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Friday, 30 September 2011

Hell's Angels biker gangs shut down in Frankfurt

 

Hell's Angels motorbike gangs have been outlawed from the German city of Frankfurt. State authorities banned the bikers after accusing of them of criminal activity and seizing control of the streets.

 

 

State authorities have banned the Hell's Angels motorbike gangs in Frankfurt, on the grounds that they were engaged in criminal activity.

Boris Rhein, interior minister for the state of Hesse, accused the gangs of running drug and prosecution rackets through which they had seized control of the streets.

"This is a clear signal that we won't allow a state within the state," said Rhein, adding that the gangs were disciplined by a vow of silence.

All assets of the outlawed Westend and Frankfurt chapters of the Hell's Angels were seized under the ban. Each chapter is believed that have around 90 members.

Two other Hell's Angels groups were banned in other parts of Germany in June and last year, although gangs in the rest of Germany remain legal.

Firebombing probed in east-end Montreal

 

Montreal police believe a firebombing in the east-end borough of Pointe-aux-Trembles Wednesday night may be linked to street gangs. Police are investigating after someone threw a Molotov cocktail between two vehicles parked behind and apartment building on the corner of Marien Avenue and De la Gauchetière Street at around 8:30 p.m. “It's a citizen who was near the scene who put out the fire,” said Const. Danny Richer of the Montreal police. “So far the investigation seems to indicate that the vehicle targeted is linked to street gangs. That's why the investigation has been transferred to the Montreal police arson squad.” One of the vehicles belongs to a suspected member of a street gang, he said. No one was injured in the attack. Arson investigators are now speaking to witnesses.

Evansville police have arrested one person and are looking for two others in connection with a rash of what officers say are gang-related shootings this week on the city's South Side.

At least two people have been wounded by the gunfire since Tuesday.

Police say there have been multiple fights and shooting incidents involving two South Side gangs, "Wag Block" and "J Block," over the past several months, but this is the first time two people have been shot within a 24-hour period.

Kenneth Fox was arrested in connection with Wednesday night's shooting.

Kenneth Fox was arrested in connection with Wednesday night's shooting.

The shootings have occurred in four-block area between Madison and Jackson avenues west of U.S. 41.

"Pretty soon, somebody's child is going to get shot," said Jerry Dejarnett, 58, one of the few residents of the area willing to talk about the shootings. Dejarnett said this is the most violent period he's witnessed in his three years of living there.

In the most recent shooting Wednesday night, two women and two girls — ages 3 and 4 — were targeted.

No one in that incident was injured, police said, and the two people shot earlier are recovering fine, according to police, but officers doubt the retaliations they suspect are happening are over.

"I think things may be quiet for a day or two," said Sgt. Larry Nelson, "but you can always expect more violence when you have drugs and you have gangs."

Nelson wouldn't disclose how police plan to respond, but he noted that there has been a "heavy concentration" of marked and unmarked police cars in that area.

Police arrested Kenneth Fox, 25, early Thursday in connection with Wednesday night's shooting. He remains in Vanderburgh County Jail without bond on preliminary charges of attempted murder with a firearm and criminal gang activity.

Police are looking for David "Buck" Burge, 30, and Rayshaad L. Bushrod, 23, both of whom reportedly accompanied Fox and are reportedly in the "J Block" gang, according to an Evansville Police Department probable cause affidavit.

According to Fox's arrest affidavit, Wednesday's drive-by shooting happened in the 1000 block of Jefferson Avenue about 9:42 p.m.

Police found multiple shell casings in the street. One of the women, who lives on that street, told officers that Fox, Burge and Bushrod were in a gray Chevrolet Avalanche when they fired handguns from the vehicle at her, another woman and the two children.

Police found the gray Chevy Avalanche abandoned with its motor running in the 300 block of West Oregon Street near Harriett Street.

Officers learned Fox had a girlfriend who lived in the 1200 block of North Harriett St. about two blocks from where the vehicle was found.

Officers surrounded the house and Fox surrendered without incident.Sgt. Larry Nelson said that victim "knew of" the three men, and according to Fox's affidavit, she told 911 dispatchers, "It was the same subjects who were shooting last night."

That earlier shooting occurred near the intersection of Jackson and Evans avenues about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday when a man was shot in the right shoulder. Three black males were reported to have been seen running away from the area.

Lt. Monty Guenin said the 26-year-old man who was wounded in the shoulder, had refused to cooperate with police.

Fox has not been charged in connection with that incident, but police believe Wednesday's incidents are related.

The victim of Tuesday's afternoon shooting was also uncooperative, police on scene said. This shooting happened in the 700 block of Madison Avenue about 12:30 p.m., and, responding to a report of shots fired, police initially didn't know there was a victim.

The shooting suspect, 20-year-old Royce Oneal Calvin, was located and arrested a short while later.

Then officials received a call from St. Mary's Hospital about a 23-year-old man from that area man who had been shot in the leg.

He told police he had seen some men arguing, heard gunshots and then got shot. He got a ride to the hospital, police said, and he refused to press charges when police mentioned they had arrested Calvin.

Calvin admitted to shooting in that area around that time and said he possibly had shot someone, according to his arrest affidavit.

He remains in Vanderburgh County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail and was preliminarily charged with criminal recklessness, possessing a handgun without a license and battery with a firearm resulting injury.

According to that police report, Calvin has a tattoo on his arm that reads "300 WNG BLOCK."

Nelson said they've been tracking several other gangs on the city's South Side, and he said the fights, shootings and bullets that have struck homes and vehicles in that area are all likely gang-related.

"They're not random," he said. "I can tell you that."

"I'm very scared and nervous," said Hazel Hooker, a 60-year-old woman who lives in the 700 block of Madison Avenue.

"I'm worried about the small children for one thing," she said, "because bullets don't have eyes."

Gun charges filed: A known gang member was charged with several gun violations including aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon by a gang member

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Mario A. Prado, 19, of the 400 block of St. Charles Street, Elgin, was arrested by Elgin police on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a street gang member, possession of a firearm without a firearm owners identification card, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, possession of a firearm under the age of 21, unlawful contact with a street gang member and resisting a police officer following an arrest Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011.

Updated: September 29, 2011 2:23AM

 

 

Gun charges filed: A known gang member was charged with several gun violations including aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon by a gang member, after officers found a loaded sawed-off shotgun up his sleeve Tuesday night, police said. Mario A. Prado, 20, of the 400 block of St. Charles Street, Elgin, was stopped by police at National and Raymond streets about 7 p.m. while driving with another known gang member, police said. Prado also was charged with possession of a firearm without a firearm owners identification card, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, possession of a firearm under the age of 21, unlawful contact with a street gang member and resisting a police officer. “The Elgin Police Department will continue to aggressively pursue gangs — especially with our gang and drug units,” said Police Chief Jeff Swoboda. “We’re sending a very clear message: Gangs and gang activity will not be tolerated in our city.” Prado was in the Kane County jail Wednesday in lieu of $250,000 bond; he is to appear in court Oct. 6.

Accused killer teen shows young face of Winnipeg gang war

 

Winnipeg's street-gang war took another tragic turn this week when police announced a 14-year-old boy is the suspected shooter in the city's 32nd homicide of 2011. The teenage is facing a first-degree murder charge in a homicide Sunday morning that police say was sparked by tension between rival gangs. David Michael Vincett, 20, was gunned down while walking on the city's Boyd Avenue around 3 a.m. Police arrested the 14-year-old suspect Tuesday evening. He has been detained at the Manitoba Youth Centre. He cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Const. Jason Michalyshen, spokesman for the Winnipeg Police Service, said police believe the homicide is tied to another recent killing. Clark Stevenson, 15, was stabbed to death as he rode his bike Sept. 10, in what police say was a gang-related confrontation. Days later, an 18-year-old man and 14-year-old boy were arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Before his death, Stevenson had boasted online about being a member of a local street gang. After the arrests, police acknowledged the homicide was motivated by gang tensions. "These groups appear to be in conflict with one another right now, and we're aware of that . . . and unfortunately we have two incidents where we have openly acknowledged that's the case," said Michalyshen. The boy accused of shooting Vincett was affiliated with gangs and may have had "similar associations" as Stevenson, police said. "These don't appear to be random acts, certain individuals appear to be targeted," Michalyshen said. He said before the shooting, Vincett and another teenager traded words about belonging to rival street gangs, before, it's alleged, a gun was pulled out and fired. Police said Vincett was dead by the time officers arrived. There was no indication the two knew each other before the shooting, police said. Michalyshen didn't describe Vincett as a gang associate, but did say "at the time he may have associated himself or verbalized that he was associated to a particular street gang." Winnipeg has had 10 more homicides this year than in all of 2010. On Wednesday, a woman whose own teenage son was shot to death 16 years ago said nothing has changed in the city since the day he died. Nancy Flett, the assistant executive director of the Indian Metis Friendship Centre, is also the mother of Joseph Beeper Spence, a 13-year-old who was slain in 1995. She said the violence in the city "sickens her." "People don't want to be out on the streets, people don't want to walk around on the streets. The only ones you see are a bunch of youth either on bikes, or people driving around," said Flett. "They just randomly go after people. They don't care if they're innocent or not, or if they're not connected in any way." She said society has to be concerned because "all the youth involved in gangs are getting to be younger and younger." Vincett's sister, Judith Ree, described him as a "good kid" in a message to the Winnipeg Free Press. Vincett, the father of a 10-month-old baby, had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. "He was the kind of person who would give the shirt off his back to keep (you) warm or his last five bucks to feed (you)," Ree said. "Everyone makes mistakes in life . . . he just wanted everyone to like him."

Teenage girl shot as she holds baby boy in her arms

 

teenage girl was shot in the street with two friends while clutching her baby son in her arms. Jessica Chrichlow, 18, collapsed to the ground alongside two sisters – named locally as Sammy, 17, and Alex, 19 – after being caught in the crossfire of a botched gangland attack, witnesses said. Police said it was “hugely fortunate” that the 11-month-old baby escaped injury. Detective Chief Inspector Mick Foote said: “It was a random, reckless act and we are fortunate we are not dealing with a fatal shooting here.” The three victims had been outside in John Fearon Walk, North Kensington, west London, enjoying balmy temperatures on Thursday evening when the attacker got off a bike and screamed “mother f****r” at the group, a neighbour, who did not want to be named, said. Police said the child may have been missed by inches as the bullet hit his mother. Mr Foote added: “I do not believe the girls were the intended targets. What’s particularly devastating is that the young girl was carrying a young child. This was totally unprovoked.” As a hunt was launched for several young men seen on bicycles on the west London housing estate on Thursday night, the officer said he was “working on the basis” that the shooting was gang-related. One neighbour said her 12-year-old daughter saw the shooting from her bedroom window. Jacky Cinesey said: “I have sent her to school in tears today. These girls were just outside enjoying the sunshine. It’s horrifying.” The girls had been enjoying the weather in a back garden when they began talking to a “large group” of boys outside, Mr Foote said. “It appears that a man on his own has gone towards the crowds and discharged a single shot from a shotgun,” he said. The gunman fled the scene and joined three other hooded males on bicycles, he added. Miss Chrichlow’s mother Isabel, who lives nearby, spoke only to confirm her daughter had been shot. Another local, Jenny Kantinda, 30, said she knew the three victims. “They were just sweet girls, we have had enough,” she said. Neighbour Leslie Arandi, 55, added: “The gangs are always cycling around here smoking drugs. I’m fed-up with it. Hopefully now the authorities will take notice.” Sammy has been discharged from hospital while the other two victims remain in a stable condition. The investigation is being led by Trident detectives, who deal with gang crime in the black community. Karen Buck, MP for Westminster North, expressed her concern as she visited the troubled Mozart Estate where the attack took place.

Prosecutors demand tough sentences in Hell's Angels drug case

 

Prosecutors are demanding long prison sentences for those suspected of involvement in an international drug smuggling case. The proceedings got underway on Thursday at the Helsinki District Court. Nine defendants, all of whom belong to the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang face a variety of charges. Eight are accused of aggravated narcotic offences. Other offences include drug offences, money laundering, and the importation of illegal goods and firearms offences. One of the accused is a member of the Rogues Gallery group while two others belong to the 1-800 gang. The proceedings are taking place in a secured court room. Prosecutors are demanding jail terms for the accused and financial compensation to the state for losses incurred. In one case, a 12 year prison term is being demanded. It is thought one of the accused is the president of the Hell’s Angels Finnish organization. The gang is suspected to have made millions of euros on drug trafficking over a period of several years. Earlier this month, police confiscated several kilos of amphetamines and cocaine with a potential street value of 800,000 euros. Officials also seized illegal weapons and 200,000 euros in cash.

Police say they have dismantled one branch of the Hells Angels bike gang in eastern Ontario after a series of raids.

 

In a news conference Thursday morning, Ottawa police, Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP announced they had worked together in a yearlong investigation called "Project Finale."

Police towed away this Hells Angels motorcycle from a clubhouse Wednesday after a raid also found drugs, weapons and Hells Angels paraphernalia.Police towed away this Hells Angels motorcycle from a clubhouse Wednesday after a raid also found drugs, weapons and Hells Angels paraphernalia. Ottawa police

The culmination of that work ended up in all three tactical units executing 16 search warrants, including one at the Hells Angels clubhouse at 5416 8 Line Rd. in south Ottawa.

Police were seen taking away a Harley Davidson motorcycle and revealed they also confiscated illegal drugs, cash and weapons.

There were 107 charges laid against 12 people including a 37-year-old Ottawa man police say is a full patch member of the Hells Angels. He faces five charges.

"It's going to have a major dent in the Ottawa region and eastern Ontario region. The numbers seized yesterday, we're very pleased with the numbers," said Insp. Samir Bhatnagar from Ottawa police.

"This group is known to potentially move $300,000 to $400,000 a month of illegal substances."

Family and friends mourn local Hells Angel president

 

Police are preparing for hundreds, perhaps thousands of bikers expected to ride into Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose sometime next month to honor the memory of Jeff "Jethro" Pettigrew, the president of the city's Hells Angels chapter who was shot to death in a gun battle at a Sparks casino. There will be Henchmen, East Side Riders Car Club, Devil Dolls, Top Hatters and more. Alongside them, also paying their respects, will be members of the South Yard Heavy Equipment Crew. That is not a motorcycle club. It is the San Jose Department of Transportation's pavement repair team. They knew Pettigrew from his day job. To them, he was not the local president of a biker club that law enforcement sees as a violent criminal motorcycle gang. He was as a veteran backhoe operator who paved potholes. Hans Larsen, director of the city's Department of Transportation, said he was not even aware that Pettigrew was a Hells Angel. Nor did he care. "We have many employees who are motorcycle enthusiasts. What they do in their private lives doesn't concern us as long as it doesn't affect their work,'' Hansen said. "From what I am hearing he was a nice person with a good attitude, very professional in his work and he did it well.'' Funeral arrangements are still being made. And Pettigrew's shooting death Friday night at John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino, which has law enforcement on high alert for a brewing bloodshed between outlaw Advertisement motorcycle clubs, is still under investigation.

Thursday, 29 September 2011

Danish court jails 15 motorbike gang members for murder attempts on rivals

 

Danish court has sentenced 15 motorbike gang members to jail for six murder attempts on rival gang members. The court said Thursday the bikers would spend from three to 15 years in prison, following the country’s biggest biker-related trial. Loading... Comments Weigh InCorrections? Copenhagen’s city court ruled earlier this month that members of the Hells Angels and their support group, AK81, were guilty of a series of shootings in the Danish capital in 2009. No one was killed but one victim had his leg amputated. The gangs have been feuding over control of criminal markets, including drug trade.

Monday, 26 September 2011

GROWING outlaw bikie clubs own sub-machineguns, traffic in illicit drugs and use counter-surveillance equipment.

Guns

Guns seized by police in raids on properties owned by outlaw motorcycle club members. Source: Supplied


Victoria Police have seized more than 50 weapons and drugs and cash during more than 52 raids on properties since February.

Alarmingly, a mini sub-machinegun, a pistol with a silencer, assault rifles, Tasers and ballistic vests are among the items seized.

Police have also revealed there have been several shootings involving patched bikie gang members, including that of Fink enforcer Mick MacPherson several months ago.

But intelligence suggests there is no emerging war about to erupt between clubs.

Detective Superintendent Doug Fryer said the number of guns the Echo Taskforce had unearthed was "disturbing".

He said police were serious about making a dent in "1 per cent" bikie gangs (so named because they're among 1 per cent of society said to be outlaws).

"The issue and concern for us is the amount of firearms we've seized in the last six months is really disturbing," Supt Fryer said.

"Every time we're turning a rock over we seem to be finding either firearms, drugs or other criminality.

"There certainly have been some shootings in the last six months, that have gone relatively unreported, of bikies.

"We would surmise that invariably these firearms that we've seized have been predominantly for self-protection.

"Our intelligence suggests that we've got around 24 outlaw motorcycle gangs in Victoria, comprising 26 chapters.

"Police make no apologies for our desire to prevent ... the unlawful activities of (the gangs)."

Offences committed by the gangs have ranged from social nuisance breaches to international organised crime linking with sophisticated syndicates.

Although not all "patched" members of "1 per cent" bikie gangs were involved in crime, pockets of members comprised a criminal element, Supt Fryer said.

Assets could be seized from club members if they were found to be proceeds of crime.

He said that internal fighting within chapters and feuds with other clubs and crime syndicates presented a risk to public safety.

There were agreements between clubs in Victoria, but the gangs were a threat to other organised crime groups, he said.

The State Government is working towards developing laws to combat outlaw bikie gangs.

Hells Angels' president killed in Sparks shooting

 

Police confirm the president of the San Jose chapter of the Hell's Angels, Jeffrey Pettigrew died while two Vagos club members are being treated for their injuries. Sparks Police say a group of members from the Hell's Angels and Vagos motorcycle clubs got into a fight near the Trader Dick's bar late Friday night. Police have made no arrests for the murder or shootings of the other victims.

Gang violence at Sparks Nugget Hotel results in shooting of Sacramento biker

 

More details are becoming available in shooting death in Sparks, Nevada involving the Hells Angels and a rival motorcycle gang. The shooting late Friday night at the John Asguaga's Nugget Hotel resulted in the death of a Hells Angel leader from San Jose and injuries to 2 rival Vagos gang members. The gang members were among thousands of attendees at the annual Sparks "street vibrations" event. Concern about retaliation led local and state officials to declare a to a state of emergency, which was eventually lifted around 5 p.m. on Saturday. A Sacramento gang detective investigating the case in Nevada said one of the gang members shot at in retaliation is from Sacramento. That gang member was shot twice in the chest Saturday morning. He was expected to survive. In response to concerns about retaliation, a Sacramento ATF agent said, "We always try to be aware of crimes of violence in our community. We try to anticipate when and where there will be violations of the federal firearm and explosive laws. We are watching this very closely," said Graham Barlowe, ATF Sacramento's Resident Agent in Charge.

Sunday, 25 September 2011

Hells Angels chapter president died in a casino shootout with a rival biker gang.

 

The city of Sparks, Nev., declared a state of emergency Saturday after a Hells Angels chapter president died in a casino shootout with a rival biker gang. Mayor Geno Martini also canceled the Street Vibrations biker festival that was under way in the city, which is located adjacent to Reno where an annual air show was canceled when a plane crashed into the grandstand earlier this month. The announcement came after the man killed in the Friday night shooting at John Ascuaga's Nugget casino was identified as Jeffrey Pettigrew, president of the San Jose, Calif., chapter of the Hells Angels. The gunfire also left two members of the rival Vagos in stable condition at an area hospital and landed another Hells Angel in jail on a charge assault with a deadly weapon. Police said in a written statement that another biker, who was not identified, was shot at a traffic light at 10:40 a.m. Saturday by a gunman driving a BMW sedan. Although the two incidents could not be definitively linked, the city decided it was time to clamp down in the situation. Along with the cancellation of the biker festival, police beefed up patrols in the downtown area.

David Glasser would-be witness against a Hells Angel with a violent reputation had turned into a nervous wreck

 

Friends say he lived in fear. In the months before his murder, those closest to David Glasser say the would-be witness against a Hells Angel with a violent reputation had turned into a nervous wreck. "He was getting really scattered and frantic the past couple of weeks. He couldn't even sit down -- he'd pace. You could see the fear written across his face," said Rick Reynolds, Glasser's longtime friend. "He was openly, admittedly terrified." Friends and acquaintances of Glasser's say prosecutors ignored his pleas for protection as a witness, even as he was poised to testify against a man who allegedly had threatened to kill him for cooperating with police. Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless said his office took steps to ensure Glasser's safety. Capeless described a man who said he felt safe in his apartment, preferring to stay in his Pittsfield home rather than relocate at the suggestion of police. In either case, Glasser had reason to be afraid. According to court records, Adam Lee Hall, a member of the Berkshire County chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, already had beaten Glasser with a baseball bat -- and that was just when Hall thought Glasser had stolen a carburetor from him. After that 2009 incident, authorities Advertisement persuaded Glasser to become a witness against Hall on drug, gun and assault charges. That prompted more threats from Hall, who later was accused by police of setting Glasser up to take the fall for a bogus armed robbery in an effort to keep him from testifying. Fifteen days ago, Glasser's body was found along with two of his friends, buried in a boulder-covered trench on private property in Becket. The friends -- fellow Pittsfield residents Edward S. Frampton and Robert T. Chadwell -- were killed because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, according to authorities. The discovery of the bodies came just nine days before Glasser had been scheduled to testify Sept. 19 against Hall in Berkshire Superior Court in connection with the assault and framing incidents. The discovery of the bodies came just nine days before Glasser had been scheduled to testify Sept. 19 against Hall in Berkshire Superior Court in connection with the assault and framing incidents. Police since have arrested Hall -- a 34-year-old Peru resident -- and two alleged accomplices. The three have been charged with three counts of murder, witness intimidation and kidnapping, and a fourth suspect has been charged with helping to bury the bodies. Glasser's murder has sparked an outcry from the victims' families, who say the District Attorney's Office and police didn't do enough to protect their witness. "They never did anything to help David," said Donna Randolph, whom Glasser called "Mom" and talked with at least once a week. Glasser was estranged from his family at a young age, according to Randolph, and no one in the family could be located for comment by The Eagle. However, Randolph and others close to Glasser said he had complained to them that he had gone to authorities and asked for witness protection as recently as a month before his murder. "He came to my house right after he'd been to the police one of those times," said Randolph, 67, of Pittsfield. Randolph said Glasser, 44, had been told by officers that nothing could be done and to let police know if anything happened. The Pittsfield Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police referred questions to the Berkshire County district attorney. Capeless said he's never denied a "reasonable request for protection of a witness." He insists his office did everything it could to protect Glasser, including relocating him twice at its suggestion. Capeless said that after each of the two relocations -- which were intended to be temporary -- Glasser had opted to return home, saying he felt safe. "On each occasion he said, ‘Look, I feel OK now and I'd like to go back to my apartment,' " Capeless said. "Ultimately it is his decision. We can't make witnesses relocate." Capeless said it's normal for witnesses to want to stay in their homes. "They want to control their lives." Capeless said. But Glasser's friends say he only stayed in his apartment because he had nowhere else to go. "He wasn't there because he wanted to be," Randolph said. The state has a witness protection fund, which pays for lodging, living and transportation expenses. District attorneys can submit petitions to fund the relocation of a key witness. Capeless said his office never submitted such a petition. Capeless declined to go into detail about his office's two temporary relocations of Glasser. Capeless wouldn't say when they took place, where Glasser was relocated to, or how long he stayed. Capeless said that speaking more about steps his office took to protect Glasser could compromise the safety of other witnesses against Hall who have opted to relocate. But no one who knew Glasser said they had heard anything about his being relocated by the District Attorney's Office. Asked about that, Capeless said: "People aren't supposed to know about it. That's the point." But Glasser's friends say they don't believe Capeless. "It's not true," Randolph said. "They never, never relocated David. They never did anything to help David. He would have let me know. He was like my son. We were very close. He would have told my husband and me one way or another." Likewise, Glasser's friend Rick Reynolds -- along with three other friends contacted by The Eagle who asked not to be identified -- said Glasser hadn't been relocated and never got the help he was asking for. The Eagle got some insight into Glasser's psyche in 2005. In an eloquently worded letter to the editor published that year, Glasser said in the first sentence that he was "mentally and physically challenged." He went on to write that he had diabetes, which "sometimes mimics being drunk," and that he had been "wrongfully fired" from jobs and treated unfairly in other instances because of people's "misunderstanding" of the issue. Glasser's main point in the letter was that he wanted to bring "an awareness of how we treat each other." He made no other reference to his mental condition in the letter. Capeless said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on Glasser's mental capacity. Randolph said she wasn't clear about the nature of Glasser's challenges, but said he "functioned a little bit slowly." Glasser did, however, understand the danger he was in, Randolph said. "Oh, he understood," she said. "He was absolutely terrified. There's no other way to put it." The terror that filled Glasser's life is well documented. According to court records, during the 2009 baseball-bat incident, Hall beat Glasser over a missing carburetor -- leaving his face black, blue and swollen -- and forced him to sign the title of his truck over to Hall. Then, according to the records, Hall made Glasser drive himself to Berkshire Medical Center in Hall's Hummer with Hall in the passenger seat. Before Glasser got out of the car, Hall told him that if he went to the police, he would be killed, according to a transcript of an interview police conducted with Glasser. Trooper Dale Gero responded to the emergency room at BMC after the staff reported a suspected assault and battery. After being treated at BMC, Glasser was taken to the Cheshire State Police barracks for an interview, in which he recounted the incident. According to Gero's report, at the end of the interview, Glasser asked if the state police had a witness protection program, and he told the trooper he was afraid of Hall retaliating against him. After being treated at BMC, Glasser was taken to the Cheshire State Police barracks for an interview, in which he recounted the incident. According to Gero's report, at the end of the interview, Glasser asked if the state police had a witness protection program, and he told the trooper he was afraid of Hall retaliating against him. According to the report, Glasser was escorted out of the barracks and told to contact "the police if anything further happened." Two days later, Glasser came in for a follow-up interview with investigators. Just before that interview, Glasser again told police he believed Hall would kill him, according to police records. Hall was arrested that day and was released three months later on a $50,000 bond. Glasser, meanwhile, was living in the Linden Street apartment he shared with Frampton. Glasser's name doesn't appear in court records again until Hall allegedly framed Glasser for armed robbery in New York state on Aug. 14, 2010. According to police, Hall and his associates planted a gun and other evidence in Glasser's truck in an effort to connect him to the supposed robbery. Pittsfield lawyer Alexander Schmulsky was appointed to defend Glasser against the charges. They met in a jail cell in the basement of Central Berkshire District Court. "He was concerned for his safety," Schmulsky said. "He was scared." A few days later, Schmulsky got a call from the District Attorney's Office saying the charges had been dropped. Schmulsky said Glasser was in the hands of the DA's office after that and that he never heard from his client again. Meanwhile, Hall was re-arrested. He was released on bail in March of this year, on a $250,000 bond. Even though Hall had been released pending his trial, Capeless said Glasser had stopped feeling unsafe when he started working with police as a witness, adding that law enforcement had been in "regular" contact with him. Capeless declined to be more specific about the nature of the contact, but said that each time officers checked in with Glasser, Glasser told them he was fine. "After Glasser became further involved with this office, he did not express that he felt unsafe," Capeless said. "Anytime he was staying in his apartment, he remained there because he felt safe and he wanted to be in his home." Friends strongly disagree with the district attorney's assessment of Glasser's feelings. They say Glasser -- known to mind his own business -- was manipulated into testifying against Hall. "He didn't want to testify," Reynolds said. "He said he was being pressured. I think they [DA's office] used that he was angry about being jumped, being beaten, having his truck taken [to get him to testify]. It hurt his pride. I think the police used that to say, ‘Do something about it.' " Reynolds said Glasser also believed he might be charged with possession of cocaine if he didn't testify, a notion Capeless strongly disagrees with. "He felt like he was in a no-win situation," Reynolds said. Capeless denies that Glasser was pressured into doing anything he didn't want to do. He said Glasser understood that by testifying against Hall, he would be protecting himself and others, effectively ensuring that Hall would go to prison. "People have to understand that if they don't come forward, these kinds of people will be walking the street," Capeless said. Still, Glasser's former lawyer said Capeless' job is about more than just putting people behind bars. "The district attorney's only job isn't to win the trial, it's to provide justice for the people of Berkshire County," Schmulsky said. "Where's the justice for Mr. Glasser today?" Capeless said his office did the best it could with the information it had at the time. He said it's easy to second guess after the fact. Randolph, meanwhile, said her last visit with Glasser is burned in her memory. "I didn't see him but for a couple of minutes the last time," she said. "He hugged me and I hugged him, and he said, ‘I love you, Ma,' and I told him I loved him. I miss him. Every day."

Hell's Angels motorcycle club member facing charges in deadly casino brawl

 

member of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club was facing charges including assault with a deadly weapon Sunday after a brawl between club members devolved into a gunfight that left one person dead. Police identified the victim of the shooting at John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nevada, as Jeffrey Pettigrew, 51, president of the San Jose, California, chapter of the Hell's Angels. Two other people, both of California and members of the Vagos motorcycle club, were in stable condition at hospitals after being shot in the abdomen and the leg, respectively. Cesar Villagrana, 36, was arrested after surveillance video showed him "shooting into the crowd" during the Friday night melee, Sparks police said in a statement. "However, it cannot be confirmed at this time if any of the projectiles struck the victims." Besides assault with a deadly weapon, Villagrana also faces charges of carrying a concealed weapon; aiming a firearm at another; aiming or discharging a firearm where a person is endangered; and possession of stolen property/firearm, jail records show. His bail was set at $500,000 cash only. Authorities appealed to bystanders who may have photographed or videotaped the event to contact police. A second shooting occurred at 10:49 a.m. Saturday, police said. A motorcyclist was traveling down a street when a car pulled alongside him and he was shot in the stomach. The name of that victim was being withheld, but he was in stable condition, authorities said. Witnesses said a black four-door BMW with two people inside was seen speeding away just after the shooting. "We are unable to definitively link the two shooting incidents at this time," police said. The incidents occurred during the Street Vibrations Fall Rally, an event that began Wednesday and was expected to continue into Sunday. After the shootings, however, the Sparks portion of the event were canceled through the weekend, the city announced Saturday. The mayor of Sparks also declared a state of emergency. "Whenever you have people who enter our city with bad intentions, bad things are going to happen," Sparks Mayor Geno Martini said Saturday. Police said they have increased the number of foot and mobile patrols in the city. Authorities reported that as many as 30 people took part in the casino brawl. Police responded with assistance from overhead helicopters. There has been no violence since the Street Vibrations rally expanded into Sparks, police said. "The Sparks Police Department wants to acknowledge the acts of these two motorcycle clubs do not represent a majority of the motorcycle enthusiasts that come to the Street Vibrations event," authorities said in a statement.

1 killed, 2 wounded in shooting at Sparks, Nev. casino; witnesses saw rival motorcycle gangs

 

One person has been killed and two others wounded in a shooting at a hotel-casino in Sparks that witnesses say involved members of rival motorcycle gangs, the Vagos and Hells Angels. Sparks police confirmed the fatal shooting at John Ascuaga’s Nugget about 11:30 p.m. Friday but they have not identified any of the people involved. 0 Comments Weigh InCorrections? inShare Daniel Sharp of Stockton, Calif., told the Reno Gazette-Journal he was in the dance area at the Nugget for the Street Vibrations biker festival when a group of Vagos club members came in. He says a single Hells Angel then entered, soon followed by several more. Within five minutes he says a fight erupted and shots rang out. Police Lt. Pete Krall says they are investigating different motorcycle clubs but declined to name them.

Biker gangs eyed in fatal Sparks casino shooting

 

Police stepped up patrols at a motorcycle festival in Reno and Sparks on Saturday after a gun battle between two rival gangs at a hotel-casino left one Hells Angel dead and two members of the Vagos club injured. The fatal shooting at John Ascuaga's Nugget on Interstate 80 in Sparks happened at about 11:30 p.m. Friday as thousands of motorcyclists descended on the area for the annual Street Vibrations celebration, police confirmed. Sparks police Lt. Brian Allen said officers were investigating whether there was any connection between that fatal incident and a drive-by shooting at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday about a half mile from the Nugget. Allen said police arrested one Hells Angel in connection with Friday night's fatal shooting. He said officers made a number of other arrests but provided no details. "We're trying to minimize any other potential violence," Allen said. Officials in neighboring Reno said they too were increasing patrols and would request assistance from federal law enforcement if necessary. "Local law enforcement is working with federal agencies in a coordinated effort, including increased patrol, tactical teams and undercover officers," Reno city officials said in a statement Saturday afternoon. Authorities in Arizona arrested more than two dozen members of the two gangs in August 2010 after a shootout between them wounded five people but none seriously in the small community of Chino Valley, north of Prescott. On Friday night at the Nugget, Daniel Sharp of Stockton, Calif., told the Reno Gazette-Journal he was in the dance area near Trader Dick's restaurant just off the casino floor when a group of Vagos club members came in. Sharp said a single Hells Angels member then entered the area, soon followed by several more. He says that within about five minutes a fight had erupted and shots rang out. "It was mayhem," he said. Other witnesses told the newspaper they heard between a dozen and two dozen gunshots. The casino was evacuated and put on lockdown at about midnight. The Nugget said in a statement that the casino and all its restaurants had reopened by midday Saturday. It said that in addition to its own "extensive security force," uniformed officers would patrol inside the casino the rest of the weekend. Joe Franco, of Reno, said he saw one man in Hells Angel garb pull out a gun after he was knocked to the ground in a fistfight with a rival. "He was down with the bloody nose, gets up and pulls out the gun and that's the first shot," apparently at the man who punched him, Franco said. "Then he turned the gun toward the south of the building and that's when he started firing into the crowd," Franco told the Gazette-Journal. "The guy who was doing the shooting was an older man. He must have been 50, 55." Everyone started ducking as soon as the first shot was fired, Franco said. "By the third shot we were already running," he said.

Saturday, 24 September 2011

"Billy's Crew."Gangster who saw shooting held for breach of conditions

 

Gangster whose associate was critically wounded in Surrey last week has been remanded in custody until Wednesday on an alleged breach of his court conditions. Sukhveer Dhak, 27, appeared via video link in Surrey Provincial Court Friday. Dhak was with his pal Jujhar Singh Khun-Khun in the 10100-block of 144th at around 9: 30 p.m. on Sept. 16 when gunmen opened fire, hitting Khun-Khun several times before fleeing. Khun-Khun remains in hospital in critical condition. Dhak was picked up Sept. 18 for allegedly violating court conditions on a drug conspiracy charge laid in 2008. He is due to go to trial on that case in November. Earlier this week, the head of the Gang Task Force warned that anyone associated with the Dhak and Duhre crime groups could get caught in an escalating gang war. Supt. Tom McCluskie said gang investigators "have reason to believe these people are being targeted by other criminal groups." And he said his team is probing possible links between the Khun-Khun shooting and the fatal shooting in Kelowna on Aug. 14 of Red Scorpion Jonathan Bacon. Hells Angel Larry Amero and Independent Soldier James Riach were also wounded in that incident. Since the high-profile public shooting outside a busy lakeside tourist hotel and casino, tensions have been escalating between associates of the victims and those they believe are responsible. On one side is an alliance consisting of the Duhres, Dhak and some United Nations members. On the other are some Hells Angels, the Scorpions and the Independent Soldiers. McCluskie said the investigation into Bacon's death is going well, though no one has yet been charged. The Duhre group is headed by three brothers - Balraj, Sandip and Paul - who grew up in North Vancouver and were once associates of the late Bindy Johal. Eldest brother Balraj was shot in a Vancouver restaurant in August 2005, but survived. Sandip escaped injury when his car was sprayed with gunfire at a Surrey convenience store in May 2005, but his friend Dean Mohamed Elshamy was killed. And both Balraj and Sandip were shot at in July 2005 as they drove through east Vancouver. Their bulletproof sedan saved their lives. Sukh Dhak is the younger brother of Gurmit Dhak, who was gunned down outside Metrotown Mall in October 2010. Gurmit Dhak, then 32, was also shot in 2007 in a crowded Kitsilano restaurant. Both Dhaks have been associated with a criminal organization dubbed "Billy's Crew."

FALKLANDS war veteran went on a lavish £1million spending spree after ripping off two gangsters

 

FALKLANDS war veteran went on a lavish £1million spending spree after ripping off two gangsters. Ex-Royal Navy officer Dean Priestley had been asked by the crooks to drive the used notes across the Channel to Spain. But instead of sticking to the plan the 47-year-old went on the run and set about leading a life of luxury for six months. Advertisement >> Priestley splashed out on holidays, homes, cars, boats and jewellery as he hid from the villains who put out a hit on him. A court heard the furious crooks, known only as Mull and Steve, vowed to spend £5million hunting him down. The extraordinary case emerged as wife Derry, 48, was convicted of conspiracy to launder money. Her husband was jailed for three and a half years earlier this year after pleading guilty to conspiring to convert criminal property. Detective Constable Graham Duncan said: “This is the first case I have come across in 25 years of someone who allegedly stole £1million from criminals and has not given it back. “Dean Priestley was spending money like it was going out of fashion. He has shown a brass neck to the criminals he stole money from and shown no remorse.” Dad-of-two Priestley fled his £900,000 home in a water mill in Bielby, East Yorks, after stealing the cash. He called his wife to say: “I’ve done something really bad. I’m going to have to stay away for a long time.” He opened bank accounts in his privately-educated son’s names before depositing thousands of pounds in stolen cash. Priestley quickly splashed out on a luxury £230,000 Sealine S48 motor cruiser on Lake Windermere to hide from the villains. He also bought a £162,000 stone cottage for son Nathan, a semi-pro rugby player, in Wilsden, Bradford. He blew £20,000 on a Land Rover Defender 90 to drive between Lake District marinas and two £23,000 Audi A3s for cash from showroom dealers. He soon traded in one of the Audis, swapping it for a £32,000 black BMW 630 cabriolet picked out by his wife. At the time, Priestley was also being hunted by the police as he was wanted for extradition to France after being convicted in his absence of cannabis smuggling in his lorry. Wife Derry told Hull crown court she was threatened by two men from Manchester’s underworld to tell them where her husband was. She was told to take his birth and medical certificates to them just before they attacked his two sons with spray paint and an iron bar at their home. She said: “I got very depressed and suicidal. I was very low for a long time. I fled my home.” She remained in contact with her husband by mobile phone and made repeated visits to the Lake District to see him. The court heard Priestley bought a £5,000 diamond and 18 carat gold pendant from a jeweller for his wife’s birthday. He then paid for holidays to Spain, Amsterdam and a £4,000 trip to Australia. He even roped in his nephews, paying them £1,000 for every £10,000 they could put into banks. Mrs Priestley stopped using her Range Rover after finding a tracking device put on it by the Manchester criminals. It was Mrs Priestley’s call to the police saying the gangsters had told her that her husband had stolen £1million which started the investigation. Twice-married Mrs Priestley denied joining him when he ran up credit card bills on shopping trips. Prosecutor Timothy Capstick said her husband’s empire came crashing down when he was arrested by police coming out of a Leeds Hotel. They knew criminals had put a price on his head. The jury took less than 60 minutes to find Derry Priestley guilty. As well as the money laundering charge, she was also convicted of attempting to convert criminal property and converting criminal property. She will be sentenced at a later date. Her luxury home in Bielby, which the family had a mortgage on, has since been repossessed and sold on. Dean Priestley along with sons James, 23, Nathan, 22, and nephews Simon Taylor, 35, and Christopher Taylor, 32, all pleaded guilty to conspiring to convert criminal property before the start of their trial in March. His sons and nephews got suspended prison sentences. Priestley now faces an assets recovery hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize any criminal cash he has left.

An alliance of Dhak, the Duhres, and some United Nations gang members may be facing off against the Red Scorpions, the Hells Angels, and the Independent Soldiers.

 

An alliance of Dhak, the Duhres, and some United Nations gang members may be facing off against the Red Scorpions, the Hells Angels, and the Independent Soldiers.

shooting in Surrey last week that left a gang member critically injured may be linked to the slaying of Jonathan Bacon in Kelowna

shooting in Surrey last week that left a gang member critically injured may be linked to the slaying of Jonathan Bacon in Kelowna last month, police say.

Sgt. Bill Whalen with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit — Gang Task Force said police are looking for a connection between Bacon’s assassination and the Friday 16 shooting of Jujhar Singh Khun-Khun, 24.

“We are investigating links between the two incidents,” he said.

Khun-Khun remains in hospital in critical condition and is a known as a member of the Dhak gang group, which Whalen said are in locked in a battle with the Hells Angels.

Police received a call of a shooting at 9:30 p.m. Friday in the 10100-block of 144 Street. They arrived to find Khun-Khun shot. He was taken to hospital where he remains in critical condition.

On Aug. 14, four people were shot outside the Delta Grand Hotel in Kelowna. Red Scorpion Jonathan Bacon was killed and others were injured, including Larry Amero of the White Rock Hells Angels.

A Gang Task Force media release on Sept. 7 indicated police had information that something retaliatory was going to happen.

“To date, intelligence and information indicates that tensions amongst rival gangs have increased exponentially since the Kelowna shooting and it’s no longer a question of if retaliation will occur, but when,” the task force said. “The potential for a violent reprisal is not restricted to any one community, and can occur anywhere at anytime.”

The release revealed the Gang Task Force had assigned 65 officers to the tensions arising from the Kelowna shooting.
Khun-Khun is no stranger to the media. In 2007 his 19-year-old fiancée was killed when she fell from the moving SUV he was driving. No charges were laid in that case. Later that year Khun-Khun was sentenced to three years in prison for kidnapping and robbing a truck driver. males from the Lower Mainland,

On August 20 2011, Nanaimo RCMP stopped a gray 2008 Acura near the intersection of Victoria Rd and Highway 19A. Khun-Khun and two other men were remanded into custody and charges of Trafficking in a Controlled Substance under the CDSA were laid after officers detected marijuana odors in the car. A search revealed 27.5 grams of crack cocaine, 7.5 grams of marihuana, 108 pills of suspected ecstasy, a radio jamming system, scales and $1,700 in Canadian currency in the car.

Another known gangster, Sukh Dhak was also at the scene when Khun-Khun was shot
Dhak, 27, is the brother of gangster Gurmit Singh Dhak, who was gunned down in October 2010 outside Metrotown Mall in Coquitlam. In the ensuing round of retaliation 10 people were wounded in a shooting spree at the Neighbors Restaurant on Oak Street in December 2010. A party attended by gang affiliates was taking place inside the restaurant at the time. Sukh Dhak had been warned several times by police that he was a target.

Two arrests made in drug deal shooting from July

 

Two men have been arrested in a shooting that stemmed from a botched drug deal in southeast Portland earlier this summer. After a lengthy investigation, Portland police officers took Robert Collins and Jonell James into custody Thursday.   Police say they shot 21-year-old Sean Hamm at Glenwood Park near Southeast 89th Avenue and Cooper Street, where the suspects and victim met to deal marijuana in the early morning hours of July 14. Officers say Hamm suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and nearly died. Collins and James are making their first court appearance Friday afternoon.

Friday, 23 September 2011

Langley gangster linked to both the Red Scorpion gang and the Independent Soldiers was sentenced to 14 months in jail this week

 

Langley gangster linked to both the Red Scorpion gang and the Independent Soldiers was sentenced to 14 months in jail this week on two firearms counts. Tyler Willock, 30, was also hit with a mandatory 10-year firearms prohibition after pleading guilty to occupying a vehicle with a firearm in it and careless use of a firearm. He appeared in Surrey Provincial Court to be sentenced Thursday morning. The charges were laid after a Gang Task Force investigation in the summer of 2008 during which Willock was stopped in a vehicle in Langley . Several months later in February 2009, Willock was shot at while in a vehicle with friends in Surrey, resulting in charges being laid against rival gangsters in the United Nations gang. That case is yet to go to court and Willock was not injured. And then on March 8, 2009, Willock's Red Scorpion associate Albert Jackman viciously attacked Willock with a sledge hammer, striking him more than 20 times. Jackman was livid over comments Willock made about their associate Kevin LeClair who was shot to death a few weeks earlier. Jackman had been told Willock said that he wouldn't have to repay LeClair $40,000 he owed him. Willock didn't testify at Jackman's trial or provide a victim impact statement. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Robert Crawford said in his decision that he could only imagine the impact of the attack on Willock's life from the photos the Crown entered at trial. Willock suffered broken bones and other injures and has not fully recovered. Crawford heard how Jackman arrived at Willock's house with an associate and ordered Willock to the floor of his bedroom. Jackman then tied him up using zap straps and duct-taped his mouth and eyes. He then struck Willock more than 20 times with the sledgehammer. "Willock was literally smashed to pieces," Crawford said in his decision. Willock's bedroom walls and ceiling were splattered with blood. In July, Jackman was sentenced to 10 years for the attack on Willock. Jackman, 25, is also serving a life sentence for first-degree murder in a stabbing death that took place 20 days later in March 2009.

Gangster who bragged that he “ran Tottenham” after opening fire on his rivals with a machine gun in the street

 

Gangster who bragged that he “ran Tottenham” after opening fire on his rivals with a machine gun in the street has had his appeal against conviction turned down by top judges.   Former decorator Yusuf Arslan, now 21, was put behind bars indefinitely for public protection at Kingston Crown Court last September. Arslan belonged to the “Tottenham Boys” gang, which had a long-running feud with a rival Hackney gang, said Mr Justice Wilkie, sitting at London’s Appeal Court. He had opened fire with the sub-machine gun in Lansdowne Road, Tottenham, on September 30, 2009, in revenge for the shooting of a friend who ran a nearby shop. He had blocked his victim’s car in before letting off a volley of shots. A fragment of shell hit one of his targets’ left arm, but the majority of the shots hit their car’s body and windscreen. Arslan, of Oxford Close, Edmonton, was also prosecuted over an incident in December that year in which he and others were stopped in a car wearing body armour and carrying a revolver. One police officer said he heard Arslan brag he “ran Tottenham” and had access to more guns than the police. He was convicted of attempted murder, possessing guns and ammunition and was ordered to serve a minimum 10 years before being considered for parole. His lawyers challenged the convictions on Friday, claiming the identification evidence against him was flawed. But Mr Justice Wilkie, sitting with Lord Justice Pitchford and Mr Justice Holroyde, said the “sure identification” had been made by one of the men Arslan shot at. “This appeal against conviction is unarguable,” he concluded.

Tony Montana would be displeased at the news Scarface is going to be remade again

In 2011 there have already been a slew of remakes of familiar movie favourites.

So it should come as no surprise Hollywood is returning to the well again to reboot silver screen classic Scarface.

Unlike examples such as the critically maligned Straw Dogs or the panned Arthur however, it will be a completely re-imagined flick based on the original concept.

Say hello to my little friend: Perhaps Tony Montana would be displeased at the news Scarface is going to be remade again

Say hello to my little friend: Perhaps Tony Montana would be displeased at the news Scarface is going to be remade again

Interestingly, while most people think of the 1983 version that starred Al Pacino as iconic Cuban anti-hero Tony Montana when they hear the title today, it is not the original.

The 1932 first entry in the series was a seminal film in its own right, and is regarded as the more ground-breaking of the pair, holding a position as one of the first great talkies.

 


 

It followed the exploits of Italian gangster Tony Camonte as he climbed the criminal underground ladder in prohibition era Chicago.

According to Deadline Hollywood the new version will take the same basic concept, in which an immigrant outsider barges his way into the criminal establishment, but have a new distinctive story.

Gunning for revenge: And maybe Tony Camonte would not to too happy either

Gunning for revenge: And maybe Tony Camonte would not to too happy either

He will then become a kingpin through his own ruthlessness and brutality, but will be brought down by his flaws and weaknesses.

Specifics about the new main character are being kept under wraps, but no doubt his origin and background will be as vital to the new story as in the previous versions.

Universal Pictures is developing the project, and has reportedly been tasking writers to script a take for a film that will be produced by the company's former chairman Marc Shmuger and heavyweight Martin Bregman. 

Good business: Legendary Martin Bregman and Marc Shmuger are producing
Good business: Legendary Martin Bregman and Marc Shmuger are producing

Good business: Legendary Martin Bregman and Marc Shmuger are producing

The latter produced the Pacino version, as other key hits in the legendary actor's career such as Serpico, Carlito's Way and Sea Of Love.

The decision to remake the movie will no doubt draw howls of derision, although the Brian De Palma remake also drew a lot of criticism at the time because the original is considered a cinematic classic.

The original picture was produced by colourful mogul Howard Hughes, and followed the exploits of the insanely violent gangster Camonte as he claws his way to top.

Original and (arguably) best: The poster for the classic first film

Original and (arguably) best: The poster for the classic first film

It starred legendary actor Paul Muni in one of his breakthrough roles, which led to a storied career that would see him win an Oscar and be nominated for five others.

The film's second lead George Raft became a professional success thanks to his role as Camonte's best chum Guino Rinaldo, with his character's trait of habitually flipping a coin becoming a classic reference. 

After the original ending was deemed too violent by censors, Hughes funded a new one, but when it was still deemed too violent he had the original put back in and showed it in more lenient states in the US.

The De Palma version charts the life of Montana, as the Cuban refugee rises from the bottom to become a cocaine kingpin in Miami.

It contains iconic cinema moments including Al Pacino sniffing away at a small mountain of cocaine on his desk as he prepares for a final shootout with gangster rivals.



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