Mongols Motorcycle Club

The Mongols Motorcycle Club, also known as the Mongol Brotherhood or Mongol Nation, is an international outlaw motorcycle club. Originally formed in Montebello, California, in 1969, the club is headquartered in Southern California. Although the Mongols' main presence lies in California, they also have chapters nationwide in 14 states and internationally in 11 countries. Law enforcement officials estimate approximately 2,000 "full-patched" members are in the club. The Mongols are the fifth-largest outlaw biker club in the world, after the Hells Angels, the Bandidos, the Outlaws and the Pagans. The Mongols are designated an organized crime group by the United States Department of Justice, the Australian Federal Police, and Europol. History The Mongols Motorcycle Club was formed in Montebello, California on December 5, 1969. The club had ten founding members, the majority of whom were Vietnam veterans. The first national president of the Mongols, Louis Costello, named the club in honor of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire. The Mongols' original sergeant-at-arms, Alfonso "Big Al" Aceves, served three tours of duty in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division. The club's founders were reportedly a group of Hispanic bikers from East Los Angeles who formed the Mongols as an alternative to the Hells Angels, which did not allow non-White members at the time. The Mongols voted to become an "outlaw" club in 1974. The Mongols' membership increased as the club began recruiting inmates, particularly from the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo. Within ten years of its foundation, the club had established chapters in Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley, the San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, San Diego and Bakersfield. The Mongols became involved in a longrunning feud with the Hells Angels beginning in 1977. The Hells Angels ceded control of much of Southern California to the Mongols during the 1980s on the condition that the Angels would in turn hold rights over Northern California.