Former Hells Angel shares tale of redemption
Book warns others of mistakes he made and how he moved forward
From the ranks of the elite Hells Angels NOMAD chapter, to the rooms of crack houses in British Columbia, and eventually to a path of recovery, former Hells Angels member Joe Calendino has seen it all.
His life, his struggles and his journey to redemption have all been captured in the pages of a book he helped co-author with educator and former Vancouver School Board associate superintendent Gary Little titled
To Hell and Back: A Former Hells Angel’s Story of Recovery and Redemption.
Calendino was in Saskatoon on Tuesday at McNally Robinson to speak about his tale of choices, overcoming adversity and hope.
CAREFUL CHOICES
A veteran educator, Little said he wanted to work with Calendino on the book because of his compelling story.
He said through passing along the lessons that Joe has learned through his own life, he hopes the book inspires children who have felt marginalized and helps them make wise decisions.
“As Joe can tell you,” Little said in a phone interview with Postmedia News, “the decisions that he made in his high school years and early adulthood have impacted his life up to this point, for better or for worse, I might add.”
Calendino said he holds no ill will toward the Hells Angels, as the mistakes he made were his and his alone.
He hopes by telling his story, he can proactively prevent others from making the same mistakes.
While many may see the perceived glamour of a gang, the reality is much different.
“What I would try to do is engage and make sure that kids — whether it would be a fullpatch member, or a gang, or a crew, or a group — just be careful of that choice,” he said, noting no matter the organization, be it the Hells Angels or another group, “there is no bed of roses at the end of the journey.”
AN ACCOUNT OF HOPE
Living on the streets and dealing with substance abuse issues, there were times in Calendino’s life where he was struggling with drugs, debt and desperation. But despite the book’s gritty setting, he said his story is about moving forward.
“There are people that want to help,” he said. “If you put your hand up and not out and ask people, they will be able to support you through whatever process you are going through. At the end of the day, what we’d like to portray is that no matter what adversity anybody is up against, there is a way out, or there’s opportunities for you once you do decide to make that change.”
While Calendino works with vulnerable youth through his organization Yo Bro Yo Girl, Little stresses that the book itself is not just for youth. He said it’s a story that may help parents who have their own questions while offering general readers a rare and honest glimpse into an individual’s road to recovery.
“There was a real desperation within the family at that point,” Little said. “The book chronicles Joe’s sister and brother spending early mornings and late nights chasing the back alleys of Surrey and Greater Vancouver trying to find Joe.”
He said while there was no safety net to catch Calendino as the grip of addiction tightened around every aspect of his life, it was the friends and family who refused to quit on him who kept that hope alive.
EMOTION ON THE PAGE
Despite the fact Calendino spent time in prison, was destitute and was living on the street, he’s now able to reflect on his past as he plans for the future, which includes the work he does with Yo Bro Yo Girl.
“Currently, what I believe in, is I had to go through what I went through to in order to get where I was going,” he said.
In order to write the book, Little said, he asked Calendino to relive many aspects of his life, referring to some sections as being “emotionally supercharged” and it’s that energy he wants to relay to his readers.
“He said it was like he was reliving his life over again in a very real sense,” he said.
“That’s the kind of emotional component to bring into the book, so the reader got a feeling for that. That it wasn’t just some kind of disinterested, remote description of Joe going through these various stages in life.
“That it packed a little more punch than that so that the person reading would be engaged, both the young people reading, but also the general readership,” he added.
SOLID RECEPTION
Calendino and Little said the reception to the book has been solid so far.
“We’ve been getting amazing feedback,” said Calendino, noting they’ve heard from readers through phone calls and emails.
But he said some of the best receptions have been during book readings at various book shops.
“What we’re finding is that everybody has been coming back to us with their stories and their feelings and hope or what they’re going through with a loved one ... it’s been very, very well received,” he continued.
Little, who was only able to attend the Winnipeg book signing event on Sept. 28, said the book is spurring a greater dialogue among people, parents and families who have had their own experiences with substance abuse or gang life.
“That’s the impact that the book — at its very best — is having. That it’s creating conversations, discussions and, I think, more importantly, it’s inspiring people to make good choices in their own lives.”