Sons of Anarchy: What Happened To The First 9 (2024)

Sons of Anarchy focused on the journey of Jax Teller and the title club under his and Clay Morrow’s leadership, and one of the most intriguing pieces of lore is what happened to the original members of SAMCRO, known as the First 9. Sons of Anarchy is led by Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), VP of the title motorcycle club as well as the son of one of its founding members, John “JT” Teller. The events of the series begin when Jax finds the manifesto his father wrote in which he detailed his plans and vision for the club, which were the opposite of those of the current President (and Jax’s stepfather), Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman).

Although Sons of Anarchy focuses on Clay and Jax’s leadership, some of the surviving First 9 members appear from time to time, and through them, the show gives a small glimpse at the origins of SAMCRO. The Sons of Anarchy MC was founded in 1967 by John Teller and Piermont ‘Piney’ Winston (William Lucking) when they returned from the Vietnam war. Upon returning to Charming, California, JT and Piney formed the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club with the purpose of rediscovering the feeling of brotherhood they found while in Vietnam, and along with seven others, they became known as the First 9.

John "JT" Teller

Played By Victor Newmark

One of the most significant of the First 9 in Sons of Anarchy is John 'JT' Teller. While he doesn't make a physical appearance in the show outside of flashbacks and, in the first season, voiceovers (when he's voiced by Nicholas Guest rather than Victor Newmark, who portrays him in the season 4 flashback), he is a hugely influential presence. JT is Jax Teller's father, and it's his vision for SAMCRO that sets Jax on the violent path to change the club throughout Sons of Anarchy.

Understandably, the death of JT was a significant moment in Jax's life, and crops up frequently in Sons of Anarchy. JT was killed in 1993 in a road accident when he was riding his motorcycle and was hit by a semi-truck, but Sons of Anarchy revealed that his wife, Gemma (Katey Sagal), and Clay sabotaged his bike. While other members of the First 9 are still alive by the time the show begins, JT still had just as much influence on SAMCRO posthumously thanks to Jax.

Piermont 'Piney' Winston

Played By William Lucking

While all of the First 9 are significant to SAMCRO's history, it was Piermont 'Piney' Wilson who started the club alongside JT. The pair served together in Vietnam, and without him it's likely that SAMCRO wouldn't exist. Piney was alive when Sons of Anarchy began, and was a regular appearance throughout the show until he met an untimely end (as so many SAMCRO members do).

Like JT, Piney also had family ties to the future of SAMCRO, as his sone Opie was a member of the club alongside Jax Teller. Unfortunately for the Winston family, Opie met just as gruesome an end as his father, though at a much younger age. Piney was killed in the Sons of Anarchy season 4 episode "Call of Duty" by none other than Clay. Piney didn’t agree with where he was taking the club and attempted to blackmail Clay, and in response, Clay shot him in the chest.

Clarence 'Clay' Morrow

Played By Ron Perlman

Arguably the most violent and dangerous member of the First 9 was Clay, who betrayed many other SAMCRO members throughout his time on the show and prior to its beginning — including multiple fellow First 9's. As well as Piney, Ron was also responsible for the deaths of John Teller and Keith McGee. It's no surprise that he left the show on a violent note given his history. Like Piney and JT, Clay was a Vietnam veteran, although he interestingly did his service after being sworn in as a SAMCRO member during the club's early days.

Clay was killed in Sons of Anarchy season 6 when all his crimes against the club and its members were revealed, and through a Mayhem vote, it was decided that he had to die, and so he was killed by Jax. Clay's personality and just how much others despised him was evidenced through the lack of attendance at his funeral, which only Wayne Unser showed up to, and he was buried at a prison since nobody claimed his body.

Lenny 'The Pimp' Janowitz

Played By Sonny Barger

One of the few members of the SAMCRO First 9 standing by the end of Sons of Anarchy was Lenny 'The Pimp' Janowitz, who is serving a life sentence at Stockton State Prison after allegedly killing three ATF agents many years ago. Despite being an integral member of the club in its early yers, Lenny only appears three times in the entirety of Sons of Anarchy, being introduced in the season 3 episode "NS" and going on to return twice more in season four and season five respectively.

Lenny is played by Sonny Barger, one of the real Hells Angels in the Sons of Anarchy cast. Lenny met JT and Piney in the Vietnam war, and is portrayed as one of the most intelligent men ever to grace the ranks of SAMCRO, as well as its first Sergeant-At-Arms, due to his impressive size and strength. His moniker of 'The Pimp' comes, somewhat unsurprisingly, for his reputation with women. By the time of his introduction in Sons of Anarchy, his vocal cords have been removed due to cancer, and he still helps SAMCRO in his own way by building ties in prison with the Russian Mafia.

Keith McGee

Played By Andre McPhee

Another surviving member of the First 9 by the time Sons of Anarchy begins is Keith McGee, though he doesn't appear until season 3. Unlike some of the other First 9 who are present in the show, Keith is positioned as an anagonist from the moment he's introduced. He is only present in six episodes of the show before he's eventually killed off, though his storyline does provide some interesting backstory information for SAMCRO and their international ties.

A native of Ireland, Keith joined SAMCRO when he traveled to the US in the 1960s, meeting JT, Piney, and Lenny Janowitz shortly after they returned from Vietnam. He was integral to forging links between SAMCRO and the IRA, which became hugely profitable for the club due to weapons smuggling-related activities. Keith McGee was killed in Sons of Anarchy season 3 also by Clay, as Keith was revealed to be a traitor, so Clay pushed him off a roof.

Otto 'Lil' Killer' Moran, Chico Villanueva, Thomas 'Uncle Tom' Whitney, And Wally Grazer

Played By Ryan Johnston, Tim Blake Nelson, An Uncredited Actor (Whitney), And Jamie Schultz

The final three of the First 9 had been dead a fair while before the events of Sons of Anarchy began, and they're only seen in photographs and through conversations. SAMCRO’s First 9 was formed by JT, Piney, Lenny “The Pimp” Janowitz (Sonny Barger), Keith McGee (Andrew McPhee), Wally Grazer, Thomas “Uncle Tom” Whitney, Chico Villanueva, Otto “Lil’ Killer” Moran, and Clay.

Wally, Thomas, Chico, and Otto died before the events of Sons of Anarchy and in different circ*mstances: Wally killed himself in 1986 as he was dying of cirrhosis, Thomas was stabbed to death in prison, Chico died in 1976, and Otto was found dead floating in the Sacramento River.

The First 9 were key to SAMCRO becoming what it currently is, and while it’s understandable that their stories weren’t explored, it would have also been interesting to properly get to know them and how they shaped the club. If there were ever more spin-offs of Sons of Anarchy following the success of Mayans M.C., a show exploring the First 9 in more detail and the founding of SAMCRO would definitely be a viable option.

Sons of Anarchy

Sons of Anarchy, created by Kurt Sutter, follows a notorious outlaw motorcycle club, the Sons of Anarchy, as they confront drug dealers, corporate developers, and law enforcement to protect their livelihoods and their hometown of Charming, CA. Loosely based on William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," Sons of Anarchy explores what happens when the seduction of money and power comes between family. The show follows the Teller and Morrow family legacies, with Jackson 'Jax' Teller handling his duties as the V.P. of the club while dealing with the new president - his stepfather - Clay Morrow.

Cast

Kim Coates , Charlie Hunnam , Theo Rossi , Mark Boone Junior , Maggie Siff , Katey Sagal , Tommy Flanagan , Ron Perlman

Release Date

September 8, 2008

Seasons

7

Network

FX

Directors

Kurt Sutter

Showrunner

Kurt Sutter