Have you heard of the Outlaws MC and want to know more about this unusual biker gang ? Are you already a motorcyclist and would you like to know the history and origins of this motorcycle club? Why are they so well known and what are the values of the members?
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The Outlaw Motorcycle Club is a famous club for outlaw motorcyclists founded in 1935 in Illinois, United States. Its members were mainly involved in drug and arms trafficking and money extortion. The gang has developed into a veritable tentacle organization with branches in several countries around the world.
In this article we will cover different topics together, here they are :
- The creation of the MC
- Its logos and slogans
- What rivals does the gang have?
- The (legal and illegal) activities of the members.
- The global expansion of the motorcycle gang
After reading this article you will know exactly what the Outlaws are all about. You’ll also recognize them when one of them rushes past you with their logo on their back! Before we start, let’s introduce you to the premier biker collection from Skull World. Dress up in a skull t-shirt and rule wherever you go! Just click on the image below to discover them.
Founding of the Motorcycle Club Outlaws
The Outlaw Motorcycle Club was founded in a roadside bar! The gang’s history dates back to 1935. It was founded in the state of Illinois, in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago. More specifically, at the Matilda’s Bar facility , which was then on old Route 66. With over 85 years of existence, it is one of the oldest and most influential gangs in the world. 🌍
The organization of the motorcycle club and its influence, of course, touches America, where the club originated, but not only there. The MC Outlaws has a fairly decentralized organization. It is divided into cells called chapters throughout the United States and worldwide . More than 1700 membersare organized in 176 chapters in the USA and in 12 other countries worldwide. They are based in France, Russia, Japan, Norway, Australia and Ireland, among others. As a result, they also enjoy great influence beyond the USA.
They are so popular that there is a supporters club for the Outlaws MC, namely the Black Pistons Motorcycle Club . It primarily serves as a recruiting club for the Outlaws. There is also a support club for those who are not officially outlaws, the Dirty White Boys MC.
Bikers Club 1%
The MC Outlaws is a club belonging to the “lawless motorcycle gangs”. It is not subject to the rules of the AMA (American Motorcycle Association). The club therefore claims to belong to the 1% of lawless motorcycle clubs (the 1%ers). In 1965 he founded the AOA (American Outlaws Association). A federation that unites the other Outlaws motorcycle clubs.
So the Outlaws Motorcycle Club is not a choirboy club. It is the oldest, most powerful and most widespread motorcycle gang. As his name suggests (Outlaws means outlaws in German ), he is subject to no law other than his own. She has many rivals (Hells Angels, Pagans, Bandidos, 69ers, Sons of Silence, etc.), we’ll talk about her enemies a little further down. 👇
The club has spread to several countries around the world. He is very active in drug, arms and human trafficking and money extortion. Several members of the club were arrested on various charges. The gang is very active today, but appears to be keeping a low profile when it comes to criminal activity. However, the members loudly shout out their membership in the 1% series!
Outlaws MC Logo
In its early days, the club had a winged motorcycle as its logo. In 1950, however, the winged motorcycle was replaced by a skull and crossbones and “Old English” style lettering. In 1954, probably influenced by the Marlon Mandon film The Wild Ones, the coat of arms was redesigned and given a more modern style. Crossed pistons are added to the background of the skull and crossbones. This later becomes the official logo, which has remained unchanged to this day! ☠️
The design, nicknamed “Charlie”, was revised again in 1959. It is embroidered in red and black onto the clothing of the members of the MC Outlaw. It has a symbolic meaning for the members of the club: “Like a sign of value”. It can be seen on their jackets. So valuable is their symbol that a member of the Florida gang has been charged with brutally beating up someone who attempted to usurp his membership of the club through the use of the members’ logo…
Gang Membership
Outlaw gang membership was stricter at one point. Today she is more relaxed. Let’s look at some points that you still have to consider in order to join the group. One of the requirements for membership in the club is to own an American-made motorcycle that meets certain criteria. These are usually cruiser-style motorcycles with a 1000 hp engine. The vast majority ride a Harley Davidson . 🏍
However, this American motorcycle rule is not mandatory outside the USA. Even so, one must own a certain type of two-wheeled device to become a member. Club membership is strictly limited to men. Women are accepted at larger gatherings but are e.g. B. not invited to the meetings. Applicants must also pass a test by attending meetings known as “churches.”
Outlaws MC France
It was 1995 when the gang began to cross the Atlantic and break through in Europe. And guess which country was the first to embrace this, until then, exclusively American culture? Yes, it’s France! They were members of the Chicago gang who moved to France to start a new life there. This group of friends had somehow become megalomaniacs and there was no way they were keeping to themselves. They ran a broad recruiting campaign until they got over 1000 active members into their new chapter. 🇫🇷
The culture of biker groupswill not have the same impact as in the US in the years to come! Even though many motorcyclists like to get together and have a good time with their buddies, the unique style that came to us from the USA has lost some of its charm. The small groups are few and far between, and the culture of crime seems to have died out – and that’s a good thing!
Before the Outlaws, there was the formation of the Hells Angels in France. It all started in Paris in 1981. The Bandidos also followed when they arrived in Marseille and the Highwaymen MCsaw the first black jackets populate the streets. Again, the gang wars don’t seem to have crossed the ocean. The different gangs meet and share a beer while the Americans shoot at each other with live ammunition…
The rivals of the MC Outlaws
The MC Outlaws has many rival motorcycle clubs. It is one of the four major outlaw motorcycle clubs along with the Pagans, the Bandidos and the Hells Angels. They are often involved in conflicts (shootings, fights, murders) with the Hells. The Hells Angels are therefore considered to be their greatest rivals, and have been since the gang’s inception. 🔫
In addition, the members of MC Outlaws use a special expression for themselves: « ADIOS ». No, it’s not the Spanish word for “goodbye”. Rather, it’s an acronym standing for ” Angels Die In Outlaw States. “ » (Angels die in outlaw territory). So it’s a pretty glaring warning, a cautionary tale… The gang is not only very hostile to invading their territory by rival gangs. She also ruthlessly takes over their territories. Big and powerful, there are few clubs that oppose her. One by one they finally give up their patch , which is a sign of submission.
The Hells have been trying to conquer the Great Lakes area for many years, controlled by the Outlaws. However, without much success. The Hells Angels are responsible for numerous attacks on gang members and the slightest encounter between two members almost always ends in tragedy… 🩸 The latter have often defied them, thus taking part in an endless bloody conflict. On May 21, 2011, members of the Belgium-based MC Outlaws were shot dead by Hells Angels motorcyclists. The scene took place near a new clubhouse owned by the Outlaws. The following year, on Christmas Eve, it was the Hells’ turn to be attacked by the Out while attending a concert.
Criminal Activities of Members
The MC Outlaws and its members have been involved in several serious cases (murder, brawls, drug and arms dealing, etc.). Many of its members were tried for these crimes and many of them are in prison today. This has garnered them public interest and a great deal of media coverage. Journalist Danny Lyon even wrote a book about them called The Bikeriders. 📖
In Florida, the activity of the club clearly revolves between murder, gun ownership, smuggling of all kinds… In 1998 the club was headed worldwide by Taco Bowman. He was in Jacksonville for triple murderwanted, arrested and convicted. At that time there were chapters of the club in over 30 cities across the country and at least 20 outside the country.
Federal officials and the Daytona Beach SWAT team conducted an operation at a facility owned by the MC Outlaws. They also searched an Ormond Beach home and two other properties in the state. During the operation, 60 weapons (pocket knives, kitchen knives, etc.) were discovered and confiscated. In Detroit, 16 members of the MC Outlaws were convicted on various charges: assault, drug trafficking. Eleven club leaders have been brought to justice after a five-year investigation for involvement in a conspiracy aimed at raiding the MC Hells Angels in Indiana. 🇺🇸
The club’s media affairs
The members have made headlines for their various activities. Let’s take a look together at some of the cases that have sparked much conversation:
⇒ In 2008, the US Department of Justice declared that the outlaws were involved in the Chicago Outfit. The FBI and ATF conducted several house searches at facilities owned by the outlaws. A SWAT team and a city assault vehicle stood by in case of violence.
⇒ On July 11, 2012, a US Marshals operation led to the arrest of 42 members of the Outlaws. The judiciary charged her with mail fraud and money laundering. The operation was conducted at dawn to catch the suspects off guard. They were also charged with crimes such as forcible debt collection and illegal gambling. 🧐
⇒ In June 2010, the ATF appeared at the home of Thomas “Tomcat” Mayne. Officers had a search warrant based on charges filed against Mayne and 26 other members of the outlaws. They were suspected of opening fire on a member of the rival Hells Angels club. Mayne is said to have been unruly and was shot dead after an exchange of gunfire .
⇒ In the US state of Massachusetts, on August 28, 2009, the former president of the Brockton chapter was sentenced to 262 months in prison. The former president was involved in a drug trade and had stored no less than 5 kilograms of cocaine in his home.
⇒ In 2010, 27 members of the MC Outlaws received convictions in the same state. They are said to have been involved in racketeering, attempted murder and other serious crimes.
⇒ In Pennsylvania, Luzerne County, the outlaws were at the forefront of a cocaine distribution network estimated to be worth $3.6 million. The network, made up of members of the outlaws and aspirants, was broken up. 22 people, including a law enforcement officer, were arrested. ⚖️
⇒ 15 members of a Philadelphia Outlaws chapter were charged with selling methamphetamine in several Philadelphia counties: Bucks, Delaware, Chester and Montgomery.
⇒ A SWAT operation in Knox County, Tennessee found handguns and drugs and arrested scores of club members. An undercover agent had provided all the information needed to carry out this violent operation.
⇒ In Virginia, the MC Outlaws found themselves involved in criminal activities ranging from kidnapping, drug dealing, illegal gambling to attempted murder. 27 members were charged under the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act).
⇒ Members of the MC Outlaws shot and killed Gerry Tobin, a member of the Hells Angels residing in Mottingham, London. The crime happened on August 12, 2007 on the M40 motorway. Tobin was on his way back from the Bulldog Bash festival that had taken place in Warwickshire. In a 2008 trial, seven members of the Outlaws were sentenced to life imprisonment for his death.
⇒ The MC Outlaws were also involved in a brawl on January 20, 2008 at Birmingham Airport. No fewer than 30 members of rival clubs took part in the brawl. 4 members of the Outlaws and 3 members of the Hells Angels received 6 years imprisonment each. The police confiscated several cutting and stabbing weapons: brass knuckles, hammers and meat grinders. Around £1million security has been stepped up during the trial.
The great personalities of the Moto Club
Within the club, some members have made more of a name for themselves. You have distinguished yourself in the eyes of the US security forces through your actions. This included the leaders of the chapters . The US government did everything it could to wipe out the club and gathered enough evidence to sentence them to very heavy penalties. Let’s discover four of them together. 👇 ⇒ Henry Bowman, nicknamed « Taco », was the international leader of the MC Outlaws
for 20 years. In 2001, he was sentenced to two death sentences and 83 years in prison in a federal trial in Tampa. He had worked his way up to the top of the criminal organization in the 1980s. He was indicted in ’97 and for two years was one of the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives. Henry was charged with ordering the death of a member of the Outlaws club in 1982. He was also accused of ordering the 1991 assassination of the leader of the Warlocks, a rival gang. In the face of these allegations, Henry pleaded not guilty.
But other members of the club who were with him in court testified against him in exchange for lighter sentences. Many of them confessed to having been involved in blowing up houses at rival clubs or in murders. The court found Henry Bowman guilty of arms trafficking, drug trafficking , etc.
⇒ James Lee Wheeler, nicknamed “Franck”, succeeded Henry Bowman as chairman of the MC Outlaws. He was also Bowman’s successor in the Tampa court, which sentenced him to 16.5 years in prison. He was charged with racketeering, drug trafficking and obstruction of justice. As with his successor, the judiciary against James Lee Wheeler relied on the testimony of former imprisoned club members.
⇒ Paul Anderson was head of the Outlaws chapter in St. Petersburg . In December 2017, he was shot dead by members of rival club 69ers. Anderson had been driving his truck near the Suncoast Parkway turnoff and near State 54. He had been followed by three members of the 69ers: Allan Guinto, Christopher Cosimano and Michael Dominick Mencher. The first was in a reconnaissance vehicle while the other two were on a motorcycle. 🏍
When Anderson stopped at a red light, Cosimano caught his attention by knocking on the window. Then he opened fire on him. All 69ers involved in the shooting were arrested. The Pasco sheriff expressed concern that violence could erupt after the incident.
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