Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original (SAMCRO) is the main charter of the fictional biker gang known as the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club. SAMCRO is located in Charming, California, and events in the critically-acclaimed FX series Sons Of Anarchy mostly revolve around it.
The charter has an organized structure with a President and Vice President at the helm. Members are also allowed to vote before key decisions are made. SAMCRO is known for engaging in a couple of criminal activities including the trading of firearms. Here are a couple of SAMCRO-related questions that fans of the series are eager to know the answers to.
What's SAMCRO's Kill Count?
SAMCRO members commit plenty of murders and viewers might be wondering how many lives the Charming Sons have taken throughout the series run. Well, murders committed by full members add up to 151. Those committed by prospects or affiliate members are 15 while the excommunicated kills are 6 in total.
Jax Teller is the mass murderer/assassin of the club with a total of 43 kills. He is followed by Tig (26 kills). SAMCRO members committed the most murders in Season 7 (53 in total).
How Many Sons Of Anarchy Charters Are There?
Sons Of Anarchy is a global motorcycle club. There are a total of 48 charters. In the United States, there are 36 charters while in Europe, there are 12 charters. The state of California has the most charters (9). Only a few of the charters (like the Ireland one) were featured in the FX series.
All the Sons Of Anarchy have their own presidents and fully-patched members. A member of one charter can be patched to another if a proper agreement is made, coupled with justifiable reasons.
When Was SAMCRO Founded?
SAMCRO was founded in 1967 by John Teller, Clay Morrow, Piney Winston, Lenny 'The Pimp' Janowitz, Keith McGee, Wally Grazer, Thomas 'Uncle Tom' Whitney, Otto 'Lil' Killer' Moran, and Chico Villanueva. These members are commonly referred to as the "First 9." Six out of the nine members were war veterans.
SAMCRO was initially based in Nothern California before the members relocated to the fictional town of Charming. Jax's father John Teller served as the first-ever president of SAMCRO.
Who Is The Current President?
At the end of the series, Jax handed over the presidency to Chibs after he was voted to "meet Mr. Mayhem" as a result of his unforgivable crime of murdering the president of the Sons Of Anarchy Indian Hills charter. But is Chibs still the president?
Yes, he is. Chibs has appeared briefly in the second season of the spinoff Mayans M.C. where he is still the SAMCRO president. He helps in negotiations between the Mayans and a Mexican club known as The Vatos regarding the takeover of the gun business. Chibs is assisted by Tig who serves as the current Vice President of SAMCRO.
What's The Meaning Behind The Logo?
The SAMCRO logo can be seen on the back of every member's jacket. Each member also has a back tattoo with the logo. It shows a Grim Reaper holding an M-16 rifle (to signify the criminal activities of the club) and a scythe blade. He is also holding a crystal ball that has the letter A on it, symbolizing Anarchy.
In relation to the logo, the club's mottos are "Fear the Reaper" and "Ride Free or Die". This means that the Sons are supposed to be as brave as possible while still making sure they don't get killed.
What's The Highest Number Of Active Members SAMRO Has Had?
Incarcerated members are not considered active members. At the height of its powers, SAMCRO had twelve fully-patched members. However, Opie Winston didn't actively participate in club affairs. He didn't vote either. This number dropped when Jax, Tig, Chibs, and Opie were arrested in the second episode of Season 5 titled "Authority Vessel."
Opie was later killed in the episode titled "Laying Pipe", while Jax and the rest were released. This brought the total number of active members to eleven. This has remained the highest number ever since.
How Often Do The Sons Kill Each Other?
Club members are supposed to be brothers who look out for each other but that's not always the case. There have been a couple of brother-to-brother murders. One of the most notable ones is the murder of Eric Miles. Juice framed him for stealing cocaine then later killed him. Clay was also killed by Jax Teller while Piney was killed by Clay. Tig and Clay almost killed Opie too.
SAMCRO members have also been known to murder members of other charters. Jax killed Liam O'Neill, the Sergeant-at-Arms for SAMBEL and Jury White, the President of Indian Hills. Clay also killed Keith McGee, the President of the Belfast chapter.
Was The Club Founded As A Criminal Gang?
SAMCRO was mostly decent under John Teller's leadership. The club was originally formed as a group of rebellious men who wanted to chose their own path and not live by society's boring rules. They also protected the residents of Charming from criminal gangs and drug dealers.
It was only after Clay took over as President in 1993 that the club became a full criminal gang. SAMCRO entered the weapons trade and also began warring with other gangs like the Mayans.
What Are The Different Club Ranks?
There are a number of different ranks/designations in SAMCRO. These can be seen from the different patches on the jackets of members. There is the "First 9" rank which is given to the founding members. There's also the President, the Vice President, and the Sgt. at Arms, who is in charge of security around the Clubhouse.
There's the Secretary too who keeps records and the Treasurer who handles the finances. There is a Road Captain as well, who is in charge of all bike missions, including raids. There is the Enforcer who protects the President and punishes rule breakers. Not to forget the Tail Gunner who ensures safety during club runs. There are also Prospects, who are yet to be full members and Nomads who can roam from one charter to another.
How Real Is SAMCRO?
As a biker gang, SAMCRO is an accurate portrayal of what happens in real life. The extreme violence and rivalry are very real. For example, back in 2015, two opposing biker gangs got into a massive street war in Waco, Texas, that left 9 people dead 170 behind bars. Interestingly, the dispute only started because of a logo.
In the book, Vagos, Mongols, and Outlaws: My Infiltration of America’s Deadliest Biker Gangs, former undercover DEA agent Charles Falco also revealed what it was like to be a biker gang member. Everything is pretty much SAMCRO-like, with murders, drug deals, and all kinds of violent crimes.