Popeyes MC (Motorcycle Club)
Popeyes MC were a one percenter motorcycle club founded in the 1950s in Canada.
Popeyes Motorcycle Club History
The Popeyes Motorcycle Club were founded in Canada sometime in the 1950s, some sources report 1951.
At their peak they were believed to be the largest club in Montreal and the second largest outlaw motorcycle club in Canada, behind Satan’s Choice MC. They were the largest of the French speaking clubs.
Yves “le Boss” Buteau became the President of the club sometime in the mid 1970s.
It was during the 1970s that the Popeyes were hired by a prominent crime family in Montreal, the Dubois brothers, who were nine of the ten sons of Napoleon Dubois. The nine were Raymond, Jean-Guy, Normand, Claude, Rene, Rolland, Jean-Paul, Maurice and Adrien. The Dubois brothers had a hold on the drug industry in the area and required the hired muscle to retain their control. One of those that the Dubois brothers would put the Popeyes against was the Devil’s Disciples Motorcycle Club. The club found their way in the drug trade and under the leadership of Yves Buteau transformed into a professional distribution network.
On 5 December, 1977 the Popeyes were patched over by the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, with the first Hells Angels MC Canadian chapter being based in Sorel, Quebec. A total of 35 members are believed to have patched over, the rest being either not interested or not up to the standard that the Hells Angels required.
Popeyes Motorcycle Club Patch / Motto / Colors
No details or image could be found for the patch used by the Popeyes Motorcyle Club, although most likely it is based on the Popeye the Sailor cartoon. If you have any information or a photo then please contact us.
Popeyes Motorcycle Club Chapters
At their peak the Popeyes Motorcycle Club had several chapter spread throughout Canada. Some of their known chapter locations are as follows:
- Popeyes MC Drummondville Chapter
- Popeyes MC Gatineau Chapter
- Popeyes MC Montreal Chapter
- Popeyes MC Quebec City Chapter
- Popeyes MC Sherbrooke Chapter
- Popeyes MC Sorel Chapter
- Popeyes MC Trois Rivieres Chapter
Famous Popeyes MC Members
Yves “le Boss” Buteau – Popeyes President / Hells Angels Canada President
Yves Buteau was born in 1951.
It is believed that Hells Angels President Sonny Barger approached Yves Buteau directly to discuss the patching over of the Popeyes in 1977. After the club were patched over Yves Buteau would become the Hells Angels Canada President.
On 8 September, 1983 Yves Buteau is shot and killed by Gino Goudreau, a 22 year old reported to be a drug dealer and a member of a rival club and had a brother who was a member of the Quebec based Outlaws MC.
View our full article on Yves Buteau.
Michel Langlois – Hells Angels Canada President
A prominent member of the Popeyes and a left hand man to Yves Buteau, who also patched over to the Hells Angels.
When Yves Buteau is killed in 1983 Michel Langlois takes over as the Hells Angels Canadian National President.
View our full article on Michel Langlois.
Yves “Apache” Trudeau
A prominent member of the Popeyes who also patched over to the Hells Angels.
After becoming concerned that his fellow club members wanted to kill him, a thought that was possibly also helped along by his participation in taking cocaine, he turned government informant.
It is believed that Yves Trudeau was involved in a total of 43 murders.
View our full article on Yves Trudeau.
Popeyes MC Crime / In The Media
1968-1970 – War breaks out against the Devil’s Disciples MC.
1968 – 1 June, 1968. A fight breaks out between the Popeyes MC and Devil’s Disciples MC. Chains and bats are used in the melee and many are injured, including four who are taken to hospital. It is believed that a total of around 100 people were involved in the fight.
1968 – 17 June, 1968. 8 members of the Devil’s Disciples are riding on Fabre Street in Jacques Cartier when a group of 10 Popeyes MC members block the road. A fight using knives breaks out. Five people are arrested by police. 18 year old Devil’s Disciples member Jean-Yves Picquet later dies from the stab wounds.
1969 – 26 May, 1969. Popeyes MC member Pierre Boucher is stabbed and killed by three members of the Devil’s Disciples, including Andre Bureau. Pierre Boucher had a total of 58 knife wounds as a result of the stabbing.
1970 – 8 July, 1970. Police in Montreal are called after an apparent shootout between the Popeyes Motorcycle Club and another club. 13 members of the Popeyes are questioned by police at their Montreal clubhouse where three shotguns and a machete are located.
1976 – 14 August, 1976. A group of Popeyes members, including their President Yves Buteau, are arrested at a hotel in Saint-Andre-Avellion, Quebec, after approximately 50 members were involved in trashing the hotel.
Popeyes Motorcycle Club Enemies and Allies
Popeyes Motorcycle Club enemies:
- Devil’s Disciples MC (unrelated to Devils Diciples MC or Devil’s Desciples MC)
- Satan’s Choice MC
- Outlaws MC
Popeyes Motorcycle Club allies:
Popeyes MC Books / Movies / TV
The Popeyes Motorcycle Club are mentioned in the following books:
The One Percenter Encyclopedia by Bill Hayes. View this book on Amazon (link opens in a new window). The One Percenter Encyclopedia is one of the “bibles” for outlaw motorcycle clubs, with brief summaries for over one hundred motorcycle clubs.
Read More:
- List of One Percenters Motorcycle Clubs
- Outlaw Motorcycle Club Books
- Outlaw Motorcycle Club Court Records
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