American soldiers returning from WWII longed for the excitement and shared purpose of battle. They banded together in motorcycle clubs, spawning a dynasty and the popularization of the American biker gangs. The dynasty lives to this day, though it has moved beyond just the exhilaration of the ride, to include violence and drug dealing.
An unexpected outgrowth of the racial desegregation of the late 1960s, the Aryan Brotherhood had its origins in American prisons, where inmates joined forces to protect themselves from other racial groups. But as the decades passed, it widened its influence outside of prison walls, and cultivated an empire of crime that uses drugs, weapons and intimidation to gain influence.