Top 10 Notorious American Biker Gangs - Listverse Top 10 Notorious American Biker Gangs Listverse Staff August 18, 2009 When some people think of bikers they most often think of the stereotypical of dirty, leather clad men with shaggy beards covered in road dust riding around the country wreaking havoc and getting into barroom brawls. The truth is that most bikers are not rowdy trouble-makers and are in fact honest, law-abiding, hard working people. However, there are small numbers of bikers who refer to themselves as “1%ers”. “One percenter” motorcycle gangs have been given this label because it is purported within motorcycle club circles that 99% of all bikers live within the boundaries of the law. Then there is the other 1% who rejects main-stream norms and live outside of the law, often engaging in highly criminal activity. This list takes a look at 10 American “1%er” biker gangs and highlights some of each gang’s alleged criminal activity.

It is important to note that although some of the members of these motorcycle clubs/gangs have been arrested, tried and convicted of various crimes not every member of the following clubs engage in criminal acts. 10 Vagos The Vagos Motorcycle Club was started in San Bernardino, CA in the 1960’s. Members of the club often wear green and bear a patch of the Norse god Loki riding a motorcycle. The club has approximately 24 chapters spread across the western United States in states such as Arizona and Nevada and also 3 in Mexico. The Vagos have been the subject of several investigations by the FBI and the ATF for illegal activity such as the production and distribution of methamphetamine, murder, money laundering and weapons violations. A highly coordinated investigation in March of 2006 led to the arrests of 25 Vagos members and their associates in what has been labeled as the largest investigation in Southern California’s history. Read about the bloody life of the Crips from someone who lived it himself. Buy Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member at Amazon.com! 9 Free Souls This particular motorcycle gang was started in the state of Oregon in the late 1960’s.

Their patch consists of an ankh, an ancient Egyptian symbol in the shape of a cross, in the center of a motorcycle rim and tire. All of their chapters, with the exception of one in Vancouver, Canada, are located within the state of Oregon. On May 2, 2007, three members of The Free Souls Motorcycle Club were arrested and charged with various crimes. Amongst the evidence were illegal drugs, weapons and stolen motorcycles all of which were seized as part of the investigation and arrests. 8 Bandidos Founded in San Antonio, TX in 1966 The Bandidos are among the more notorious of American Motorcycle Clubs. The gang’s patch bears a cartoon-ishly obese Mexican wearing a large sombrero and carrying a machete in one hand and a pistol in the other. The colors of gold and red were adopted as the club’s colors due to the fact that their founder was a former Vietnam Marine veteran. The Bandidos have around 90 chapters spread across the U.S. alone, but they have also branched out as far as Asia, Germany and Australia. The Bandidos gang has a long and brutal history of illegal activity.

A member of The Bandidos was arrested, tried and convicted of the 2006 murder of a well known flyweight boxer and a member of the rival Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club was sniped while leaving a restaurant in March of that same year during The Bandidos 40th Anniversary of the clubs annual birthday celebration. Police suspect that members of The Bandidos are responsible for the murder. Other members have been arrested from anything from murder to drugs and illegal weapons possession as well as assault and racketeering charges. 7 Highwaymen The Highwaymen were formed in Detroit, MI in 1954. Their chapters have spread across the state of Michigan as well as other U.S. states and have reached as far as Norway and England. Their club colors are black and silver and their insignia is a winged skeleton wearing a motorcycle cap and a leather jacket.

The Highwaymen also have their own mottos which are: “Highwaymen Forever, Forever Highwaymen” and “Yea, though we ride the highways in the shadows of death, we fear no evil, for we are the most evil mother fuckers on the highway.” Despite being the largest motorcycle club in the city of Detroit, they are not acknowledged in the Detroit Federation of Motorcycle Clubs due to their violent and criminal reputation. In May 2007, after a two year investigation into the gang’s activities, the FBI raided homes and chapter clubhouses resulting in the arrests of 40 Highwaymen and associates. The charges included insurance and mortgage frauds, murder for hire, cocaine trafficking, police corruption and racketeering. 6 Warlocks The Warlocks were founded in 1967 in Philadelphia, PA and gained a large number of members after the end of the Vietnam War. Consisting only of white males, The Warlocks have spread through the state of Pennsylvania and a good portion of the northeastern United States and also have chapters in the southeast United States as well as overseas in Germany and England. Their club colors are red and white and they use the Greek mythological figure of a winged Harpy as their insignia.

Members often adorn themselves and their vests with white supremacy insignia as well. In 2008, Tommy Zaroff, a former President of the Bucks County, PA chapter was arrested on suspicion of possessing 10 pounds of methamphetamine. In October of the same year four members of The Warlocks were arrested and charged with producing, transporting and distributing methamphetamine throughout Berks and Montgomery Counties in Pennsylvania. It is alleged that they sold over 500 lbs. of methamphetamine worth approximately $9 million. 5 Sons of Silence The Sons of Silence are another “1%er” motorcycle gang that was founded in Niwot, Colorado in 1966 and featured in a 2009 episode of Gangland on The History Channel. Since 1966 The Sons of Silence have spread across the United States, with concentrations in the eastern U.S. They also have several chapters spread throughout Germany. The Sons of Silence have adopted the motto “Donec Mors Non Seperat”, which is Latin for “Until Death Separates Us”. The club patch has been adopted from the American Eagle logo used by the Budweiser beer company and bears an eagle superimposed over the letter A with their motto underneath.

In October of 1999, 37 members of the Sons of Silence were arrested on drug trafficking and illegal weapons charges during one of Denver’s largest federal undercover operations. During the raids, The ATF seized 20 lbs. of methamphetamine, 35 firearms, four hand grenades, 2 silencers as well as cash and motorcycles. 4 Outlaws The Outlaw Motorcycle Club is one of the more notorious and oldest clubs on this list. The gang started in Matilda’s Bar on old Route 66 in McCook, IL in 1935. Using the insignia on Marlon Brando’s leather jacket in The Wild One as inspiration, the club adopted the skull with cross pistons as their official club patch. Since the club began over 70 years ago their chapters have spread widely across the United States and have been well established in Australia, Asia, Europe and North and South America. Harry Joseph Bowman, The World Leader of The American Outlaw Association (A.O.A.), was the international president of The Outlaws Motorcycle Club and presided over 30 chapters in the U.S.

and 20 chapters in 4 other countries until he was sent to prison for 3 murders in 1999 after being on the F.B.I’s Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive list in 1998. Across the globe members of The Outlaws have been suspected, arrested, tried and convicted of countless crimes from prostitution, trafficking in narcotics and stolen goods, arms dealing, extortion and murder. 3 Pagans The Pagans formed in Maryland in 1959 and by 1965 had expanded rapidly. Their patch depicts the Norse fire giant Surtr sitting on the sun wielding a sword with the word Pagans in red, white and blue. Members are known to wear their patches on cut-off denim jackets with accompanying white supremacist and Nazi insignia patches. The club’s members have also been seen with tattoos of ARGO (Ar Go Fuck Yourself) and NUNYA (Nun’Ya Fuckin’ Business). Their territory seems to be confined strictly to the eastern coast in the United States.

Aside from their history of violent rivalry with the notorious Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club, The Pagans have been associated with numerous crimes including murder, arson, drug smuggling and have been linked to organized crime in the upper northeastern United States. In February of 2002, seventy-three members of The Pagans Motorcycle Club were arrested in Long Island, NY after violence erupted at a motorcycle and tattoo ball. The Pagans allegedly went to the ball specifically to confront members of The Hell’s Angels MC resulting in 10 wounded bikers and one murdered Pagan member. Then in 2005, members of The Pagans allegedly shot and killed the Vice-President of the Philadelphia Chapter of The Hell’s Angels. 2 Mongols The Mongols, also known as Mongol Nation or Mongol Brotherhood, were formed in 1969 in Montebello, California from Hispanic bikers who were refused entry into The Hell’s Angels MC due to their race. Their colors are black and white and their insignia bears the name Mongols in large black letters above a pony-tail sporting man riding a motorcycle wearing a leather vest and sunglasses while carrying a scimitar or cutlass.

Mongol chapters are concentrated in the western United States, but have also opened in Canada, Mexico and Italy. In 2008, the ATF coordinated a sting against The Mongols MC where 4 agents went undercover to become fully patched members while gaining intelligence about the gang’s activities. This operation resulted in 38 arrests including the arrest of the club’s president, Ruben “Doc” Cavazos. As part of the operation 160 search warrants were served and 110 arrest warrants were carried out. As part of the operation, members of The Mongols MC are now prohibited by law from the use of the Mongol MC logo and insignia including wearing the patches on vests or any other garb. 1 Hell’s Angels Probably the most well known American biker gang, The Hell’s Angels have a long and thorough history on American highways. Much information concerning their origins is hazy due to their long-standing code of secrecy. Sometime within the 1940’s or 1950’s in California Hell’s Angels MC was formed.

Their insignia is the “death’s head” logo which is copied from the insignia of the 85th Fighter Squadron and the 552nd Medium Bomber Squadron. Red lettering over white backgrounds stands for the club’s colors. With so much popularity, Hell’s Angels chapters have sprung up across the Untied States as well as Russia and New Zealand and the continents of North America, South America, Europe and Australia. The Hell’s Angels MC have gained mass notoriety in the U.S. due to their involvement in many highly publicized run-ins with the law and rival biker gangs. The most note-worthy of publicized events happened during the Altamont Free Concert at Altamont Speedway in December of 1969 where it is alleged that The Rolling Stones hired members of The Hell’s Angels to stand-in as bodyguards for the band. Violence erupted in the crowd and also onto the performance stage and as a result one male was stabbed to death after brandishing a pistol. Another publicized incident occurred in Laughlin, Nevada in Harrah’s Casino and Hotel. A violent confrontation in the casino between rival Mongols MC resulted in one fatally stabbed Mongol gang member and two fatally shot Hell’s Angels members.

Get a first-hand look at life inside America’s most infamous biker gang with Hunter S. Thompson’s incredible novel Hell’s Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga at Amazon.com! The 10 Most Dangerous Biker Gangs in America | Complex The 10 Most Dangerous Biker Gangs in America Follow him on Twitter and Google+ Jun 17, 2014 0 Outlaw or "one-percent" motorcycle gangs have been a scourge to the federal government since the 1960s. To this day, there are formidable motorcycle clubs (MCs) on both coasts, and one-percenters run drugs across the Canadian and Mexican border. Though Americans have long mythologized biker culture with the help of books like Hunter S. Thompson's Hell's Angels and television shows like Sons of Anarchy , outlaw motorcycle clubs continue to play a very real roll in American organized crime. In the past few years, we've seen major stings that yielded charges of drug trafficking, racketeering, and contract killing for motorcycle gang members.

Former ATF agent Jay Dobyns' book about infiltrating the Hells Angels, No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels was published in 2009, and Dobyns was the target of harassment from clubs as recently as 2008. Outlaw motorcycle gangs are alive and well in the U.S., and the federal government continues to battle their influence. Learn the basics with The 10 Most Dangerous Motorcycle Gangs in America. Five “Baddest” Biker Gangs - 1723 Articles - A Barrel Full of Trivia A Barrel Full of Trivia Weird Five “Baddest” Biker Gangs The weather is starting to warm up so you know what that means, time to get out the bike. If you don’t have a bike, pay attention to people who do. A lot of times you will see bikers wearing the same colors and sporting logos and gang names on the back of their jackets. You would be surprised at how often you can spot biker gangs, even if they aren’t famous. Here is a list of the five baddest biker gangs who originated in America, and I’m not talking about Wild Hogs!

Hells Angels Was there any question as to who would be #1. It is unknown when the Hells Angels officially formed due to a strict code of secrecy, but the best guess is around 1948 in California. They have since expanded to Europe, Australia, South America, Canada, and of course all over the U.S. The Hells Angels have been investigated for charges such as murder, arms and drug trafficking, extortion, and money laundering to name a few. One of their most famous publicized events took place in 2002 and is known as the River Run Riot. Members of Hells Angels and rival biker gang, the Mongols, fought a brutal battle on the floor of the Harrah’s Casino & Hotel in Lauglin, Nevada. As a result, one Mongol member was stabbed to death and two Hells Angels members were shot dead. Mongols The Mongols are a Hispanic motorcycle club formed in Montebello, California in 1969. They were formed by Hispanic Vietnam War veterans who were denied entry into the Hells Angels because of their race. Naturally, the Mongols are one of the Hells Angels biggest rivals.

The Mongols are spread across various states in the U.S. and have chapters in Canada, Germany, Italy, and Mexico. They are known for murder for hire, trafficking, and stolen motorcycles. Other than the battle with the Hells Angels in Nevada, the most publicized event involving the Mongols was Operation Black Rain. In 2008, 4 ATF agents infiltrated the Mongols gang and became full patch members. The outcome was 110 arrest warrants for racketeering. 160 search warrants were also issued across the U.S. Because of this the Mongols temporarily lost the rights to wear their patch and display their logo. Since then they have won the rights back. Pagans The Pagans motorcycle club was formed around 199 in Maryland. They are rivals with Hell’s Angels MC and the Warlocks MC. The Pagans can be found in various areas in the U.S., mainly eastern states. Pagans are known for drug and arms trafficking, murder, prostitution, arson, and racketeering to name a few. Pagans are a very violent gang who have battled for territory against Hells Angels for years.

The most famous event for the Pagans was in 2002 when 73 Pagans were arrested in Long Island, New York for starting a huge fight with the Hells Angels at an indoor tattoo and motorcycle expo. Allegedly, a Hells Angel member shot and killed a member of the Pagans. Shortly after, a tattoo parlor owned by Pagans was firebombed and in retaliation Pagans shot and killed the Vice-President of Hells Angels Philadelphia Chapter. Hell’s Angels shut down their Philly chapter not long after. Bandidos The Bandidos were formed in 1966 in Texas. They have over 90 chapters in the U.S. alone and spread throughout Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. They are rivaled by, guess who….Hells Angels. They criminal involvement includes drug and arms trafficking, murder, extortion, money laundering, and witness intimidation (which that all gangs could do this without even trying). A member of the Bandidos murdered former International Boxing Federation Super Flyweight champion Robert Quiroga. The member, Richard Merla, stated “I don’t regret it. I don’t have no remorse. I don’t feel sorry for him and his family.

I don’t and I mean that.” He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, which is shocking because it’s Texas and he showed no remorse. Can we say DEALTH PENALTY? The Bandidos immediately claimed that they had nothing to do with the crime as a gang and booted Merla from the club. 2 years later the Bandidos were in trouble again because a young motorcyclist who was trying to establish a Hells Angels Chapter in Austin, Texas was shot dead while leaving a restaurant. No arrest were made. Outlaws The Outlaws Motorcycle Club is one of the oldest biker clubs in existence. Established in 1935 in McCook, Illinois, the Outlaws have around 200 chapters in the U.S. They also expand to Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Their #1 rival is the Hells Angels and the Outlaws often use an acronym “ADIOS” which means Angels Die In Outlaw States. They are known for drug and arms trafficking, murder, extortion, bombings, and money laundering.

The Outlaws most publicized event was in 1999 when World Leader of the American Outlaws Association, Harry Joseph Bowman, was arrested after being on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List for more than a year. He was wanted for three murders, the ordering of bombings, racketeering, and extortion. He is serving two life sentences. Sidenote: David Allen Coe was once a member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Now, don’t you just want to go watch Sons of Anarchy? 1 comment - What do you think? Posted by Dennis Howell - March 27, 2010 at 8:02 am Bikers Of America, Know Your Rights!: Ten Most Notorious Outlaw Biker Gangs............... Ten Most Notorious Outlaw Biker Gangs............... Source: factoidz.com USA - The outlaw biker gang can trace its origins to the period after World War II where returning veterans and other roadies began to organize themselves in clubs, pining for the freedom, action and nonconformity that the motorcycle offered.

One of the seminal events in outlaw biker history was "The Hollister Riot," which took place over the July Fourth 1947 holiday weekend in Hollister, California, where some 4,000 motorcycle enthusiasts invaded the small town. The ensuing ruckus was later sensationalized in the July 21, 1947, issue of Life magazine, marking a famous milestone in biker history. The Hollister Gypsy Tour, as the event was billed, included the Boozefighters, a South Central Los Angeles motorcycle club founded in 1946 by World War II vet William "Wino Willie" Forkner (1921-1997). Forkner reveled in his reputation as a biker hellraiser, and reportedly served as the inspiration for Lee Marvin's Chino character in Columbia Pictures' The Wild One (1953), which also starred Marlon Brando as bad boy Johnny Strabler, leader of the fictional Black Rebels. Here are ten notorious outlaw biker gangs that rule the road in biker history.

These are the so-called "1%ers," the bikers who operate out of the mainstream as compared to the other 99% of motorcyclists who abide by the law and norms of society. Kick start your engines and show your colors… Hells Angels (1948-present) Unarguably the best-known outlaw biker gang in history, Hells Angels owes its name to World War II and possibly the 1930 Howard Hughes movie of the same name. During Big Two, there did exist the United States Army Air Forces 303rd Heavy Bombardment Group (H) of the U.S. 8th Air Force which billed itself as Hell's Angels, flying B-17 combat missions out of Molesworth, England, from 1942-45. Hells Angels was formed in the Fontana/San Bernardino, California, area on March 17, 1948 as an offshoot of the Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington, a California motorcycle club founded in 1945 by American veterans of the air war. Other independent chapters of Hells Angels later sprouted up in Oakland, Gardena and San Francisco.

Hells Angels eventually spread its wings, with the club now sporting charters in 29 countries, including Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, Greece, Denmark, France, Turkey and the Dominican Republic.The Hells Angels insignia is the infamous "death's head," designed by Frank Sadilek, a former president of the San Francisco chapter. Both American and Canadian law enforcement have labeled the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) a crime syndicate, asserting that its members routinely engage in drug trafficking, extortion and violence. Hells Angels garnered notoriety at the Altamont Free Concert on December 6, 1969, when they were hired by the Rolling Stones to act as stage security. Mayhem ensued at the drug/alcohol fueled event that boasted of a crowd of 300,000, with four people losing their lives. Mongols (1969-present) The Mongols was founded on December 5, 1969 in Montebello, California, by Hispanic veterans of the Vietnam War.

Reportedly denied membership in Hells Angels because of their race, the Mongols eventually branched out, currently boasting of chapters in 14 states and four foreign countries. Law enforcement has classified the Mongols as a criminal enterprise, engaging in loan sharking, drug trafficking, racketeering, theft and murder for hire. ATF agent William Queen, using the alias Billy St. John, successfully infiltrated the Mongols in 1998, resulting in 53 Mongol convictions. The Mongols and their hated rivals Hells Angels engaged in an infamous brawl and gunfight at Harrah's Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, in 2002. When the smoke had cleared, one Mongol and two Hells Angels lay dead on the casino floor. Pagans (1959-present) Lou Dobkins, a biochemist at the National Institute of Health, founded the Pagans in Prince George's County, Maryland, in 1959. By the late 1960s, the Pagans were the dominant biker club on the East Coast, riding British Triumph motorcycles (later traded in for Harley Davidsons) and sporting their distinctive patch depicting the Norse fire god Sutr wielding a flaming sword.

The Pagans currently operate in eleven states, with Delaware County, Pennsylvania, serving as their Mother chapter. American law enforcement has classified the Pagans as a criminal enterprise, engaging in a host of illegal activities, including gun running, drug trafficking, arson, methamphetamine production and distribution, prostitution, racketeering and murder for hire. In 2002, the Pagans and Hells Angels clashed at the Hellraiser Ball in Long Island, New York, where ten people were wounded and one Pagan was allegedly shot and killed by a Hells Angels member. Three years later, the Vice President of the Hells Angels Philadelphia chapter was killed by gunfire while driving his truck on the Schuylkill Expressway, with the Pagans allegedly carrying out the hit. Outlaws (1935-present) The Outlaws can trace their history back to 1935 when the McCook Outlaws Motorcycle Club was formed out of Matilda's Bar on old Route 66 in McCook, Illinois. In the ensuing years, the club morphed into the McCook Outlaws, the Chicago Outlaws and the American Outlaws Association (A.O.A.). Their first out of state chapter came in Florida in 1967.

In 1977, the Canadian biker gang Satan's Choice joined the Outlaws franchise, making it the first chapter outside of the United States. Today, the Outlaws are active in some 14 states, with international chapters in the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, Sweden, Thailand, Norway, Poland, the Philippines, et al. The Outlaws sport a distinctive patch comprised of a skull and crossed pistons. Their official motto, adopted in 1969, is "God forgives, Outlaws don't." Law enforcement has categorized the Outlaws as an organized crime syndicate, engaging in drug trafficking, murder, extortion and prostitution. The Outlaws have had their run-ins with police and other biker gangs. In 2007, Outlaws member Frank Rego Vital was shot and killed outside the Crazy Horse Saloon in Forest Park, Georgia, by two Renegades motorcycle club members who had reportedly acted in self-defense. Bandidos (1966-present) The Bandidos was founded by Marine Corps and Vietnam War veteran Don Chambers in San Leon, Texas, in 1966.

The club's official motto is "We are the people our parents warned us about," with a big Mexican in sombrero brandishing a machete and pistol adorning the club's distinctive patch. The Bandidos currently boast of 104 chapters in the United States, along with international chapters in Germany, Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Costa Rica, Belgium and the Channel Islands. Law enforcement has classified the Bandidos as an organized crime syndicate, engaging in murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, gun running and witness tampering. From 1994 to 1997 the so-called "Great Nordic Biker War" was waged in Scandinavia pitting Bandidos versus Hells Angels in a bloody turf war that resulted in eleven murders. Vagos (1965-present) Originally called the Psychos, Vagos was formed in Temescal Valley, California, in 1965. The club's distinctive green/red patch pictures the Norse god Loki straddling a motorcycle. Vagos currently operates mainly in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Both the FBI and the ATF consider Vagos an outlaw biker gang, engaging in drug trafficking, gun running, auto theft, money laundering and murder. In 2002, however, Vagos members turned in the estranged wife of a Pomona, California, police detective who had attempted to hire a Vagos hit man to murder her husband. Law enforcement has successfully conducted several undercover investigations of Vagos and their illegal activities. In 2004, authorities arrested 26 Vagos members/associates and seized $125,000 in cash, drugs and weapons. Pennsylvania Warlocks (1967-present)/Florida Warlocks (1967-present) The Pennsylvania Warlocks was founded in Philadelphia in February 1967. The club's distinctive patch features the Harpy, the legendary winged beast from Greek mythology. The Pennsylvania Warlocks boast of chapters in New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, Minnesota and Massachusetts. The Pennsylvania Warlocks have been linked to organized crime and methamphetamine production and distribution. The Florida Warlocks was founded by U.S. Navy veteran Tom "Grub" Freeland in Orlando, Florida, in 1967.

The club's logo is a blazing eagle while their official motto is "To find us you must be good. To catch us…you must be fast. To beat us…you must be kidding!" The Florida Warlocks have chapters in South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, the United Kingdom and Germany. The Florida Warlocks were successfully infiltrated by the ATF in 1991 and again in 2003, with convictions for drug and weapon charges resulting from the latter. Sons of Silence (1966-present) The Sons of Silence was founded in Niwot, Colorado, in 1966. The club sports a distinctive patch featuring the American Eagle superimposed over a large "A" – highly reminiscent of the Anheuser-Busch logo. The gang's official motto is "Donec mors non separat" – Latin for "Until death separates us." The Sons of Silence boast of chapters in Illinois, Wyoming, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Kentucky, North Dakota, Mississippi and Germany. The Sons of Silence have been implicated in drug trafficking and weapons violations.

Highwaymen (1954-present) The Highwaymen was established in Detroit, Michigan, in 1954. The club's distinctive patch features a winged skeleton sporting a leather jacket, motorcycle cap and the black and silver colors. "Highwaymen forever, forever Highwaymen" serves as the gang's official motto. The Highwaymen currently have chapters in Michigan, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Norway. The Highwaymen Motorcycle Club has been the subject of intense law enforcement scrutiny through the years. In 2007, the FBI arrested 40 Detroit Highwaymen members/associates on a variety of charges, including drug trafficking, theft, racketeering, insurance fraud, police corruption and murder for hire. Gypsy Joker (1956-present) The Gypsy Joker was founded in San Francisco, California, on April 1, 1956. The club's official patch features a grinning skull. Forced out of San Francisco by Hells Angels, the Gypsy Joker headed north to Oregon and Washington state in the late 1960s. The Gypsy Joker has some 35 chapters worldwide, including active clubs in Australia, Germany, South Africa and Norway.

The club is especially high profile in Australia, where in 2009 five Gypsy Jokers engaged in a drug-related shootout with a rival "bikie" gang (as they are called Down Under) in Perth. Ten More Notorious Outlaw Biker Gangs Here are ten more infamous biker gangs, along with where established and years active.

•Free Souls (Eugene, Oregon, 1968-present) •The Breed (Asbury Park, New Jersey, 1965-present) •Rebels (Brisbane, Australia, 1969-present) •Grim Reapers (Calgary, Canada, 1967-1997) •Iron Horsemen (Cincinnati, Ohio, mid-1960s-present) •The Finks (Adelaide, Australia, 1969-present) •Brother Speed (Boise, Idaho, 1969-present) •Devils Diciples (Fontana, California, 1967-present) •Solo Angeles (Tijuana, Mexico, 1959-present) •Diablos (San Bernardino, California, 1964-present) About William J. Felchner William J.

Felchner's many feature articles have appeared in such periodicals as True West, Hot Rod, Movie Collector's World, Sports Collectors Digest, Persimmon Hill, Big Reel, Corvette Quarterly, Old West, Antiques & Auction News, Storyboard, Goldmine, Autograph Collector, Warman's Today's Collector, The Paper & Advertising Collectors' Frontier Times, Television History, Illinois and Military Trader. Outlaws Motorcycle Club - The 10 Most Dangerous Biker Gangs in America | Complex The 10 Most Dangerous Biker Gangs in America Territory: Eastern and Central U.S. Approximate membership: 1,700 Founded in 1936, The Outlaws are thought to be the world's oldest outlaw motorcycle club. The Outlaws remain a strong presence today, with over 1,700 members across 176 chapters. While a number of MCs vie for control of Mexico-America drug trafficking, the Outlaws have maintained a substantial influence over drugs crossing the Canadian border. Though the Outlaws have control of the Great Lakes region, they are often at war with the Hells Angels, who have had made numerous attempts at encroaching on their territory.

Taco Bowman, former Outlaws President, was on the F.B.I.'s Most Wanted list before he went to prison for three murders in 1999. WatchNow Inside the world’s deadliest biker gangs | New York Post Inside the world’s deadliest biker gangs Every second for five years, he risked discovery and certain death — being beaten until he was nearly dead, a bullet to his head and his body dumped in the desert. Charles Falco lived undercover inside America’s deadliest biker gangs among murderers, sociopaths and “meth heads.” He risked his life infiltrating three outlaw biker gangs, bringing violent criminals to justice. “Sometimes I was wearing a wire and I didn’t have any backup,” he told News.com.au . “There were times when I was searched and I didn’t have a wire on me. “By wearing a wire and getting these guys to admit the crimes they committed, [we got] criminal convictions. “I didn’t have any experience with biker gangs. I could have been uncovered at any time.” Andrew Lozano, a member of the Vagos motorcycle gang, talks to the police after being arrested.

But going deep undercover as a means of escaping a prison sentence for drug dealing and addiction, Falco in turn became addicted to life inside the gangs. Falco has written a book about his experiences, “Vagos, Mongols, and Outlaws: My Infiltration of America’s Deadliest Biker Gangs.” Three years after his ordeal as an informant for the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Falco says outlaw clubs which are fronts for organized crime gangs are in global expansion. Falco described the brutal Outlaws as “a war machine,” the Vagos as “mafia on wheels” and the Mongols as “way, way more ruthless … because they aren’t afraid to go to prison — forever — so they walk right up, around children, and blow people away.” A police officer shows Vagos motorcycle gang patches confiscated in a raid at a command post in San Bernardino, California. It was to the Vagos in San Bernardino, California, that Falco went first. In the 1990s, he became addicted to the methamphetamine he was trafficking for Bulgarian mob dealers and was arrested for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute a commercial quantity of the drug.

He was given an ultimatum: Serve a 22-year minimum jail sentence, or become an undercover agent. After two years as a street informant for the Drug Enforcement Agency, he “wanted to step up and do something even bigger.” He hung around bars and was eventually accepted as a trainee, or prospect, in the San Bernardino chapter of the Vagos, also known as the Green Nation or the Green Machine. Within months, Falco was living a double life as a full-fledged Vagos biker and an undercover ATF informant. The Vagos had fights every week and Falco became know as “Quickdraw” for his rapid fisticuffs. Police officers arrest Andrew Lozano, a member of the Vagos motorcycle gang. “I was in the Vagos two-and-a-half years, I got into a lot of bar fights,” he said. “There was violence, there were serious crimes, every type of organized crime, murder, embezzlement, drug dealing. “I had to hold back, be observant, because if I committed a crime, I would be [locked up] too. “Two of the members did a home invasion and a murder.

“They bought a lot of drugs and guns.” Falco’s secret wiretaps and testimony led to 25 Vagos members going to prison for firearms, drug, assault and murder convictions. He ended up in hiding in the witness protection program. “But I started to miss doing something I saw as important,” he said. With two other undercover agents, Falco infiltrated a Mongols chapter in Virginia on the East Coast. Inside the Mongols from 2004 to 2005, he found similarities with the Vagos, “but they were much, much more violent.” Dozens of burly, tattoo-covered Mongols motorcycle gang members were arrested by federal agents in six states. “The difference between the Mongols and all other biker gangs is they brought in outside Hispanic street gang members,” he said. “They were 18, 19, 20 years old and they were willing to go to prison, they expected to. “So they would go where the Hells Angels were. There might be cameras, but they’d walk right up and blow them away. “They almost stabbed a Hells Angel to death at a Chuck E. Cheese pizza joint … in front of children.

“They don’t care if they get caught.” The Mongols were at war with the Mexican mafia. Falco’s chapter concentrated on dealing in methamphetamine and cocaine, and “planning and hunting down Hells Angels.” “That’s what they live for,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where they are, they have to continue the war against the Angels. “It’s the same with the Outlaws. “They’d get files on [Hells Angels]. They’d investigate where they lived and worked.” Falco entered the Outlaws as a prospect in late 2008. He spent a brutal few months undergoing beatings and watching the Outlaws beat their women. “The Mongols are very old school and treat their women as second-class citizens, their property to serve them,” he said. A Mongols motorcycle gang member’s vest. “But the Outlaws are worse. They give their old ladies, who are their slaves, black eyes and beatings.” Falco suffered serious injuries to his shoulder and spine coming off his bike while riding with the Outlaws.

As an Outlaw, he was “being hunted the whole time by Hells Angels.” As a result of his testimony and an ATF investigation of Outlaws in seven states, 27 gang members were locked up. He now works in the corporate world and keeps his identity concealed, accepting that he could one day be shot by a biker gang member. His undercover work resulted in more than 60 arrests for serious crimes. “The RICO laws [crimes under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] have reduced the amount of violence among these gangs. “Infiltrations by the ATF has destroyed their power, but it hasn’t destroyed their numbers.” Falco said the global spread of gangs, which includes the expansion of the Australian-based outlaw club the Rebels into the US and Europe, was ongoing. Outlaw gangs looked for new opportunities in all regions, including increasing numbers in Asia, for criminal activity, principally drug trafficking. “It doesn’t matter where they are in the world, they will have to continue with the war.” This story originally appeare d on News.com.au .

Share this: 10 Notorious Motorcycle Gangs | HowStuffWorks 10 Notorious Motorcycle Gangs Cate Gillon/ Getty Images Outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) got their start in the 1940s and '50s as spinoffs of more mainstream motorcycle clubs. After World War II , motorcycling began to spread in popularity as a hobby. Veterans settling into lives in the suburbs working average jobs wanted to get a taste of the more adrenaline-charged life they'd lived overseas. Riding along the country's highways with friends -- partying and often drinking -- was a perfect way to do that [source: Dulaney ]. The outlaw groups began to develop after a 1947 bike rally in Hollister, Calif., that erupted into a riot. According to reports, drunken bikers rode through town (even in and out of buildings and restaurants) causing trouble and destroying property [source: Thompson ]. Journalists and historians have since claimed that Hollister was not the all-out chaos portrayed in the media. Still, during a widespread public outcry over Hollister, and the danger of motorcycle clubs, the American Motorcycle Association released a statement aimed at calming the public.

Ninety-nine percent of motorcycle clubs were law-abiding, fun-loving citizens, the AMA said. It was the other 1 percent that caused all the trouble and got all the attention [source: Serwer ]. Over the years, as certain clubs began to drift toward illegal activity, they claimed the moniker "1 percenter" as a badge of honor. Even today, most of these "outlaw motorcycle gangs" maintain that they aren't criminal organizations. For example, famous Hells Angels founder "Sonny" Barger claims that while some Angels may deal drugs or commit acts of violence, the organization itself doesn't endorse those activities [source: Serwer ]. Still, law enforcement agencies from the U.S. and Canada to even Australia and Europe see the OMGs as a serious threat. The FBI considers the gangs organized crime syndicates whose drug dealing and turf wars put rival gangs and the public in danger. Read on to find out which motorcycle gangs are among the most dangerous and notorious.

7 motorcycle clubs the feds say are highly structured criminal enterprises - LA Times 7 motorcycle clubs the feds say are highly structured criminal enterprises Blackmail and Extortion Since the 1966 epochal “Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs” helped cement the image of motorcycle clubs as a drug-addled danger to postwar society, the biker gang image has been largely defanged. The Hells Angels are more likely to make news for suing the film “Wild Hogs” than the kind of drug-fueled bacchanalia for which they were once famous. But Sunday's bloody confrontation in Waco, Texas, is a jolting reminder that some motorcycle gangs are still a violent force in some parts of the country. “This is not a bunch of doctors and dentists and lawyers riding Harleys,” said Waco police Sgt. Patrick Swanton. The Department of Justice has identified seven motorcycle clubs that it believes are highly structured criminal enterprises, many of them allied in one form or another against the best-known gang, the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.

A Justice Department report classifies such organizations as outlaw motorcycle gangs, and federal law enforcement authorities are focused on their alleged drug activity and possible connections to Mexican cartels. The Mongols Mongols motorcycle club members are shown here. (U.S. Department of Justice) The Southern California-centered Mongols Motorcycle Club has earned a reputation for violence since taking Los Angeles area turf from the Hells Angels, according to the Justice Department. “A majority of the Mongols membership consists of Hispanic males who live in the Los Angeles area, and many are former street gang members with a long history of using violence to settle grievances,” according to the report. The Mongols have allied themselves with the Bandidos, Outlaws, Sons of Silence and the Pagans to compete for territory and members with the Hells Angels, the report says. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says it considers the Mongols the most violent motorcycle club. The Bandidos Photos of the Bandidos motorcycle gang are shown here. (U.S. Department of Justice) The 900-member Bandidos Motorcycle Club is one of the two largest operating in the U.S., according to the Justice Department. The Bandidos are centered in the West and South.

“The Bandidos are expanding in each of these regions by forming additional chapters and allowing members from supporting clubs, known as ‘puppet’ or ‘duck’ club members,' to join,” according to the Justice Department report. Such members wear the colors and patches of a small local club but do the "dirty work" of the larger "mother club," the government said. The smaller clubs can eventually become a new chapter of the larger club, in this case, the Bandidos. The Outlaws Photos of the Outlaws Motorcycle club are shown here. (U.S. Department of Justice) The Outlaws Motorcycle Club has 700 members in 86 chapters and is centered in the upper Midwest, where they compete with Hells Angels for members. Some Outlaws chapter members have been accused of murder and kidnapping, and federal authorities say they believe much of the club's money is generated through the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine. The Outlaws’ “support club,” the Black Pistons MC, was established as recently as 2002 but quickly expanded across the U.S. and into Europe. “The Outlaws also use the Black Pistons chapters to conduct criminal activity, especially for the transportation and distribution of drugs,” according to the federal report.

Hells Angels Photos of the Hells Angels Motorcycle club shown here. (U.S. Department of Justice) The best known motorcycle club may no longer be the largest. The Hells Angels has 800 members and the Justice Department says it suspects that some members are leading extortion rings, committing murders and moving drugs. The Pagans The emblem of the Pagans Motorcycle club is shown here. (U.S. Department of Justice) Primarily concerned with trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and PCP, the smaller Pagans Motorcycle Club has 200 to 250 members who operate in 11 Mid-Atlantic states, according to the Justice Department. The Pagans are tied to criminal enterprises in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and are connected to extortion rings, arson and murder, the government says. Sons of Silence The emblem of the Sons of Silence Motorcycle club is shown here. (U.S. Department of Justice) Centered in the Midwest, the Sons of Silence are small but have a reputation for violence, according to the Justice Department. Numbering fewer than 250, the Sons of Silence have chapters in 30 states, and are dangerous enough that the Justice Department named them to its four motorcycle clubs of greatest concern.

“[Sons of Silence] have been implicated in numerous criminal activities, including murder, assault, drug trafficking, intimidation, extortion, prostitution operations, money laundering, weapons trafficking, and motorcycle and motorcycle parts theft,” according to the Justice Department. Vagos The emblem of the Vagos Motorcycle club is shown here. (U.S. Department of Justice) Operating on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, the Vagos Motorcycle Club is active in the West and Southwest. Primarily concerned with the production and distribution of methamphetamine, Vagos members have also been charged with money laundering and insurance fraud, as well as more violent crimes, the Justice Department says. The Cossacks The Twin Peaks restaurant was the scene of a motorcyle gang shootout that left nine dead. The Cossacks gang was among as many as five gangs involved. (Erich Schlegel/Getty Images) Though less is known about the Cossacks, one of the groups connected with Sunday's violence in Waco, they have a history with the Bandidos dating to at least 2013. On Nov. 2, 2013, a fight broke out between the Bandidos and Cossacks motorcycle clubs outside Logan’s Roadhouse in Abilene.

Five men were injured. A grand jury later indicted two men on suspicion of assault. One of them was the leader of the Bandidos. The Cossacks were not cited in the Justice Department report.

Question: What is the world's most famous outlaw motorcycle club?
Answer: Hell's Angels