Overview of Shawn Ryan Show Episode #329 with Justin DeLoretto
In this episode, Shawn Ryan sits down with Justin DeLoretto (“Mooch”), a former street-gang member, punk rock skinhead, and chapter president in the Mongols Motorcycle Club. Justin walks through his path from a tightly knit Italian family in Oregon, into violent youth subcultures, then into the biker world, and finally out of it into social work, therapy, and a more peaceful life. The conversation focuses on brotherhood, identity, violence, club politics, and how he rebuilt his life after years of crime, loyalty, and conflict.
Justin DeLoretto’s Early Life and Search for Identity
Family Background
- Grew up in Salem, Oregon in a large, supportive Italian family.
- His biological father was absent for much of childhood due to prison time tied to cocaine trafficking.
- His stepfather became his main father figure and role model.
- Justin also had a twin brother, which he believes contributed to his lifelong search for individual identity.
Childhood Influences
- Sports, especially wrestling, were central to his development.
- He describes wrestling as a major source of discipline, accountability, and belonging.
- The death of his younger brother in an ATV accident was a major emotional blow.
- He learned early that “normal” can be shaped by dysfunction, and that family support can coexist with serious problems.
From Punk Rock and Street Gangs to Motorcycle Clubs
Teenage Violence and Street Culture
- In high school, Justin got pulled into anti-racist skinhead/punk circles and street fighting.
- He became involved in a local group called the Rose City Bovar Boys.
- Violence escalated quickly: he was arrested for felony assault at 16 and again at 18.
- He describes this period as being consumed by identity, image, and tribal conflict.
Moving Toward Motorcycle Clubs
- After high school, he moved into biker culture, first through the Outsiders and later the Vagos.
- He was drawn to the structure, brotherhood, and status of club life.
- He also played in a punk band, which toured widely and helped him network across scenes.
- The band, The Escaped, played notable venues and dates, including Warped Tour, CBGB, and Gilman Street.
Life Inside the Mongols Motorcycle Club
Why He Joined
- Justin says the Mongols appealed to him because of their brotherhood ethic and the rule that Mongols don’t fight Mongols.
- He saw the club as a step up in structure, cohesion, and reputation.
- He helped start the first Mongols presence in Oregon and later expanded chapters across other regions.
What Club Life Was Really Like
- Club life was highly structured, territorial, and often militarized.
- He explains that it was not mainly about money or drugs, but about reputation, loyalty, and power.
- He emphasizes that being in a one-percenter club is more of a lifestyle than an occupation.
- Members had responsibilities, rules, meetings, support runs, and constant political awareness.
- He introduced rules in his regions such as:
- No methamphetamine
- Working out multiple times per week
- Visible means of income
- Less alcohol consumption in public
- More accountability and less internal fighting
Violence, Rivalries, and Club Politics
- A major thread in the interview is the long-running war between the Mongols and Hells Angels.
- Justin describes standoffs, assaults, retaliation, and the way club wars spill into real life.
- He stresses that many members don’t even know the original reason for the war anymore—just that it continues.
- He also explains the politics of “support clubs,” “patching over,” and why clubs often reject members from rival organizations.
The Turning Point: Arrest, Therapy, and Leaving the Club
Federal Pressure and Jail
- Justin was hit with a major legal case after following suspected federal agents in an incident that led to charges including kidnapping conspiracy.
- He ultimately beat the serious charges but still served time and was kept on heavy probation.
- Later, he was pulled back into jail repeatedly while the Mongols were under federal pressure and Operation Black Rain was unfolding.
Pivot to Mental Health and Education
- Feeling burned out and trapped, he decided to pursue a new path.
- He earned an associate degree, then a bachelor’s degree, and eventually a master’s degree in social work.
- He was initially blocked from an internship with the Oregon Youth Authority because of his background, which led to a wrongful discrimination lawsuit that he won.
Leaving the Mongols
- The final break came after internal politics and another tragic loss.
- A close friend and chapter member, Blaine, was killed in a biker-related conflict.
- Justin felt the club was abandoning loyal members and operating against its own stated values.
- He chose to leave in bad standing rather than cut off friends he believed had been treated unjustly.
- The biggest relief, he says, was finally being pushed out—because it allowed him to fully move on.
Life After the Club
Career and Mission Today
- Justin now works as a therapist and clinical supervisor, mainly with at-risk youth and families.
- His work focuses on systemic family intervention, behavior change, parenting support, and keeping kids in the home.
- He also runs a men’s group called Devil’s Advocate, helping former military, bikers, inmates, and others rebuild identity and purpose.
- He co-hosts The Patch Podcast, which focuses on peace, brotherhood, and life after club culture.
Personal Growth and Reflection
- Justin says he does not miss club life and would not go back.
- He now values structure, fitness, accountability, helping others, and deeper relationships over violence and status.
- He is open to psychedelic therapy and sees potential in plant medicine-based healing.
- He and Shawn also discuss religion, death, and the possibility of something beyond this life, though Justin is unsure where he stands spiritually.
Key Takeaways
- Brotherhood can be healing or destructive depending on the culture built around it.
- Identity-seeking young men are vulnerable to gangs, clubs, and violent subcultures if they lack positive outlets.
- Structure matters—Justin repeatedly credits sports, wrestling, and later disciplined club rules for shaping his life.
- Violence escalates quickly and often outlives the original reason it began.
- Reinvention is possible: Justin’s transition from gang member and biker to therapist is the core arc of the episode.
- Helping others became his new mission, replacing the status and chaos of his earlier life.
Notable Insights
- Justin frames his life as a constant search for brotherhood, from being a twin to sports to gangs to clubs.
- He believes many people in motorcycle clubs are looking for belonging more than crime.
- He argues that the real danger is not just the clubs themselves, but the identity vacuum that draws people into them.
- His work today is focused on giving people the community, accountability, and purpose he once sought in more destructive places.