April 21-27, 2005

city beat

Pagans Take Philly?

Investigators say the biker gang is driving their Hells Angels rivals out of town.

by Brendan McGarvey

Are the Hells Angels leaving town with their motorcycles between their legs? Have the Pagan cycle psychos actually terrified the world's biggest and baddest biker gang into making a "strategic retreat" from Philadelphia?

Law enforcement sources say yes, noting that the Hells Angels may be considering a temporary evacuation of their club headquarters in West Philadelphia and the suspension of any activity in the Delaware Valley.

On New Year's Eve, a Hells Angel was beaten in a South Jersey bar, allegedly by members of the Pagan chopper gang. Two weeks later, Thomas Wood, vice president of the Philly chapter of the Angels, was gunned down in South Philly, reputedly by a Pagan. Now, Hells Angels in New York are said to be furious that the Philly branch of the notorious biker gang has yet to respond to either provocation.

Says one biker associate, "New York thinks their guys in Philly can't get it together. It's embarrassing to them."

"They don't have the numbers in Philadelphia right now," one organized crime investigator tells City Paper. "It appears that the Hells Angels may have overreached here. Sources tells us they're thinking of getting out of town until they build up enough members to step [to] the Pagans."

A Pagan associate says that "after Wood was shot, those guys said, "Hey, this is serious. We could get killed doing this.' So they backed off. They don't have the balls. This is Pagan country."

If the news is surprising, it's because several high-ranking Pagans switched their allegiance to the Hells Angels back in 1999, with more following in their tracks. (Remember, this is still Pagan territory since their rivals have fewer members living in the area.) One defector, Anthony "Mengie" Mengione was said to be the power behind the current Pagan president, Steven "Gorilla" Mondevergine, before deciding to join the Angels. His house is only three blocks from the Angels clubhouse on Merion Avenue in West Philadelphia. Law enforcement sources claim Mengie was the Philly Hells Angels chapter president before he went back to federal prison on a parole violation last year.

"This isn't the first time the Hells Angels have been shut down," one Pagan associate points out, referring to the ongoing feud in Canada between the Hells Angels and a much smaller but just as vicious biker gang known as the Rock Machine. (Canada has more Hells Angels per capita than any other country in the world but has been involved in a violent, long-running gangland war in Quebec. More than 150 people have died so far in the turf battle over drugs, prostitution and other underworld rackets. In order to continue their battle against the Angels, the Rock Machine has allied itself with the Bandidos, a U.S. biker gang based in Texas.)

While the Pagan/Hells Angels war continues in Philly, mirroring the small-gang/big-gang battles up north, some local bikers are bragging that the Warlocks, the Delaware Valley's third outlaw biker gang, is steadily increasing its illegal activities, concentrating on making money while the other gangs fight it out.

"Check out the Warlocks," one law enforcement investigator says. "Everybody else is shooting, but they're busy making money selling drugs. They're allied with the Pagans in a lot of deals, but they're not getting between the middle of this shootout."

Nose Job

Reputed mob associate Salvatore "Sonny" Mazzone has a court date in May to face charges stemming from a Mike Tyson-esque aggravated assault.

On the morning of Feb. 7 at 11th and Mc-Kean streets in South Philadelphia, where a street had been blocked off to celebrate the Super Bowl, a motorist impatiently honked to get through the blockade. Police say Mazzone responded by attacking the man and biting off part of his nose.

Sonny is the brother of Stevie Mazzone, a high-ranking member of the mob and good pal of imprisoned mob boss Joey Merlino. Along with Skinny Joey, Stevie Mazzone was convicted of racketeering charges four years ago. He's serving time down South at the Federal Correctional Institution in Estill, S.C.

Housewarming

Reputed La Cosa Nostra boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi has finally moved into his new digs at 17th and Forestall streets in South Philly. He spent a year renovating it and moved his family in last week.

Police point out that in addition to the new house, Ligambi is driving a new Cadillac.

"He doesn't have a job that we know of," says one organized-crime investigator. "He doesn't seem to have any way to explain his income or how he is legitimately paying for all of this."

Uh-oh.