Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club: Presence, Crime Involvement, Reputation & More

In the world of two wheels, there are a few groups that have made such a big name, like the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club. However, before you get inspired by it, it must be said that it is a One Percenter (1%er) biker gang. This outlaw biker club is famous for all the wrong reasons.

The Gypsy Joker MC is not merely a group of friends who go riding on weekends. They are typical 1%ers. This term separates them from the 99%ers, who are the sober ones and follow the law.

For decades, the Gypsy Joker patch has been the cause of fear. From their beginning in California to their stranglehold in the Pacific Northwest and Australia, their story is about power, crime, and brotherhood.

This article digs deep into the history, worldwide presence, and sinister reputation of the Gypsy Joker biker club. This article will explore the club's roots, expansion, and the larger crimes it has been involved in, which have landed it in headlines around the world.

The story of the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club started in the United States. The club was founded on April 1, 1956. The date, April Fool’s Day, fits the trickster image of their name. They began in San Francisco. However, some of the stories date back to their early days in San Bernardino or other places in Southern California.

In the 1950s, the biker scene was just beginning to develop. Soldiers returned from war were looking to have some good times and adventures, too. They bought cheap bikes and started riding. In no time, they started forming clubs to ride together and enjoy good company. The Gypsy Joker MC was part of the first wave. They were wild and lived according to their own rules.

Nonetheless, the Bay Area was becoming crowded. Another famous biker club, the Hells Angels, was growing fast in the same region. Tensions increased between these two groups.

By the late 1960s, a big move was made by the Gypsy Joker MC. They abandoned the San Francisco area. Most of the club moved to Oregon and Washington state. This move influenced their future. Oregon was their new stronghold.

Gypsy Jokers established club chapters in locations such as Portland, Salem, and on the coast near Lincoln City. This shift allowed them to establish their own territory of the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club without having to fight the Hells Angels on a daily basis.

A biker patch is more like a flag to the members of a biker club. For Gypsy Joker MC, the patch is a crucial part of their image. The design varies slightly from country to country, but the general theme of the Gypsy Joker MC’s patch remains the same.

In the US and Germany, Gypsy Joker biker club patches feature a “Grinning Jester” motif. The Joker on the Gypsy Joker MC patch doesn’t look happy. He appears evil or crazy. He wears a 3-pointed hat and a costume in red, gold, and blue.

In Australia, however, the club’s patch is different. The Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club Australia has a “Laughing Skull”. This skull has an earring in the left ear. It looks more like a symbol of death than a clown.

Variation of the skull or evil jester design is also used in the Norway chapter.

The colors (Black, White, Red, and Gold) are worn with pride by Gypsy Joker MC. To wear this Gypsy Joker patch, a member must earn it. It shows that they are a part of the “Wolf Pack” and not the sheep.

Below are some of the quick facts to sum up their history:

• Founding Date: April 1, 1956 (April Fool’s Day).

• Mother Chapter: Originally in San Francisco, California, but now considered to be in Oregon.

• Presence: USA, Australia, Norway, Germany, and Brazil.

• Colors: Black, White, Red, and Gold.

• Motto: “Show Some Respect, Get Some.”

• Allies: They are friendly with various clubs, depending on the region, but in general, they keep a small circle.

• Enemies: Historically, the Hells Angels. In Australia, the Rebels MC and the Police.

• Criminal Acts: Drug Trafficking, Robbery, Armed Robbery, Motorcycle Theft, Killing, Abduction, Fraud, Prostitution, and Arson.

While the Gyps Joker started in America, they now exist in many major countries in the world. They were one of the first US clubs to go international.

The most renowned expansion by Gypsy Joker Biker Club occurred in Australia. In 1969, a group of riders in Sydney liked the style of the American Gypsy Jokers. They read about the club in a book, and they decided to take the name. This was the beginning of Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club Australia.

These riders united with a local group, known as Mandamas MC in Adelaide. This made them huge. Soon, the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club Perth Chapter became one of the most evident and feared gangs in the country. In the west and south of Australia, the Gypsy Jokers tend to be viewed as the top club bikers. They have a strong presence in Adelaide, Perth, and regional areas, such as Kalgoorlie.

The Gypsy Joker club did not stop there. They also moved to Europe. The Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club Germany was organized in the late 1970s. Germany has a very active biker scene, and the Jokers fit right in.

Later, the club moved north. The Gypsy Joker MC Norway Chapter introduced the patch in Scandinavia. There are also reports of Gypsy Joker Biker Club in South Africa, showing their expansion into new continents. This worldwide dispersal will prove that they are a serious organization, not a mere local gang.

You cannot separate the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club from the crime. Police agencies separate them into a category known as Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs). Over the years, members have been linked to the drug trade, assault, and murder.

One of the darkest times in the history of Gypsy Joker MC happened in Oregon. It was a murder case involving the Gypsy Joker biker club that shocked the public. The victim was a man named Rober Huggins, who was a former member of the club.

Huggins had a dispute with the club. He had a drug problem and had robbed the club. In the biker club world, stealing money from your brothers is a death sentence. In 2015, Huggins was kidnapped. His body was later discovered in a field in Washington. He had been beaten and tortured brutally.

The police launched a major case against the Gypsy Joker club. They raided the club on MLK in NE Portland. This was their clubhouse on Martin Luther King Blvd, which they had been using for years. The raid was a part of a federal crackdown.

Several high-ranking members of Gypsy Joker MC were charged. Earl Fisher, a Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club member, and Portland leader Mark Dencklau faced serious charges. The law used the RICO Act. This law is typically used for the mafia. It gives the government the ability to charge the entire group as a criminal organization.

In the end, people, such as Dencklau and Chad Erickson, were sentenced to life in prison. Earl Fisher was also sentenced to jail. This case showed that the law was willing to go to great lengths to break the club's power in Oregon.

In Australia, the club has an even more violent reputation. The most famous case is the murder of Don Hancock. Hancock was a retired police detective. He had a reputation for being hard on bikers, especially the members of biker gangs.

In 2000, a Gypsy Joker member, Billy Grierson, was shot dead at a campsite. The campsite was close to a hotel owned by Hancock. The club believed that Hancock had been the shooter. They wanted revenge.

In 2001, a car bomb detonated under Hancock’s car in Perth. It killed Hancock and his friend. The bombing was professional and deadly. It was a direct attack on the police. A Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club member was later convicted of the crime. This event led to a “Biker War” with the police in Western Australia. It led to stringent new laws against bikers across the country.

The list of crimes committed by the Gypsy Joker MC goes on. Let’s take a look at it:

• Drug Trafficking: Police often discover meth and other drugs when they raid clubhouses in Portland or Perth.

• Turf Wars: In Germany and Norway, the Gypsy Joker club has had fights with rival gangs in order to control territory.

• Killing: Newport, Oregon, and other towns, fights often break out at bars where members hang out.

The Gypsy Joker MC operates like an army. They have a rigid system of motorcycle club ranks and duties:

• President: The president of the chapter is the boss/leader of the chapter.

• Vice President: This is the second in command.

• Sergeant at Arms: He is the person in charge of enforcing the rules. He is often the toughest fighter.

• Treasurer: He is the person who deals with the money of the club.

• Road Captain: He is the leader of the pack when making runs.

• Prospect: A new guy who wants to join the club. He must do all the work that the club expects him to do to become a member of the club and earn the patch.

Each region/chapter of the Gypsy Joker MC has its own leaders. For a long time, Kenneth “The Wiz” Hause was the leader of Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club in the US. He was a powerful man in Oregon. He kept the various chapters in line. In the Huggins Trial, the government attempted to take down the national leadership, but some charges were thrown out.

The Pacific Northwest is the home of the club in America. If you ride in Oregon, you know that this is Gypsy Joker MC territory.

The Gypsy Joker MC Portland Chapter is the best known. Their clubhouse on MLK Blvd was a fortress. It had high walls, cameras, and barred windows. Neighbors frequently complained about the noise of Harley-Davidsons roaring at all hours.

The Gypsy Jokers are also quite prominent in Washington state. The chapters in these two states are closely cooperative. They go on “runs” or group rides along the coast and through the mountains. Small towns, such as Newport, Oregon, or Lincoln City, see them pass through in the summer months. While they do often say to themselves, their presence is felt.

In Australia, the Gypsy Joker biker club is perhaps stronger still than in the US. The Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club's Perth Chapter is well known for resisting police pressure. The government in Western Australia even passed “Anti-Association” laws. These laws make it illegal for members to ride together or even talk to reach others.

The club battled these laws in court. They claimed they were only a club of motorcycle enthusiasts. But the police are pointing to the Gypsy Joker MC gangs' Australia violence as proof that they are criminals.

In Adelaide, the Gypsy Joker club also has a long history. They have been engaged in feuds with other clubs, such as Rebels MC. These wars are often about who gets to sell drugs in which area.

So, what does it mean to be a one percenter? The term is derived from a statement made by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) back in the 1940s. They said 99% of bikers are good, law-abiding people. The outlaw clubs were proud to claim the other 1%.

For a Gypsy Joker MC, the club is the family. It precedes wives, jobs, and the law.

• The Vest: The leather vest with a patch is sacred to the club members. It is called “Cut”. The members don’t let anyone touch it.

• The Bike: You need to ride an American-made motorcycle, generally a Harley-Davidson. It must be 1000 cc or bigger.

• The Brotherhood: If one of the brothers calls for help, you go. No question asked.

This bond is what makes men interested in the biker clubs. To some people, a biker club gives members a sense of power and purpose.

The Gypsy Joker Club is still around today. However, they have received heavy hits from the law.

The massive RICO Trial in Oregon put key leaders in prison for life. This left a power vacuum in the United States chapters. Younger members are trying to rebuild but are being closely watched by the police.

The club is under constant pressure in Norway. There, the government has attempted to prohibit its symbols.

In Australia, there have been strict laws that make it hard for Gypsy Joker MC to wear their patches in public. In some states, they are not allowed to show their symbols or wear their colors in bars.

Despite all of this, the Gypsy Joker club survives. They adapt. They shift their business underground. They still ride. You can still see the Gypsy Joker MC patches on the highways to remind everyone that they are still here.

The Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club is a complex 1%er biker club. To some, they are criminals who harm people and destroy communities. To others, they are rebels who live free and refuse to bow to society's rules.

From their beginning in San Francisco or San Bernardino, California, to their expansion to Germany, Norway, and Australia, they have forged a worldwide legacy. They are surviving the biker wars of the 1960s and the police crackdowns of today.

Whether in Portland, Perth, or Oslo, the Gypsy Joker name still rings out. They remain one of the most prominent One Percenter motorcycle clubs in history. Their story is a reminder of the dark and wild side of the open road.