"Finks" redirects here. For the football player, coach and executive, see Jim Finks.
 | |
| Founded | 1969; 55 years ago (1969) |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Adelaide, Australia |
| Type | Outlaw motorcycle club |
| Region | Australia, Europe, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, England, United States, Albania, Canada Thailand |
The Finks are an Australian outlaw motorcycle club that was formed in Adelaide, Australia, in 1969 and now also has chapters in other states. The name comes from The Wizard of Id cartoon where the peasants, to his dismay, often proclaim, "The King is a fink!". The logo used by the Finks is of Bung, the king's jester. The pants worn by the jester used to differ in colour depending on the state the chapter resides in.
The club was restricted by government actions in South Australia. Despite rivalries, various other groups joined to protest the South Australian government's proposed "anti-bikie legislation".
It was reported in October 2013 that most members were to switch to the United States–based Mongols Motorcycle Club.
In 2019, a leader of the Finks Motorcycle Club committed suicide while awaiting charges for violent drug- and weapons-related offenses. Brent Reker moved cells shortly before he took his own life, and the incident is being investigated by the Victorian Coroners Court.
Perth chapter
The Perth chapter of the Finks was formed after Troy Mercanti was expelled from the Coffin Cheaters and joined his friend and South Australian Fink member Frank Condo in forming the Perth chapter in 2008. Other eastern states members came to Perth to start the chapter, but over time all, including Condo, either left the club or returned to their original states. The commencement of the Perth chapter caused friction between the Finks and the Coffin Cheaters Perth.
The Perth Finks clubhouse has been frozen under the proceeds of crime after Mercanti's then partner Tammy Kingdon was convicted by a District Court jury in November 2010 of four counts of stealing and one count of property laundering. Kingdon funnelled money from a Coffin Cheaters trust fund set up for the daughters of Marc Chabriere, who was a Coffin Cheaters member murdered during the 1998 bikie war between the Coffin Cheaters and the Club Deroes. The stolen money from the fund was used to purchase the Finks clubhouse.
During the Motorplex brawl Fink member Stephen Wallace had three fingers severed. Finks members Clovis Chikonga, Troy Smith, Stephen Laurence Silvestro, Tristan Roger Allbeury, and Stephen Wallace were all imprisoned for two years despite pleas from their lawyer that Allbeury had bipolar disorder, ADHD and suffered post traumatic stresses.
Wallace is the long-term boyfriend of fellow convicted heroin trafficker Holly Deane-Johns, who served time in WA before arrest in Thailand in 2000 for trying to mail 10.4 grams of heroin to Perth. She was jailed in 2003 for 31 years before her prisoner transfer deal in 2007.
Allbeury is currently held on remand after being charged by Gang Crime Squad Detectives with Attempting to Pervert the Course of Justice. Allbeury is also charged with Grievous Bodily Harm over a prison assault that broke a fellow inmates jaw. In September 2012, whilst in prison, Allbeury was found with a smart phone and cannabis in his cell.
Mercanti was arrested in January 2012 by the Gang Crime Squad and jailed in March 2013 for 6 years and 10 months after pleading guilty late in his trial to domestic violence charges against his former partner Tammy Kingdon. Increasing drug and alcohol use were blamed for the 15 years of abuse. In October 2013 the Perth Finks were patched over by the Mongols MC and Rock Machine.
Other states
Popular criminal Vince Focarelli was kicked out of the Hells Angels. He then joined other clubs including the Comancheros, and set up his own club. He left the Comancheros later. He and his son Giovanni were shot at by unknown assailants in 2012. Vince was sent to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and his son died. He has refused to name any suspects even though this was not the first time he was targeted. While Vince was in hospital, he was visited by friends who are Finks members. Some Finks members also visited the funeral of Giovanni.
In 2012, Finks member Mark James Graham was charged with the attempted murder of Bandidos member Jacques Teamo in a shooting at the Robina Town Centre shopping Centre.
In 2012, Patrick Mcmillan was arrested and charged with firing a pistol at a man, and intentionally and recklessly causing serious injury to him at his Ferntree Gully home he shared with his girlfriend Rachel Osborn, theft, trespass, drug and weapon possession, dealing with proceeds of crime and traffic offences.
References
- Lauchs, Mark (2019). "Are Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs Organized Crime Groups? An Analysis of the Finks MC" (PDF). Deviant Behavior. 40 (3): 287–300. doi:10.1080/01639625.2017.1421128. ISSN 0163-9625. S2CID 148950137. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- Finks face clampdown. (16 December 2008). In Australasian Business Intelligence.Byline: Russell Emmerson 16 December 2008 (The Advertiser - ABIX via COMTEX) - South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson will soon rule on whether a controversial new Serious and Organ ...
- "We're a club of grandpas, claim Finks" Appears In 'Australasian Business Intelligence' Byline: Sean Fewster 29 January 2009 (The Advertiser - ABIX via COMTEX) - South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson has received a letter from the Finks outlaw motorcycle gang. The me ...
- "Premier: They're not gentle dads, grandpas - Finks bikies really 'heinous thugs'" Appears In: Australasian Business Intelligence Byline: Michael Owen 3 February 2009 (The Advertiser - ABIX via COMTEX) - South Australian (SA) Premier Mike Rann has responded to claims by lawyer Craig Caldicott that the Finks outlaw motorc ...
- Shand, Adam (2008-06). "Club Rules: The Phoney War on Bikie Gangs". In The Monthly. (June 2008), 34-40.
- Larkin, Steve (14 March 2009). "Bikie gangs unite and bury rivalries". Adelaide Now. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- Wuth, Ruby (2 October 2013). "Finks set to patch over to Mongols". Goldcoast.com.au. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
- Woods, Emily (23 March 2023). "Finks bikie boss died in prison just one hour after cell move". Theage.com.au. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- Campbell, Kate (28 March 2012). "Tammy Kingdon loses appeal against stealing conviction". West Australian. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- Cordingley, Glenn (21 January 2011). "Uncooperative bikies remanded in custody". PerthNow. Archived from the original on 24 January 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
- Raphael, Angie (21 January 2011). "Lawyer makes emotional plea for bikies". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 January 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- Cowan, Sean (28 March 2012). "Finks link to trafficker saved from Thai jail conviction". West Australian. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
- Eliot, Luke (21 September 2012). "Probe into contraband in Finks bikie's cell". The West.com.au. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
- Spooner, Rania (13 March 2013). "mercanti jailed for almost seven years". WAToday. Archived from the original on 14 March 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
- Raphael, Angie (27 February 2013). "Troy Mercanti trial hears of orgy, drugs, abuse of Tammy Kingdon". Perth Now. Archived from the original on 5 March 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
- "Fink bikie Dylan Jessen visits shot Vince Focarelli at Royal Adelaide Hospital | The Advertiser" Archived 10 November 2023 at the Wayback Machine
- "How a bikie feud turned deadly | The Advertiser" Archived 10 November 2023 at the Wayback Machine
- "Fink Graham held over Robina shooting Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia". goldcoast.com.au. 3 May 2012. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
- "Finks MC (Motorcycle Club)". 8 November 2015. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- "'Psycho bikie' gave getaway backhanders, court hears". The Age. Melbourne. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013.