Do you need a thrill and want to learn more about one of the most famous biker gangs ? Would you like to know the history, activities, origins and motivations of the Vagos? What are the values and colors of this biker club?
Young biker, welcome to the “Skull World”! Motorcycles, biker style and everything that goes with it makes us specialists in this field, and today we’re taking on the Vagos for an article that promises to get heated… 🔥
Vagos MC is a motorcycle club founded after WWII. The gang was formed in 1965 in San Bernardino, California. The Vagos Moto Club is also called Green Nation and is partly active in the USA and Mexico.
Here are the different points you will learn about in this article:
- The Ursprung des Vagos MC
- The club’s criminal activities
- The coats of arms and colors of the Vagos
- The proud status as outlaws that members flaunt.
After reading this article, Vagos MC motorcycle club will no longer be a secret for you! Are you ready to race at 200? Let’s go!
History of the Vagos
Like many other clubs of the time, Vagos MC was founded by a group of men who had just returned from World War II. They enjoyed riding their motorcycles and banded together to form a gang with their own values and policies. The members of this group were originally all members of a club called the Psychos Motorcycle Club. After some internal conflicts, some of them decided to move out and start their own club. This is how the Vagos Club was born !
The historical members who founded the club were:
- Rudy, called « Puro » (Chairman)
- Gil Carrasco (Vice Chairman)
- Whitey (Secretary and Treasurer)
- Lucky (Corporal of the Armed Branch)
- Freddy Ruiz
- Harley Hog
- John Estrada nicknamed “Crazy”.
- Alex Estrada, nicknamed “Little”
These male founders of the Vagos MC were of Mexican descent, leading to the color green being chosen as the dominant color for the club. The Spanish word “vagos” means ” vagabond “, “gypsy” or “travelling person”. Two other names had been considered for the club, namely ‘Coffin Dodgers MC’ and ‘Satan Saints MC’. Until they finally settled on the name Vagos MC, which had been suggested by Puro after the entire original team voted on it. 🙌
The various historical groups of the club
The first groups other than the original gang were formed almost 15 years after the formation of the Vagos. Here are their nicknames and the places where they originated:
- The first group opened in San Bernardino, California. They were nicknamed the “Berdoo” gang. San Bernardino was a prime spot for club formation, which is also where gangs like the Hells Angels and Diablos MC formed.
- The second group was in Victorville and consisted of members of the “Cossacks MC”.
- The third was in Los Angeles and was formed by members of the Talons MC.
- It was followed by the one in San Gorgonio Pass, created by former members of “Berdoo” and their friends.
- The fifth group was the SGV (San Gabriel Valley), formed by members of Dirty Dozen MC, Highwaymen MC, Verdugos MC, Vendettas MC and Ghostmen MC.
- Another was formed from former members of Sabers MC, Dirty Dozen MC and Highwaymen MC.
- The seventh group was that of the Pormona Valley, with members of the Nacoda Breed MC (particularly violent).
- The last (historical) grouping was founded in Antelope Valley, where the members came predominantly from the Brothers MC.
The club today consists of about 4000 members who are scattered in 200 different locations around the world, including the USA. In Canada, he is represented in the city of Peterborough, Ontario. It is also represented in Europe, specifically in Sweden and Australia. Mexico is the second country where the club has a strong presence, with 10 gangs present in all corners of the country. 🌍
Most of the members of this biker gang are Hispanic and Mexican, but all ethnicities were welcome (still today).Club Vagos
Identity of Moto Club Vagos
The Vagos MC patch features the character of Loki , the Norse god of malice, on a motorcycle. It was designed by a member of the Berdoo Chapter while he was in prison. It is the emblem of all club members and it is an honor to display it for each and every one of them. This MC can also be recognized by their motto « We give what we get ». 😎
One of the abbreviations of MC Vagos is the number « 22 » , which refers to the letter « V », the 22nd letter of the alphabet. Another slogan is « VFFV », which means « Vagos Forever, Forever Vagos ” stands. Which, by the way, is a very common slogan that also occurs in other motorcycle groups. As for example in the case of the Bandidos « BFFB » (Bandidos Forever, Forever Bandidos). The Vagos Motorcycle Club is also called the Green Nation
because of the green color that represents it . All clothing, logos and accessories are proudly displayed in green. Members’ motorcycles are often black and green, as are their leather jackets or t-shirts. If you find yourself in the values of this club, treat yourself to your skull leather jacket. Discover our selection by simply clicking on the image below.
Criminal allegations against the Vagos MC
The members of this motorcycle gang are not exactly squeamish. That’s the least one can say. While most of the members just want to share their passion for motorcycles and a good time with their buddies, one cannot help but mention the various criminal activity-related convictions of many members… Let’s break this down in detail: ⇒ 1974 were
made four members of the Vagos Motorcycle Club charged in the murder of Mexican student William Velten. They spent 17 months in prison before being released after Kerry Rodney, the real killer, confessed to his crime.
⇒ In 1998, more than a dozen members of the Vagos MCarrested for selling drugs and arms trafficking. The arrest was possible because some police officers had been investigating undercover for two years.
⇒ In 2000, the ex-wife of a Pomona, California police detective tried to hire a gang member to murder her ex-husband. The motorcycle club contacted the police and informed them of the situation.
⇒ In 2004, 26 members of the motorcycle club were arrested. They had $125,000 in cash, guns and drugs in their possession.
⇒ March 29, 2006, following Operation 22 Green, 25 members of the Vagos MC were arrested. Local police and the sheriff’s service were involved in this operation.
⇒ December 2007, 6 members of the motorcycle club were arrested on charges of burglary, theft, coercion and kidnapping in connection with crimes committed in August 2007. The crime involved a member of the Vagos Motorcycle Club who wanted to drive away, so he was beaten, kidnapped and robbed.
⇒ March 5, 2010, a member of the Hemet Gang Task Force returns to his unmarked police car that was parked in front of a convenience store. He discovers that a homemade bomb is hidden under the car. The perpetrators are imprisoned for several years.
⇒ March 17, 2010: Police arrested 30 members of the club in connection with the attempted shooting of the Hemet Gang Task Force on December 31, 2009. These arrests also included raids in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah on 73 places. Several weapons were found during the raids, and a methamphetamine lab was also discovered. A reward of $200,000 has been offered by law enforcement agencies for information about the attacks on the Hemet Gang work group.
⇒ On March 17, 2010, following allegations that members of the Vagos had made homemade mutilation traps and the killing of Hemet Police Inspectors, law enforcement arrested more than 30 members of the Vagos Club. The arrests were made possible by a multi-state raid (Utah, Nevada, Arizona and California). 😵
More than 400 officers and 60 police stations were involved in the campaign. Police raided 73 Southern California communities and seized guns and drugs. A methamphetamine lab has been discovered. The raids came after several incidents involving explosive bombs at the club.
⇒ On February 23, 2010, a member of the group opened the security gate outside the building. This opening resulted in a homemade slide gun attached to the portal being detonated, almost hitting him in the head.
The status of outlaws
Outlaw status is given to groups that engage in activities that break the law. They are also known under the name « 1% ». A term that originated after the Hollister motorcycle riots in 1947. In fact, the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) claimed that 99% of motorcyclists are law-abiding citizens and the rest are bandits . 🔫
Motorcyclists often move from one club to another or find their club merging with a larger one. Puro (gang founder) used to be a member of Psychos MC and others joined clubs like El Diablo MC. Some gangs thought they could absorb the Vagos MC with the aim of making it go away. Unfortunately for them, the club was well structured and growing day by day in California. In 2014, the FBI announced that the Vagos Motorcycle Club was one of the largest outlaw motorcycle groups in Western America.
The mafia on wheels?
Infiltrations at Vagos In 1987 the leader of the South Bay Chapter and the President of the Desert Hot Springs Chapter and three other people were arrested. After their arrests, they pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic methamphetamines. During an operation in 2011, around 40 kilograms of cocaine and eight kilograms of methamphetamine were seized. 😵
Aside from money laundering and arms trafficking, the Vagos are also known for their general violence, particularly towards the rival BMCs. As the Vagos attempted to expand their territory, tensions arose between them and other gangs, most notably the Hells Angels. In 2001, a bloody scuffle broke out between the Vagos and the Angels in Costa Mesa, California. A few years later, in 2010, a dispute escalated over which gang had the right to visit Starbucks in Santa Cruz.
A brawl outside the cafe led to a shootout between the Vagos MC and the Hells Angels in Chino Valley. This shooting resulted in multiple arrests on both sides. The Vagos MC was the club that the authorities managed to infiltrate on numerous occasions. Street criminal George Rowe decided to infiltrate the gang after his friend who was at odds with them went missing. This infiltration took place as part of Operation 22 in 2003.
Infiltrations at the vagos
Three years after George Rowe went undercover, 42 members of the club were arrested. In fact, Rowe provided authorities with evidence of multiple crimes. Charles Falco, meanwhile, has worked his way up to number two in the Victorville group. He provided several pieces of information to the ATF. This information led to 62 members of the club being arrested for felonies and assault . Fun Fact: Both Rowe and Falco have written books about their experiences and appear as characters in the books. ✍️
However, in their constant battle with the police, the Vagos have their own weapon. In 1990, they sued the police for defamation and were awarded checks for $2 million. They claim they were the target of massive police raids from the early 1980s to 2010. When the Vagos were accused of committing a series of home-made booby traps aimed at police, they filed another lawsuit. They reached a settlement that included a public statement and the return of property confiscated the previous year.
In 2001, Charles Falco was a major methamphetamine dealer making an average of $500,000 a year. When he was arrested by law enforcement, he made a deal through the ATF toto infiltrate outlaw motorcycle clubs . First it was the Vagos MC where he rose to the role of “Officer” (second in command) in the clan of Victorville, California. He later joined the Mongols and eventually the Outlaws, where he became vice president in Petersburg, Virginia.
Club 1%
Like all criminal groups, the Vagos do not publicize their crimes and try to hide them as best they can. Their website portrays them as more of a club than a dangerous gang. Their consistent response to arrests is that not all of their members commit crimes. But “a few bad apples”. So it seems like only 1% of members are outside the law. This also applies to the Devils Diciples . ⚖️
What we should remember:
The motorcycle club Vagos MC was founded in 1965 in the USA. He has several groups around the world, mainly present in Mexico. The main activities of this motorcycle club are drugs, arms trafficking, prostitution and many other criminal activities. These illegal activities are the reason for several arrests of club members…
We just looked together at what makes this extraordinary motorcycle club special. Now you know everything you need to know about the Vagos! If you want to learn more about this world, check out our article where we talk more about biker gangs !