Sons of Satan Motorcycle Club, known locally as The Sons, is an

outlaw motorcycle club An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, ...

and support club for the

Pagan's Motorcycle Club Pagan's Motorcycle Club, or simply the Pagans, is an outlaw motorcycle club formed by Lou Dobkin in 1957 in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The club rapidly expanded and by 1959, the Pagans, originally clad in blue denim jackets a ...

. It was founded in 1949 and incorporated in 1954 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania by returning

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

veterans. The club was eventually taken over by its namesake, John 'Satan' Marron, who later became the National President of the

. Marron is thought to be the one that converted The Sons from a fairly friendly, family-oriented club into a violent outlaw motorcycle gang.

History

The Sons of Satan were originally the dominant motorcycle club in Central Pennsylvania, with over 100 members from Lancaster County and surrounding areas. During the 1960s, The Pagans began moving north into Central Pennsylvania which sparked a brief conflict between the two clubs. The conflict was resolved when Sons of Satan President John Marron and Pagans' President Fred 'Dutch' Burhans formally met and became close friends. Marron and a few select Sons members soon moved over to the Pagans while the remaining Sons were allowed to continue their club under Pagan oversight. Marron was later imprisoned after being convicted of maiming and homicide charges in the mid-1970s. Sons members wear a diamond shaped patch with the letter "P", as opposed to the traditional "1%" diamond patch. This is to signify their allegiance to the Pagans whilst retaining their outlaw status among the biker community. On December 13, 2002, the Sons of Satan clubhouse was destroyed by a pipe bomb explosion while the building was unattended. Although authorities believe it to be the work of rival motorcycle gang, the

Hells Angels The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is a worldwide outlaw motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporati ...

, the case has yet to be officially solved. After the local zoning commission attempted multiple times to deny and delay issuing permits, the clubhouse was eventually rebuilt.

References

{{OutlawMotorcycleGroups 1949 establishments in Pennsylvania Lancaster, Pennsylvania Outlaw motorcycle clubs Motorcycle clubs in the United States Gangs in Pennsylvania