The Rock Machine motorcycle gang was formed in the mid-1980s by the Cazzetta brothers, Salvatore and Giovanni. The founding members with the Cazzettas were Paul "Sasquatch" Porter, Renaud Jomphe, André Sauvageau, Gilles Lambert, Martin Bourget, Richard Lagacé, Serge Pinel, and Johnny Plescio. Rather than wear colors, which made it too easy to be identified by police, members chose to wear unique gold rings with an eagle's head engraved on it.
The organization expanded and, by the early 1990s, held a significant portion of the city's lucrative drug trade. This angered Quebec's foremost biker gang, the infamous Hells Angels, who demanded a slice of the pie. The Rock Machine, along with other independent drug gangs, were not intimidated and refused to back down. The gang murdered Hells Angels sympathizer Pierre Daoust on July 13, 1994, and thus began Canada's most brutal gang war ever.
Despite the murders, the Rock Machine endured. The Rock Machine became an official biker gang on June 2, 1999, revealing its colors at a Bandidos celebration in New Mexico. The group also expanded into Ontario, creating three more chapters, and also established a puppet club, The Palmers, that is active in both Montreal and Quebec City.
After numerous meetings, the Rock Machine became probationary Bandidos on December 1, 2000. On the exact date one year later, they became official Bandido club members. The club has expanded its influence and established several puppet gangs through out the province. Their war with the Hells Angels, which has resulted in the death of over 150 people, still rages on in the streets of Quebec. The Rock Machine remain defiant.
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