Tensions between rival biker gangs are on the rise in Nova Scotia as motorcycle clubs affiliated with the Hells Angels try to fend off their competition, according to an RCMP expert who has watched the developments closely in the province.
A number of times in the last year supporters of the Hells Angels have butted heads with an opposing gang called the Black Pistons, which surfaced a few years ago in Nova Scotia, said Staff Sgt. Guylaine Cottreau.
Earlier this year, things got tense between the two groups at a motorcycle show at Halifax’s Exhibition Park. Hells Angels supporters and members of the Black Pistons had heated words when they came across each other.
It was much the same thing at last year’s Wharf Rat Rally, an annual Labour Day weekend convention in Digby, N.S., that draws upwards of 20,000 motorcycle lovers.
“An exchange of the words on the main street and basically it’s a fight over territory, but we were present at the time, so the police [were] there and it was controlled and whatnot. But there was certainly, like, some posturing,” said Cottreau, who works for Criminal Intelligence Service Nova Scotia, an agency that draws on police forces across the province.
But it isn’t just the Black Pistons challenging the Hells Angels. The Outlaws, reportedly a mother club of the Black Pistons, have started setting up a prospective chapter in Cape Breton.
“The Outlaws are rivals to the HAs [Hells Angels] and there could be some friction between the two if they’re in the same location,” said Cottreau. “We haven’t seen anything like this; it’s been seen across the country where it’s been a little more violent.”
As far as the police know, none of the biker groups in Nova Scotia have recently come to blows.
The province’s other major biker gang, the Bacchus, seem to get along with Angels’ supporters, said Cottreau, and are often seen at events and parties together.
Back in 1999, police shut down the only Hells Angels chapter in Nova Scotia.
Currently, there are eight or nine motorcycle clubs across Nova Scotia affiliated with the Hells Angels. Police call them support clubs that funnel money to the Angels.
Support groups sell T-shirts, hats, stickers and other merchandise that bear Angels logos. That merchandise usually features the number 81, which stands for HA, as H is the eighth letter of the alphabet and A is the first.
“We’re trying to discourage this because if you’re purchasing anything [that] support the 81s, support HA, you’re supporting their illegal activities, that’s where the funds are going,” said Cottreau. “All the money is going to organized crime.”
Cottreau said most motorcycle clubs and riding clubs in Nova Scotia are above board, and it’s just the clubs associated with biker gangs that cause problems.
“Ninety-nine per cent of bikers, or people that belong to riding clubs or motorcycle clubs, are law-abiding citizens, when the one per cent one is the one that would be involved in criminality.”
There are about 150 bikers in Nova Scotia that have been identified as members of an outlaw motorcycle gang or support one.
Biker gangs want to set up in Nova Scotia to both expand their territory and take advantage of the province’s ports and ample coastline.
“For importation of contraband,” said Cottreau. “The ability to import through small vessels or whatnot.”
Most biker gangs are involved with a range of illegal activities including drug trafficking, smuggling, fraud, extortion and human trafficking. In Nova Scotia, bikers are heavily involved in drug trafficking, but they will try their hand at anything illegal if they think it will bring in money, said Cottreau.
Police have had success in shutting down some support clubs in the province.
A Bacchus support club called the Mountain Men recently folded following a Liquor Control Act search at their clubhouse, Cottreau said. Police caught members selling booze illegally, information that helped shut down the clubhouse. A similar technique was used to shut down a Gate Keepers clubhouse in Pictou, N.S.
“We’re looking at different, different avenues. It doesn’t have to be Criminal Code investigations, it can be other provincial acts that we can enforce on these guys,” said Cottreau.
There’s even been some success in keeping Hells Angels supporters away from motorcycle events like Digby’s Wharf Rat Rally, events where the Angels promote themselves and sell their gear.
This year, the Town of Pictou would not give Angels support clubs a permit to sell merchandise so bikers aligned with the Angels boycotted the rally.
A couple of years ago, police shut down the Gate Keepers, a support club for the Hells Angels in Nova Scotia, but it didn’t take long for another support club to replace them. Now the Red Devils have set up in the province and represent the Angels’ interests.
Cottreau said the public needs to realize that biker gangs are a form of organized crime and that they shouldn’t support them, either by buying their goods or putting money into events organized by gangs and their supporters. People should also report anything suspicious they see regarding biker gangs.
“We don’t want the Hells Angels back in the province, so our goal is to go after the support clubs, anybody that supports [them] if they’re involved in criminality,” said Cottreau.
Insane Throttle 
13 responses to “Hells Angels supporters have exchanged words with Black Pistons members Tensions between rival biker gangs are on the rise”
I support the hell’s angels. In all they do or say.
Why can’t the law just let the club ride. Things would go much easier . But they won’t
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Hey mike… the answer to that one is easy… you personaly said you back the H A.. ..hmm no other clubs.. if these folks would all stop their wars and get along their underworld or what ever you want to reffer to it as would probably be alot better off.. 1) they wouldnt get all the negitive head lines…2) that would reduce the number of leo,,s that tend to hassle EVERYONE.. BRINGING MORE RESPECT FROM INDEPENDANTS..AS WELL THE STREETS IN THE CITIES AND COUNTIES THESE CLUBS RIDE IN WOULD BE SAFER FOR……THE GENERAL PUBLIC.. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY OF GETTING MORE RESPECT… the reality is that the crime wont just go away…it just keeps changing faces.. if the gangland wars stopped it would be a step in the right direction..
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81 forever!
” If it isn’t
Red & White
then it’s not right ”
Why don’t you mother fuc•••• leaves the HA & Supporters alone, there are a lot of good people in the club that are not doing illegal activities like you say.
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Why don’t you mother fuc•••• leave the HA & Supporters alone, I happen to know a lot of good people in the club and in the one’s who support the HA. Their not all committing crimes and they have jobs that they go to every day that help pay for the stuff they sale and the rallies that they organize .
81 Forever
“If it isn’t
Red & White
Then it isn’t
Right”
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This country is being invaded by Mexicans Guatemalans and South Americans the Chinese are producing 400000 lb of fentanyl a year shipping it across the sea bringing it to Mexico the Mexicans are getting across the border with it and killing our young white youth and you people are worried about a bunch of old bikers beating each other up that’s the problem with this country there isn’t enough bikers to keep anybody straight and in line anymore let’s focus on the real problems
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I pray for all 1%rs….God Bless them! Jesus Rocks
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Wow.. the article we are discussing is about the leo,s being active as two clubs wage hate and anger in a sence (a war)…the public gets cought in all the crossfire..take a look at biker wars in the past… yes including ALL CLUBS.. along with these situations comes hightened leo,s… (ok kids follow close) . I wasnt against any club, my statement was a support for one club only is a sign of the problem…they need to RESPECT one another ..all clubs…like we do..(dont go off your road map yet) i mean the independants…..we get pulled over and harrassed because you kids cant get along..as well the public in the areas you call YOUR TERRITORY ( which accually belongs to them) get caught in the crossfire and pay all these social services cops, fire, ambulance so you can have a gangland pissin match…umm hello… do you think they or independants are all overwelmed with respect for that??? Sorry if i touched a nerve saying mike didnt support other clubs but mom and dad if you had both should have taught you better.. isint the big motto TO GET RESPECT.. YOU GIVE RESPECT.. you should try it sometime
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Motorcycle clubs, police agencies, church groups and all other affiliations are just that. A group of people who regularly associate with one another . When one errant member does wrong, the kangaroo court of public opinion goes into overdrive with condemnation. Why not assess people on an individual basis? Wouldn’t it only be fair to let people stand on their personal records instead of leaping to unfair conclusions? People are afraid of anyone riding a motorcycle because they have bought into the myth that all bikers are criminals. Very unfortunate, and patently false. Every large group of people has the potential to hold a bad apple. Let’s try to make decisions based on fact and give people the same benefit of the doubt we would want if we were on the short end of the stick.
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Right on my friend..so lets reread the article..these members of one group are wanting to war with members of another group..now ill try to apply your theory….hmmm dont work..they are not acting individually..they are one group aafainst another.. i do believe your one bad apple shit about alot of things..not in these cases..the clubs use to party together..ride together.. so on and so forth…not now..its were #1 and take your patch off… ..time to drop the bully shit and get along for the good of all us. Just sayin
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You people are evil.
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QUOTED:”Support groups sell T-shirts, hats, stickers and other merchandise that bear Angels logos. That merchandise usually features the number 81, which stands for HA, as H is the eighth letter of the alphabet and A is the first.
“We’re trying to discourage this because if you’re purchasing anything [that] support the 81s, support HA, you’re supporting their illegal activities, that’s where the funds are going,” said Cottreau ( an LEO). “All the money is going to organized crime.” ”
LOL! Yeah, you know how these “organized crime orgaNIZATIONS, FROM THE mAFIA, TO THE cARTELS, SELL THOS t sHIrTs AND sTICkers TO sUPPoRt ThIeR ORGANIZED CRIME ENTERPRISES”…I can not fathom how the media will suck this horse shit in their ears, then spew it out their cock-holsters, to a public more than willing to believe this nonsensical propaganda.
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Paint this muthafucker BLACK & WHITE! 681🖕
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Hey man good article a little inaccurate but ok the point got across. Digby NS Wharf Rat was 80 Hells Angels support clubs all full patch MCs members went up against 8 Black Pistons. The supporter MCs were tasked to push the Pistons out of the event….they failed.
Nova Scotia Halifax bike show was 40 full patch Hells angel support clubs all MCs against 5 Black Pistons. They were sent to try and stop Pistons from touring bike show. Pistons dont take shit from anyone.
Was there in the middle of it. Pistons rock
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