Reputed Pagans leader jailed after Pa. drug raid

The reputed national president of the outlaw Pagans Motorcycle Club was jailed after a state police SWAT team raided his Pennsylvania home and allegedly found cocaine and methamphetamine.
Dennis "Rooster" Katona is well-known for his ties to the outlaw biker gang, including playing a role in a bloody 2002 rumble with the Hells Angels in New York that sent him to prison for several years.
State police said little about Wednesday's drug raid. Trooper Steve Limani, a spokesman for the Greensburg barracks, put the street value of the drugs at about $20,000, but said he didn't know if the investigation was self-contained or part of a larger probe.
Katona's Hempfield Township home was raided under a search warrant that remains sealed, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the AP. According to the complaint, troopers found more than three ounces of cocaine, nearly four ounces of methamphetamine, a digital scale and an "owe sheet."
Katona was arraigned by video from the Westmoreland County Prison and was ordered held in jail after he was unable to immediately post $750,000 bail. The district judge's staff said he appeared without counsel, and online court records do not list an attorney for him.
Authorities have identified Katona as the national president of the Pagans. The group's former leader was sentenced to federal prison for racketeering in December, though Katona was not named in two 2009 grand jury documents

targeting the gang.
Nine years ago, federal prosecutors in New York identified Katona as the group's national sergeant-at-arms when he pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy for helping lead a Pagans attack on a biker convention in Plainview, N.Y.
In that case, Katona acknowledged that Pagans from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and elsewhere went to the Long Island biker convention in February 2002 to retrieve Pagan property "by force." One man was killed and 10 others injured in the melee. One of 73 Pagans convicted in the case, Katona pleaded guilty in June 2002.
Katona was released from prison in 2006 for the Hells Angels attack. He was not among 55 Pagan members and associates who were indicted by a federal grand jury in Charleston, W.Va., in 2009 on kidnapping, racketeering and other charges. The indictment resulted in guilty pleas and prison sentences for the group's former national president, David Keith Barbeito, 50, of Myersville, Md., and its vice president, Floyd "Jesse" Moore, 65, of St. Albans, W.Va.
A Pennsylvania state grand jury returned a presentment in Pittsburgh, also in 2009, identifying the gang as participating in a drug ring supplied by dealers in Atlanta, but Katona was not named in that investigation either.

 

RINGO

In the past,a drummer was the least being noticed in a group or a band,its either he/she is at the back or at the side hardly attracting any attention.Just slouching and concentrating on the timing and tempo.A percussionist is somewhat important on adding that flavor to the music,without the snare,the cymbals and the bass kick drum,music will sound flat and dull.A few early drummers like Gene Krupa and his collaboration with Armand Zildjian contributed on how they developed the cymbals and tom toms that rock drummers were all crazy pounding today.

The Beatles were the first rock band ever to have the drummer noticed by the public.Instead of putting him aside or at the lower back,they put the drummer on an elevated flatform so all the audience could also see him play.We all know that the Beatles were four different persons with different personalities,its like"hey we're not leaving our drummer behind,he's part of it too." And thus started a different approach and different meaning on how the public would react on rock drumming.

One such character is Richard Starkey aka Ringo Starr,who was born on July 7,1940.An only child and the eldest among the Beatles,he was born out of poverty and was a true rock n' roll rebel at a very young age.He claimed having started smoking at the age of eight,in which he contracted pleurisy and TB as a child.And it was in the children's hospital[where he was reportedly coming in and out] where he first got interested on playing drums."A lady would bring some toy instruments and we would play on them" said Ringo,as he narrates on how he got interested on playing the drums.

As a teenager,he became a drummer for various skiffle groups like John,Paul and George,whom he would later meet and join.He became a regular drummer with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes and was so popular throughout Liverpool that other bands were so eager to have him.He first met the Beatles in Hamburg,Germany and was already friends with the other three even though Pete Best was still in the group.

When Pete Best was sacked by Brian Epstein upon the suggestion of the three other Beatles and George Martin,Liverpool's most famous and most sought after drummer filled in for the Beatles-who would later and forever be as John Paul George and Ringo.The story goes that John Lennon and Paul McCartney went to the trailer where Rory Storm and his band were staying at the time while they played in a club somewhere in Wales.Rory Storm's guitarist Johnny Byrne knew right away that the two Beatles wanted Ringo when they came during the early hours of the morning.Rory Storm was at first angry upon finding out that John and Paul were pressuring Ringo to go back with them to Liverpool,but the Beatles were waving a recording contract and finally he let Ringo free,upon a condition that he would finish off the week with two more gigs.He mentioned not feeling sorry for Best,for he felt that he is a better drummer than him.

THE BEATLES

 With the Beatles,Ringo was the center of attention as he sang and played drums during a solo break wherein his other three bandmates would step aside and let him sing one or two songs at each of their performances."Boys" originally by the Shirelles is one of Ringo's signature songs with the band[ he also did the song with Rory Storm back then],on the band's debut album Please Please Me.With every Beatles album John Lennon and Paul McCartney would compose one song for Ringo to sing and on the other hand,Ringo also wrote several songs with one in collaboration with Lennon and McCartney..

Here are some songs Ringo sang lead vocals/wrote for the Beatles

1.BOYS written by Luther Dixon and Wells Farrell from the album Please Please Me(1963)

2.I WANNA BE YOUR MAN written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney from the album With The Beatles(1963)

3.HONEY DON'T  written by Carl Perkins from the album Beatles For Sale(1964)

4.MATCHBOX  written by Carl Perkins Single later to be compiled on the Beatles Past Masters Singles Compilation

5.ACT NATURALLY  written by Johnny Russell and Voni Morrison,from the album Help!(1965)
6.WHAT GOES ON written by John Lennon Paul McCartney and Richard Starkey,from the album Rubber Soul(1965)
7.YELLOW SUBMARINE written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney from the album Revolver(1966)
8.A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney,from the album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band(1967)

9.DON'T PASS ME BY written by Richard Starkey,from the album The Beatles aka The White Album(1968)


10. GOOD NIGHT written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney,from the album The Beatles aka The White Album(1968)


11.OCTOPUS'S GARDEN written by Richard Starkey,from the album Abbey Road(1969)*


*-the last song ever to be sung and written by Ringo while he was with the Beatles.


Ringo married Maureen Cox and had three children whom one of them would follow his footsteps,Zac Starkey,who became the unofficial drummer for the band Oasis.On the Beatles films such as A Hard Day's Night,Help! and Yellow Submarine it was Ringo who was the center of attention coz he seemed a little chuffed on being always lost and separated from the rest of his bandmates.
He later married Bond girl Barbara Bach after divorcing Maureen Starr.

POST-BEATLES

When the Beatles disbanded in 1970,Ringo like his other bandmates,released solo albums and had several hits and album chart success.The closest Beatles reunion so far,was at 1973's Ringo's solo album wittily titled RINGO,where all four Beatles contributed songs and played instruments in the studio with him.

Ringo had two number one hits in the US namely "Photograph" which he co-wrote with George Harrison and his own rendition of "You're Sixteen" ,both from his most succesfull album of the same name.He also acted on several films and was the voice of Thomas the tank Engine.

Ringo continues to rock around the world with his All Starr Band,with a number of guests and various artists playing with him onstage.

NOTES

Ringo Starr is the most influential drummer in rock music history,one may not agree in one way or another but a lot of rock drummers view Ringo as an influence.The Beatles were the very first rock group to employ and set the standard for a modern day rock band,on how the guitars will be arranged and the drummer's position which continues to be used today.They are also the first band to set the trend on backmasking,feedback,distortion and other recording effects which rock groups continues to use up to this day.

One cool praise about Ringo comes from former Genesis drummer and singer Phil Collins

" Ringo Starr is vastly underrated.The drum fills on "A Day In The Life"  are very complex things.You could take a great drummer today and say "I want it like that" . He wouldn't know what to do".-- quote taken from Mojo magazine.

Other rock drummers who regard Ringo as a big influence:

Steve Gorman(The Black Crowes)

Dave Grohl(Nirvana)

Eric Carr(Kiss)

Nicko McBrain(Iron Maiden)

Phil Rudd(AC/DC)

Thank you Ringo for coming to our lives! Thank you for shaping rock music drumming and taking it to a new level.God bless you Ringo!

Mounties guilty of assault

Two off-duty Mounties who were beaten by a group of bikers outside a Kelowna nightclub have themselves pleaded guilty to assaulting a member of the Hells Angels.

In August 2009, Cst. Chris MacDonald of Prince Edward Island and Cst. Kiel Samotej of Alberta were visiting Kelowna when they deliberately shoulder bumped the biker inside Cheetah's strip bar.

The Hells Angel summoned help from his fellow club members who were nearby.

The two drunken cops and several other RCMP officers they were drinking with at a Stag party were beaten.

MacDonald had to spend a night in hospital.

Both he and Samotej were ordered to pay $500 in Victim Surcharge fees and given absolute discharges.

It means they don't have criminal records.

One of the bikers was also charged with assault.

His case is still before the courts.

 

Boy shot in home, bikers suspected

Gang cops are investigating after a 14-year-old boy was shot while sleeping on a couch in his family's townhouse early Monday.

Police downplayed questions about any possible connections between what sources describe as a "war" between the Rock Machine and the Redlined Crew, an affiliate of the Hells Angels.

"There's nothing that we can say to support 100% that this is organized crime or gang related," said Const. Jason Michalyshen.

Margaret Morrissette, who lives next door, said three bullets pierced a wall right next to the bed in which she was sleeping with her boyfriend early Monday.

"The police officer said that we were lucky to be alive," a shaken Morrisette said.

"He said you're lucky to be alive. He said you should go buy a lottery ticket because luck is on your side, (because) we should've been dead."

The mother of a seven-year-old girl and 13-year-old boy said she no longer feels safe after the townhouse was hit with a spray of bullets in what Morrissette described as a drive-by shooting.

The teen, who was shot in what police will only describe as the lower body, was taken to hospital in stable condition.

The victim, whose name was not released by police, is "very, very fortunate," Michalyshen said.

He would not specify exactly what type of firearm that was used but said it was "a large-calibre that could cause someone serious injury."

Though the organized crime unit is investigating, police said it is unclear whether the shooting is somehow linked to an incident in which a home was shot up and reportedly firebombed last Wednesday. A day earlier, shots were fired into another home.

"We are treating these as separate incidents," said Michalyshen.

Though Morrissette isn't sure why the townhouses might have been targeted - she said the neighbours seem like nice, decent people - her first instinct is to get out of the neighbourhood.

"Either you bulletproof my house or get me out of here. I'm not having this again" she said. "I almost just want to move out of the whole entire city."

 

The Court of Appeal has reduced the sentence of a patched Mongrel Mob member who was involved in the shooting of a Hells Angels gang member.

Bronson Pekapo and Karl Nestor Nathan appealed their convictions for the attempted murder of Wanganui Hells Angel president Wayne Tweeddale in February 2008, while Pekapo also appealed his sentence of 10 years' jail.

Pekapo and Nathan had been in a car driven by another man when they were texted by a mob member and told to "get" Tweeddale.

After getting a shotgun from the gang pad, they chased the motorcyclist on State Highway 2 south of Hastings.

Nathan then shot Mr Tweeddale in the back, while Pekapo gave encouragement and assistance.

Both Pekapo and Nathan, who were given a joint trial, appealed their convictions on the basis that evidence given by the driver of the car, Tawhiri Hone, resulted in a miscarriage of justice and should not have been admissible.


The pair also argued the judge failed to adequately instruct that evidence given by Hone could be unreliable,

In appealing against his sentence, Pekapo argued that since he was not the shooter he should have received a lesser jail term.

In a written decision, the Court of Appeal threw out the appeal against conviction, saying the judge was "right to rule" Hone's statements admissible and there had been no miscarriage of justice.

However, the Court of Appeal agreed Pekapo should receive a reduced sentence because he played a lesser role.

"We find it impossible to accept that Pekepo's actions rendered him equally culpable with the driver, whose actions made the shooting possible, and with the shooter himself," the ruling said.

It reduced Pekapo's sentence to 8-1/2 years' prison.

 

My Trip to Lebanon: Clouded Sunrise

Arriving Beirut Airport. (My photo)

Note: Here is Part 1.

After arriving at the horribly up-kept, technologically deficient, and extremely small Beirut Airport, we made our way to family who greeted us with hugs and kisses. Once all luggages was packed in the car we drove down the main highway out of the airport. I greeted the country with feelings of joy to be back but caution to memories that seemed a century old since the 6 years I’ve been gone. In return, Lebanon greeted me with the horribly strong smell of goat and sheep manure that lay in the fields across the highway; my brother and I laughed as it brought back the memories of good times.

We arrived home at around 2:00 am where I greeted waiting family. Over the next day (Friday 6/24/2011) we would have plenty of visits. The jetlag kept us up till 5 am, where I watched the sunrise over the country. I was hoping for a bright beginning to my first day back in Lebanon.

My first sunrise. (My Photo)

As friends and family came to visit, the conversation at each time, reverted back to the politics of the country as well as the region; unfortunately, here, religion is deeply embedded in politics.

I learned of the chaos and divisiveness that existed throughout and after the 2006 war and later battles between factions. During the time that we left for the US, sectarian fighting had broken out specifically where my neighborhood as groups of men attacked people from a certain religious group that they disliked. It’s horrifying to think that neighbors immediately become enemies after some leaders say the wrong things.

The conversation turned to Syria as people told us of how they think things are going great in our sister nation. Others in the conversation emphasized how strong pro-Bashar demonstrations were in the capital. As we listened to how positive life in Syria was, images of dying Syrians from videos on Youtube raced through my head; despite this, I decided not to interject and call Bullshit because I wanted to be an observer of the mindset and conversations in the country, without saying anything to skew the raw emotions and loyalties. I quickly discovered that such conversation is common among those that support Syrian policy in Lebanon; they need Syria to stay strong to support their own goals (whether they are right or wrong). It only seems natural that supporters point to pro-dictator demonstrations as they did in Libya, Egypt and Yemen.

I took this picture as the nation watched his speech (My photo)

  Conversation quickly changed when we heard that an important speech was going to be broadcast on TV.

I sat in our living room as the nation watched Al Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah – deemed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Israel- address the country about several spies caught within their ranks in line with the CIA and IDF. The leader announced that all three men confessed being paid by the CIA to gather information for them. Being more skeptical, I questioned the legitimacy of the claim; I was concerned that the announcement was just an effort to refresh support to fight an eternal enemy, until I realized that they had no vested interest in randomly making such an announcement. I was also reminded of the time when a relative told me that they had gotten a call by an automated system offering them 1 million dollars to be Israeli spies. It shouldn’t be a surprise that as enemies, Hezbollah, Israel and the US would have intelligence wars working underneath the tables.

As the baby-faced militant leader speaks, it becomes directly clear how much this man is loved and admired by millions but also greatly despised by others. He tries to build much needed unity by discussing the nation’s enemy: Israel.

(Translation): “It is clear why the Israel has done this. For the past 3 years Israel has become blind and weak when it comes to their intelligence. Because of this, it went to the CIA. A global network, the CIA could be relied on, and so, they went to a big organization to use it to get information.”

Although not close to the brink of collapse as a leader, Al Sayyed is playing on the fears of the Lebanese and Arabs to reassert his strength. This was echoed in Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya; the difference is that here, more than anywhere else outside Palestine, it is true. It is no secret that Israel wants this old bearded man dead as well as his organization; maintaining unity and trust amongst his ranks is extremely important.

I zoned out for the rest of his speech as I remembered previous comments by the militant leader showing his support of protesters throughout the Middle East, except interestingly enough, in Syria. It seems that no one is free of hypocrisy. The United States only supports democratic reforms when they must, Iran only seems to support it because the U.S. doesn’t, and even smaller leaders pick and choose which rebellions to consider legitimate and which are lead by “spies.”

Later that night I engaged the younger generation (my own) about the politics of the region. Here I found much more skepticism toward traditional religious loyalties although I have no doubt that there are hundreds of thousands of children being taught what to think and who to support rather than how to think and how to determine who to support.

As we discussed the Syrian uprisings, feelings were mixed on the subject. A few were worried of U.S./Israeli influence and benefits from a weaker Syria. To them, I reminded them that Al-Assad has been one of the greatest guarantees of border peace for Israel in the region; Israel doesn’t want him out. As for the US, the Obama administration was hoping to put out a hand to him to get him to move away from Iran, which explains their fatally late response to the 1000+ deaths already served by the regime; with such massive protests, the US had no choice but to support change.

Others stood wholeheartedly with the Syrians and their demands for freedom. They questioned whether fear of Israeli benefits was worth the self-evident human rights that should be guaranteed to all people, Syrians included. It was a point well made, but the conversation persisted.

In such a region there is so much that goes on behind the scenes. The three spies announced today had been in captivity for 3-5 months. There is far too much hidden for such young people to develop informed opinions on all the different issues in Lebanon and the region but, thankfully, it never seems to stop them.

It is Saturday, 6/25/2011 at 4:54 am and in 6 mins I will have spent exactly 24 hours since the sun rose beyond the distant hills. My first full day back in Lebanon has been enjoyable as I met with family and friends, yet the even people in the country seem as divided as ever on support for the freedom of their own brothers and sisters just a border away despite unanimous support for protesters in nations less invested in Lebanon. With sectarian divides still fresh, my initial hope for a bright day with the sunrise seems easily dashed aside. 

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My Trip to Lebanon: Disappointing Progress in Germany

Note: These were written during my trip to Lebanon and so arent actually occurring. I wrote them each day during my trip on my computer because my internet accessibility was greatly restricted. They are each being posted on a different day. The time and date is usually mentioned at some point in the piece and you may notice changes in word tense because I alternate between what I’m doing as I type the blogpost with events that happened throughout the day. Although I went for family, I took the opportunity to blog my experiences mostly surrounding my discoveries of political, social and religious issues in the country.


As my followers already know, I don’t usually discuss my personal life too much, however, I’m making an exception. Before I began my travel, my former college roommate mistakenly asked if I was traveling to Lebanon for my blog. I corrected him by saying that I was going for family, but he made me realize the trip would be a great opportunity to try to (briefly) reconnect with the country I grew up in as well as Arabs from the region and let my readers know about it; that is the purpose of this series. Through it all, I hope to make it a pleasant read as well.

This is the view that greeted me at Frankfurt. (My photo)

As I type this paragraph I’m sitting in the main airport in Frankfurt, Germany. I’ve been stuck here after arriving from Boston, USA for seven hours with two more to go and it JUST OCCURRED TO ME that I should type out my thoughts before I lose them.

Lufthansa flags with a German man. (My photo)

I flew on Lufthansa which is a decent airline that stops through Germany. The only regret I do have about using it is landing here, Frankfurt, where I have no internet. I’m here, typing on Microsoft Word after spending hours searching for a rumored Starbucks that offers free Wifi with a purchase of a cup of coffee. After, literally, 3 hours of misdirection by every attendant in the damn airport, we arrived at the Starbucks, only to find that the rumor was just that: a rumor; the waitress laughed.

Our gate had cots! (My photo)

                Frustrated, we returned back to our gate and sat there, searching for an outlet to plug our dying laptops, only to be reminded that, in fact, our US plugs don’t work on European outlets. Some way, somehow we mustered the strength to leave (note I’m wearing Loafers with no foot support!). We left our gate seats to purchase a “converter” (not its real name) so we can use the German outlets. We were guaranteed that if we left the gate we wouldn’t have to go through customs once more; upon returning we realized we were lied to ….again. (Bastards! It’s no wonder Germans have such a bad rap!) After standing in (what seemed to be) a longer line each time, I have finally found myself here, typing away with a nicely charged laptop while gazing at these massive airplanes prepare, arrive, and leave. Two more hours, breath.

                To pass the time I’ve decided to watch a movie. I whipped out my long overdue version of Repomen and watched as my movie was constantly interrupted by people wishing to use my toughly fought over German electric outlets. Two of those interrupters weren’t so sour of men. The first man, 5’9 dark in composition but bright in personality at the age of 35, came up and asked me directly if I was Arab. Fearing he was in line with the FBI, I began yelling out about how the Jews controlled him; I also declared my dominance over everyone else. All jokes aside, in response to his question, I told him I was and, as it turned out, so was he. It was refreshing to meet him and we discussed the uprisings throughout the region. He showed the same hope that all other Arabs I know have shown, and was traveling to Bahrain to visit family who had been injured from the government’s harsh crackdown. We exchanged pleasant conversation until his daughter started beating up his son.

                I returned to watching Jude Law gut people in his movie, until I was interrupted by another man, this time, far shorter in composition but just as friendly. He asked permission to use my outlet and after checking my fully charged laptop battery, I allowed him to use it (Making the world a better place, one outlet allowance at a time!). After discussing how frustrating no free wifi was in the airport, the conversation shifted to our travel itineraries. I told him I was traveling to Lebanon, and he responded with joy as he told me he was traveling back home to Tunisia. As with the last man, the conversation turned to the uprisings where we discussed corrupt politicians, the brutality of Ghaddafi and Al-Assad, and the power and potential of the Arab youth. It, again, reaffirmed my beliefs that, as Arabs, we were moving to more progressive governments but more importantly, more progressive ideas.

A change in mentality of Arabs wasn’t the only thing reaffirmed during the conversation. It also reminded me of the sad anti-Semitism that prevails in Arab societies and train of thought. As we were discussing the horrible crimes of Al-Assad and Ghaddafi, the second man said (translated):

“These dictators aren’t just on the same level of Jews, they are worse than Jews, they are devils.”  I can’t quite get a perfect translation on the last word, but you get the point. He was very seriously implying that Jews are just one notch less evil than the devil (or evil equivalent) on the Evil Scale.

The uprisings in the region have brought great change to so many people. Even if, as I predict, the economic situations of the nations like Egypt and Tunisia don’t change immediately, they will soon have the freedom to change their leadership accordingly; that is what the Syrians, Bahrainis, Yemenis, and Libyans are fighting for. Yet here we are, progressively pushing forward as we continue to stomp on the one of the most historically hated religious groups in the world. 


We must realize that as our hearts are inspired by the Arab youth, our minds must recognize that holding such hate against a people will always hold humanity back. I’m not saying that the policies of a nation that identifies as a Jewish one armed by a Jewish army are just (I have a draft post in the works), but I am saying that pointing our finger at others seems rather childish by now; blame isn’t needed, introspection is. I’m reminded of the hatred toward Jews as I sit here in Germany watching the sun hide behind the sparse yet thick clouds; let us not allow our thoughts to go down that path once again because one time is one too many.

Thursday 6/23/11 7:55 pm Frankfurt, Germany. Soon to be on route to Beirut, Lebanon. 

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