Hells Angel Describes the Most Dangerous Moment of His Life
A former Hell's Angels member, Mel Chansy, describes the most dangerous period of his time in the club — the biker war with the Outlaws, marked by car and door bombings. He also details the club's strict enforcement against people falsely claiming membership, including forcibly removing a fake member's back tattoo.
Summary
In this interview segment from the Shawn Ryan Show, former Hell's Angels member Mel Chansy is asked about the most dangerous moment of his life using AI-researched questions pulled from internet interviews and clips about him and the Hell's Angels. The interviewer references the bloody war between the Hell's Angels and the Outlaws, noting that Outlaws boss Kevin 'Spike' O'Neal had reportedly ordered hitmen to kill members' wives as well, to discourage Hell's Angels membership.
Chansy identifies the bombing campaign during the biker war as the most dangerous period of his life. Unlike face-to-face confrontations, the bombings were unpredictable — any ignition turn or door opening could be fatal. He describes his daily routine of using a mirror on a stick to inspect his car's wheel wells before entering, a sight that must have bewildered ordinary bystanders. He also describes walking to his vehicles at night with a cocked, chambered gun in hand, ready for ambush.
Chansy recounts that one of their members — believed to have been driving a Ford Bronco — actually discovered a live explosive device under his wheel well. When police were called, the ATF had to respond with a bomb squad, build a perimeter, and ultimately destroy the device with a water cannon because they could not safely deactivate it.
In the second half of the interview, Chansy addresses what happened to people caught falsely wearing Hell's Angels patches or tattoos. He explains that legitimate members who leave the club are required to have an 'out date' tattooed over their Hell's Angels ink. A man was found in their neighborhood claiming to be an active Oakland member, with a full Hell's Angels patch tattooed across his back — but with no out date and no recognition from Oakland when the chapter was contacted. The club tracked the man down, abducted him from a bar, and forcibly removed the tattoo. Chansy also discusses the broader problem of fake patches being sold online and from China, and the club's efforts to control which tattoo artists were permitted to ink Hell's Angels insignia.
Key Insights
- Chansy describes the bombing campaign as more dangerous than face-to-face confrontations because there was no way to anticipate when or where a bomb might be placed — every ignition turn or door opening was a potential death sentence.
- Chansy reveals that he had a daily ritual of using a mirror on a stick to inspect his car's wheel wells and undercarriage before getting in, a precaution he took every single time he left a location during the war.
- One Hell's Angels member discovered a live explosive device under his truck's wheel well; the ATF responded, built a perimeter, and had to destroy it with a water cannon because they were unable to safely deactivate it.
- Chansy explains that Hell's Angels members who leave the club are required to have an 'out date' tattooed over their patch tattoo as a way to prevent former members from falsely presenting themselves as active members to outsiders or rival clubs.
- When a man was found claiming to be an Oakland Hell's Angel with a full back tattoo but no out date, and Oakland confirmed they had never heard of him, Chansy's chapter abducted him from a bar and forcibly removed the tattoo.
Topics
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