Will you run into these gangs on the streets? Probably not. Could you? Absolutely. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at still-active notorious motorcycle gangs.
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00:00 "We're in just about every state in the nation now.
00:03 And we're also in Mexico, Canada, Italy, Australia."
00:07 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at still active, notorious motorcycle gangs.
00:12 Disbanded or merged gangs will be put aside for now.
00:15 "The Night Wolves have become a wildly popular cultural phenomenon in Russia.
00:20 Putin noticed that, and now they're funded by his regime."
00:25 Warlocks Motorcycle Club Formed in 1967, the Warlocks Motorcycle Club's
00:30 numbers quickly grew thanks to returning Vietnam veterans.
00:33 Its members run primarily in the Delaware Valley or Greater Philadelphia area.
00:37 Many motorcycle clubs boast racially discriminatory rules, and the Warlocks are no exception.
00:42 Male-only members get three mandatory tattoos, the idiom "born to lose," a Nazi symbol of
00:47 hate, and an unclothed woman.
00:49 They exclusively ride Harley-Davidson bikes.
00:51 The Warlocks are one of two primary biker gangs in Pennsylvania, the other being the
00:55 Pagans, and the two are not friendly with each other.
00:58 The Warlocks have been associated with a number of homicides, home invasions, and forced capture
01:02 of rival gang members, as well as the methamphetamine trade.
01:06 Rock Machine Rock Machine was formed by Salvatore and Giovanni
01:09 Cazetta in Montreal, Quebec, in 1986, and has since grown to multiple chapters across
01:14 Canada, the U.S., Australia, and a handful of other countries.
01:17 "The Rock Machine was a drug-dealing powerhouse, not willing to bow to the Angels."
01:23 The Machine once rivaled Hell's Angels for control of the local narcotics trade, resulting
01:27 in the 1994-2002 Quebec Biker War, which eventually caused hundreds of deaths, injuries, and arrests.
01:33 "When the Hell's Angels went to war with the Rock Machine, it was almost like free fire.
01:37 It was a real battleground."
01:40 In 2000, Rock Machine was accepted as a probation club for the Bandidos MC, something a little
01:45 different.
01:46 It accepts males only, not unusual, but there is no racial discrimination.
01:50 All ethnicities are welcome.
01:51 Though the club has been found guilty of the usual list of crimes, they claim to reject
01:54 criminals from their current membership.
01:56 Some are skeptical of these claims.
01:58 Rebels Motorcycle Club Though it sometimes seems biker gangs are
02:01 native to North America, they do exist elsewhere.
02:04 Rebels Motorcycle Club was formed in Australia in 1969 under the original moniker of "Confederates."
02:09 "The biggest group in Australia by far is the Rebels.
02:13 It's three times larger than any other group in Australia."
02:16 Though the Australian authorities classify the club as a criminal organization, they
02:19 themselves claim to be a non-profit gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts.
02:23 Their rap sheet speaks differently.
02:25 The Rebels are accused of homicide, drug trafficking, extortion, and a long list of other crimes.
02:29 "We ride around on wild motorbikes.
02:32 We dress differently.
02:33 We're covered in tattoos.
02:34 We've got crazy haircuts.
02:35 Whatever.
02:36 We're different to the average Aussie, but we're a soft target."
02:40 As with many motorcycle clubs, the Rebels have had some turf war issues.
02:44 Namely, with the aforementioned Rock Machine, which established a chapter in Perth in 2009.
02:49 With a number of Rebels members switching their patches over to Rock Machine, tensions
02:54 ensued that have thus far featured firebombs and assassination attempts.
02:57 "We've done a number of searches on their clubhouse."
03:00 Black Pistons Motorcycle Club As much as biker gangs have rivals, they also
03:03 have allies.
03:05 Formed in Germany in 2002, the Black Pistons Motorcycle Club supports and provides new
03:09 recruits for the Outlaws MC, who are featured later on this list.
03:12 The Black Pistons became an international club in a very short time, with chapters emerging
03:16 in the US, Canada, Asia, and other European countries.
03:19 Membership is around the 200+ mark.
03:21 They're essentially the headhunters for the Outlaws, hopefully not literally, as well
03:25 as a proxy for the latter's various reported criminal activities such as fraud, intimidation,
03:29 assault, and participating in drug trafficking activities.
03:32 Night Wolves The Night Wolves Motorcycle Club was formed
03:35 in Russia in 1989, and has since grown to include at least 45 international chapters
03:40 and around 7,000 members.
03:41 "The Night Wolves are loyal to the Kremlin, ultra-orthodox, and convinced patriots."
03:47 The Night Wolves initially came together a little differently from the others on this
03:50 list.
03:51 They were a group of rock music enthusiasts and motorcycle riders with a penchant for
03:54 putting on illegal concerts.
03:56 The group boasts close ties to the Russian Kremlin, from which they get funding, as well
04:00 as Vladimir Putin himself.
04:01 "The Night Wolves definitely enjoy political influence in Russia.
04:05 The bikers make their presence felt in the Crimea and on the Black Sea coast, together
04:11 with Vladimir Putin."
04:12 They're also affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, aiding in religious pilgrimages,
04:16 among other things, and have been known to aid in the current Russian conflict with Ukraine.
04:20 As a result of this, rival gangs have criticized the group's ironic politicizing of motorcycle
04:25 clubs.
04:26 "You can't compare us with a motorcycle club in the West.
04:30 They're all lawless.
04:31 But we're not."
04:32 The Mongols The Mongols were formed in 1969, primarily
04:35 from a group of Vietnam veterans, which seemed to be a popular practice in the late 60s.
04:39 "They have a code of conduct and an expectation of each other that they will suffer no slight."
04:45 The founders were Latino, forming their own group as a result of the racially limited
04:49 membership requirements for the Hells Angels at the time.
04:52 The club accepts more than just Caucasians, including Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Kurdish,
04:56 and Arab members in their worldwide chapters, though of course no girls allowed.
05:00 They currently boast a collective 1,000 to 2,000 members internationally.
05:04 "The Mongols are a relatively small organization.
05:09 What they lack in numbers, they make up for in bravado."
05:13 Members pay fees and follow a 70-page book of club rules, such as no drug use or criminal
05:18 arrests.
05:19 These rules are perhaps a little loose, however, as the Mongols have been said to engage in
05:23 some less than reputable activities.
05:24 "Are there members that do things that maybe, you know, I don't approve of?
05:30 Yeah.
05:31 Okay.
05:32 There is.
05:33 But is it part of a club function?
05:36 No.
05:37 Do we try and discourage it?
05:38 Yes, we try and discourage it."
05:40 Devil's Disciples.
05:41 No, that isn't a typo.
05:42 The Devil's Disciples, formed in 1967.
05:46 Its original members got their patches made cheaply, resulting in the spelling error.
05:50 "D-I-C-I-P-L-E-S.
05:51 That's Disciples.
05:52 If you get asked too many times, you punch them the f*** in the head."
06:00 Why get new ones?
06:01 The club was founded in California but grew to have chapters in at least 11 states.
06:05 Membership numbers aren't clear.
06:06 "They keep their overall club numbers to a minimum, which in the long run makes it easier
06:11 to control politically."
06:12 The Disciples are allegedly involved in a number of crimes, including methamphetamine
06:16 trafficking, which seems popular among biker gangs, and possession of an alarming number
06:20 of firearms on more than one occasion.
06:22 "The Disciples play by only one set of rules.
06:27 Their own."
06:28 Famous mullet wielder Dog the Bounty Hunter was once affiliated with the Disciples in
06:32 the late 1960s/early '70s.
06:35 Bandidos Motorcycle Club.
06:36 Founded in 1966 Texas by Vietnam vet Donald Eugene Chambers, the Bandidos today boast
06:41 a presence in over 300 chapters located in at least 20 countries.
06:45 Male-only membership is currently estimated to be in between 2,000 and 2,500.
06:50 "2,500 strong, the Bandidos rule the roads in the U.S. and stretch across the globe,
06:57 from Europe to Asia and Australia."
07:00 No girls allowed.
07:01 We're beginning to notice a trend here.
07:02 Male Vietnam vets and motorcycle clubs seem to go hand in hand.
07:05 Like most, if not all, others on this list, the Bandidos are considered to be a criminal
07:09 enterprise by multiple legal institutions.
07:11 "When you're dealing with them, be aware of what they do, that they carry weapons,
07:16 that they sell drugs, that they steal motorcycles, that they assault and even kill people."
07:20 They are considered to be one of the big four criminal biker gangs in the U.S., along with
07:25 Hells Angels, Outlaws, and Pagans.
07:26 "A common component is that most of these guys have had a missing piece of their childhood.
07:34 So in a sense, they are looking for a family."
07:38 Outlaws Motorcycle Club, the oldest motorcycle club in the world.
07:42 The Outlaws came together in 1935.
07:43 Yes, kids, they had motorcycles back then.
07:47 Membership is Caucasian-only men who conform to the biker gang's rules and lifestyle.
07:51 "What began as little more than alcohol-soaked debauchery soon took a sinister turn."
07:56 "They started buying these motorcycles and forming little gangs, and then they could
08:00 terrorize the countryside."
08:01 "Motorcycle gangs fought to control territory, and the Chicago Outlaws led the charge."
08:07 It bears mentioning that in all these clubs, membership is earned and not freely given.
08:11 Once you're granted membership, there are meetings, mandatory dress code, and strict
08:15 adherence to club rules.
08:16 "The Outlaw motto is 'God forgives, Outlaws don't.'"
08:17 "And I think for the most part, that's self-explanatory."
08:24 The Outlaws have at least 275 chapters in 23 countries and are supported by a number
08:29 of other groups such as, oddly enough, Outcast MC, an African-American MC club.
08:33 They have been reported as participating in most of the other crimes mentioned in this
08:37 list.
08:38 "For the Outlaws, hatred toward the Angels is embedded deep in their culture."
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08:58 Hells Angels The Hells Angels were initially formed, as
09:00 one story goes, in 1948, when World War II veteran Otto Friedli broke off from his former
09:05 club the Pissed Off Bastards to form his own gang.
09:08 "Since 1948, they've been fixtures on the American scene.
09:13 Leather-jacketed so-called 'Angels' who cultivate and relish their image as mythic
09:18 Outlaws who are also pop heroes."
09:21 The Hells Angels now have 467 chapters in 59 countries.
09:26 Their 6,000-plus members makes them the biggest Outlaw MC in the world.
09:30 Members are male only, but women can join their significant others as old ladies or
09:33 their property.
09:34 Charming.
09:35 "The Angels don't claim that they are saints."
09:37 "You know, people come around us and they start interacting with us and then, you know,
09:40 they have a few drinks and the next thing they're starting to think, 'Well, gee, these
09:44 guys don't look so tough and, you know, maybe I'll take one of these guys on and then one
09:49 thing leads to another and, you know, we have to educate them."
09:52 Though they claim to be racially inclusive, many members have opposing views, resulting
09:56 in few to no non-Caucasian members.
09:59 The Hells Angels have been connected to a number of criminal activities, though they
10:02 claim to be just a group of bike enthusiasts.
10:04 "I think law enforcement through the media feeds what they want to feed to the public."
10:11 What would you name your motorcycle club?
10:13 Let us know in the comments.
10:14 "We're the Hell Satans out of Bakersfield."
10:17 "You're the Hell Satans?
10:19 What a fun coincidence.
10:21 My gang's name is also the-" "Shut up!
10:24 You stole our club name."
10:26 "According to our bylaws, we gotta stomp you."
10:29 [outro music]