A gang of pseudo-Nazi bikers keeps the whole of New Zealand at bay
Who would have thought that the world biker capital, it turns out, is not the USA, but New Zealand. It is in this country that the largest number of bikers per capita. With a population of four and a half million people, more than four thousand men dress in leather and ride motorcycles. And almost all of them are members of organized criminal groups.
Local photographer Jono Rotman insinuated himself into the confidence of the leaders of the most notorious gang and created a powerful photo project.
Source: Disgusting Men
The largest gang in New Zealand is the Mighty Mongrel Mob, or simply "mongrels". About five percent of all prisoners in the country are active figures of this group. Actually, crime here is so tightly intertwined with the culture of bikers that the words "biker" and "criminal" in the minds of ordinary New Zealanders are almost synonymous.
The Mighty Mongrel Mob gang originated in the 60s, when a wave of popularity of the American biker movement reached these edges. The marginals, who did not disdain petty crimes, began to buy beushny motorcycles and drive all together. Gradually, the crimes became more serious, and the company became more numerous.
Initially, only whites were accepted into the gang. The "mongrels" were very proud of their European origin and emphasized this with the active use of Nazi symbols. They still do tattoos or swastika patches, wear helmets with the SS coat of arms. Now such costumes look funny due to the fact that the gang consists entirely of Maori and Polynesian islanders.
Black Power Gang Members
Keywords: Bikers | Gangs | Crime | New zealand | Portraits | Photographers