Sons of Anarchy
Advertisement
Sons of Anarchy
"The League represents an influential group of businessmen who are tired of criminals undermining local enterprise."
―Ethan Zobelle[src]


The League of American Nationalists, or L.O.A.N. is a white separatist business alliance on the FX original series Sons of Anarchy. Headed by Hungarian-American entrepreneur Ethan Zobelle, the League is comprised of influential businessmen, judges, clergymen, and senators. Though the League appears legitimate on the surface, it is really a criminal organization with ties to the Aryan Brotherhood and the Nordics. After breaking ties with these organizations and the revelation of Zobelle’s status as an FBI informant, the League’s status is presumably dissolved, and his current fate remains unknown after an aeroplane crash.

History[]

Ethan Zobelle formed the League of American Nationalists in response to criminal gangs disrupting small businesses and spreading drugs and violence, as well as the rising power of “black radicals.” The League got in deep with the Aryan Brotherhood, so deep that Zobelle eventually learned the identities of the shotcallers and could call on them for favors. He gained an effective lieutenant in the form of AB member AJ Weston. As its influence spread, the League eventually included a number of prominent businessmen, judges, clergymen, and even senators. Despite his organization’s white separatist ideology, Zobelle secretly compromised his racism in order to make money, doing business with Hispanic gangs in Stockton and Pelican Bay.

Three years prior to his arrival in Charming, Zobelle became an informant for the FBI, promising to turn over the Aryan shotcallers and the members of L.O.A.N.. A year later, his wife was killed in a drive by shooting. Her death spurred him to take action, and he began using the League and its AB connections to take down violent gangs. Six months before coming to Charming, Zobelle moved into San Bernardino, where the League came into conflict with the War Boys MC. They provoked the War Boys into attacking Zobelle’s cigar shop and were promptly arrested for aggravated assault, causing the MC to crumble.

Season 2[]

Corrupt businessman Jacob Hale Jr. brings Ethan Zobelle to Charming, California in order to drive out the local Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club. Zobelle opens a new cigar shop, Impeccable Smokes, on Main Street and begins integrating himself into the local community and recruiting local businessmen to join the League. After SAMCRO President Clay Morrow proves impossible to intimidate, Zobelle orders his lieutenant, Aryan Brotherhood member AJ Weston to gang rape Morrow’s wife, Gemma Teller Morrow, to provoke SAMCRO into acting rashly and bringing about their destruction. This backfires when Gemma refuses to inform Clay or her son, SAMCRO Vice President Jax Teller about the assault.

Weston makes an alliance with Ernest Darby, the leader of the Nordics, a local neo-nazi gang, to provide financial backing and protection so they can expand their meth dealing and prostitution into Charming. Zobelle also reaches out to Marcus Alvarez, the leader of the Hispanic Mayans Motorcycle Club, to inform them about a gun deal between SAMCRO and the One-Niners. The Mayans attack, wounding SAMCRO member Bobby Munson. Jacob Hale’s brother, Deputy Chief David Hale, driven by a desire to eradicate SAMCRO, turns a blind eye to the Nordics’ activities. After SAMCRO blows up one of the Nordics’ meth labs, Zobelle provides Hale with damning evidence of their crime, though Hale refuses to act on it, and, when Chief Wayne Unser confronts him about his dealings with L.O.A.N., begins to change his stance on their arrangement.

At this point, the League’s war with SAMCRO begins to intensify. Demonstrating just how far his reach extends, Zobelle has SAMCRO member Otto Delaney attacked by AB member Squirrel inside Stockton State Prison. Next, he has his daughter, Polly plant a bomb in a van, which is towed to Teller-Morrow, SAMCRO’s mechanic shop, and detonated, critically injuring Chibs Telford. They leak information about a white power recruitment rally at a Christian center in Morada, prompting several armed SAMCRO members to attack what is, in reality, a Christian dinner party, leading to their arrest. While in the San Joaquin County Correctional Facility, AB members repeatedly stab SAMCRO member Juice Ortiz.

To deprive SAMCRO of their firepower, Weston and Polly Zobelle convince SAMCRO’s IRA contacts, Cameron and Edmond Hayes to sell guns to them instead. However, unbeknownst to Weston and his loyal AB cohorts, Zobelle and Ule, a more pragmatic AB member, turn around and give the guns to the Mayans free of charge, forming an alliance with them. Next, the League goes after SAMCRO’s income, burning down Cara Cara, their porn studio. They also end their relationship with the Nordics, leaving Darby for dead in the fire.

The tide turns for L.O.A.N. when SAMCRO reveals Zobelle’s partnership with the Mayans to Weston, who shuts down their heroin production, kills the traitorous Ule, and severs the Aryan Brotherhood’s ties to the League. SAMCRO and Chief Unser go to kill Zobelle, who is forced to have himself arrested for narcotics possession in order to save his own life and that of his daughter. While in jail, Zobelle is revealed as an FBI informant working to bring down the Aryan Brotherhood, as well as the numerous businessmen, judges, clergymen, and senators tied to them through the League. After Polly is killed by Gemma Teller Morrow, Zobelle flees Charming, escorted by the Mayans. He manages to escape to Sacramento, where he boards a flight bound for Budapest, Hungary. The fate of the League of American Nationalists after this is unknown, though it is likely disbanded.

Known Members[]

Former[]

  • Ethan Zobelle - Former leader; FBI informant; status unknown
  • Polly Zobelle - Killed by Gemma Teller Morrow
  • AJ Weston - Quit after learning of Zobelle's ideological betrayal
  • Ule - Killed by AJ Weston
  • Unnamed businessmen, judges, clergymen, and senators

Allies[]

Former[]

Advertisement