Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club
Encyclopedia
The Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club (GJMC), or the Gypsy Jokers as they are called in Australia, are an outlaw motorcycle club
that was originally formed in San Francisco, California on April Fool's Day, 1956. They are one of the most notorious and violent motorcycle gangs in both the US and in Australia.
Prominently featured in Hunter Thompson's book Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, they were the second most powerful outlaw motorcycle club in California until they were forced out of the San Francisco Bay Area
by the Hells Angels
. They relocated to Oregon and Washington in 1967, taking up temporary residence in Lincoln City, Oregon
. The club has since spread to Australia, Germany, Norway and South Africa. There are approximately 35 chapters worldwide. In response to proposed anti-"" laws in Australia, a protest rally was held in 2009, including a show of support by many other outlaw bikers, even among rival gangs.
Gypsy Joker club members claimed that on January 12, 2001, a member was severely beaten by police in Adelaide, South Australia for refusing to remove his motorcycle helmet and sunglasses.
In February 2008, police forced the Gypsy Jokers to dismantle its clubhouse fortifications, which include a concrete front wall, surveillance cameras and modified doors, in Perth, Western Australia
. The club said the security was needed in the area where the burglary rate is high.
Two Gypsy Joker members were jailed on March 5, 2009 on charges of assault. On May 12, 2007, Dean Alan Adams and Peter Floyd Robinson attacked Petera Heta Haimona outside the Cactus Club in Gosnells, Western Australia
and beat him with metal pipes.
A Gypsy Joker was charged with unlawful possession a large sum of cash, weapons and ammunition on August 17, 2007. Police pulled his car over and discovered a gun, an expandable baton, capsicum spray and ammunition when they searched his vehicle.
A Gypsy Joker member was charged with attempted murder on March 17, 2009. He shot and wounded a member of the Newboys gang and former Hells Angel outside their clubhouse in Adelaide, South Australia.
On May 19, 2009, five Gypsy Jokers were involved in a drug-related shoot-out with another gang in Perth, Western Australia. Two were wounded and taken to hospital, one of which was Club President Leonard Mark Kirby.
looking for two men wanted for armed robbery. The men were not there, however, and the club sued the Portland Police Bureau
for $50,000 because of the damage caused in the raid.
On April 10, 2008, police raided the Gypsy Joker clubhouse in Kennewick, Washington
and arrested four men for possession of methamphetamine
. Stolen property and weapons were also seized from the premises.
On August 13, 2009, police in Nampa, Idaho, with assistance of the FBI, pulled over and detained approximately 60 to 70 members of the Gypsy Joker MC just off exit 38 on interstate 84. They were searched, interrogated, and photographed for future reference by law enforcement concerning gang affiliated activity.
Outlaw motorcycle club
An outlaw motorcycle club is a type of motorcycle club that is part of a subculture with roots in the post-World War II USA, centered on cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals celebrating freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the...
that was originally formed in San Francisco, California on April Fool's Day, 1956. They are one of the most notorious and violent motorcycle gangs in both the US and in Australia.
Prominently featured in Hunter Thompson's book Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, they were the second most powerful outlaw motorcycle club in California until they were forced out of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
by the Hells Angels
Hells Angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a worldwide one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Their primary motto...
. They relocated to Oregon and Washington in 1967, taking up temporary residence in Lincoln City, Oregon
Lincoln City, Oregon
Lincoln City is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It is named after the county. The population was 7,930 at the 2010 census.- History :...
. The club has since spread to Australia, Germany, Norway and South Africa. There are approximately 35 chapters worldwide. In response to proposed anti-"" laws in Australia, a protest rally was held in 2009, including a show of support by many other outlaw bikers, even among rival gangs.
Australia
The group has a high profile in Australia, especially in the southern and western regions. They are notorious in Australia for the 2001 car bomb murder of ex-police officer Don Hancock.Gypsy Joker club members claimed that on January 12, 2001, a member was severely beaten by police in Adelaide, South Australia for refusing to remove his motorcycle helmet and sunglasses.
In February 2008, police forced the Gypsy Jokers to dismantle its clubhouse fortifications, which include a concrete front wall, surveillance cameras and modified doors, in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. The club said the security was needed in the area where the burglary rate is high.
Two Gypsy Joker members were jailed on March 5, 2009 on charges of assault. On May 12, 2007, Dean Alan Adams and Peter Floyd Robinson attacked Petera Heta Haimona outside the Cactus Club in Gosnells, Western Australia
Gosnells, Western Australia
The City of Gosnells is a Local Government Area in the southeastern suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth, located northwest of Armadale and about southeast of Perth's central business district...
and beat him with metal pipes.
A Gypsy Joker was charged with unlawful possession a large sum of cash, weapons and ammunition on August 17, 2007. Police pulled his car over and discovered a gun, an expandable baton, capsicum spray and ammunition when they searched his vehicle.
A Gypsy Joker member was charged with attempted murder on March 17, 2009. He shot and wounded a member of the Newboys gang and former Hells Angel outside their clubhouse in Adelaide, South Australia.
On May 19, 2009, five Gypsy Jokers were involved in a drug-related shoot-out with another gang in Perth, Western Australia. Two were wounded and taken to hospital, one of which was Club President Leonard Mark Kirby.
United States
In 2004, the police raided the Gypsy Joker clubhouse in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
looking for two men wanted for armed robbery. The men were not there, however, and the club sued the Portland Police Bureau
Portland Police Bureau
The Portland Police Bureau is the law enforcement agency of the City of Portland, the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. While oversight of Portland's bureaus shifts among the five City Commissioners, the Mayor has historically been assigned to the Police Bureau as the police...
for $50,000 because of the damage caused in the raid.
On April 10, 2008, police raided the Gypsy Joker clubhouse in Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, near the Hanford nuclear site. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities...
and arrested four men for possession of methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
. Stolen property and weapons were also seized from the premises.
On August 13, 2009, police in Nampa, Idaho, with assistance of the FBI, pulled over and detained approximately 60 to 70 members of the Gypsy Joker MC just off exit 38 on interstate 84. They were searched, interrogated, and photographed for future reference by law enforcement concerning gang affiliated activity.