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K&A Gang

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The K&A Gang
Founding
Kensington, Philadelphia
location
Years active 1950s - present
Various neighborhoods in Northeast
Territory Philadelphia
Port Richmond
Ethnicity Predominantly Irish American,
Membership around 50-60 members
Burglary, loan sharking, gambling,
Criminal
drug trafficking, racketeering,
activities
extortion, murder
Scarfo crime family
Allies Philadelphia Greek Mob
Genovese crime family
Various local street gangs,Kielbassa
Rivals Posse,[1]
Russian organized crime

The K&A Gang (currently known as the Northeast Philly Mob) is a predominantly Irish
American criminal network based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The K&A Gang was started
following World War II and controlled the city's Irish-American criminal underworld for much
of the late 1900s. The group was mainly a burglary ring for much of its early history, but shifted
into loansharking. gambling, and ultimately drug trafficking in its later existence. The name
"K&A" is derived from Kensington and Allegheny, the road intersection where the gang
originally formed.[2]

Domestically, the network is known to have ties to various criminal organizations in its
surrounding area. They are known to have amicable ties to the La Cosa Nostra. Namely the
Scarfo crime family, but also the South Jersey faction of the New York City-based Genovese
crime family,[3] the local Greek mob, local Jewish-American criminals, and various independent
drug and hijacking gangs of various European ethnicities in the Greater Philadelphia area.. They
are also said to have ties to the Irish Republican Army and the larger Irish republican movement.

History
Beginnings as a burglary ring

From the post-war 1950s to the 1970s, members of the network were tied to burglaries and theft
operations all along the East Coast. While most of their work was around the Philadelphia area,
they ventured out from their turf since the group's inception. A favored target was the wealthy
residential Jewish suburbs, which would be the livelihood of the group for many years. The crew
was adamant about not carrying weapons with them while they burglarized. This was largely due
to the liability of increased jail time if caught with a firearm. They also traded the cliché burglary
attire for professional suits, while on the job, in case they were stopped. In those days, there was
no overarching structure within the gang. It was horizontal in nature, there being several
prominent "crew chiefs" who held influence.[4]

Their reach even extended outside the boundaries of Philadelphia as they targeted other ventures.
In North Carolina, several member were known as the "Hallmark Gang" and would collaborate
with the Dixie Mafia. They are also allegedly responsible for the Pottsville Heist in 1959. George
Holmes, alleges that a showgirl named Lillian Reis gave the gang the tip they needed to pilfer
$478,000 in cash and jewelry from the home of John B. Rich. Lillian "Tiger Lil" Reis was a
well-known nightclub entrepreneur and former showgirl who had ties to the gangsters.[5]

Expansion into the methamphetamine trade

By the late 1970s, with the advent of modern home-security technologies, the burglary racket
was no longer viable as a main source of income.[6] WIth the rise of the drug culture of the 1980s,
the group began to focus less on their signature brand of thievery and more towards traditional
criminal schemes and the booming methamphetamine trade. This was largely due to the immense
profit that was available due to the high demand in the area.[7]

By the early 1980s, John Carlyle Berkery, whom worked very close with Kripplebauer in the
formative years of the gang, was the de facto head of the group. He had close ties with Angelo
Bruno and Raymond Martorano of the Philadelphia crime family, as well as John McCollough;
union boss of the Roofer's Union, Local 30[8] It was through these influential connections that the
K&A Gang would expand into other rackets establishing its foothold in the Northeast.

In 1983, Philadelphia garnered a reputation as the "meth capital of the world." A statement
published by the Associated Press, from a local police officer.[9] It is widely held that this was
made possible due to the K&A Gang, and the Junior Black Mafia, amongst others.[10]

After being indicted for 14 counts of trafficking in methamphetamine and the chemical P2P in
January 1982, Berkery fled to Ireland to avoid prosecution. Where he supposedly had contacts in
the Irish Republican Army.[11] In the fall of 1987, afer spending five years on the run, he was
captured in June 1987 and subsequently faced trial. Berkery admitted to engaing in a large scale
meth deal with Chelsais Bouras, leader of the Philadelphia Greek Mob. Ronald Raiton, a notable
criminal figure in the methamphetamine trade, testified that Berkery had bought 200 gallons of
P2P from Raiton over the course of a year in 1980-1981.[12] Prosecutors stated that he and
Raymond Martorano had planned to take over all meth trafficking in Philadelphia. Eventually,
Berkery was found guilty of all 14 counts and sentenced him to 15 years in a federal penitentiary,
10 years of "special parole" and five years of probation.[13]

String of drug ring arrests


In Berkery's absence Carl "Better Days" Jackson assumed control of the group after Berkery fled
to Ireland. Jackson went on to lead the group until his conviction in late 1987, just a week after
his former boss faced trial and was also found guilty. Jackson was said to have gained around 4
million dollars in drug profits in the period between his takeover of the Gang's meth endeavours
and his eventual arrest. He received a lifetime sentence in accordance with the Continuing
Criminal Enterprise statute, otherwise known as the "drug kingpin" law.[14]

Along with Carl Jackson, 22 affiliates of the K&A meth ring were indicted under federal drug
manufacturing charges. An operation that authorities believe produced roughly ten-million
dollars worth of speed in hidden labs in the across Pennsylvania area.They were said to have
manufactured 100 pounds of methamphetamine at a time, which was then distributed by
Jackson's subordinates. At the time US Attorney Edward Dennis, claimed in a press release that
the gang is "one of the largest methamphetamine organizations in the nation." Edward Loney
was to have arranged the obtaining of 50-gallons of P2P, a precursor chemical, along with
Waldemar "Walter" Roeder from Toronto. While Jackson sold mass quantities to contacts in
New York.[15]

After the downfall of Carl Jackson, Roy Stocker became the dominant K&A member operating a
methamphetamine manufactering enterprise. In 1981, Stacker sought a partnership with Scarfo in
an methampetamine operation in Northeast Philadelphia, through Albert "Reds" Pontani.
between 1981 and 1986 allegedly produced and distributed methamphetamine, commonly
known as speed, and also allegedly took part in extortion, loan-sharking and burglary.[16] The
meth rings were sanctioned by the Scarfo crime family, who received a cut of the profits. In
February 1991, Roy Stacker and three others were found guilty of operating a ring that sold $52
million worth of methamphetamine between 1981 and 1987.[17]

Roofer's Union corruption

In the early 2000s, the Traitz brothers, who were connected to the K&A Gang through the
Roofers Union - Local 30 were indicted on the murder of Robert Hammond. He was allegedly
assumed to be an informant on the meth operation that the Traitz brother ran in tandem with
members of the K&A gang. David Criniti who was involved in the operation soon testified
against the defendants, dealing a blow to the K&A Gang.[18]

Historical membership
Leaders

Burglary ring-era captains

Before Berkery the K&A burglary crew was a coalition of "crew chiefs" and the organization
was a horizontal one in terms of structure[4]

 John Berkery - Burglary ring crew chief and later K&A leader.[4]
 Edward "Eddie" Burke Jr.- Influential K&A crew chief.[6]
 'Louis James "Junior" Kripplebauer - Influential K&A crew boss[4]
 William "Willie" Sears - K&A crew leader[4]
 Joseph "Teddy" Wigerman - Minor K&A crew chief[6]

Post 80s Leaders

Around 1980, the groups switched to methamphetamine and with it came the need for a more
hiearchal organization.

 (circa 1980-1982) - John Berkery - Boss of the K&A gang and meth ring. Scarfo crime
family associate of Ray Martorano.[8]
 (1982-1987) - Carl Jackson - Leader of the gang after Berkery's idictment and subsequent
abandonment.[15]
 (1987-1991) - Roy Stocker - Influential meth manufacturer & K&A burglar who aligned
himself with Nicky Scarfo[17]

Members

 Charles "Chick" Goodroe - Influential member in the K&A burglary ring.[4]


 Francis James Brewer - Member of the K&A burglary ring.[6]
 James "Jimmy" Dolan - Recruit of Eddie Burke and member of the K&A burglary ring.[4]
 Hugh "Hughie" Breslin - Member of the burglary crew.[4]
 James "Jimmy" Laverty - Member of the burglary ring[4]
 William "Billy Blue" McClurg - Member of the burglary crew.[4]
 John Gerard - Member of Carl Jackson's crew.[15]
 Henry Saby - Member of Carl Jackson's meth ring.[15]
 Kenneth Miller - Cook for Carl Jackson's operation[15]
 James McKenzie - Carl Jackson's key distributor.[15]
 Edward Loney -Carl Jackson's P2P supplier.[15]
 William "Chucky McIlvain - Member of Carl Jackson's crew.[15]
 Raymond Brown - Member of the Stocker drug ring[17]
 James O'Malley - Member of the Stocker drug ring[17]
 James "Lefty" Shannon - Member of the Stocker gang[17]
 Terry Lees - Roy Stocker's methamphetamine cook.[16]
 William Stearn - Former Roofer's Union Local 30 president & member of the Stocker
meth ring.[17]
 Robert "Irish Bobby" Kallaur - Former boxer and enforcer for Roy Stocker[16]
 Michael Caputo - Member of the Stocker drug ring.[16]
 Barry Saltzburg - Member of the Stocker organization.[16]
 John Goodwin - Former K&A burglar & Roofer's union member. And member of the
Traitz meth ring[18]
 Mark Goodwin - Member of the Traitz meth ring.[18]
Mongols motorcycle club
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Mongols Motorcycle Club

Founded 1969
Location East Los Angeles, California
Primarily Hispanic American and
Key people Native American ( in the USA) [1]
Primarily Mhallami in Germany [2]
Type Outlaw motorcycle club
Region USA, Europe, Mexico, Israel, Australia
Membership 500 to 600
Website www.mongolsmc.com

The Mongols Motorcycle Club, sometimes called the Mongol Nation or Mongol
Brotherhood, is a "one-percenter" outlaw motorcycle club and alleged organized crime
syndicate. The club is headquartered in southern California and was originally formed in
Montebello, California, in 1969.[3] Law enforcement officials estimate there are approximately
500 to 600 full-patched members. The Mongols' main presence is in southern California, with
chapters in 14 states, as well as international chapters in 13 countries.[4][5][6][7]

Criminal activities
The Mongols members have had long-running confrontations with law enforcement in such areas
as drug dealing (especially methamphetamine), money laundering, robbery, extortion, firearms
violations, murder, and assault, among other crimes.[8][9][10][11][12]

Incidents
In 1998, ATF agent William Queen infiltrated the club, eventually becoming a full-patch
member and rising to the rank of treasurer using the undercover alias of Billy St. John. In April
2000, based on evidence gathered during Queen's 28-month undercover time with the club, 54
Mongols were arrested. All but one of the accused were later convicted of various crimes
including drug trafficking, motorcycle theft, and conspiracy to commit murder.[13]

In 2002, members of the Mongols and the Hells Angels had a confrontation in Laughlin, Nevada,
at the Harrah's Laughlin Casino, that left three bikers dead.[14] Mongol Anthony 'Bronson'
Barrera, 43, was stabbed to death; and two Hells Angels — Jeramie Bell, 27, and Robert
Tumelty, 50, — were shot to death. On February 23, 2007, Hells Angels members James
Hannigan and Rodney Cox were sentenced to two years in prison for their respective roles in the
incident. Cox and Hannigan were captured on videotape confronting Mongols inside the casino.
A Hells Angels member can be clearly seen on the casino security videotape performing a front
kick on a Mongol which in turn started the ensuing melee.

Mongols member Christopher Ablett turned himself in to authorities in Bartlesville, Oklahoma,


on October 4, 2008 after going on the run for murdering Hells Angels President Mark "Papa"
Guardado in San Francisco, California earlier that year. The San Francisco Police Department
had issued a $5 million arrest warrant for him.[15] He was convicted of murder in aid of
racketeering and three gun charges on February 23, 2012, in San Francisco. [16]

On December 20, 2008, in Las Vegas, Mongols members arrived at "A Special Memories
Wedding Chapel" for a fellow member's wedding, to find a local Hells Angels charter were just
finishing up their own ceremony. It is reported by KTNV Channel 13 news, that the Hells Angels
attacked the Mongols members, sending three to a hospital, two of whom suffered from stab
wounds. No arrests were made and local authorities report that they are looking for suspects said
to be involved in the attack.[17]

Operation Black Rain

Operation Black Rain was an operation by the ATF in 2008 to stop alleged criminal activity
within the Mongols Motorcycle Club.[18]

On October 21, 2008, 38 members, including Ruben "Doc" Cavazos, were taken into Federal
custody after four Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents infiltrated the
group for a second time, becoming full patch members. 110 arrest warrants and 160 search
warrants were issued in California, Ohio, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon.[19] On
October 23, 2008, US District Court Judge Florence-Marie Cooper granted an injunction that
prohibits club members, their family members and associates from wearing, licensing, selling, or
distributing the logo, which typically depicts the profile of a Mongolian warrior wearing
sunglasses, because according to the police, they use the logo and names as an identity and as a
form of intimidation to fulfill their goals. Prosecutors requested the injunction after authorities
arrested dozens of Mongols under a racketeering indictment.[20][21]
The club president Ruben Cavazos and others pleaded guilty to the racketeering charge and
Cavazos faces up to 20 years in prison along with the others arrested. Cavazos was later voted
out of the club by its members on August 30, 2008.[22]

A planned weekend meeting in Lancaster, California, expected to draw 800 Mongols and their
families, was blocked after city officials shut down and fenced off the hotel they had booked for
the event, which coincides with the "Celebrate Downtown Lancaster" festival. The mayor had
previously threatened to shut down the hotel over unpaid taxes if the agreement to host the
Mongols was not canceled. An attorney for the Mongols said he plans to sue the city and the
mayor, potentially for civil rights violations, after previously threatening to sue the hotel for
breach of contract should they comply with the mayor's demands.[23][24] Mayor R. Rex Parris said
he wants to keep the Mongols out because they "are engaged in domestic terrorism...and they kill
our children."[25]

After a long legal battle with the DOJ and ATF over the Mongols' MC patch, the Mongols won
the rights to continued use and ownership of their patch.[26][27]

The television show America's Most Wanted had exclusive access to the operation, and
broadcast, behind-the-scenes footage of the many arrests.

Mongols MC Germany
A German chapter of Mongols MC was founded in Bremen by members of the local crime
syndicate run by Lebanese immigrants in 2010. It was the first time that a Muslim clan-based
crime syndicate in Germany became active in the field of outlaw motorcycle clubs.[28] Organized
crime in Bremen is dominated by the Miri-Clan, a large family of Lebanese origin with an
estimated 2,600 members, who first migrated to Germany beginning in the late 1980s, and rose
to national notoriety with a number of large-scale criminal activities in 2010.[29]

According to Andreas Weber, the state of Bremen's chief of criminal investigation, the new
Mongols chapter is only nominally a motorcycle group. Clan members do not have motorcycle
licences and drive around the city in cars. Presumably, they are interested in associating
themselves with the US motorcycle club primarily to profit from their infrastructure and trading
channels in drug trafficking. The president of Mongols Bremen, "Mustafa B." accidentally killed
himself with his bike as a novice licence holder briefly after the chapter's foundation. He was
presumably succeeded by "Ibrahim M.", who is on record with 147 felonies ranging from
grievous bodily harm to illegal possession of a weapon.[30]

Local daily newspaper Kölnische Rundschau reports that a further German Mongols chapter has
become active in Cologne, which is a traditional Hells Angels area.[31]

Mongols MC Michigan
During the 1970's and 1980's there was a Mongols Motorcycle Club based out of Michigan with
other chapters in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The Mongols MC based out of Michigan
were not affiliated with the Mongols MC from southern California. Chapters of the Michigan
based Mongols MC have since been dissolved or absorbed into larger motorcycle clubs like the
Outlaws MC.[32][33]

The Outlaws Motorcycle Club, incorporated as the American Outlaws Association or its
acronym, A.O.A., is a one-percenter motorcycle club and alleged organized crime syndicate[2][3]
that was formed in McCook, Illinois in 1935.

Membership in the Outlaws is limited to men who own American-made motorcycles of a


particular size,[4] although in Europe motorcycles from any country are allowed so long as they
are in the chopper style. Their main rivals are the Hells Angels, giving rise to a phrase used by
Outlaws members, "ADIOS" (the Spanish word for "goodbye", but in this case doubling as an
acronym for "Angels Die In Outlaw States").

History
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article
by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and
removed. (September 2009)

The Outlaws Motorcycle Club was established out of Matilda's Bar on old Route 66 in McCook,
Illinois, a southwestern suburb of Chicago, in 1935.[5] The club stayed together during World
War II, but like most organizations at that time, their activities were limited.

In the 1950s, the club's logo was changed; a small skull replaced a winged motorcycle, and Old
English-style letters were adopted. This design was embroidered on a black shirt and hand
painted on leather jackets. In 1954, the Crossed Pistons were added to the original small skull.
This design was embroidered on a black western-style shirt with white piping. The movie The
Wild One with Marlon Brando influenced this backpatch. The Skull and Crossed Pistons were
redesigned in 1959, making them much larger with more detail. The A.O.A. logo was adopted as
an answer to the A.M.A. logo.

The Outlaws became an official member of the 1%er Brotherhood of Clubs in 1963.

The club featured in a work of photojournalism called The Bikeriders produced in 2004 by
Danny Lyon, a collection of photographs and interviews documenting the club and its lifestyle
glorifying the life of the American bikerider.[6]

In England and Wales the group has around 30 different chapters.[7]

Clubs with similar names


A number of one percenter motorcycle clubs are called the "Outlaws", e.g. New Zealand.[8] These
are not part of the AOA and share only the name, having a different patch design and colors. In
some countries, independent Outlaw MCs have joined, or been "patched over" to the now
worldwide club.[9]

Pagan's Motorcycle Club


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Jump to: navigation, search
Pagan's MC

Founded 1959[1]
Location Prince George's County, Maryland
Founder Lou Dobkin [1]
Type Outlaw motorcycle club
Region East Coast of the United States

Pagan's Motorcycle Club, or simply The Pagans, is a one-percenter outlaw motorcycle gang
and an alleged organized crime syndicate formed by Lou Dobkin in 1959 in Prince George's
County, Maryland, United States.[1][2] The club rapidly expanded and by 1965, 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 gang by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. They are known to fight over territory with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club
(HAMC)[1] and other motorcycle clubs, such as Fates Assembly MC, who have since merged
with the HAMC.[3] They are active in thirteen states: Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland,
New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Michigan,
Virginia, and West Virginia.[4]
Early history
The Pagans were established in Prince George County, Maryland by then president Lou Dobkin,
in 1959. The group started out by wearing denim jackets and riding Triumph Motorcycles.[5]
Originally they were a comradeship of 13 motorcyclists. In the 1960s they adopted a formal
constitution and formed a governing structure choosing a national president.[6]

They were a fairly non-violent group until 1965, when the Pagans evolved into an outlaw biker
gang with ties to other organized crime groups such as the American Mafia. Under the leadership
of John "Satan" Marron their violence grew in the early 1970s. Their Mother Club is not in a
fixed location but has been generally located in the North East. Pagan leaders number 13 to 18
members who are chapter presidents with the largest chapter located in Philadelphia.[6]

The Pagans have grown through merging with other smaller Outlaw Motorcycle gangs (OMG).
Considered by law enforcement to be almost as complex and diversified as the Hells Angels, the
discipline and structure of the Pagans is the most rigid of the Big Four OMGs.[6]

Patch
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article
by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and
removed. (August 2009)

The Pagans MC patch depicts the Norse fire-giant Surtr sitting on the sun, wielding a sword, plus
the word Pagan's [sic] in red, white and blue.[1] Unlike most one percenter motorcycle clubs, the
Pagans do not include on their club insignia a bottom rocker indicating the geographical chapter
of the member wearing the club's full patch. It is believed the club declines to follow this one
percenter tradition because they do not want law enforcement to know what state chapters
individual Pagans belong to.

Members wear blue denim vests called cuts or cutoffs with club patches, known as colors, on the
front and back. Symbols of the Pagans also include a black number 13 on the back of their colors
(indicating that they are affiliated with the club's Mother Chapter), the number "4" (which
signifies the motto "live and die"), the number "5" (which signifies the Nazi SS motto), the
number "7" (an "in memory of" patch) and the number "9" (the chapter with which the member
is affiliated). Nazi or White supremacist patches are also common on the front of the cuts,[6] as
are tattoos reading "ARGO" (Ar Go Fuck Yourself) and "NUNYA" (Nun'Ya Fuckin' Business).

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