Here's What Happened To The Cast Of American Chopper After The Show Ended
As one of the first Discovery Channel shows to get hugely popular, "American Chopper" helped push the network away from documentary shows to reality television series. In fact, it arrived even before the likes of "Deadliest Catch" and helped popularize a new type of entertainment television focusing on strange or demanding jobs.
Set in the New York-based motorcycle custom shop Orange County Choppers, "American Chopper" amazed viewers with fantastic customized bikes and created a legion of fans who loved seeing the workplace drama between the father-and-son duo. Heated arguments between those two and their employees led to controversial moments, but the impressive work that went into designing and putting together the bikes always made all of the tension worthwhile.
Despite its success, "American Chopper" ended in 2010, although it has seen various spin-offs and revivals over the years. That begs the question about what the likes of Paul Teutul, Sr., Vinnie DiMartino, Paul Jr., and the rest of the crew have been up to since the show left television screens. Here, we will delve into the lives of the reality stars and see what they've done since leaving "American Chopper."
Paul Sr. has faced legal troubles with his former partner
In many ways, Paul Teutul Sr. was the star of the show. As the owner of Orange County Choppers, he led the company and was in charge of the other employees. The motorcycle shop continued to operate after the original end of "American Chopper," with Teutal Sr. remaining at the helm. However, he also continued to work on television projects, appearing in the likes of "American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior" and the CMT series "Orange County Choppers." Paul Sr. was also involved in "Orange County Choppers: American Made," a series that featured "Sons of Anarchy" actor Rusty Coones.
This project landed Paul Sr. in some legal trouble when his business partner Thomas Derbyshire sued him for fraud. According to court documents seen by Page Six, Derbyshire alleged that Paul Sr. purposely delayed production and used funding inappropriately. The lawsuit suggested he refused to film scenes with Coones, despite a contract signed with the A&E network that stated this was something he would have to do. Finally, Derbyshire claimed that the Orange County Chopper owner took equipment bought for the show to use in another project.
Lawyers representing Paul Sr. denied any wrongdoing, telling Page Six, "Mr. Derbyshire's interpretation of said events is without merit and with the timing of 'Orange County Choppers' much-anticipated return to television tomorrow night the timing is very suspect of once again untrue allegations."
Paul Sr. tried to attack a lawyer
A bankruptcy court case led to more than money worries for Paul Sr. in July 2018, when it emerged that he had to be escorted out of a building by security during a court-mandated mediation session. Reports indicate that the then 69-year-old was at a United States Bankruptcy Court in New York with his lawyers when he became upset during negotiations. This particular case was dealing with JTM Motorsports, a company that was holding his Corvette for alleged unpaid fees.
"While both lawyers were verbally discussing the mediation, Paul was getting agitated," a source with knowledge of the events said. "He got up and said, 'F*** you, I want my car!' After that, he basically leaned over the table and lunged. He never touched the other attorney, but she requested that he be restrained and three court officers came upstairs."
The outburst led to the security officers leading Paul Sr. out of the building, although he complied enough to ensure that he didn't need to be handcuffed as well as restrained. Representatives for the reality star denied this version of events, claiming that security was not involved but that Paul Sr. did exchange heated words during the meeting.
Paul Sr. filed for bankruptcy, moved on to OCC Road House & Museum
Even though Paul Sr. had been involved in a number of successful television series and was in charge of a successful company that was now famous around the world, he faced financial issues in 2018. The first of these emerged in February when it was reported that his Montgomery home was facing foreclosure.
A court case was scheduled to settle the matter a month later, with documents showing that Paul Sr. had taken out a $1.5 million mortgage on his home in 2005. Due to changes made in 2013 and 2016, he still owed more than $870,000 from the mortgage. This may well be the reason that he put the property up for sale, slashing the asking price by almost half a million dollars to $2.49 million.
By March 2018, Paul Sr. had filed for bankruptcy, owing more than $1 million to a vast array of creditors. According to court documents, Paul Sr. made just $15,000 a month from his job at Orange County Choppers but this didn't take into account any television work or other income. A spokesperson explained that the case was due to a tax assessment that had led to a restructuring of his finances.
In 2021 the latest facility for Orange County Choppers was opened in Pinellas Park, Florida. This new location goes by the name OCC Road House & Museum and is still in operation today. As of July 2023, Paul Sr. remains a part of the custom bike-building operation.
Paul Jr. opened Paul Jr. Designs, got married, wrote a book, launched a podcast
The son of Orange County Choppers owner Paul Teutul Sr., Paul Teutul Jr. played an important part at the company as the head designer. This essentially made him responsible for coming up with the look of the motorcycles made at the shop as well as their fabrication. Yet, he didn't make it until the end of the show, with a high-profile falling out with his father leading to the younger Paul being fired.
Outside of occasional appearances in the show and its various spin-offs, Paul Jr. worked on a wide array of projects. He set up his very own design company under the name Paul Jr. Designs, working on everything from bikes to dog parks and toys. This company also went on to design items for Blizzard's "World of Warcraft" MMO and worked on several film and television releases. Shortly after leaving "American Chopper," Paul Jr. married his girlfriend Rachael Biester, with the two appearing on the show "Say Yes to the Dress."
Paul Jr. spoke out about his firing from Orange County Choppers, claiming it gave him the freedom to pursue new opportunities and regain his passion for building custom motorcycles. In more recent years, the designer wrote the book "The Build: Designing My Life of Choppers, Family and Faith" and also launched a podcast in 2021.
Vinnie DiMartino set up his own shop
Vinnie DiMartino was another senior figure on "American Chopper." He worked at Orange County Choppers from 2002 until 2007, leaving the shop to set up his own company, V-Force Customs, alongside another "American Chopper" alumni Cody Connelly. Speaking to Record Online about being his own boss and setting up his own company, the builder said: "Now I can build the way I want to build and treat people the way I want to treat them."
DiMartino later joined up with Paul Jr. again, working for him at Paul Jr. Designs, and appeared in the series "American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior," although he was still running V-Force Customs then. This company later shut down and DiMartino is now working in a facility near Paul Jr. Designs.
DiMartino Motorsports offers car, bike, and truck repair and maintenance services. However, Paul Jr. revealed that DiMartino still collaborates with him occasionally, although the pair don't see each other as much as they might like due to their busy schedules.
Mikey Teutul set up a web series
For the early seasons of "American Chopper," Mikey Teutul was something of a mediator. He didn't work on bikes, instead doing admin work around the custom shop, but often found himself in the middle of disagreements between Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. when they came to blows. After spending several years working at Orange County Choppers, he largely departed the company and the television series in order to develop a better relationship with his family that didn't involve constant fighting. However, he occasionally helped at Orange County Choppers and Paul Jr. Designs.
For the most part, Mikey seems to have tried to express his creativity since his departure from "American Chopper." Showcasing his artistic side, he opened a gallery to showcase his own painting and other work and has released a number of videos on his own YouTube channel, including short documentary-type releases and parodies. Some people may even have seen Mikey on stage performing stand-up comedy. More recently, he founded a company to sell homemade pasta sauce around the US. Mikey also has a podcast called "Between The Lines."
Jason Pohl now works for Solidworks
Unlike many of the other figures who worked at Orange County Choppers and featured in "American Chopper," Jason Pohl was not a builder but rather a designer. He eventually rose to the rank of lead designer at the custom bike shop, taking charge of important projects at the facility. Yet, Jason didn't find the work easy, noting the challenge of taking a 2D concept drawing and modeling it in 3D so that fabricators can start the build process.
Pohl continued to appear in various shows based on the reality series after it ended, including "American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior" and "Orange County Choppers" in 2013. During an episode of "American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior," Pohl took exception to some criticism from Paul Sr. The situation quickly escalated to the point that the designer wrecked a motorcycle by throwing it off a lift in a fit of anger.
Currently, Pohl works as a brand ambassador for Solidworks, sharing his experience with the company and experimenting with their various tools to showcase what is possible when using them. He also has his own company known as Jason Pohl Designs, working on projects such as creating a CNC machine, an important tool used in the manufacturing process. Outside of work, Jason juggles spending time with his wife and children.
Rick Petko changed jobs to work closer to home
As one of the original cast members of "American Chopper," Rick Petko was with Orange County Choppers' for many years. A talented builder, he was the man behind some of the show's most impressive builds. Staying with the series until its original end in 2010, Rick will be a familiar face to any fans of the show.
In fact, Rick did not leave Paul Sr.'s custom bike shop until 2016. That means he also appears in the 2013 series "Orange County Choppers" and even returned for the 2018 revival of "American Chopper." After leaving Orange County Choppers', he still works on bikes, a passion he has had since a young age thanks to his father, and opened up his own custom shop inside a Harley-Davidson dealership, offering customers the chance to personalize their bikes immediately after purchasing them.
The fabricator is clearly happy with his relationship with the dealership owners -– Jim and Linda Schlier -– and the facilities he gets to work with. "It has really anything we need to make anything for anyone's Harley," Rick said to the Pocono Record. "If they can dream it up, we can build it. That's the main goal."
Rick Petko also sells custom knives and wedding bands
While working at Orange County Choppers' provided life-changing opportunities for everyone, it was also incredibly demanding. The situation was worse for Rick Petko, who lived 90 minutes away. A three-hour daily commute would be difficult for anyone, and once Rick got married in 2012, his priorities began to shift.
The Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson dealership where he now works is much closer to home for Rick as it is located in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. For a man who wants to spend more time with his family and concentrate on his personal life, that is a huge incentive as it provides him with several extra hours every day. Rick clearly has little interest in being on television, which also had a part to play in why he now lives a more private life. "That was great while it lasted, but it still wasn't the core of what I was about or what I like to do," Petko told the Pocono Record.
That doesn't mean that Rick only stays at home now. He still regularly travels around the country for races and motorcycle shows, often taking his family along with him as he gets bikes ready for competition. The former "American Chopper" star also runs his own business from home in the form of RPD & Co. It produces custom knives and wedding bands, with Rick doing all of the work at the facility at his farmhouse.
Cody Connelly no longer works with bikes
Cody Connelly was a full-time employee at Orange County Choppers for many years, joining the company before "American Chopper" was first broadcast on the Discovery Channel. He departed with little drama in 2007, although he continued to make sporadic appearances in later "American Chopper" shows, including "American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior" between 2010 and 2012. When he first left the company, Cody teamed up with his friend and former Orange County Choppers designer Vincent DiMartino at V-Force Customs. Later, he joined up with Paul Jr. once again at Paul Jr. Designs.
At one point, Cody sued Paul Sr. seeking payments for the continued use of his image in "American Chopper." Over the last few years, Connelly has stepped away from making public appearances and doesn't have an active presence on social media. Some reports suggest he has left the motorcycle game altogether and now works for a local utility company that affords him a more private life.