The History of The Warlocks Motorcycle Club
The Warlocks Motorcycle Club is entering its 54th year of operation. The Warlocks have come a long way since the mother chapter was first established by a US Navy veteran. The MC has multiple chapters in the United States and throughout other parts of the world. To help you become better acquainted with the group, here is an overview of the history of the Warlocks MC.
According to Bobber Brothers, the mother chapter of the Warlocks Biker Club was started in 1967 in Lockhart, Orlando, Florida. The founder of the club was Tom Grub Freeland, an ex-US navy serviceman. He served aboard the aircraft carrier the USS Shangri-La.
The mother chapter of the club is still headquartered in Lockhart, Orlando. 13 men on board the USS Shangri-La enjoyed riding Harley Davidson motorcycles. They all served together on the carrier.
After becoming acquainted and discussing their love of riding, they made plans to form the biker club when their 8-month tour on the ship was over. These 13 chose the name of the club along with the logo.
Upon leaving the ship, Tom led the effort along with the help of his buddies to begin the chapter. Each member of the crew was to start their chapter in their respective home states, but only one of the men followed through. Tom Grub Freeland established the MC in Florida. Although the original 13 backed out in the beginning, new chapters of the Warlocks MC soon sprang up around the country.
Emblem of The Warlocks MC
The colors of The Warlocks MC are yellow, crimson red, and black with a glowing Phoenix emblem. The mottos for the group are Warlocks Forever, Forever Warlocks. The emblem is displayed on the backs of their riding jackets or vests. Another motto of the group is “To find us, you must be good, to catch us, you must be fast, and to beat us, you must be kidding.”
The Warlocks of Orlando earn a notorious reputation
According to Join The Bike Club, The Warlocks is considered to be one of the most dangerous MCs in the United States. The group earned a reputation that put them on the notorious list. In 1991, an officer was sent to infiltrate the club. This was repeated in 2003 as the ATF was onto some of the members for illegal drug dealing.
One of the members of the MC was caught with 10 pounds of crystal meth. The member was arrested and charged with criminal activity. Four more members were charged with selling illegal drugs the same year.
The Warlocks earned a history of violence for killing police officers, and for engaging in violent altercations with other MCs and gangs. Several members of the club are serving prison sentences for drug and firearms violations.
Chapters most frequently associated with criminal activities are from Florida and Pennsylvania. In March of 2014, several members of the Alberta, Canada Chapter were arrested on weapons charges. The Warlocks are classified as an outlaw motorcycle club and are under the constant scrutiny of the ATF.
Controversial Pennsylvania Chapters
It is believed that the Pennsylvania-based chapters of The Warlocks MC were stolen from the founder. A few members had visited the Navy Yards during the latter part of the 1960s in Philadelphia.
They returned and started a chapter, but with no process in place to prove the allegations, there was nothing done about the franchise. This remains a topic of controversy in the history of the group.
Growth of The Warlocks MC
Not long after founding the mother chapter, more chapters begin to flourish in Florida. Chapters were also formed in Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, Minnesota, New York, and South Carolina. There are also international chapters of The Warlocks in Canada, England, and Germany.
International chapters of The Warlocks
The Warlocks have two known chapters in the country of Germany. This includes Warlocks Allgau Chapter, and Warlocks Mountain Valley Chapter. The MC is also active in the country of England with the Warlocks Lincolnshire Chapter, Warlocks Lincoln Chapter, and Warlocks Scunthorpe Chapter. Canada also has a presence of The Warlocks MC with Warlocks Edmonton Chapter, Warlocks Fort McMurry Chapter, and The Warlocks Drayton Valley Chapter.
Special Warlocks Chapters
There are two special Warlocks Chapters. These are made up of members who are not associated with any particular city/state chapters, but who live and work in the United States. They are the Warlocks Nomad Chapter and the Warlocks Freebird Chapter.
Breakdown of the United States Chapters
According to Wikipedia, The Warlocks have expanded to include 41 chapters within the United States, Germany, the UK, and Canada. They are the most prolific in the state of Florida with 11 chapters in various cities of the state.
In South Carolina, there are 7 chapters, five in Virginia, and four in West Virginia. There are two chapters in Georgia, two in Ohio, and one each in Tennessee, Minnesota, and New York. In Canada, there are three, three in England and two chapters in Germany.
The Nomads and Freebirds also make up a good representation of independents. Membership is well over 500 for The Warlocks Motorcycle Club
Final Thoughts
The Warlocks Motorcycle Club has a long history that started aboard a US Naval carrier. It's been in existence for more than 50 years and the group is still going strong.
There has been a fair share of illegal drug and firearms activities and the group has gained notoriety for violence involving the killing of police officers as well as violence between members and other rival gangs and clubs. Rivals of The Warlocks are Iron Order MC, Renegades MC, and Highwaymen MC.
The Warlocks are mostly an East Coast group with some international chapters in Canada, Germany, and England. The strongest representation of The Warlocks is in Florida where the mother chapter is still in existence.
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Written by Benjamin Smith
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