Motorcycle club members beaten with baseball bats – updated Wednesday, March 20

By Michael Turton

A group of men wielding baseball bats attacked several members of the Old Bones Motorcycle Club at their meeting place in the former Post Road Hardware located on Route 9 just south of Route 301 on Friday evening (March 15). Bill Villetto, owner of the Roundup Texas BBQ, located behind the old hardware building, had just closed the restaurant shortly after 8 p.m. and saw the incident unfold. “Three men came running across the yard,” Villetto said. “They were being chased by someone carrying a baseball bat.” Villetto immediately called 911 and hollered at the man carrying the bat who then gave up his pursuit.

The former Post Road Hardware on Route 9 was the site of an attack on members of The Old Bones Motorcycle Cub. M. Turton photo
The former Post Road Hardware on Route 9 was the site of an attack on members of The Old Bones Motorcycle Cub.
M. Turton photo

According to Villetto, about 15 men parked their vehicles in a lot just south of the old hardware store and then ran down to the building carrying baseball bats.   Some members of the Old Bones who were standing outside talking, fled when they saw the attackers running towards them. The club members inside the building weren’t as fortunate. Villetto said the intruders broke the door and windows in, went inside and attacked several people with their bats.

“They beat some of them up pretty bad,” he said. The attackers then quickly ran back to their vehicles and left before Putnam County Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene.  “The whole thing took only about two minutes, three at most,” Villetto said. The next morning, blood stains could still be seen on the broken window.

Villetto had rented the building to a member of the Old Bones but experienced no trouble before Friday. “They were always gentlemen. One of them was an electrician and helped me with an electrical problem. They fixed a leak in the roof too,” he said. “These were older guys – in the 50s and 60s.” He said the attackers were younger, “Probably in their 30s.”

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Broken windows at the former Old Post Hardware (M. Turton photo)

Immediately after the incident the Old Bones were evicted by Villetto. “I guess they weren’t as nice as I thought.” he said.

Captain Patrick O’Dell of the Philipstown Volunteer Ambulance Corps said that they responded to the call at 8:25 p.m. He confirmed that six people were taken by ambulance to trauma centers in Westchester and Poughkeepsie but that none of the injuries was life threatening.  Putnam County Medics and ambulances from Care One, Beacon, Peekskill and PutnamValley also responded.  O’Dell said that Joe Hyatt, chief of the North Highlands Fire Department, also assisted at the scene.

The Paper was contacted by someone with links to motorcycle clubs in the Hudson Valley and who spoke on condition of anonymity. According to that source, the Old Bones Motorcycle Club had sought to become affiliated with a chapter of the Hell’s Angels in the Poughkeepsie-Wappingers Falls area. Part of their “dues” was to “beat up on the club from Connecticut,” and the attack at the former Old Post Hardware was “payback” for having done that.

Chief Gerald Schramek of the Putnam County sheriff’s office declined to comment on the accuracy of that information, indicating only that the investigation is ongoing and that other law enforcement agencies are also involved.

Behind The Story

Type: News

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Turton, who has been a reporter for The Current since its founding in 2010, moved to Philipstown from his native Ontario in 1998. Location: Cold Spring. Languages: English. Area of expertise: Cold Spring government, features

2 replies on “Former Post Road Hardware Site of Vicious Attack”

  1. “immediately after the incident the Old Bones were evicted by Villetto. “I guess they weren’t as nice as I thought.” he said”

    Somehow I missed the part where Mr. Villetto explains why he changed his mind and decided to blame the victims?

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