Outlaws Motorcycle Club
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The Outlaws Motorcycle Club is a motorcycle club that was formed in McCook, Illinois in 1935. It has approximately 200 chapters in the United States, Canada, Australia,New Zealand, Asia, and Europe.
The Outlaws are a "one percenter" club. Membership is limited to men who own American-made motorcycles of a particular size[1], although in Europe motorcycles from any country are allowed so long as they are in the chopper style. Their main rivals are the Hells Angels.
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[edit] Club History
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Outlaws Motorcycle Club (est. 1935)
1935 The McCook Outlaws Motorcycle Club is established out of Matilda's Bar on old Route 66 in McCook, Illinois outside Chicago.[1]
1946 Although the Club stayed together during World War II, like most organizations at that time, the Club's activities were limited. In May of 1946 the first major post-war motorcycle event in the midwest was held at Soldier Field, in Chicago.
1950 From its original charter members of 1935 the Club grew in size, with members from all over the Chicago area. The Club decided to change its name from The McCook Outlaws to The Chicago Outlaws and moved out of McCook, re-establishing itself in Chicago. It was also decided to completely change the Club logo. A small skull replaced a winged motorcycle and Old English style letters were adopted. This design was embroidered on a black shirt and hand painted on leather jackets.
1954 The Crossed Pistons were added to the original small skull. This design was embroidered on a black western style shirt with white piping. The movie "The Wild One" with Marlon Brando influenced this backpatch.
1959 The Skull and Crossed Pistons were redesigned, making them much larger with more detail. The AOA Logo is adopted as an answer to the AMA logo.
1960 The A.M.A. American Motorcycle Association, that supervises all official races in the USA - banned the word "Outlaws" from all race clothing. Therefore all racing club members wore the sign OMC on their outfits till 1963.
1963 The Outlaws became an official member of the 1%er Brotherhood of Clubs, making it the first true 1%er Club east of the Mississippi.
1964 On the 4th of July, the "Cult" from Voorheesville join the club. During the Springfield Motorraces in August they are followed by the "Gypsy Outlaws" from Louisville. They had no former contacts at that time with the Milwaukee Club. The "Outlaw Nation" was founded with Chicago as Mother Chapter.
1965 On the 1st of January 1965, the AOA - American Outlaws Association - was born. The backpatch of the club, skull and crossed pistons, is named "Charlie"
1969 "God Forgives, Outlaws Don't" becomes the club's motto. ( G F O D )
1967 In July 1967 the Outlaws National President and a few more members came down from Chicago, and we were the first chapter sanctioned in Florida.
1977 Foundation of the first chapter outside the USA in Canada. The "Satan's Choice" becomes Outlaws MC.
1984 For the first time a member not belonging to the Mother chapter becomes "National President"
1989 The abbreviation "MC" is added to the backpatch.
1993 France becomes the first European chapter.
1994 Foundation of the overseas chapter by the "Australian Outlaws" on the 5th continent. Also the "MC 44" from France becomes the chapter. On their backpatch "Europe" is added.
1995 As the Chicago chapter is growing, it's split into three groups: Mother Chapter (Southside), Westside and Northside. Norway becomes the second European chapter.
1999 The Belgian "Outlaws MC", that already exists independently for 25 years, becomes member of the AOA - at that moment, it is the only chapter in Europe.
2000 The English and Welsh "Outlaws MC", till then an independent MC, join the AOA.
Later that year, Norway is added again as the first Scandinavian chapter.
2001 In many countries in Europe starts new chapters. Ireland and Jersey.
In Germany the "Ghost Riders MC" joins the AOA - followed by the first Asian chapter in Thailand and a second Scandinavian chapter in Sweden.
2002 In Germany starts the first official Support MC (Black Pistons MC) of the AOA Nation. Other countries, USA, Canada, Great Britain, Poland and Norway follow.
In Italy and Poland starts new chapter of the AOA
2003 The Outlaws MC is represented in 19 states in the USA. The French "MC Drome" join the AOA.
2004 End of 2004 - the A.O.A. starts the first prospective chapter in Russia.
2005 Biking & Brotherhood since 1935. The Outlaws MC World celebrate 2005 the 70th Anniversary as a Motorcycle Club and the 40th Anniversary of the AOA (American Outlaws Association)
Charlie is landed in Russia. Russia get the full-member Status in June 2005.
2006 End of 2006 - the A.O.A. starts the first chapter in Japan.
2007 In March 2007 starts the first prospective chapter in Philippines. The Black Pistons MC starts it's first chapter in Australia.
The Outlaws today exist as one of the largest Motorcycle Clubs worldwide.
[edit] Famous and infamous members
The FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitive #453, Harry Joseph Bowman, known World Leader of the AOA, 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 is a former member of the Outlaws[2].
[edit] Recent incidents
On June 10, 1997, US Attorneys indicted 17 members of the Outlaws motorcycle club for racketeering, murder, narcotics trafficking, and bombing. Members were from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana chapters. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms completed a 2 ½ year investigation sparked by a war between the Outlaws and Hell’s Angels for control over areas of Chicago and Milwaukee.
On December 19, 2000, Kevin O'Neill, president of the Wisconsin / Stateline Outlaws chapter, received a sentence of life in prison after being convicted on racketeering charges.
On May 31, 2001, Edward Anastas, one-time president of the Milwaukee chapter of the Outlaws motorcycle club, was arrested after being named in a sealed indictment charging him with racketeering conspiracy, cocaine conspiracy, and participating in a bombing.
On March 14, 2003, Thomas Sienkowski, president of the Milwaukee chapter of the Outlaws motorcycle club, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for racketeering.
On August 8, 2006, four Outlaws members were wounded, three seriously, in an ambush in Custer State Park, South Dakota among bikers gathered for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally[citation needed]. A woman acquaintance was also wounded. Two men arrested and charged with attempted murder were said to be Canadian members of the Hell's 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.
Frank Rego Vital of Roberta, Georgia, an Outlaws MC member, was shot and killed in an early morning gunfight June 24, 2007 in the parking lot of The Crazy Horse Saloon strip club in Forest Park, Georgia by two members of the Renegades MC in what has been described as a self-defense shooting after Vital and other Outlaws members followed the men from the club. Both Renegade members were shot several times but survived. [3]
Christopher Legere of Raymond, New Hampshire, an Outlaws member, was recently arrested in the murder of a man who was wearing a Hell's Angels shirt[citation needed]. The victim, John Denoncourt, 32, of Manchester, New Hampshire, 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 Hell's 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 Hell's 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 July 31, 2007 the FBI raided Brockton, Massachusetts outlaws[citation needed]. The Taunton, Massachusetts Club house was raided, but due to immunity of the Brockton club house nothing happened. Many people were arrested, including Joseph Noe, former Taunton chapter of the Outlaws.
On the morning of August 16, 2007, Federal agents along with the Daytona Beach SWAT Team raided the Outlaws biker club’s hangout on Beach Street in Daytona Beach, Florida[citation needed]. Federal agents also raided a site in Ormond Beach and two others around the state. The search of the Jacksonville clubhouses netted federal agents 60 weapons. U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced a Detroit grand jury indictment of 16 of the Outlaws National Club's members[citation needed]. The Detroit grand jury indictment included various charges, including assault and drug distribution. Eleven Outlaws leaders and high-ranking members of the gang were arrested after a five-year investigation. The FBI said several gang members were charged with conspiracy to commit assault on members of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club in Indiana.
On March 5, 2008, fighting broke out at a motorcycle meeting in Germany, between Outlaws and Hell's Angels members. Arrests were made. [2]
On March 10, 2008, a racial conflict broke out with the outlaws and a group of African-Americans.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ 1000 cc engine capacity, according to the History Channel series Gangland
- ^ David Allan Coe: Bike Week's pied piper Jim Witters, Daytona Beach News-Journal Online, retrieved 12 September 2007
- ^ Resaca biker jailed after fatal shooting
[edit] Other references
- Indiana Drug Threat Assessment
- United States v. Bowman, 302 F.3d 1228, 1232 (11th Cir., 2002)
- Article from the Union Leader on the search for Christopher Legere
- Article from the Argus Leader on the shootout in South Dakota
