3 Of The Most Famous Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs In California

Most people, even those with little knowledge of outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs), likely know who and what the Hells Angels are. Made famous by Hollywood for their notorious reputation, this long-standing motorcycle club (MC) is one the best-known but is by no means the only one. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there are over 300 active OMGs in this country, with at least four dozen operating inside California alone.

Being famous is a term usually associated with something positive, like the fictional television show "Sons of Anarchy" that ran for several seasons on FX Network. It was a smash hit famous for bringing the MC life to a whole new audience. The Sons were based in Charming, a fake Norther California town, located somewhere in San Joaquin County close to genuine locations like Stockton, Sacramento, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

If you grew up in the region, you've probably seen the now-defunct Altamont Speedway that still sits off Interstate 580 as you travel east from Livermore toward Tracy (not far from Stockton). Back in 1969, the Altamont was the location for a free concert dubbed "Woodstock West" with famous bands like Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and the Rolling Stones. 

Some 300,000 people swarmed the little racetrack in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, promoters hired members from the infamous Oakland chapter of the Hells Angels to act as security (for $500 worth of beer). Overwhelming numbers, combined with drugs, booze, and poor planning, caused chaos to erupt, and four people died, including one at the hands of an Angel.

Fame and infamy are two sides of the same coin. The Hells Angels are still the most "famous" of the California outlaw motorcycle gangs. Ironically, the infamous club started as a group of World War II veterans looking for the same type of camaraderie they shared in the military. They called themselves the "Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington" (POBOB).

In 1947, the MC stormed an American Motorcycle Association (AMA) sponsored hill climb event and turned it into a brawl that reportedly lasted a week. Their mayhem continued at a handful of other events over the next several months, leading the Riverside police chief to blame it on "visiting outlaws" and perpetually linked the term "outlaw" with motorcycle gangs.

Three years later (1950), members of POBOB — led by Otto Friedli – broke off and formed the "Hells Angels," taking their name from the World War II "Flying Tigers" Hells Angels fighter squadron. What's more, the MC's Death Head insignia originates from the 85th Fighter Squadron and the 552nd Medium Bomber Squadron. The club was headquartered in San Bernardino until Ralph "Sonny" Barger took over as leader of the MC and moved it north to Oakland in 1958. Before passing away in 2022 in Livermore (not far from the infamous Altamont concert), Barger appeared in a few episodes of "Sons of Anarchy" as the fictional founder of the MC.

The club continues to make news. In June of 2024, the entire Bakersfield chapter of the Angels (all seven members) was arrested on various charges that included kidnapping, first-degree robbery, and assault with a firearm, among others. In October 2024, a combined 16 members of the Angels and the Red Devils (the Angels support club) were charged with murder, attempted murder, and assault with a dangerous weapon (all in aid of racketeering) in Raleigh and Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The U.S. Department of Justice defines outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) as organized criminal organizations, much like the Mafia, or even street gangs like the Crips and Bloods. The clubs are used to engage in an array of criminal activities that run the gamut from human trafficking to smuggling guns, drugs, and everything in between. They are considered such a serious national domestic threat that the FBI keeps tabs on them. While one club may originate in a particular state, they tend to grow and open chapters both within the U.S. and globally. Some MCs prefer to remain small (a single chapter) with just a handful of members, but others can have hundreds of chapters with thousands of members worldwide.

Given the tight-lipped nature of these organizations, it's hard to determine how many members any given MC might have. Still, it's believed that the Angels have as many as 6,000, with hundreds of chapters operating in over 50 countries, making them one of the "Big Four" MCs in this country.

Another California-based top-tier outlaw MC is Vagos (aka "Green Nation"). Its website (which hasn't been updated since 2015) states it started on the corner of Eighth and Davidson in San Bernardino, California, as a motorcycle club ... not a gang. Because numbers are difficult to verify, the MC is believed to have as many as 4,500 members with a few dozen chapters (mainly in the Western U.S.), including California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Mexico.

According to the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department, "vagos" means "traveling gypsy" in Spanish, and its primary club color green is bad luck among bikers because it represents grass (a symbol of being buried). Members wear patches sporting Loki (the Norse god of mischief) riding a motorcycle. The number 22 adorns their vests because V (for Vagos) is the 22nd letter of the alphabet.

Despite protestations to the contrary, law enforcement considers the MC to be one of the largest in Southern California and one of the most violent in America, especially against rival MCs. It is most famous for its constant feud with the Hells Angels, killing many over the years. Members have been convicted for distributing methamphetamines, being caught with over 40 pounds of cocaine, possessing a rocket launcher (among other weapons-related crimes), and laundering money.

Infamously, it's been infiltrated more than once (not uncommon for MCs). Over three years, evidence was gathered that resulted in 42 convictions, while a second person was able to make it to the number two position in the Victorville chapter and provided enough dirt for the ATF to make 62 arrests for numerous crimes (including murder).

The Mongols (aka the Mongol Brotherhood or Mongol Nation) MC started in 1969 in Montebello (a suburb of Los Angeles). It was founded by a group who couldn't get into the Hells Angels because it didn't allow Hispanic members. Many were also Vietnam vets who, like those returning from WWII, wanted that same camaraderie that had come with serving shoulder-to-shoulder in the military.

The MC's name comes from the Mongol Empire, famously led by Genghis Khan, the 13th century warlord who swept his hordes across central Asia and China. Its vest insignia is that of a Mongol warrior with sunglasses riding a chopper. It's believed to have as many as 2,000 full-patch members with chapters across the globe, including Australia, Europe, South America, Canada, Sweden, and Thailand.

Although it didn't initially start as an outlaw biker gang, the Mongols voted to embrace the criminal lifestyle in 1974. Sometime during the 1980s, the MC wrested control of Southern California from the Hells Angels, which began a bloody feud between the two. At one time, it was considered the "most dangerous gang in the country" by the FBI.

The Mongols are probably most "famous" (or infamous by law enforcement standards) for the riot that took place during the Laughlin River Run in Nevada in April 2002. As more than 80,000 people flocked to the area, a solo Angel was gunned down by Mongols heading to the run. Other Angels at the Flamingo Hotel then rode over to Harrah's Casino and started shooting. When the dust settled, two Angles and one Mongol were dead, and more than a dozen others were wounded.