIO MAGNANI/GETTY IMAGES)
BY SHERRYL CONNELLY
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Saturday, September 17, 2016, 5:39 PM
Sonny Barger, the notorious and feared leader of the Hells Angels, was actually a hell-raising hypocrite who relied more on his biker mystique than actual menace.
In his new book “Exile on Front Street: My Life as a Hells Angel and Beyond,” Barger’s one-time heir apparent George Christie exposes his ex-boss as snitch, a wife-beater and a phony.
Take the first two allegations. Barger’s call to the cops followed a domestic violence incident where he attacked spouse Noel and her 14-year-old daughter, Sarrah.
Rumors were flying that Noel was a paid FBI informant — but that wasn’t the impetus behind the assault.
Hell's Angel busted for waving gun, chasing man with bat
According to Christie, Barger came home angry after Noel caught him riding with another woman on his motorcycle and tried to run him off the road.
Barger then called 911, tipping police to a handgun inside Noel’s car.
“An outlaw didn’t dial those three numbers ... it’s the same as testifying,” Christie fumes. “Sonny had been the model of the wild, unbending outlaw. But living with an informant? Beating a 14-year-old girl? Calling 911?
“Those were things a Hells Angel didn’t do.”
'Hells' hath no fury like a biker gang scorned
Photo courtesy of George Christie to accompany story about his new book (September 2016)
Christie held the Olympic torch during his reign as Hells Angels chief. (COURTESY OF GEORGE CHRISTIE)
At the next West Coast officers’ meeting, Christie produced the 911 transcript along with a newspaper article offering a “stunning description” of Barger “in what can only be described as a nervous breakdown.”
A neighbor found Barger in a delusional state, so out of touch with reality that he was hospitalized.
The Angels, rather than sanctioning Barger, accused Christie of faking the transcripts. Barger was spared any blowback for breaking the outlaw code.
“He’s always had a peculiar sway of the membership, particularly the weaker-minded Angels,” Christie bitterly reflects.
Former Gypsy Jokers gangster was tortured before getting killed
But a line was drawn between Barger and Christie, a feud that won’t die until one of them is in the grave.
“Sonny and I were done,” writes Christie. “He hated being questioned. He believed it was his club. Anybody who said differently was a threat that had to be eliminated.”
Christie, 69, snidely dismisses the 77-year-old Barger as all “mystique” and no menace, claiming Sonny lacked a “reputation for violence or being physically dangerous.”
Photo courtesy of George Christie to accompany story about his new book (September 2016)
A long-haired Christie atop his chopper. (COURTESY OF GEORGE CHRISTIE)
That would be news to Hollywood and most everyone else, including law enforcement.
Rival biker gangs toss blame for deadly fight at Colo. expo
Barger was the feral face of the Angels back in the glory days when the gang was the most feared tribe on the road. Or maybe in the world.
Christie, president of the Ventura, Calif., chapter, built his own status within the Angels by calming the terror inspired by Barger after he founded the Oakland chapter in 1958.
A former Marine who became a full-patch member in 1976, Christie stepped up to the microphone with a disarming message after Barger lost his voice to throat cancer in 1982.
“I wanted to frame the club as a bunch of good guys who held freedom dear and just wanted to live life their way,” he writes.
Over and over again, he pressed that the “Hells Angels love America more than anyone else.”
In a brilliant public relations move, Christie ran a leg of the Los Angeles Olympic torch relay in the summer of 1984. It was a story no news outlet could resist.
Photo courtesy of George Christie to accompany story about his new book (September 2016)
Christie (l.) with Liza Minelli in an undated photo taken in Paris. (COURTESY OF GEORGE CHRISTIE)
Christie so convincingly played the role of an honorable outlaw that a Ventura County deputy district attorney once told a reporter he’d become a “folk hero.”
The “hero” took every opportunity to pound his message home. Individual Angels might commit crimes, he preached, but the organization itself was clean.
Technically, he had a point.
While federal authorities identified the Angels as major suppliers of methamphetamine in the 1980s, the club kept the trade at arm’s-length by running deals through its many hangers-on.
In 1987, Christie reaped the benefits befitting a statesman. While California prisons were crowded with convicted Angels, he walked away from a charge of soliciting murder.
The FBI sent a high-level member of the Mexican Mafia, informant Michael Mulhern, to Christie with an offer to kill a member of the Ventura chapter who had ratted to the feds.
The prosecution even had Christie on tape telling Mulhern he’d kill the guy himself.
Photo courtesy of George Christie to accompany story about his new book (September 2016)
Christie and wife Nikki, at a party outside the Hells Angels' Ventura clubhouse. (COURTESY OF GEORGE CHRISTIE)
Christie, claiming entrapment, carried himself so well in court that he was acquitted. In a move worthy of “Teflon Don” John Gotti, he then threw a backyard barbecue for the jury.
The drama only enhanced Christie’s reputation as a peace whisperer.
Hollywood soon came courting. His first wife, Cheryl, killed a movie proposal from filmmaker Michael Mann over concerns about how she’d be portrayed. Cheryl even made Christie refuse Diane Keaton’s offer of an appearance in “Heaven,” her documentary on the afterlife.
Still, Liza Minnelli threw a bash for him in Paris when he arrived on one of his international peacekeeping missions. The globe was dotted with chapters of Hells Angels frequently at war.
One of the book’s heroic tales took place in Steamboat Springs, Colo., the 1996 destination for the annual USA Run — the biggest day in the Angels’ calendar.
Christie was tucked in for the night when he received an emergency call. One of the younger Ventura members, a meth head, had shot two other Angels down at the Horse Inn.
He arrived to find the cops had mounted a show of force around the bar. Inside were a hundred or more angry Angels — stoned, drunk and heavily armed.
Photo courtesy of George Christie to accompany story about his new book (September 2016)
Christie, alongside pal Mickey Rourke. (COURTESY OF GEORGE CHRISTIE)
The cops, hoping to avoid a firestorm, let Christie through. Inside, the Angels had the shooter surrounded, guns drawn. After an hour of tense negotiations, Christie persuaded the bloodthirsty bikers to let the shooter leave with him.
The Angels formed a cordon outside, allowing Christie, with the kid on his bike, to make a getaway into the night.
By 2001, Christie was at the height of his power in the Angels — until the cruel shock of a multicount indictment with charges of fraud, theft, selling drugs and tax evasion.
The sweep brought in 28 members and associates of the Ventura Angels, but Christie was the principal target. Like Sonny Barger, the Ventura County prosecutor wasn’t impressed with Christie’s reputation as a peacekeeper.
Christie spent a year in solitary confinement before a deal was struck. The county invested $30 million building the case, only to watch Christie walk away with time served.
But he emerged from prison a changed man on a downhill slide. The one sweet note came when he married the woman who had waited for him, Nikki. Mickey Rourke danced at their wedding.
But within a few years, a road accident left him hobbled and a swindler left him impoverished. And word was circulating that Barger wanted him dead.
"Exile on Front Street: My Life as a Hells and Beyond," by Hells Angels veteran George Christie.
"Exile on Front Street: My Life as a Hells and Beyond," by Hells Angels veteran George Christie. (BOOK COVER)
Life is rarely kind to aging outlaws.
In 2010, Christie did the unthinkable: He “retired” from the Hells Angels, respectfully surrendering his patch and his Death Head rings at a meeting. He walked away expecting no trouble.
But the Angels weren’t going to let the old man go peacefully. Christie claims Barger was behind the decision to change his status to “out bad, no contact.”
The Angels had put him out on Front Street, unprotected with a target on his back.
Perhaps it was fortunate, then, that the feds got to Christie first. In 2013, he went to prison, convicted on charges related to the firebombing of two competing tattoo parlors.
Christie, who starred last summer in the six-part History Channel series “Outlaw Chronicles,” says he now pities Barger. He chooses to remember the good times with a pack of brothers riding “free and fast, hard against the wind.”
QUOTED: "Throughout the manuscript, George implies he was the unofficial peacemaker for the Hells Angel’s Motorcycle Club. In example after example, he paints himself with almost messianic imagery — riding in to save the day, offering goodwill for all mankind. Yet, records show: this is the same individual who was indicted, and pled out, to the fire-bombing of a competitor’s tattoo parlor."
"George’s book appears little more than an attempt to benefit financially from his former club’s status."
"Throughout the manuscript, George comes across as a man utterly incapable of taking personal responsibility."
"please, save yourself: Don’t waste your time or money on this book. The amount of wine required— to make Christie’s story appear even remotely believable—will put you under for days."
THE BLOG 05/13/2016 12:03 pm ET | Updated May 13, 2016
Exile on Front Street: My Life as a Hells Angel and Beyond (A Slightly Drunk Book Review)
By Candy Chand
2016-05-12-1463080407-9004362-articlephotobookreviewchristie.jpg
“Folks don’t like to have someone around who knows more than they do.” —-Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Too bad for George Christie. His delusional memoir might be half believable, if there weren’t so many people alive who actually know the truth.
Starting with Sonny Barger...
Sonny is undoubtedly an iconic figure, a founding member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, considered by millions to be a man of legendary status.
Enter George Christie and his obsessive decades of jealousy.
So, it’s no surprise that as follow-up to Christie’s History Channel debut, George has written a book. And just last week, I scored a pre-released review copy of that memoir, (It pays to know folks in the publishing industry).
The very next morning, I headed to the Barger Ranch, so I could spend the day hanging out, and, in preparation for this article, reading the manuscript.
Grasping the inevitable: I brought a bottle of wine.
As I settled in on their patio, I opened the book and poured myself a glass. A really big one.
Hey, I’m an Italian girl. I have incredible childhood memories wearing galoshes—while stomping grapes from my grandpa’s vineyard—to make homemade wine. And from the time I was knee high, I was allowed a small glass with dinner. Don’t judge me, people. It’s a cultural thing. But, for all these years, my claim to fame has always been: I’ve never been drunk.
Never.
That is, until I read George Christie’s pre-released memoir. As I foraged through the chapters, I was compelled to pour glass after glass. And while I didn’t get officially sloshed (hence my never-been-drunk record still holds) I do have to admit: I got just a bit tipsy. Let me make this perfectly clear: I’m not talking about falling down intoxicated, just drunk-enough-to-get-through-George-Christies-creepy-book, intoxicated.
Fair Disclosure: One might think I’m predisposed to dislike George’s memoir, because I’ve been close friends with Sonny for over 30 years. However, the truth is: Sonny and I often disagree. About a lot of things. However, he’s a strong individual, one profoundly able to accept our differences, without being compelled to control my thoughts.
And let me assure you: we’re as different as night and day. While Sonny attends club meetings, he refers to as “church,” I attend a more traditional version of church—the kind where I show up with a Bible and sing about Jesus.
Yet, despite our contrasts, I know Sonny as a man of honor and a person I can trust to tell me the truth, even when that truth is not always what I want to hear.
Lastly, anyone who knows me is keenly aware: I’m a strong-willed individual, fully capable of thinking for myself, doing extensive research, and coming to my own conclusions.
The bottom line is: As fair as I tried to be, George’s story just doesn’t add up.
And here’s why:
The Blah, Blah, Blah Publicity Pitch: Oddly enough, the publisher referred to George as Yin to Sonny’s Yang. Seriously? While, the two men are clearly opposites, unlike the metaphoric Yin and Yang, they are certainly not equals. George Christie will never be Sonny Barger’s equivalent. Not in intellect. Not in loyalty. Not in reputation. And certainly not in honor.
Delusionary Statements: To give the author an air of false power, George, in all his bravado, actually crowned himself the former “International Spokesman for the Club.” A claim that is ludicrous, at best.
General Lack of Logic: Throughout the manuscript, George implies he was the unofficial peacemaker for the Hells Angel’s Motorcycle Club. In example after example, he paints himself with almost messianic imagery — riding in to save the day, offering goodwill for all mankind. Yet, records show: this is the same individual who was indicted, and pled out, to the fire-bombing of a competitor’s tattoo parlor. Way to keep the peace, George.
Motives: George’s book appears little more than an attempt to benefit financially from his former club’s status. Christie’s often claimed that Sonny did the same, when he wrote his memoir years ago. However, there’s a huge difference: Sonny Barger remains a solid member in good standing. And while he shared his life story, he also received permission from the club, and paid them a royalty, for the use of their name and logo.
George, on the other hand, is an ex member, in bad standing, who has not received permission for any of his club related projects. In addition, Christie continues to profit from the club’s name and reputation. These are huge problems for the book’s credibility.
Reality Check: The most accurate part of George’s entire memoir was his recollection of Sonny’s wife, Zorana, as an attractive blonde. Z, who I consider a good friend, is just that and more.
However, that’s about the extent of the book’s apparent authenticity. Christie goes on to imply that, years ago, his former employee, Zorana, cost his tattoo business a tax audit which led to more federal investigations, ultimately getting him arrested and held on a million dollar bond.
Throughout the manuscript, George comes across as a man utterly incapable of taking personal responsibility. The reality is: that attractive blonde was not the one signing the paychecks that caused the audit—because they were actually signed by the owner of the company— none other than George himself.
In addition, he omitted an important fact: Zorana also went to jail, and was, in turn, held on a million dollar bond. I know, George. Minor details, right?
First Documentary Attempt: Nick Mead’s a British film maker, living in Southern California. A couple years ago, he directed, produced and promoted a documentary about Christie, before he sensed George’s credibility was unraveling.
Once Nick—who is a principled man— caught wind that George might not be who he claimed to be, Mead cancelled the movie. This was a film in which Nick invested close to $100,000 of his personal time and money.
Mead initially had doubts about George’s story when, despite his best efforts, he couldn’t get a straight answer to the simplest question. Then, there was the ticket sale money that Nick suspected never made its way to the intended charity. Ultimately, Mead realized the club had not offered its blessing on the film, as George had previously insisted was the case.
So, when Nick Mead put the documentary on ice, George Christie—who was yearning for fame and fortune—was furious.
In the book, Christie suggests Nick terminated the movie, because the club intimidated him away from the project. Nick’s assured me that just wasn’t the case. He said the club members were always perfect gentleman, and that the only intimidation he ever received was from Christie’s lawyer (who also happens to be George’s daughter) when she threatened to sue him if he didn’t turn over the rights to the film.
As for Sonny and Nick’s scary meeting? I was actually hanging out at the Barger Ranch when Mead drove from Southern California to Arizona to gain a better understanding of the truth. I even cooked dinner (A delicious Almond Encrusted Halibut. Feel free to message me for the recipe). But if there was any intimidation going on that night, film or otherwise, I certainly missed it with all the laughter, cheerful conversation and pleasantry.
Vietnam: The 1 Percent Biker Sub-Culture is filled with highly patriotic individuals, many of whom are veterans. In an odd reversal of “know your audience” philosophy, Christie’s memoir discusses his tactics to evade active duty, ultimately granting him a discharge from the Marine Reserves, before he could be deployed overseas. And in the book: George appears rather proud of the fact that he managed to pull it off.
I was so stunned by this admission, that I poured another glass of wine, and read the paragraph out-loud.
Sonny calmly stood up from the table and led the conversation in a different direction. Then, beaming with honor, he told me a story: “You know, Candy. Whatever the reasons for Vietnam, the reality is: we were there. I’ve always supported our troops. In fact, a Richmond Hells Angel—who was so influenced by my respect for our military’s men and women—enlisted at the height of the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, just 4 days before coming home, he was killed in action. In contrast to George’s cowardice, that Angel was a true hero.”
Mysteries in a Supernatural Time Warp: The book unveils another story about a member who was visiting the United States. Christie claims the individual told him that when he went to Sonny for vital assistance, he was turned away, because helping the Angel offered no personal benefit.
That’s just not the Sonny I know. He’s a man with a good heart, who I can’t imagine treating anyone, let alone a club brother, the way George described. So, I did a bit of checking. Not only does this Angel claim the incident never happened, Sonny was actually in prison at the time of the member’s international visit.
Unfortunately for George, to make this story credible, it would have required Sonny to break out of an Arizona federal penitentiary, discard his prison garbs, steal a bike, ride like the wind to Oakland, just in time to meet this man, heartlessly turn him away, then return to the pen before the guards missed him for morning roll call.
Do you understand why at this point in the book, I was compelled to pour myself yet another glass of wine?
Out-Bad Verses Casual Retirement: Christie continues to claim he simply retired from the club because it no longer fit his lifestyle. Then, afterward, he implies, Sonny pressured the charter to change his status to Out Bad: No Contact. (A form of dishonorable discharge).
Sonny claims that just isn’t the case. And to validate his point, I’ve read a historic letter to Christie, written by a club member. In it, the Angel told George that he believed he’d been debriefing to law enforcement, in order to save his own skin. The member made it clear that since Christie couldn’t be trusted, he should resign from the club.
Shortly after that letter arrived (a message, George claims in the book he received, but never read), Christie walked into the Ventura club house and offered up his resignation for “personal” reasons.
According to the book, four days later, his charter informed Christie he’d been voted Out Bad: No Contact.
In retrospect, a wise decision—especially after the suspicion he’d sold members out, to save his own legal skin, began to glow in the dark. Additional clarity arrived when George—who was facing the rest of his natural life in prison— miraculously had his sentence reduced to just a year in a minimum security correctional facility.
While the manuscript depicts members shocked and saddened over George’s decision, an individual from Ventura remembers things quite differently: “Candy, I can tell you, I was there the day George resigned, and I was happy to see him leave. He was like a cancer in the room.”
To this day: George’s version of his resignation, as well as blaming Sonny for his Out Bad status, significantly differs from his former brothers. And reality.
Sonny has publicly offered Christie a lie detector challenge. People are still waiting, George...
So, there you go: I could continue with this review, but why? In essence: the inconsistencies, apparent fabrications, blatant jealousies, and attempts to create an aura of self-importance were so prevalent in George Christie’s self-serving memoir that for the first time in my life, with glass in hand, I actually teetered away from a table.
So please, save yourself: Don’t waste your time or money on this book. The amount of wine required— to make Christie’s story appear even remotely believable—will put you under for days.
Fair Warning.