A History of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club
In the folklore of outlaw motorcycle clubs, the Pagans stand side-by-side with the notorious Hells Angels. The 1%er MC has a widespread presence in the Eastern United States and is the most fierce rival of “81.” They are known as a “One Percenter” motorcycle club and are classified as an “Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs” by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
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History of The Pagans Motorcycle Club or Pagan’s MC
The Pagans were founded in Prince George’s County, Maryland in 1959 by Lou Dobkin, who became the first President of the pagans motorcycle club. Originally, the group consisted of 13 members who wore blue denim jackets and rode Triumph motorcycles.
Insignia
The official insignia of the Pagans motorcycle club features the Norse fire-giant “Surtr” sitting on the sun and wielding a sword. Above Surtr is the word “Pagan’s” and below it is “MC”, both of which are written in red, white and blue.
Unlike other One Percenter motorcycle clubs, members of the Pagan motorcycle club do not include their chapter on their insignia. It is believed that they intentionally omit this information in order to prevent law enforcement officers from knowing which chapter they belong to.
Expansion of The Pagans
From their original group of 13 members, the Pagans expanded rapidly in the 1960s. During this period, they created a formal constitution and formed a governing structure with a national president.
Today, there are 350 to 400 members in 13 states. They are active in Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
The Pagan’s MC and Crime
The Pagans have a long history of criminal activities.
Pagans Motorcycle Club Members Criminal Activities as Follows:
In 1994, the Pagans showed up at a charity that was held by the Tri-County MC in Hackettstown, New Jersey. They were there to intimidate local motorcycle clubs or other motorcycle clubs into aligning with them in order to keep the Hells Angels out. A fight broke out and ended with the death of 2 Pagans and numerous injuries.
In 2002, 73 Pagans confronted members of the Hells Angels at the Hellraiser Ball in Long Island, New York. A fight ensued and resulted in the death of a Pagan along with 10 injuries.
Two weeks later, a Pagan's-owned tattoo parlor in Philadelphia was firebombed, perhaps as retaliation for the incident in Long Island.
Continuing their battle with the Hells Angels, the Pagan's allegedly killed the VP of the Hells Angels Philadelphia chapter in 2005.
The Hells Angels closed the said chapter later that year, indicating that they may have been driven out of the stronghold of the Pagans.
Nineteen members of the Pagans were arrested in Rocky Point, New York in 2010 on allegations that they conspired to murder members of the Hells Angels.
Charges included assault, distribution of illegal drugs, conspiracy to commit extortion, weapons charges and other violent crime.
These and numerous other crimes involving illegal drug trafficking, weapons, violence, organized crime and more have made the Pagans perhaps the most fierce 1%er motorcycle club on the planet in a pound-for-pound sense.
They actually hold a lot of similarities with the notorious Japanese 'Bosozoku' motorcycle gangs. Today, the Pagans MC continues it’s virtually regular run-ins with the Hells Angels and law enforcement officers.
Traditions
Unlike most other outlaw motorcycle gang the Pagans explicitly incorporate violence into their culture. The group’s national sergeant-at-arms is responsible for choosing 13 members to serve as “Enforcers” or “Regulators.”
These members use intimidation and violence to deter all opposition to the Mother Club.
Overall, the group is known to have an unpleasant culture. Many members are known to have fascist or racist views and some wear patches that reflect such beliefs.
Also, disputes are often resolved through violence, which lends to the group’s overall bad-boy image.
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Membership
Members of the Pagans must be at least 21 years of age. They must also own a Harley Davidson motorcycles with a 900 cc engine or larger.
The Pagans operate a rigid, hierarchical group. The Pagans are currently headquartered in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
