NCJ Number
101416
Journal
National Sheriff Volume: 37 Issue: 2 Dated: (April-May 1986) Pages: 68-75
Date Published
1986
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This overview of the growing problem of outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMG) -particularly the Hells Angels, Outlaws, Pagans, and Banditos -- focuses on their history, attitudes, biker women, and clubhouse fortifications.
Abstract
Although the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms estimates that there are over 522 OMG's in the United States today, all trace their status and structure to the Hells Angels. A brief history discusses the movie industry's contribution to rise of motorcycle gangs, the 'one-percenter' label, and gangs' involvement in organized criminal activity. Profiles of the 'Big Four' (Hells Angels, Outlaws, Pagans, and Banditos) cover history, size, and geographic locations. Also described are the gangs' strong white supremacy philosophy and rejection of society and its laws. The article explains the status of women in OMG's. A section on OMG clubhouses explains their interior and exterior fortifications, electronic equipment, and booby traps. OMGs' organizational structure is outlined to demonstrate that such groups must be considered as organized crime. Photographs, maps, and charts.