Warlocks Motorcycle Club (Pennsylvania)
The Warlocks Motorcycle Club (also sometimes distinguished as the Harpy Warlocks or Philly Warlocks) is a one-percenter outlaw motorcycle club that was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1965. It was the first official 1% outlaw motorcycle club founded in Pennsylvania. The club is most prominent in and has significant territory in Philadelphia, Delaware County, South Jersey, and Wilmington, though they also have a heavy presence in the nearby Lehigh Valley. There are now chapters all throughout Pennsylvania, South Jersey, and Delaware, as well as Ohio. The club's insignia is a Harpy, which in Greek and Roman mythology, was a female monster in the form of a bird with a human face. Their colors are Red and White. The club rapidly expanded at the end of the Vietnam War when thousands of soldiers returned home to the United States, many to Pennsylvania.
Logo of the Warlocks MC | |
| Founded | 1965 |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Years active | 1965-present |
| Territory | Mainly Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with chapters and members throughout the Delaware Valley, including South Jersey and Delaware; as well as chapters and territory in Lehigh Valley, Eastern Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Allies | Philadelphia Crime Family[1] Wheels of Soul Motorcycle Club Pagan's Motorcycle Club[2] |
| Rivals | Pagan's Motorcycle Club[3] Florida Warlocks Motorcycle Club[4] The Breed Motorcycle Club[5] Hells Angels various gangs and outlaw motorcycle clubs |
Criminal activities
In December 1988, individuals associated with the Warlocks kidnapped the then Breed chapter president Craig "Coyote" Gudkneckt in retaliation for several Warlock members being jumped by Breed members in a Bensalem bar. Gudkneckt was taken to the home of a Warlock where he was tied up, beaten and pistol-whipped. Gudkneckt escaped.
On May 6, 1995 Police Sgt. Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez of Franklin Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey pulled over Warlocks members Robert "Mudman" Simon and Charles "Shovel" Staples on a traffic stop moments after the two had committed a commercial burglary. Simon shot Gonzalez twice, in the head and neck, and Gonzalez died instantly. Simon later said he shot Sergeant Gonzalez because he did not want to return to prison. Simon was quickly apprehended, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to death. At the time of Gonzalez's murder Simon was barely three months out of jail and on parole after a 1981 conviction for killing a woman in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. In 1999, Simon was stomped to death by Ambrose Harris, another death-row inmate, in New Jersey's Trenton State Prison. Harris argued self-defense, and was acquitted.[6][7]
In 2006, Tommy Zaroff, born about 1972 (age 50–51), a former President of the Bucks County chapter of the Warlocks was arrested on suspicion of possessing ten pounds of methamphetamine, and was sentenced to at least five years after pleading guilty to charges including distributing a controlled substance, profiting from illegal acts and conspiracy.[8][9] On February 4, 2009, Daniel "Dirty Dick" McElheney, born about 1944 (age 78–79), was arrested under his alias Richard McElheney, after his home was raided by police. Police seized six rifles, ten handguns and various illegal drugs.[10]
In October 2008, Pennsylvania State Attorney General Tom Corbett alleged that the Warlocks motorcycle club is involved with a methamphetamine manufacturing operation based in Berks County Pennsylvania. The sting was dubbed "Operation Underground". Corbett said the operation manufactured and distributed $9 million worth of methamphetamine throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and possibly (supplied) to members of the Warlocks motorcycle club, which has allegedly been linked to organized crime and drug trafficking. "The Warlocks have been the subject of other investigations, and we will continue to investigate the Warlock-Spadafora meth connection," Corbett said. He added that the investigation is continuing and he expects more arrests. There were no Warlocks arrested or charged at the time of this press release.[11]
References
- ^ Lewis, Larry; Colimore, Edward (May 6, 1996). "Details Emerge Of Divided Warlocks And Year-ago Killing Two Bikers Are Charged. One Was Known For Violence, The Other For Trying To Change The Club's Image". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ^ McGarvey, Brendan (April 2005). "Pagans Take Philly?". Philadelphia City Paper. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ^ Nark, Jason (September 11, 2010). "Officials say Pagans throttling up in New Jersey over rivalry with Hells Angels". philly.com. Philly News. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ^ "Ex-president of Orlando Warlocks MC takes stand in rival club member's murder trial". wftv.com. WFTV news. April 2, 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ^ Badder Breed
- ^ Death row inmate said to beat and kick another to death in New Jersey prison
- ^ NJ.com, Joe Atmonavage | NJ Advance Media for; NJ.com, Kevin Shea | For (2020-11-18). "Notorious N.J. killer who murdered young artist dies in prison". nj. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
- ^ Mason, Laurie (January 12, 2006), "Meth ring member pleads guilty Thomas Zaroff has ties to the Warlocks motorcycle gang, police said.", The Intelligencer, Doylestown, PA, p. B5
- ^ Caparella, Kitty (July 27, 2006), "Meth arrests hurt 2 motorcycle clubs: Breed, Warlocks ties found", Knight Ridder Tribune Business News
- ^ Caparella, Kitty (February 11, 2009), "BRIEF: Warlock biker faces drug, weapons charges", McClatchy – Tribune Business News, Washington DC
- ^ Shooting target found in Berks County meth raids looks like a police officer (WITH VIDEO)
External links/sources
- The Original Warlocks MC
- Text from New Jersey State Commission of Investigation report on outlaw motorcycle gangs, as posted on New Jersey Mafia website
- Warlocks v. Warlocks