Are you curious to learn more about biker gangs? Would you like to know the history of these biker gangs? What are their activities? The names of the most famous among them? Their ideals and much more?
Young modern motorcycle enthusiast, welcome to our online store! Here, we’re talking bikes, asphalt and skulls. And today, we’re going to tackle a subject that’s particularly close to our hearts: biker gangs and everything they stand for.
Biker gangs are groups of bikers found in the United States. Each gang has its own colors and values. They are known for their criminal activities and their passion for motorcycles. 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
In this article, you’ll discover, among other things:
- The history of these gangs
- The origin of these groups
- Their activities (legal and illegal)
- The most famous among them
Once you’ve read this article, the myth surrounding biker gangs will no longer be a secret to you. You’ll know all about them… Ready to speed? We’re off!
History of Biker Gangs
Biker gangs have been part of American culture for almost as long as motorcycling itself, sometimes demonized, sometimes glorified. The Department of Justice refers to them as OMGs, short for “outlaw motorcycle gangs“. It’s estimated that there are around 500 major gangs in the USA, each with a different name. If you take into account smaller, organized groups, the figure rises to 2,500.
When you put them all together, the FBI estimates that around 44,000 Americans are part of OMGs. Here’s a look at the history and violence of American biker gangs… 👇
1947: The Hollister Riot
In the 1930s, the American Motorcyclist Association organized motorcycle rallies in Hollister, California. The influx of bikers was good for the local economy. After a hiatus due to World War II, the rallies returned with a vengeance. Bigger than ever, attracting a stream of veterans seduced by the excitement and freedom that motorcycles provide. After the war, life in traditional America had become too monotonous for many.
From July 3 to 6, 1947, the small town of 4,500 inhabitants was invaded by 4,000 motorcyclists. The sheer number of individuals sporting tattoos from head to toe was uncontrollable for the Hollister police. The state police were called in to restore order to the town. The event was featured in Life magazine and inspired the 1953 film “The Wild One” with Marlon Brando in the lead role, sporting a leather jacket and thuggish behavior.
1969: The Hells Angels at the Rolling Stones concert
This incident left its mark on motorcycle gangs. Hired to provide security at a Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, California, a gang member killed Meredith Hunter, a man who had come on stage armed to settle an earlier dispute with the Hells Angels. 😵
The stabbing was filmed. Witnesses reported that several gang members then attacked Hunter. Hells Angel Alan Passaro was charged with murder, but was eventually acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. The organizers paid off the gang, and members were involved in numerous violent incidents with spectators throughout the day of the concert.
1972: Murder of a drug dealer
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club, or Bandidos for short, has secured a place in hell. After a drug dealer and his brother conned them into selling baking powder instead of methamphetamine, the gang kidnapped Ray and Mel Tarver and took them to the Texas desert. They were then forced to dig their own graves before being shot.
2002: Brawl at Harrah’s Casino
This altercation between the Hells Angels and the Mongols took place in the middle of the Harrah’s casino in Laughlin, Nevada, when members of the two rival gangs attempted to enter through the same casino entrance at the same time. The incident left three people dead. ☠️
More than 80,000 motorcycle enthusiasts turned out in Laughlin, a town of 8,000 about 80 km southeast of Las Vegas, for the 20th annual “River Run”. The 1,700-room hotel-casino was fully booked for the event.
2006: The Shedden Massacre
In another crime of staggering brutality, the Bandidos murdered eight of their members on a farm near London, Ontario, close to the village of Shedden. The murders were aimed at gaining control of the Canadian gang, but the culprits were sentenced to prison terms.
2013: Range Rover chase
A video shows motorcyclists fighting with a driver. This incident did not involve Bandidos Motorcycle Club, but involved what a district attorney described as “biker scare“. 🏍
Alexian Lien was behind the wheel of his 4×4 in New York when he found himself surrounded by motorcycles zigzagging through traffic. In an attempt to escape, he overturned a few of them. The motorcyclists then pursued the man, forced him out of his 4×4 and violently assaulted him, in front of his wife and their two-year-old child. The events were recorded on video.
2015: Waco Twin Peaks shootout
Rival motorcycle gangs clashed in a North Texas restaurant. After weeks of warnings about escalating tensions between the Bandidos and Cossacks biker gangs, a shootout broke out. At least nine people were killed and 18 others hospitalized. 170 people were arrested and charged, and over 100 weapons were seized.
Authorities were on high alert after learning that gang members were arming themselves and heading to Waco. The FBI also noted that several gangs were “actively recruiting new members from the military.”
Origins of Biker Gangs
Biker gangs originated with the return of World War II soldiers, who formed groups with names like the Market Street Commandos. A riot involving these and other biker gangs in Hollister, California, in 1947 attracted national attention and contributed to their outlaw image. Troublemakers represented only about 1% of the biker community, the rest law-abiding, according to the U.S. State. 🙏
However, according to the FBI’s National Gang Intelligence Center, outlaw motorcycle gangs represent only about 2.5% of all gangs in the United States. They are involved in drug manufacturing and distribution, motorcycle theft, prostitution and arms trafficking…
Unlike motorcycle clubs, gangs are not affiliated to any other association and are accountable to no one. They reject all forms of external regulation, whether by motorcycle clubs or civil laws. The only law they respect is their own.
Member characteristics
Each member wears a distinctive outfit, with a patch displaying the initials MC or MCC to indicate their “official member” status. On the back of their jacket, they wear another identifying sign called “Colors”. This is made up of three parts: the club name at the top, the logo in the center and the place of origin at the bottom. 🛡
Various identity symbols can also be found, such as a rhomboidal patch with a “1%” inside to indicate that they are “outlaws”. In addition to the patch, other elements may indicate their rank or other distinctions or medals.
Most people associate the term “biker gang” with something illegal and against the law. And it’s true that, as we saw earlier, biker clubs are often involved in illegal and criminal activities, such as drug trafficking, arms dealing or prostitution, which enable them to finance themselves internally.
Gang activities
It would be impossible to list all the actions committed by criminal gangs, but let’s take a look together at the main charges against these unusual bikers….
Gang members often seek confrontations with rivals, often resulting in innocent victims. While gang violence often makes the headlines, it has a devastating impact on the people who fall victim to it… Restaurants are ransacked after fights, children are orphaned by stray bullets, and many other consequences…
1) Vandalism
Vandalism, in the form of graffiti and the wanton destruction of public and private property, is often perpetrated to bolster a gang’s reputation. This form of vandalism poses a problem that affects cities in different ways. It undeniably lowers property values in residential areas and also has a negative impact on industrial and commercial zones. 🧐
Abandoned homes are a prime target for vandalism, but even occupied homes are not immune to gang mischief. Local businesses suffer not only from property damage and graffiti, but also lose customers and employees. Businesses faced with falling revenues and higher insurance costs are forced to close their doors. The majority of residents in these gangraped areas are unable to move and live in fear…
2) Intimidation and Notoriety
Gangs thrive on intimidation and notoriety. They see violence not only as glamorous, but also as a way to be feared as a gang. Their activities are designed to attract large numbers of young people into their ranks. They push young people into alcohol consumption, drug use, disorder and vandalism, which they see as a form of pleasure. 👿
Partying, taking drugs, intimidating people and robbing designated targets are just some of the activities that provide gang members with pleasure and amusement. Their attitude is at odds with the law.
3) Drive-by shootings
Drive-by shootings are the most common violent crimes committed by gangs. Gang members seek out the homes, vehicles or meeting places of rival gangs. Armed with an assortment of weapons, they drive by and shoot enemy members… 🔫
In normal situations, members shout their gang’s name or a slogan so that the attacked gang knows who’s responsible. Although most of these groups are formed along racial or ethnic lines, the violence between them is normally intra-racial.
4) Drug trafficking
Drugs are at the very heart of these groups’ activities. It’s been very much in evidence since the 1980s, and the rise in the number of drug addicts benefits these bikers, who don’t hide from selling as much merchandise as possible. Cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine are the most commonly sold drugs.
The 10 Most Famous Biker Gangs
We’ve reviewed the various activities of biker gangs, their history and origins. Now let’s discover together the 10 most famous biker gangs in the USA, and the reasons for their notoriety. 👇
Before we begin, it’s important to point out that most motorcycle enthusiasts aren’t as criminal as the members of these groups. In fact, the majority of bikers are honest, law-abiding, hard-working people. The biker gangs we’re talking about proclaim themselves the “1%”.
These “1%” clubs disregard the law and live their lives like there’s no tomorrow. This usually involves extremely criminal activities. This list features 10 biker gangs highlighting each gang’s alleged criminal activities.
10) Abutre’s MC
Home base: Brazil 🇧🇷
Criminal activities: extortion, drug trafficking (transport and distribution) and prostitution.
Brazil’s leading motorcycle gang is initially a small group formed only 20 years ago. However, the gang’s power seems to be spreading. Indeed, the group has spread not only across Brazil, but also into Argentina. It is suspected that other Brazilian groups have formed in the USA, Japan and Spain, mainly made up of Brazilian members.
9) Rebel MC
Home base: Australia 🇦🇺
Criminal activities: counterfeiting, drug trafficking (transport and distribution), extortion, firearms trafficking, money laundering, tax evasion and trafficking in stolen goods.
Considered Australia’s largest motorcycle gang, with 2,000 affiliated members and 70 chapters across the country. The Rebels have been linked to a series of execution-style murders over the past decade, including three rival members of the Australian Bandidos.
8) Solo Angeles Club De Motocicletas
Home base: Tijuana, Mexico 🇲🇽
Criminal activities: drug and arms trafficking (transport and distribution), extortion, human trafficking, murder and prostitution.
Founded in the Mexican border town of Tijuana in 1960, Solo Angeles has expanded into the southwestern United States. They maintain close ties with gangs in the Southern California region, including one of the world’s leading terrorist gangs, the Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13.
The “Lone Angels” enjoy good press every year at their Tijuana Toy Drive. They are in conflict with the Hells Angels, with whom they have a fierce and bloody rivalry. They are also linked to the Mongols.
7) Sons of Silence MC
Home base: Colorado, USA 🇺🇸
Criminal activities: drug trafficking, extortion, intimidation, money laundering, murder, prostitution and arms trafficking.
Considered one of the five largest motorcycle gangs in the U.S. by the FBI, the Sons of Silence Motorcycle Club (SOSMC) has many members. The gang has expanded as far afield as Germany, with almost 300 bikers (far from their home territory in the USA). The Sons of Silence are well known to the locals.
6) Vagos MC
Home base: San Bernardino, California, USA 🇺🇸
Criminal activities: drug trafficking, arms trafficking, extortion, insurance fraud, kidnapping, money laundering, murder, prostitution, rape, robbery and intimidation.
The Vagos Motorcycle Club was founded in San Bernardino, California, in 1960 and gradually expanded to neighboring states and Mexico. Today, the gang is made up of both Hispanic and white members. There are probably close to 300 full-fledged members, and their criminal activities seem to increase every year. The Vagos MC are also called Green Nation because of the color with which they identify themselves.
5) Warlocks MC
Home base: Pennsylvania, USA 🇺🇸
Criminal activities: extortion, drug and arms trafficking (transportation and distribution), money laundering, murder and prostitution.
The more than 100 determined members of the Warlocks represent one-fifth of their southern counterparts, the Florida Warlocks. Their criminal activities are very similar to those of other biker gangs in the state.
4) Bandidos MC
Home base: San Leon, Texas, USA 🇺🇸
Criminal activities: arms trafficking, drugs (production, transport and distribution), extortion, money laundering and murder.
The Bandidos have a simple slogan: “We are the people our parents told us to watch out for”. Since their creation in 1960, this multiracial motorcycle gang has acquired a large number of members. They count some 2,500 affiliates in 14 countries on 4 continents…
The Bandidos, originally from Texas, are the main violent rivals of the Hells Angels. The US Department of Justice considers them two of the most dangerous motorcycle gangs in the United States.
3) Outlaws MC
Home base: McCook, Illinois, USA 🇺🇸
Criminal activities: arson, assault, drugs (production, transportation and distribution), extortion bombing, fraud, intimidation, money laundering, kidnapping, murder, robbery and prostitution.
Also known as the American Outlaws Association (AOA) and Outlaws Nation, the Outlaws Bikers Club has some 1,700 members in the United States. Since 1976, they have been present in 12 other foreign countries, and have been known since 1930.
2) Mongols MC
Home base: California, USA 🇺🇸
Criminal activities: drug trafficking (transportation and distribution), extortion, intimidation, money laundering, murder and robbery.
The Mongols Bikers Club, founded in 1970 and inspired by the vast Mongolian kingdom of Genghis Khan, is estimated to have around 70 groups worldwide, mainly made up of Latino members.
Many are former members of Los Angeles-area street gangs. This biker gang is associated with the Outlaws, Sons of Silence, Bandidos and Mongols, forming one of the most dangerous and violent biker groups currently in the United States.
1) Hells Angels MC
Home base: Fontana, California, USA 🇺🇸
Criminal activities: drug trafficking, production and distribution, extortion, money laundering, murder and motorcycle theft.
Recognized as the world’s most famous and honored motorcycle gang, the Hells Angels operate in no less than 27 countries, representing a criminal threat on 6 continents. They number nearly 4,000 members, both men and women.
For more information
Together, we’ve just explored the 10 most famous biker gangs, their activities, reputations, extraordinary histories and origins. Whether you’re a biker yourself or not, you’ll now possess in-depth knowledge on the subject and be able to answer your friends if they ask your opinion on these groups! 👊 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
To find out more about each of these gangs, we invite you to click on the banner below to discover in detail their history, activities, symbols and even their favorite motorcycles.
