1. Running Head: The Pagans Motorcycle Club 1
The Pagans Outlaw Motorcycle Club
Malissa Mardorf
Organized Crime
Dr. Foley
Due: November 19, 2014

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Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, or “clubs”, as members would like to be referred to as, have
been an ongoing and growing part of organized crime. From their first start post World War II,
until this very day, motorcycle gangs have been a developing problem in the world. They are
becoming increasingly well structured, dangerous, and not to mention they gain income from
illegal methods. They contribute to our ongoing war on drugs, and also add a tremendous
amount of violence to society due to their outlaw attitudes.
Outlaw clubs may also be referred to as “one percenters”. This was all based on a
statement from the American Motorcyclist Association which stated that 99% of motorcyclists
are law abiding citizens, while the other 1% are outlaws. This statistic given by a member of the
AMA is controversial. Some members stated that this statement was not said and taken out of
context, and others do not agree with it because those statistics are not accurate. Regardless of
the fact, many outlaw gangs use this 1% as a way of identification.
The Pagans motorcycle club was founded in 1959 in the state of Maryland by a man
named Lou Dobkin. The original gang started off as a 13 manned group, who were generally
nonviolent. In the early 1960’s, the demand for a structured group grew and changes began to
take place. A constitution was written, a structured government was created, and a system of
rank was established. John “Satan” Marron, who was previously the Sons of Satan president,
became the first national president. With this title now in the hands of Marron, a noticeable
increase of violence occurred setting the tone for future outlaw and illegal activity.
Motorcycle gangs wear patches as one of the numerous methods of distinguishing
themselves and showing pride in the club they belong to. The Pagans’ patch shows a Surtr,
which is a fire giant based on German mythological tales. The Surtr is seen sitting atop the sun

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while clutching a sword in one hand. Additionally, the word “Pagans” is written in red, white
and blue as their top rocker patch (above MC patch). More patches are common for members to
have, but are not required. These patches all serve a purpose in order to portray information or to
claim a stance. Some common patches that are typically worn by a member of the Pagan’s are an
assortment of numbers. A 13 can be worn to signify their mother chapter. A 4 can be worn to
represent their motto, “live and die”. The number 5 can be worn to represent Nazi beliefs. A
number 7 can be worn as a memorial patch for the deceased. Lastly, a number 9 can be worn to
show the chapter a member belongs to. Some other common patches are, “live pagans; die
pagans”, “pagans forever; forever pagans”, and the number 16 or the letter P. Their wardrobe is
made up of blue denim vests referred to as cuts which display all their patches. This particular
gang does not include a bottom rocker patch, which is placed below the mc patch. This helps
depict what chapter the individual belongs to. This is done in an attempt to keep unwanted
information away from law enforcement and to keep their specific chapter a secret. Patches are
properties of the club itself, not the individual member so they should be worn and protected
with pride. When a member has violated the rules of the club, he may be stripped of all his
patches and banished, punished, or even killed.
On top of the various patches members wear, tattoos are also very common. Rights must
be earned in order to have the honor of sporting a club tattoo. Common tattoos are the words,
pagan Motorcycle club, live pagans; die pagans, pagans forever; forever pagans, and 1%. Being
tattooed Pagans M.C. with God on the upper back is a very special privilege that must be earned.
Just as the patches, tattoos are also removed after violating the club. This can either be done by
inking over the skin with black, or any other ways possible.

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Many at risk offenders look to join gangs as a sense of belonging. This is also true for
motorcycle gangs. Many members join for a sense of protection and grow close into a family
type figure. New members attempting to join the club are called prospects. These men go
through a vigorous process to prove their devotion and self-worth to the club. Some initial
qualifications must be met in order to try and join. You must be at least a 21 year old male who
owns a Harley Davidson or a Triumph motorcycle. The engine of the motorcycle also must be
more than 900cc. If prospects meet these primary credentials, they will be given a cut, and a
prospect badge until they can prove themselves worthy. After committing challenging and
illegal tasks, prospects can trade in their prospect patches for gang colors and are then considered
an official member of the club. Usually very hard challenges are given to the prospects such as
smuggling drugs, or even murder to try and test their dedications to the club. They only want the
strongest and most loyal members that will not break under pressure. This assures a strongly
bonded club with a smaller chance of betrayal.
The Pagans’ have about 900 active members along with prospects, and other various
hang around members. The club is made up of about 44 chapters, which are localized groups of
members of the club. The most common chapters are in Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Delaware, and Maryland. Every chapter has an organizational structure set up with a president, a
vice president, treasurer, secretary, road captain, and a sergeant-at-arms. Most outlaw
motorcycle gangs have a mother chapter, which is the original chapter that was created. The
Pagans’ mother chapter is very nomadic and usually changes when a new president is elected,
although it is usually located in Maryland, Pennsylvania, or Long Island, NY. This mother
chapter contains anywhere between 17-20 members. The president of the mother chapter is also
the president of the entire club. Chapters are kept on the small side, usually maxing out at

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around 25 members. This is done to ensure a close bond and to allow for easier decision making.
If the membership starts reaching its maximum capacity, another chapter is created to facilitate
for these individuals. Unlike most motorcycle clubs, the Pagan’s do not have international
chapters.
The National Sergeant at arms, belonging to the mother chapter, is responsible for
handpicking 13 members to serve as the enforcement team. These members wear all black and
the number 13 on their backs. This group is specifically in charge of maintaining order and
enforcing punishment. The 13 members load into two black vans in order to “TCB”, or take care
of business. Motorcycle clubs often have trademark hits in order to show that they are
dangerous, serious, and want the other groups to know that they mean business. The Pagan’s
trademark hit is two shots in the back of the head with a .38 caliber double automatic colt, and
then stomping the victim on the ground after the shooting.
Members meet weekly in more private settings as opposed to a club house. The location
is usually done in a member’s home or elsewhere. The weekly meeting is known as “church”
and all members are required to attend. Failure to show up can result in heavy fines or even
expulsion from the club. The meetings follow Robert’s Rules of Order and include a roll call,
motions, and voting on matters. Although each chapter has its own president and vice president,
they do not lead the chapters per say. Members act more or less as equals during meetings in
order to successfully conduct business. The president and vice president are in charge more of
setting drug prices, and receive a high salary, usually around $200,000 a year, not including any
sales or deals made within the club.

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The Hells Angels and The Pagans have been known to be rivals of each other. Most of
the violence conducted by The Pagans is in direct correlation to their enemy. The Hells Angels
tried to interrupt Pagan territory by hosting their hell raiser ball in Long Island on claimed Pagan
land, and also tried to establish a chapter in Philadelphia. The Pagans did not like this invasion
on their turf and retaliated.
On February 23, 2002 a deadly brawl took place between the Pagans and the Hells
Angels. The Angels were hosting an event in Long Island, called the Hells Angels’ Hell Raiser
Ball containing bands, motorcycle exhibits and tattoo contests. The event was made up of about
1,000 motorcyclists and a half dozen police observing from across the street. After around 4
p.m. 10 vanloads of Pagans descended on the ball. They stormed in armed with baseball bats
and various other weapons, and started to create a ruckus. Shots were fired out from a member
of the Hells Angels and the fighting started. One fatality occurred on the Pagans’ side from the
gun shot and 10 others were found to be injured. 75 bikers ended up being charged, 73 of which
were members of the Pagans. Approximately 500 weapons were seized including guns, knives,
bats, and axe handles, as well as a large amount of cocaine. This fight is believed to of started
due to the Hells Angels trying to take over Pagan land in Long Island.
A short while after the hell raiser ball incident, Hells Angels attempted to open up a
chapter in Philadelphia. This also being Pagan turf, was not acceptable to the club. After a few
minor altercations, in January of 2005, the Philadelphian Hells Angels chapter president was
gunned down and killed. It is strongly believed that this was the workings of the Pagan’s in
order to protect their area. Shortly after this fatal attack, Hells Angels pulled their chapter from
Philadelphia and the Pagans successfully reclaimed their territory.

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The Pagans are notoriously known for their violence and connections to the mob, causing
them to be closely linked to organized crime. At first relations between The Pagans and the
Philadelphia crime families were not good. Both groups were heavily involved in drug
trafficking and a disagreement arose. One member of the Pagans attempted to kill Harry
“Hunchback” Riccobene over such deal. Luckily, the shot missed and wounded a body guard.
Relationships between the two groups surprisingly grew close and soon they became partners in
the manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine and PCP. The Pagans also act as body
guards and hit men for them. A supposed pact reported by the Philadelphia press, depicts crime
family head “Skinny” Joey Merlino and former Pagans chapter president and Philadelphia Police
Officer Steven “Gorilla” Mondevergine working together in order to keep Hells Angels out of
the New Jersey and Philadelphia region.
One of the most recent, important cases associating with the Pagan club occurred in
November of 2014. The formal national president of the club, Dennis “Rooster” Katona was
arrested on drug charges. He was sentenced to 40-80 months in prison. Also, Raymond “Pete”
Overly, a chapter president is planning on pleading guilty this month to racketeering and a high
number of drug related offenses.
Along with being known for violent tendencies, The Pagans are also largely into the drug
and prostitution business. Other criminal activities include arms dealing, extortion, arson,
assault, murder, and trafficking stolen goods. The Pagans cook and distribute most of the
methamphetamine and PCP found in the northeastern part of the United States. They have
created their own laboratories and chemists to help with the high drug demand. They earn
upwards of about $15 million a year in the drug business, working alongside the Philadelphia
crime family. The Pagans are not limited to methamphetamines and PCP, for they also deal

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cocaine, marijuana, and killerweed which is a mixture of parsley and PCP. Their big buyers are
located in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio. Puppet clubs,
which are smaller motorcycle clubs, and small drug organizations are also used by the Pagans to
help them with drug distributions.
Out of all the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs in the world, the Pagans are dangerous enough
to make it into the “big four”, which also includes the Hells Angels, the Outlaws, and the
Bandidos. The Pagans are a highly dangerous set of individuals with countless murder, drug,
and prostitution charges against them. They have close ties to mob families, causing them to be
an important aspect of organized crime.

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References
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"Big Four Motorcycle Clubs." Motorcycle Clubs HQ. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
Gootman, Elissa. "Biker Attack Is Called Clash Over L.I. Turf." The New York Times. The New York
Times, 24 Feb. 2002. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
"Information on The Pagans Motorcycle Club. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
"Inner Workings of Pagans Motorcycle Gang Slowly Being Revealed." TribLIVE.com. Web. 19 Nov.
2014.
"Mob-pagan Pact Joey's Bid For Philly Crime Boss Fueled By Link With Biker Gang." Philly.com.
N.p., 11 Mar. 1999. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
"OUTLAW BIKER GANGS: Pagans MC." OUTLAW BIKER GANGS: Pagans MC. Web. 19 Nov.
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"Pagans Arrests `Just The Tip Of The Iceberg,' Fbi Agent Says Violence And Crime Are Endemic In
The Gang, Officials Say. Rules Are Simple: Don't Touch A Member's Girlfriend Or Steal His
Bike."Philly.com. N.p., 25 June 1998. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
"Reputed Pagans Leaders in Court This Week on Drug Charges." TribLIVE.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19
Nov. 2014.