As a rider, I have been introduced to the world of 1% clubs. My brother in-law was a 1% member of one of the major MCs. I went with him on club runs and did a little bit of hanging around. I’ve been in that pack of hundreds of motorcycles taking control of the road as a single entity. When my brother in-law was in the hospital with cancer the MC was at his side all the time. Whether it be a prospect or fully patched member someone was always near by. When he passed, his funeral was a full blown MC event with members coming from all over the US.
The national president of that same club was my finish carpenter when I built my house. I still run into him from time to time at rallies and runs. As I approach him for a chat, I observe the rules of a civilian interacting with an MC, it’s all about respect. We discuss his BBQ restaurant and how things are going. He doesn’t do the carpenter stuff anymore are time and a hard life have taken a toll on his hands.
One of my friends tried to introduce his east coast MC into my area. Hanging with him I observed some intense encounters between the non-sanctioned MCs and the local primary MC at a run. Something you don’t want to be in the middle of.
Being an event photographer and working rallies and runs, part of my work is observing people. I think that is a big part of the draw to me. Watching the MCs in action, observing their rituals, taking it all in taught me a lot about the culture. You don’t hear the conversations, which is for the best, but you get the jest. You see the respect that is paid to the leaders. You learn how they protect each other, who is the watch man and who is the senior in the group. You see the place the women take. You see the disdain of civilians and hang arounds, with hang arounds rating slightly higher as they are a source of income.
Peter “Big Pete” James tells his story progressing up the ranks of the MCs in Chicago. He brings to life many of the situations I have encountered with the MCs and goes so much further. Reading his stories brought back to life my time on the bike, attending a MC funeral and the immensity of it, the understanding of respect and the mentality of the MC 1%’ers. I don’t think there is much exaggeration in his recountings. From his childhood, through college, and into his last days he tells it like it was. He explains the thoughts behind his actions and let’s you know what was driving him. A successful man with a calculating mind he took himself from the ground up to a highly influential member of the Chicago MCs. From building relationship with the local police to fighting with the Angels the stories run the gamut of life as an MC Boss. His stories kept me turning pages and at times I couldn’t put the book down.
ISBN: 97812500172242
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