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Founded in San Bernadino, Ca. in 1948 and named after a WWII elite air force squadron the Hells Angels started out as a motorcycle club, but in 1958 Sonny Barger took over the leadership from the Oakland, Ca. chapter. His vision was to expand the club around the country. By the late 1960's it's membership had grown and the criminal element became dominant within the organization and soon drug trafficking, prostitution, weapon smuggling and murder became it's resume. In the 1980's some gang members were linked to contract murders for La Cosa Nostra in New York. Today there are 250 chapters of the Hells Angels in over 30 countries and with it's lure of the outlaw image the Hells Angels will continue to expand.
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In 1970 the Mongols were formed in Montebello, Ca. by Hispanic bikers who were barred from joining the Hells Angels because of their Hispanic heritage. The Mongols derived their name from the 12th century conqueror Gengis Khan's Mongol Empire. From their beginning the Mongols have been engaged in a bitter and deadly war with the Hells Angels for control of California's territory. With only an estimated 1,000 members nation wide the Mongols make up for their small numbers with ruthlessness and a fearless attitude against any gang that opposes them including their recent disagreement with the Mexican Mafia over taxation of illegal drug sales. Like it's counterpart the Mongols specialize in the illegal narcotics trade, grand theft, murder, and with the recent recruitment of Sureno gang members into the club the Mongols will be become a much larger and much more violent gang for years to come.
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