Inside the Pagan's Motorcycle Club

On May 2nd, 2020, in the Bronx, Francisco "Gunz" Rosado, the president of the Pagan's Motorcycle Club, was brutally executed in a drive-by shooting. The assailants, later identified as Hells Angels members Frank Tatulli and Sayanon Thongthawath, wore masks, making identification difficult.

However, surveillance footage of their blue Jeep and subsequent vehicle switch, combined with phone records, led investigators to them. The murder was a targeted hit, believed to be retaliation for Rosado's involvement in a shooting at the Hells Angels' Throg's Neck headquarters earlier that year.

The conflict between the Pagan's and Hells Angels, two notorious "One Percenter" outlaw motorcycle clubs, intensified in 2019 when the Hells Angels moved their New York City headquarters to the Bronx, encroaching on Pagan territory. This move sparked a violent turf war, escalating from clubhouse shootings to the assassination of high-ranking members.

The Pagan's Motorcycle Club, founded in the late 1950s, has a long history of violence and criminal activity, including drug trafficking (primarily methamphetamine), gun running, and extortion. They are known for their strict code, symbolized by their "God forgives. Pagans don't" patch.

The club's leadership has seen figures like Keith "Conan" Richter, who, after a prison stint, orchestrated a "Blue Wave" expansion, dramatically increasing membership by recruiting from street gangs and even allowing members to "Cash for Colors" rather than traditional prospecting. This aggressive expansion further inflamed tensions with rival clubs, leading to brutal attacks on defectors and clashes with law enforcement.

Throughout their history, the Pagans have frequently clashed with authorities. Notable incidents include the 1982 shooting of New Jersey State Trooper John Jacobs by Pagan member Glenn Turner, and a controversial 2018 bar fight in Pittsburgh where undercover police officers, heavily intoxicated, provoked and assaulted Pagan members.

Law enforcement agencies, including the DEA and ATF, have continually investigated the Pagans, uncovering extensive drug trafficking networks that led to arrests of prominent members, even those who, like Glenn Turner, continued their criminal activities into old age. The ongoing feud between the Pagans and Hells Angels, fueled by territorial disputes and a culture of violence, continues to result in bloodshed, with both sides expecting and even rewarding acts of aggression.