Pagan's Motorcycle Club

Pagan's MC
Founded1959; 65 years ago (1959)[1]
FounderLou Dobkin[1]
Founded atPrince George's County, Maryland, United States[2]
TypeOutlaw motorcycle club
Region
East Coast of the United States and Puerto Rico (41 chapters in 12 U.S. states and 1 U.S. territory)[3]
Membership
1,500[4]
National President
Robert "Big Bob" Francis[5]

Pagan's Motorcycle Club, or simply the Pagans, is an outlaw motorcycle club formed by Lou Dobkin in 1957 in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States.[1][6] The club rapidly expanded and by 1959, the Pagans, originally clad in blue denim jackets and riding Triumphs, began to evolve along the lines of the stereotypical one percenter motorcycle club.[1]

The Pagans are categorized as an outlaw motorcycle club by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). They are known to fight over territory with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC)[1] and other motorcycle clubs. They are currently active in California, Arizona, Nevada, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Washington State and Puerto Rico.[7]

  1. ^ a b c d e Mallory, Stephen L. (2007), Understanding Organized Crime, Jones & Bartlett Publishers, pp. 157–160, ISBN 978-0-7637-4108-2
  2. ^ The Rise of the Pagans in New Jersey State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation (September 2020) Archived June 28, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Outlaw biker gangs in Pittsburgh area have splintered over time Torsten Ove, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (May 19, 2015) Archived May 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "30 members of Pagans Motorcycle Club arrested for alleged drug trafficking". The Independent. December 10, 2020. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  5. ^ Leader of Pagan’s motorcycle club sentenced to 33 months for gun charge Joe Atmonavage, NJ.com (October 14, 2021) Archived October 14, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Barker, Tom (September 2005), "One Percent Biker Clubs -- A Description", Trends in Organized Crime, vol. 9, no. 1, Springer New York, pp. 101–112, doi:10.1007/s12117-005-1005-0, ISSN 1084-4791, S2CID 144003167
  7. ^ "Into the Abyss: Motorcycle Gangs". People.missouristate.edu. Retrieved 2016-01-22.