Dipaly Banerjee
Discovery Channel’s ‘American Chopper’ is a 2003 reality docu-series, the first of its kind, that is an intriguing and dramatic series about the life of the members working at Orange County Choppers, a custom motorcycle company based in Newburgh, New York. The company was owned by Paul Teutul Senior, who created state-of-the-art motorcycles built for the likes of their clients. The show featured his sons, Paul Teutul Junior and Michael Tueutul, and many fan-favorite employees.
The show also had different spin-offs, including ‘American Chopper: Senior vs Junior,’ and ‘Orange County Choppers.’ It has been quite some time since the fan-favorite choppers have stopped appearing on television. If you’re wondering what happened to the cast of the show and what they are now, we’ve got you covered.
Paul Teutul Senior is Focusing on His Life Today
Paul Teutul Senior was the owner of the Orange County Choppers, and he has managed to keep his company alive to date with a new team. However, things didn’t look very good for Teutul Senior after the show ended. He faced two lawsuits, which resulted in a great deal of money loss, and he had to ultimately file for bankruptcy. In April 2017, he faced his first lawsuit against his business partner Thomas Derbyshire who claimed that Paul Sr. had taken to fraudulent activities by using the money Thomas gave for the show towards his own personal expenses.
Again in July 2018, Paul Sr. faced a lawsuit in terms of “mediation” by JTM Motorsports, who claimed that Paul did not comply or keep the end of his bargain where he claimed that he would promote the brand if they fixed his Corvette without any charge. He was retrained after showing unruly behavior in court. He was in severe debt, where he owed over 50 creditors a total of more than $1 million while his net worth was only $1.8 million. Paul Teutul, Sr. sought to get ahead of his cash flow troubles by putting his vast Montgomery, New York estate on the market around four months before he filed for bankruptcy.
At the beginning of 2019, the retreat was just $1.65 million, which he could’ve sold more than $2.9 million if he wasn’t so desperate. Finally, he attempted to put his past behind and settle down with his passion in Florida. He relocated to Florida and established his company, Orange County Choppers in the location. He established the Orange County Choppers and Museum in Florida, which includes a museum, a restaurant, and a music venue. As of now, Paul Senior is busy with his life in Orange County Choppers and we sincerely hope it sees its former glory days.
Paul Teutul Junior is a Proud Dad Now
Fans of the show would clearly remember the issues and the drama that commenced and continued between the father and son. It is likely that Paul Junior couldn’t continue his good work under the shadow of a man who constantly criticized him and went ahead to create his own company after being fired from Orange County Choppers (which he co-owned) by his own father! He started Paul Jr. Designs in 2010, but prior to that, he had to serve a one-year non-compete clause. The father and son again went into a rift where Paul Sr. attempted to force Junior to sell him 20% of his company’s share.
However, thanks to the contract made with Discovery Channel, the legal rift was sidelined. The creation of the rival company by Paul Jr. was the perfect setting for the spinoff ‘American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior.’ Due to the one-year non-compete clause, he had to wait to build any bikes, so he began working on other projects, such as designing a dog park in Montgomery, New York, and giving Coleman’s RoadTrip Grill a complete makeover. Paul Jr. is doing great currently; he is working with big clients such as Blizzard Entertainment and Paramount and has his own podcast. He has been happily married to Rachael Biester since 2010, and they have a beautiful son.
Michael Teutul is Exploring His Creative Side Today
Michael “Mikey” Teutul was known for his quirks and comic relief amidst the heated arguments between the father and other son. Tired of the alleged bickering, Mikey took some time off his family and especially from his dad to find himself. Eventually, he went back to explore his creativity and talents and worked at both Orange County Chopper and Paul Jr. Designs. He went ahead to explore his creativity in the field of art where he opened an art gallery in Montgomery, New York, which eventually closed in 2014. He also made a web series to tackle and highlight the problem with New York’s homelessness situation, called ‘Bummin’ Around.’
Jason Pohl is a Brand Ambassador at Solidworks Today
Shortly after the show, Jason Pohl upgraded his title from a motorcycle designer to an Industrial Designer. These days, Jason stays away from the limelight, but continues creating and designing unique and innovative parts mostly by using the technology of 3D printing. He is currently employed as the Brand Ambassador at Solidworks, where he never fails to impress his clients by creating state-of-the-art designs. He also presented at the Makers Design Summit where he shared his creative workflow, latest designs, and showed off his favorite tools. Jason also found the love of his life in Krystel and have four beautiful kids together.
Vincent DiMartino is Focusing on His Business Now
Due to his abilities and charm, Vincent Dimartino was a fan favorite throughout the show. He took a proactive role in starting his own business. He tried their hand at business with a custom motorbike company named V-Force Customs while working with co-star Cody Connelly. They quickly attracted some much-needed clients. The market finally pushed him to adjust, although this only lasted for a short while until DiMartino Motorsports Automotive and Truck Repair was established. Although he now focuses on this business, we believe he is well-suited to succeed given his more than 30 years of expertise in the automotive sector.
Nick Hansford is a Proud Family Man Today
At Daytona Bike Week in 2000, Hansford met Paul Teutul Sr. and joined OC Choppers as a bike servicer and southeast distributor. Hansford moved to New York in 2002 for familial reasons, just two years after first meeting Teutul, and ended up working as a technician at OC Choppers. Up until 2019, he often appeared on both ‘American Choppers’ and ‘Orange County Choppers.’
Hansford was frequently spotted working alongside the other crew members, including Vincent DiMartino and Paul Teutul Jr., despite not having as much fame as some of the other celebrities on the program. Currently, Hansford is married and has at least two kids, and resides in Virginia with his family. He has not revealed details about his present professional life.
Rick Petko is Selling Variety of Metalware Today
Rick Petko has had a long career in fabrication and bike construction and is a master blacksmith and metalworker. He has experience working in a variety of fields related to metal bending, kilns, and furnaces. After serving OCC for 13 years, he finally left the business for a cozier job managing custom fabrication contracts at Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson. He has now taken his love of metals seriously and has been producing and selling a variety of metalware through his business, RPD & Co. His chef knives, which in all honesty appear out of this planet, are one of his best-selling goods.
Read More: Where is American Chopper Filmed?
