Ralph Hubert “Sonny” Barger Jr. was an American outlaw biker, author and actor who lived from October 8, 1938 to June 29, 2022. In 1957, he helped found the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club chapter in Oakland, California. After founding the Oakland chapter, Barger played a key role in uniting several disjointed chapters of the Hells Angels and officially forming the organization in 1966. He became the most prominent member of the Hells Angels during the era of the counterculture and was constantly accused of being the Hells Angels. Department of being the president of the club by the authorities and the media. Barger was called the “maximum leader” of the Hells Angels by writer Hunter S. Thompson, while Philip Martin of the Phoenix New Times called him “the archetypal Hells Angels” and noted that he “doesn’t didn’t found the motorcycle club…” but he constructed the story. » He has written five books and appeared in films and on television.
After being convicted of trafficking heroin in 1974 and plotting to bomb the clubhouse of the Outlaws, a rival motorcycle gang, in 1988, Barger spent a total of 13 years behind bars. He was also found not guilty of racketeering and murder in 1972 and 1980. Law enforcement authorities claim the Hells Angels are an organized crime syndicate, but Barger has denied this claim and said the group could not be held responsible for the behavior of its individual members.
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ToggleHow old was Sonny Barger?
Sonny Barger was 83 years old at the time of his death.
What job did Sonny Barger do?
Barger joined the Oakland Panthers in 1956, a motorcycle club he founded with several other ex-military personnel. After that gang disbanded, he began riding with another group of motorcyclists, one of whom, Don “Boots” Reeves, wore a patch from the long-defunct North Sacramento Nomads division of the Hells Angels. All members of the new Hells Angels organization wore the patch after having reproductions made at a trophy shop in Hayward. The patch depicts a miniature skull wearing an aviator cap and surrounded by wings, and was eventually trademarked as the Hells Angels “Skull” insignia. The Hells Angels were founded in 1948, contrary to popular belief, but Barger became the group’s best-known member, so much so that he is often wrongly credited as the club’s founder. He and the Oakland Hells Angels had no idea that there were several other loosely related gangs throughout California using the same nickname. According to George “Baby Huey” Wethern, elected vice president of the chapter in 1960, the first members of the Oakland Hells Angels were “primarily honest workers or unskilled workers looking for excitement.” Most of the early members of the Oakland chapter were ex-soldiers with questionable military backgrounds, unlike the World War II veterans who founded the early Hells Angels chapters.
On December 6, 1969, the Rolling Stones performed at the free Altamont concert and Barger was one of the Hells Angels in attendance. The bikers reportedly received a beer worth $500 as collateral. Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane was attacked and rendered unconscious by the Hells Angels, and bystander Meredith “Murdock” Hunter was stabbed. Spectators and artists were victims of violence. Barger claimed to have drunk beer on stage during the conflict. After the event, HAMC received negative media coverage, so he appeared on KSAN, a local Bay Area radio station, to defend the Hells Angels’ behavior and give his side of the story. He claimed that when the crowd began damaging the Angels’ motorcycles, fights broke out. In a later statement, Barger claimed Hunter fired a shot that merely “inflicted bodily injury” on a member of the Hells Angels.
Was Sonny Barger married?
Sonny Barger is survived by Zorana, his fourth wife, whom he married on June 25, 2005. He was married to Zorana until her death. Sonny had four marriages. Elsie Mae, his first wife, died on February 1, 1967. He then married Sharon Gruhlke, his second wife, whom he married in 1973 and later separated from. He then married Beth Noel, his third wife, with whom he had a stepdaughter named Sarrah. Sonny was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute with his third wife and stepdaughter, which led to his arrest for aggravated assault. They eventually divorced.
What is the cause of death of Sonny Barger?
Elsie Mae (née George), Barger’s first wife, died on February 1, 1967, from a blood embolism following an illegal abortion. He has been dating Sharon Gruhlke, a former beauty queen from Livermore, since 1969. In 1973, Barger married Gruhlke while he was incarcerated at Folsom State Prison. The union collapsed following a divorce.
Barger was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1983 due to years of heavy smoking. He was diagnosed and treated at the Fort Miley VA Hospital in San Francisco. Due to stage III laryngeal carcinoma, he underwent total laminectomy with bilateral functional neck dissection. So Barger learned to vocalize using the muscles in his esophagus after his vocal cords were removed.
His death was reported in the following Facebook post:
If you’re reading this post, you know I’m gone. I requested that this note be published immediately after my death. I have lived a long and beautiful life full of adventures. And I had the privilege of being part of a great club. Although I have been a public figure for decades, I have most enjoyed the special times spent with my club brothers, family and close friends. Please note that I passed away peacefully after a short battle with cancer. But also know that in the end I was surrounded by what really matters: my wife Zorana and my loved ones. Hold your head high, stay faithful, stay free, and always value honor.
Son
What was Sonny Barger’s net worth?
Sonny Barger’s net worth was around $500,000 at the time of his death. His main sources of income are writing, acting, and horse riding. He has also earned money from television, films, and books. Thanks to his performance in the film Hells Angel, Sonny has achieved great success in the entertainment field.