Hessians Motorcycle Club

Last updated
Hessians MC
Hessians MC Logo Patch.webp
Founded1968
FoundersThomas F. Maniscalco [1]
Founding location Costa Mesa, California
Years active1968–present
Territory California, Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Idaho and Utah [2]
MembershipApproximately 160 members (as of 1994) [3]
Activities Drug trafficking, murder, robbery and intimidation
Allies

The Hessians Motorcycle Club or Hessians MC is an American "one-percenter" or outlaw motorcycle club. [4]

Contents

History

The Hessians Motorcycle Club was founded on March 7, 1968, in Costa Mesa, California by Thomas F. Maniscalco, [5] a motorcycle enthusiast who would later become an attorney and convicted murderer. [1] [6] The club would soon expand across the nation's western seaboard and in 1972, they claimed to have around 500 members across the United States. [3]

The club's logo features a sabre-pierced skull over an Iron Cross, and their colors are black and white. [5]

The documentary film Hessians MC was released in 2005. It runs for 75 minutes and was produced by Guerilla Docs and directed by Randall Wilson. [7] Bill Hayes, an author who has written extensively about motorcycle clubs, called it "one of the most acclaimed film documentaries on the biker culture". [5]

Criminal allegations and incidents

Club founder Maniscalo was convicted in 1994 for the 1980 murders of Richard Rizzone, Rena Miley, and Thomas Monahan, all associated with the Hessians. The prosecution said that the killings were the result of a dispute about methamphetamine sales and counterfeiting. He served a total of nearly 39 years in jail and then prison after his conviction, until being released in 2023 after a terminal cancer diagnosis. [8] Maniscalo denied his guilt. [6] [1] According to the club, Maniscalo died later in 2023. [9]

In 1994, eight members of the Hessians MC were arrested on drug and weapons charges following a series of raids in California that were conducted by federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies. The crackdown stemmed from an 8-month investigation into the club, in which ATF agents infiltrated the group's 20-member mother chapter. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Edds, Kimberly (17 February 2023). "Co-founder of Hessians Motorcycle Club turned Lawyer Granted Compassionate Release after Conviction for 1980 Triple Execution Murders; Prosecutors objected to release of Thomas Maniscalco, arguing he poses a significant threat to public safety". Orange County District Attorney. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  2. ↑ "Instagram".
  3. 1 2 3 "8 in Biker Gang Arrested in 5-City Sweep : Crackdown: About 200 officers seize weapons and drugs in early morning raids. Two federal agents had infiltrated the tightly knit Hessians club". Los Angeles Times . 10 September 1994.
  4. ↑ "Photographs : Hessians Motorcycle Club on Between the Covers".
  5. 1 2 3 Hayes, Bill. The One Percenter Encyclopedia: The World of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs from Abyss Ghosts to Zombies Elite. Motorbooks. p. 115. ISBN   9780760360538. In addition to being a truly classic club with a lot of longevity, the Hessians Motorcycle Club was the subject of one of the most acclaimed film documentaries on the biker culture, Hessians MC.
  6. 1 2 "Maniscalco Gets 46 Years to Life for 3 Murders : Courts: The 14-year-long case closes with the biker-attorney's sentence, but an appeal is expected. One victim's father tells judge the pain continues". Los Angeles Times. 1994-06-30. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  7. ↑ "Hessians MC". Rotten Tomatoes . 2005. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  8. ↑ "California killer diagnosed with cancer to be released from prison". KTLA . Los Angeles. Associated Press. February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  9. ↑ "RIP Pics". Hessians Motorcycle Club . Retrieved February 16, 2025. Tommy Maniscalo: Forever Survived by Hessians, RIP 1945-2023
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.