Hells Angels founder Sonny Barger loses the battle with cancer at 83

On June 29th, the biker and founder of the motorcycle club, Hells Angels, Sonny Barger lost his long battle with cancer. He passed away in peace surrounded by his loving wife Zorona and his relatives. His Oakland motorcycle club celebrated its 65th anniversary in April.

He asked for a message to be published on his Facebook page immediately after his death. The message said that he had lived a good long and adventurous life and that he felt privileged to be a part of the amazing club. He asked his fans to remain free and loyal and keep valuing honor.
Barger had published an autobiography called “Hell’s Angel” in which he mentioned that “The Wild One,” a 1953 crime movie starring Marlon Brando inspired him a lot. In 1972, he along with three others was exonerated for the murder of a drug dealer in Texas and setting his home ablaze.

In 1973, he was convicted of possessing narcotics and a weapon and was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison. In 1977, he came out on parole, after which he wasn’t sure if he would keep leading his motorcycle gang. In 1979, 33 people were indicted for violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. He was one among those 33 people.

After a split verdict, Barger was acquitted in 1980 and a few years he was diagnosed with cancer in which he lost his vocal cords. After this, he fiercely advocated against smoking, saying if someone wants to be a rebel, they shouldn’t smoke like everyone else.

But this health scare didn’t stop him. In 1987, the state law enforcement along with the FBI carried out multiple raids in which he was arrested for transporting narcotics, weapons, and explosives.

Barger was also a suspect in the murder of John Cleve Webb. John Cleve Webb was the Anchorage president of Hells Angels. In 1988 October, he was convicted of conspiracy and was sent to jail for four years. He was released in 1992 after serving three and a half years.