Jack Rosga kept a low profile for a man who federal authorities say was the national leader of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club

Jack Rosga kept a low profile for a man who federal authorities say was the national leader of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, ordering subordinates to attack rival gang members while living and working in Milwaukee.

Known as "Milwaukee Jack" within the club, Rosga, 53, has a relatively clean record. A lawyer representing him says Rosga is a "working stiff" who runs a small trucking company, doesn't smoke and has an occasional sip of Crown Royal.

But both Rosga and the Outlaws, a group that works to maintain a positive public image, are portrayed in a far different light in a 12-count indictment filed last week against Rosga and 26 other Outlaws from seven states.

The indictment includes accusations of attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, robbery, extortion, witness intimidation, drug dealing, illegal gambling and gun charges, much of which Rosga allegedly directed from Milwaukee.

Rosga told an undercover agent he expected to one day end up in jail, following the Outlaws' two previous national leaders, both of whom are in federal prison, the indictment says. Rosga also told undercover federal agents posing as Outlaws that they should shoot members of the rival Hells Angels gang, according to the indictment.

Rosga's arrest last week during a surprise raid at the Outlaws' clubhouse on Milwaukee's south side is the latest chapter of the club's history in the area, which stretches back decades and includes previous federal investigations, battles with rival gangs, bombings and at least seven unsolved homicides, according to court records, law enforcement officials and news accounts.
Milwaukee ties

The Outlaws trace their roots to 1935, to a bar on Route 66 near Chicago. Their motto: "God forgives, Outlaws don't."

In 1964, Milwaukee bikers formed an Outlaws chapter. It was the first outside Chicago, and Milwaukee has since remained a stronghold of the gang.

The Outlaws operate like a corporation, with local chapters, regional officers and a national leader, according to law enforcement officers who have investigated the club. Members pay monthly dues, and the gang exacts taxes from members for special expenses, such as funeral costs for members, according to court documents and experts.