Fallen Angel: The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick and the Canadian Hells Angels [Paperback]

Jerry Langton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 13, 2006

Walter Stadnick is not an imposing man. At five-foot-four, his face and arms scarred by fire in a motorcycle accident, he would not spring to mind as a leader of Canada's most notorious biker gang, the Hells Angels. yet through sheer guts and determination, intelligence and luck, this Hamilton-born youth who had the nickname of "Nurget" rose in the Hells Angels ranks to become national president. Not only did he lead the Angels through the violent war with their rivals the rock machine in Montreal in the Nineties, Stadnick saw opportunity to grow the Hells Angels into a national criminal gang. he was a visionary--and a highly successful one.

Bikers are not known for their fondness for rival gangs. Stadnick and the Angels fought and defeated rival gangs, or used power of persuasion to patch them over. As Stadnick's influence spread, law enforcement took notice of the growing presence of the Angels in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia. However, Stadnick's success did not come without a price. Arrested and charged with 13 counts of first-degree murder, stadnick beat the murder charges but was convicted of gangsterism and is currently serving time.

Fallen Angel details one man's improbable rise to power in one of the world's most violent organizations, while shedding light on how this enigmatic and dangerous biker gang operated and why it remains so powerful.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Walter Stadnick is not an imposing man. At five-foot-four, his face and arms scarred by fire in a motorcycle accident, he would not spring to mind as a leader of Canada's most notorious biker gang, the Hells Angels. yet through sheer guts and determination, intelligence and luck, this Hamilton-born youth who had the nickname of "Nurget" rose in the  Hells Angels ranks to become national president. Not only did he lead the Angels through the violent war with their rivals the rock machine in Montreal in the Nineties, Stadnick saw opportunity to grow the Hells Angels into a national criminal gang. he was a visionary—and a highly successful one.

Bikers are not known for their fondness for rival gangs. Stadnick and the Angels fought and defeated rival gangs, or used power of persuasion to patch them over. As Stadnick's influence spread, law enforcement took notice of the  growing presence of the Angels in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia. However, Stadnick's success did not come without a price. Arrested and charged with 13 counts of first-degree murder, stadnick beat the murder charges but was convicted of gangsterism and is currently serving time.

Fallen Angel details one man's improbable rise to power in one of the world's most violent organizations, while shedding light on how this enigmatic and dangerous biker gang operated and why it remains so powerful.

About the Author

Jerry Langton grew up in Hamilton, where he wrote for The Hamilton Spectator. He also contributed to Maclean’s. After a move to New York, he became the deputy editor for The Daily News. Having returned to Toronto, Langton is a freelance writer whose work appears regularly in The Globe & Mail and The Toronto Star.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470837101
• ISBN-13: 978-0470837108
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #789,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poorly Researched, September 3, 2010

By 

Stephen Andrews (White Plains, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fallen Angel: The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick and the Canadian Hells Angels (Paperback)

I suppose this is what passes for proper journalistic research now but honestly this book is so fraught with errors and mistakes anyone would be much better off not buying it if you're looking for real information about the Club or Walter Stadnick.

Here's a couple examples that are very basic and can be easily checked by anyone with a Web connection and access to Google's home page.

Langton describes the prospecting process, the way in which a prospective new member becomes a full member, by saying the prospect begins by receiving the center patch and top rocker; the Death Head and name of the Club, Hells Angels. Once accepted as a full member the prospect receives his bottom rocker, containing the location, completing the full set of Colors.

Actually this is exactly opposite of how it is done, a prospect earns the right to wear the bottom rocker as a prospective member and only when accepted as a full member does he receive the center patch and top rocker.

In a second glaring mistake Langton claims the Lowell Mass Chapter was the first outside of California, the first Chapter outside of California was in Omaha, Nebraska, founded in 1966.

These basic factual and easily verifiable errors lead one to question, rightly, the validity of everything Langton writes. Also, much of the text is reminiscent far beyond being merely derivative of Yves Lavigne's questionable work on the Club written in 80s and 90s. In fact, some of the passages appear to be copied and pasted from Lavigne's books. Remember Langton is or was a writer for the Toronto Sun, and that should tell you all you need to know about his journalistic ethics and skills.

If you're looking for a good book with real information about the Club, try Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels, written by Sonny Barger.

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down, April 11, 2006

By 

Randy DeMarco (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fallen Angel: The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick and the Canadian Hells Angels (Paperback)

There is something about secret organizations that has always deeply fed my curiosity. As Chief Wiggum says to his son Ralph, "What is your fascination with my forbidden closet of mystery?" Be it fraternities or Skull & Bones or most especially, motorcycle gangs, every detail is a nugget of info to be savored.

Mr. Langton gets so deep inside the mind of Walter Stadnick and so deep into the life of the hyper-secret Hells Angels, he provides an amazingly clear window into the workings of the organization. Observations both great and small give civilians a taste of this nomadic and dangerous existence.

The topic of motorcycle gangs continues to be pressing and current, especially in light of the murders in Shedden over this past weekend. The story of this Hells Angel is important knowledge.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Boring, November 5, 2006

By 

Celestialrider - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fallen Angel: The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick and the Canadian Hells Angels (Paperback)

I knew Nurget and had the pleasure of riding with him in the mid 70's when I lived in Hamilton. He was a fun, smart and happy guy. I was surprised that he made such a name for himself. Langton seems to jump around throughout the whole book, leaving the reader confused at times. Perhaps he could have got some help writing the book from a real writer. It is obvious he sides with the police authorities, giving a very one sided view of the biker lifestyle. He has made several errors pertaining to the biker culture and some of the events that took place.