It was 1965, headed back to the USA from an annual trip to the bullfights in Sonora, Mexico, Don Chambers and his friends stopped at a local cantina. When the entered, a patron asked the waitress: „Who are those guys?“ The waitress answered: „That ́s DC and his American Bandidos“ – hence the name. In March of 1966, The Bandidos Motorcycleclub was born!
THE EARLY YEARS
The red and gold colors were chosen by the founder because they were also used by the US Marine Corps, where he served during the Vietnam war era.
In the following years, Don Chambers recruited members from biker bars locally in Houston as well as in Corpus Christi, Galveston, and San Antonio and later expanded the club to many other US states. By the early 1970‘s, the club had over one hundred members in the US, including many Vietnam war veterans.
Ronnie Hodge was the second El Presidente of the Bandidos Motorcycleclub. After the founder Donald Chambers presidency ended, Ronnie Hodge was elevated to President in 1972.
Known as „Mr. Prospect“ because of quickness with which he earned his colours, after becomming the second El Presidente, he became known as „Step-Mother“ in deference to the founder and 1st El Presidente Donald Chambers moniker „Mother“.
Under the watch of Hodge, the Bandidos expanded internationally to become the largest 1%er motorcycle club movement in the World.
OVERSEAS EXPANSION
It all started „Down Under“. After visiting the Bandidos in the United States, and beeing ipressed with the hospitality and brotherhood shown, members of a club called „Comancheros MC“ contacted Ronnie Hodge to discuss the possibility of become a Bandidos MC Chapter, the first outside the United States.
Trough much correspondence the Australian Chapter was sealed with approval. By granting a Chapter in Australia, the way was paved for the Bandidos as an international Motorcycleclub movement.
The first Bandidos MC Chapter outside the US was formed and chartered in August 1983 in Sydney-Australia. The original clubhouse was based at the world famous Sydney harbour.
Anthony Snodgrass Spencer took a trip to the US where he had met with several 1%er clubs. One of the meetings he had was with the Bandidos MC El Presidente Ronnie Hodge. He remembered that mutual respect shown by the American Bandidos. Snodgrass became the first President of a Bandidos MC Chapter outside the US.
EXPANSION TO EUROPE
Some years later in the mid 80´s, a local MC from Clichy in the northwestern suburbs of Paris-France got in touch with the Corpus Christi Chapter of the Bandidos MC.
The Frenchmen went over the Atlantic to visit the American Bandidos with the aim to become Europes first branch of the Bandidos MC movement. This goal was accomlished in 1989 when the Bandidos MC Marseilles Chapter got their full patch and proudly put the „Fat Mexican“ on their backs along with the red and gold colours.
Bandidos Motorcyleclub in Europe was born!
Bandidos from the United States came to France in 1989 and patched over MC Clichy. With this act, the first Bandidos MC Chapter in Europe was certified.