Criminal tendencies of "angels" were constantly realized in the form of dangerous crimes. Here's how Newsweek magazine described the biker rally in 1965: "A roaring flock of 200 black jacketed motorcyclists moved into the sleepy little southern California town of Porterville. They raged in local bars, shouting obscenities. In one bar, half a dozen motorcyclists severely beat a 65-year-old man and tried to kidnap a waitress. "Angels", as well as other "one-percenters", were often brought to justice for robbery, rape, hooliganism, resistance to the authorities, drug and arms trafficking, etc. However, biker tops in the best traditions of the mafia have always remained untainted. The "angels" had a trial period during which they had to follow all the orders of the club's superiors. The most dirty and dangerous work was done by these very test subjects, so it was not easy to catch and put down a venerable member of the club. "Angels" even got away with murder, committed in front of many witnesses and filmed on several cameras. December 6, 1969, the organizers of the concert in Altamont, the final tour of the Rolling Stones in the U.S., invited "angels" as a security service. At the concert, which was held in the open air, were to perform in addition to the rollings a few more famous bands, and the audience gathered about 300 thousand "Angels", who undertook to maintain order in exchange for beer, were soon thoroughly drunk and increasingly rudely suppressed the attempts of viewers to get to the stage. The situation began to get out of hand. In a quarrel with one of the "angels", an 18-year-old African-American named Meredith Hunter, before he got the gun. He didn't have time to shoot because biker Alan Passaro stabbed him with a knife and killed him. The court recognized the "angel"'s actions as self-defense, although Hunter was stabbed five times.
Meanwhile, the industry of related goods has grown around the growing biker movement. Bikers, including the most law-abiding ones, had to maintain their style. They needed bandanas, rope jackets, earrings, tattoos, boots and other accessories, all of which someone had to do and sell. Often former or active bikers were taken for this job and opened specialized enterprises. Some brands got cult status in biker environment. As for big business, in addition to Harley-Davidson products, Levi s jeans and Miller beer are in a privileged position.
The biker market was expanding as the movement was joined by wealthy and very wealthy people. Initially rich bikers were complexed because they were confused with scumbags like "Hell's Angels". Hunter Thompson, for example, wrote about the torment of the members of the motorcycle club with Madison Avenue, whose members were family doctors, film producers, psychoanalysts and other New York society cream: "Ted Develet, a film producer, complained bitterly that the leather jackets, which he wears and other members of the club, harm their image of decent citizens. But over time, having a chopper and wearing it, being dressed in "kosuhuh", bandana and jeans Levi s, has become a special millionaire chic. Actors and musicians were, as always, the trendsetters. It is enough to remember the movie star Mickey Rourke, who spent his life trying to match the image of a cool guy and bought a few Harleys. To get choppers started successful businessmen and top managers, and many bought the first bike, being at the age of far over forty. Choppers and bandanas helped people to fight with the crisis of middle age or just let the dream of youth come true. Started to emerge firms specifically focused on serving the rich freaks who decided to play tough guys on cool bikes. For example, in 1973, entrepreneur Walter Kuntze opened the first motorcycle company in Germany in Kassel, which looked exactly like choppers from American films. AME Chopper Products' motorcycles were safer and less shaky, so they met the needs of a decent public, as well as the strict requirements of the German traffic police.
Thus, thanks to the lack of demand from Hell's Angels and the clubs that follow their example, a lucrative, legitimate and respected industry has emerged that meets the needs of very demanding and wealthy customers. Other areas of counterculture also became commercialized over time, and the scenario was the same. In front of everyone were stars who hooliganized, cursed, cursed with bad words and died of heroin. The stars were imitated by masses of fans who tried to dress like that, play guitars and behave like that, and the business gave them such an opportunity. That was the case with the rockers of the 1970s, that was the case with the punks of the 1980s, and the same is happening now around hip-hop performers, who often have a criminal record and a criminal record.