Outlaws Motorcycle Club

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Not to be confused with Outlaw motorcycle clubs in general.

Outlaws MC colors

The Outlaws Motorcycle Club is an American motorcycle club. Formed in Mc Cook, Illinois in 1935, the organization has approximately 200 chapters in the United States, Canada, Australia, Asia, and Europe. U.S. chapters account for around 2000 members and Europe about 800. The Outlaws' main headquarters can be found in Florida The Outlaws MC are now the biggest 1% Motorcycle Club in the World.

1 Overview
2 Famous and infamous members
3 Recent incidents
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Overview

Each chapter has a clubhouse. These clubhouses are used for "church meetings," parties, and privacy. They are usually secured by concrete walls, steel doors, razor wire, guard dogs, and video surveillance.

The Outlaws are "one percenters," or the one-percent of bikers who have rejected societal norms and dedicated their lives to the club. Membership is limited to men who own American-made motorcycles of a particular size, although in Europe motorcycles from any country are allowed so long as they are in the chopper style. Membership dues are divided between the chapter and the region. A prospective member is first a "hang-around" or associate. After having proven himself worthy, he is promoted to "probate" status and, finally, a patched member.

A patched member is entitled to wear a leather or denim vest bearing an Outlaws emblem, called "colors." The patch is surrounded by chapter and club membership information, called "rockers." These emblems are purchased directly from the international president. A patched member is also allowed to attend the weekly church meetings, while associates, probates, and "old ladies" wait outside. After being a member in good standing for a year, an Outlaw may wear a tattoo depicting the Outlaws emblem.

An Outlaw's tattoos can reflect other membership information as well. An Outlaw who commits murder, attempts murder, or explodes a bomb on behalf of the Outlaws is entitled to wear "lightning bolts," a Nazi-style "SS" tattoo. An Outlaw who has spent time in jail may receive an "LL" tattoo, which stands for "Lounge Lizard."

The Outlaws maintain a list of Lounge Lizards, or incarcerated Outlaws, and collect money on their behalf. Chapters also encourage the Lounge Lizards' "old ladies" and fellow Outlaws to send letters to imprisoned members.

They have rivalries with several other clubs. Their dislike of Hells Angels is expressed in their slogans "AHAMD," or "All Hell's Angels Must Die," and "ADIOS," or "Angels Die in Outlaws States." They also dislike the Pagans and the Warlocks.

The Outlaws collect information on their rivalries with other clubs. They primarily collect newspaper clippings regarding incidents with other clubs. Outlaws also travel, at the club's direction, to the funerals of fellow bikers. Members often attend regular motorcycle rallies not wearing Outlaws colors years before (and after) Outlaws might openly attend.

[edit] Famous and infamous members

Harry Joseph Bowman as profiled on an FBI wanted poster

The FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitive #453, Harry Joseph Bowman, in prison since 1999 for three murders, was the international president of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. During the time that Bowman was a fugitive in 1998, it had chapters in more than 30 cities in the United States and some 20 chapters in at least four other countries. Country music singer David Allan Coe was a member of the Outlaws.

[edit] Recent incidents

Christopher Legere of Raymond, NH, an Outlaws member, was recently arrested in the murder of a man who was wearing a Hells Angels shirt. The victim, John Denoncourt, 32. of Manchester, NH, was shot and killed outside the 3-Cousins Pizza and Lounge in Manchester after he was spotted hugging the bartender, who was Legere's girlfriend. Denoncourt, according to friends and family, was not a Hells Angel member himself but had friends who were. Legere had been involved in another incident in Connecticut in early 2006 when he was charged with illegal possession of body armor by a convicted felon, telling police that "tensions were high" between the Hells Angels and the Outlaws at the time and that members from outside of the state were brought in to protect Marty Warren, who claimed to be the east coast representative for the Outlaws.

On August 8, 2006, four Outlaws members were wounded, three seriously, in a gunfight in Custer State Park, South Dakota, among bikers gathered for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. A woman acquaintance was also wounded. Two men arrested and charged with attempted murder were said to be Canadian members of Hells Angels. A statement posted on the Outlaws' web site had announced Outlaws members would attend Sturgis but not make any "display of power," and claimed that they had given prior notice to federal law enforcement of their intention to sightsee and enjoy the rally.