Hello, I'm new in this forum and I am making a topic about various figures of the Greek underworld, at least those I know of (no biography of Yeoryios Tsakoyiannis, Peter Sedhom or the Grigorakos family though since it is already covered in the topic Greek Mafia wars). Feel free to contribute if you know any interesting Greek gangsters and please excuse me if my English is poor at times (I'm French so English isn't my first language). Also most of my information comes from various Greek sites translated with Google Translate so it may not be perfectly accurate (well, even less so).




Panayiotis Vlastos


Mobster born in 1971 in Athens and who grew in Metamorfosi, a Northern suburb of Athens. He started his criminal career young by committing thefts and burglaries in the Athenian suburb of Eleusina before becoming known in the 90's. He was involved in a gang war with another mobster named Kostas Nastoulis. In 1994, he murdered Yerasimos Nastoulis, Kostas's brother, and Dimitrios Spinos, an associate of the Nastoulis and was incarcerated. Vlastos was released on bail in 1998. One night, his brother Kostas was killed during a shootout with the police while Panayiotis had to escape on a motorbike. His other brother Markos, who wasn't involved in any crime, was murdered outside his shop in Metamorfosi, presumably by Nastoulis associates. Vlastos was arrested on june 1998, but he still managed his nightclub protection racket business from prison and had the clubs who refused to pay him bombed. He also enjoyed the luxury life in jail, having his own personal guard of 4-8 prisoners, a TV, and a phone. He was again released on bail on 2007, and then soon arrested again after he shot a shop owner who refused to pay him.

In Trikala prison, he formed an alliance with fellow mobsters Vassilis Stefanakos and Ioannis Skaftouros. Though they can act independently from one another, they cooperate and shared their men between each others. Every one of their soldiers had a specific role in their organization, most of them didn't known each other (receiving orders from a third man ) and were paid 2000euros for their deeds. They used cellphones with fake IDs and communicated using codes. They also had the freedom to go wherever they wanted in Korydallos where he moved in the different wings of the jail (and wasn't even recorded in the cameras, who, "by chance", were looking elsewhere). They could also have visits in their cells by their friends, associates or lovers whenever they wanted. In Korydallos, in was in contact with members of the anarchist group "Pyrinon tis Fotias" as well as the various high-profile inmates of the ST Wing of Korydallos (convicted for economic crimes, which hold various former politicians and businessmen).  

Their biggest crime was the kidnapping of Greek shipping magnate Periklis Panagopoulos who was released against a ransom but they are also responsible for several other crimes such as protection racket of nightclubs, trafficking weapons from Crete as well as drugs, prostitution, contract killings and bomb attacks, such as the murder of businessman Yiorgos Goussios on 2008, a bomb attack attempt against a businessman's house in Arta, and several other planned murders and bombings. The gang provided "protection" for at least 48 shops throughout Attica and at least five nightclubs bombings.  Vlastos was moved to Korydallos prison when the organization was dismantled. He staged two failed escape attempts in 2010 and 2013.

He was involved in a bloody gang war with his most hated enemy, Kostas Nastoulis, which caused the death of several of their associates from 2005 to 2009, including his associates Aristidis Lakiotis in 2005, Yiannis Gavakis in 2006, Aristotelis Yiayias and Vasilis Nasipian in 2007 and of Yiorgos Anagnostopoulos in 2009. He might also be responsible for the murder of Alexandros Kosmopoulos, who was said to be jealous of his quick rise in the underworld. 

Vlastos also loaned money to several owners of bars, clubs and restaurants, especially in Athens south suburbs and Kolonakiou. Among others, he loaned 30 000euros (with a 5% interest rate) to a Kolonakiou businessman who wanted to open a gourmet restaurant, and another businessman with his loaned money bought a yacht which was turned into a nightclub where he organized private parties for Athens socialites. Several nightclubs owners took loans from Vlastos to expand their business as well as because they were struggling in time of economic crisis, and these loans were also a mean to launder the gang's dirty money. Also, Vlastos lawyer (and possibly lover) Adamantia Angeletou organized at least two expensive parties (one of which were present famous singers Paola Foka and Yiorgos Mazonakis), who were entirely paid by Vlastos. 

It was revealed in 2014 that the Vlastos-Stefanakos-Skaftouros was still active, notably in Piraeus, Athens Western suburbs, Trikala, Larissa and Pyrgos. Their gang is responsable for the bomb attack in front of the house of judge Paraskevi Kalaïtzi (who was in charge for the case of Panagopoulos kidnapping) in Halandri (on november 2012), as well as two other bombings against former warden of Korydallos Prison Maria Stefi and prosecutor Sofia Petraki. He was also supposed to have Petros Mandouvalos (lawyer and former Parliament Member) assassinated on behalf of drug lord Alexandros Angelopoulos (to whom Mandouvalos owed one million euros) though he didn't carried out the killing for unknown reasons.

It was also revealed Vlastos also wanted to have his own cousin Evangelia "Litsa" Vlastou (who used to work for her cousin for 600-1000euros per months and visited him regularly) assassinated, because he held her responsible for the loss of 250 000euros from Panagopoulos ransom. The last time she visited in jail, he even hit her twice in front of two prison guards, who did nothing to stop him. Litsa had to turn into a police informant to survive and is the one responsible for most of the reveals on the Vlastos mafia.








Vassilis Stefanakos

Mobster born in 1961 in Haïdari in a Maniot family. Nicknamed "King of the Night" (Greek mobsters are traditionnally involved in nightclub owning and protection racket hence why most of them are called "Godfathers of the Night" ), he's involved in oil and cigarette smuggling, drug dealing, and protection racket. He became the head of his gang, along with Aristidis Lakiotis and Ioannis Skaftouros, after the death of his boss in the early 2000's.

He was the one who ordered the death of Greek rival Godfather of the Night Themis Kalapotharakos in Nea Makri, in revenge for the murder of Themistoklis Papamalis, among other murders. In the 2000's, he was one of Attica's most powerful mobster: he collaborated with Yiorgos Tsakoyiannis and bought weapons from him and paid another Godfather of the Night, Alexandros Kosmopoulos, 1 million Euro's to not interfere in his business. Cigarettes were smuggled to Greek ports from Cyprus four times a week and then transported to Thebes with the help of two policemen on the Stefanakos payroll. They were rather violent and those who refused to pay were beaten and the businesses bombed.

When Stefanakos girlfriend left him, he began to harass her and threatened her family, one member of her family who worked for Kosmopoulos even had to go into hiding and, among other things, he smashed her car with his and then assaulted with a knife two guys who asked why he did that. On 2006, he was convicted in absentia for battery, smuggling, and racketeering but managed to escape thanks to some cops who gave him a fake ID (others policemen helped him by informing him of police's decisions concerning him).

He was also the one who staged Vassilis Paleokostas and Alket Rizaj's first prison escape. Rizaj was one of Stefanakos hitmen and was his food taster and bodyguard in jail. He was one of West Attica' s most wanted godfathers until he was arrested in Chaidari with three shotguns, flash grenades and ammunitions. He was also part of the Vlastos and Skaftouros mafia until the organization was disbanded.

He also holds anti-authoritarians views, thinking the Banks are the biggest thieves and being favorable for the anarchist group "Pyrinon tis Fotias" (who are, for him, people who try to prove that the "system" isn't almighty) and claims to be friends with Nikos Paleokostas and former member of November 17th Christodoulos Xiros. He is also a friend of actress Nena Chronopoulou and he has loaned her 30 000euros to open a shop with her husband Tassos Mitropoulos in Kalamata.







Themistoklis Kalapotharakos

One of the last old-fashioned greek gangsters, who was born around 1963 in a Maniot family and grew up in Penteli, North Athens. Involved in protection racket and the nightclub business, he however stayed away for drug dealing. He applied the "takes few from many" philosophy when it come to extortion, and despite being a rather violent man, still had some principles and provided actual protection and services to his "victims" and has good relations (at least mutual respect) with the police. He became a big shot of the Greek underworld around 1989-1996 with his associate Yiorgos Frangoyiannis. Their gang was active in the coast of Athens as well as in Kifissia. He had employed hitman Vassilis Souflas for at least four murders (and is responsible for four other killings), and may be responsible for the assassination of Theodoros Kallimoros, a member of Alekos Kosmopoulos gang, in 1991.

He then spent some time abroad in Italy and Germany to escape his opponents wrath. In Germany, he met Serbian gangster and future warlord Željko Ražnatović aka Arkan, who became a friend of his. He briefly retired from the underworld in july 1996 after Frangoyiannis was killed and he was himself injured by police officer Iraklis Nikolopoulos, but he came back to the game some time later. On december 1997, Nikolopoulos father, Nikos, was killed when his appartment was bombed. On february 2000, mercenary bomber Themistoklis Papamalis was murdered: he used to work for Kalapotharakos but their relationship went sour after Papamalis began to work for other gangsters.

He was killed in july 25 2000 in his villa of Marathon in retaliation for the murder of Papamalis. His murder marked a new era of for organized crime in Athens with several more violent gangs and organization as well as the coming of foreign gangsters in the underworld. His estranged brother, Christos, is a former kickboxer and current deputy MP for the far-right party of LAOS.





Themistoklis Papamalis

AKA O  Vosnios (the Bosnian) Greek mercenary bomber born in 1952 in Mytilene, Lesbos Island. He came from a family of sailors who settled in Athens in the 60's. He eventually became the leader of an Underwater Demolition Unit, where he acquired knowledge in the manufacture and use of explosives. In the 80's Papamalis entered in the Greek underworld thanks to a gangster nicknamed "Arkoudos" and met Themis Kalapotharakos. Thanks to his knowledge of explosives and the fact that the police didn't know him, Papamalis became Kalapotharakos main bomber. Among other feats, he was the one who bombed Nikos Nikolopoulos appartment in july 1996. He detonated bombs using remote control and is responsible for at least 30 bombings throughout Attica. He was a quite, polite and serious man as a result of his military experience. He was only arrested once on february 1995 for possession of arms and explosives and spent several months in prison.

During the Yugoslav Wars, he was one of the Greek volunteers who fought for the Serbs; he worked with the militia of Arkan's Tigers, possibly at the order of Kalapotharakos who was a friend of Arkan. He was wounded to the eye during the war. When he came back to Greece he began working with other gangs, including Vassilis Stefanakos gang. He sank at least two tankers ships of a man named Dimitrios Ganas, who was himself the target of a bomb attack, along with two other other bombings, for them. Papamalis and Kalapotharakos partnership soured in the late 90's: Kalapotharakos blamed Papamalis for working with other gangs as well as for bombing the jeep of a friend, while Papamalis blamed him because he killed a friend of his. Papamalis was shot and killed on february 14, 2000 probably on Kalapotharakos orders, who was himself murdered later to avenge Papamalis.

  






Konstantinos Voidonikolas


Greek-Canadian mobster born on 1947 in Dimaristika village in Mani. He spent his youth in Canada (where he got Canadian citizenship) and New York before coming back to Greece. He owned two nightclubs in the south Athens suburbs of Kallithea and Paleo Faliro. Around that time, he also began buying various buildings in Danforth, Toronto's Greek neighborhood, alongside his associate Greek-Canadian businessman Peter Boussoulas (their partnership had since gone sour).

In Greece, he was arrested for various crimes, including extortion in 1982 and battery on a woman in one of his clubs on 1992. He was also accused of social security fraud and unpaid taxes. In 1994, he was accused of having ties with the bank heist of Athens Ergasia Bank in 1994, where 8-10 people broke in the bank through an underground tunnel and stole about 25 million euros, though he wasn't convicted. In 2009, he was convicted in absentia for his involvement in the robbery of 90 treasury bonds worth 3 million euros (he received 1.3 million from the loot) from Greek National Bank in May 1994. In June 1999, he shot at 4 construction workers who blocked his driveway after an heated argument, though Voidonikolas claims it was self defense. Convicted to 42 months in Korydallos prison for illegal gun using and possession, he feigned illness and was taken to a doctor on 2000 but managed to escape to Canada.

Currently, despite being still a wanted fugitive in Greece, he is well-known businessman and pillar of the Greek community of Danforth. He is the chairman of the Business Improvement Association for the Greektown area as well as one of the biggest landowners in Danforth, and a philanthropist who organize every year's Danforth festival. He also has ties with various Greek and Canadian politicians such as Danforth city councillor Mary Fragedakis who sought his support for her election, Greek ambassador to Canada Eleftherios Angelopoulos and Greek Consul General in Toronto Dimitrios Azemopoulos.







Konstantinos Passaris

One of Greece's most famous gangsters, born March 9, 1975 in Kallithea from a Greek father and a Romanian mother (he does seem to have a preference for Romanian accomplices ). Convicted for the first time at 15 for possession of stolen goods. Jailed during his military service in Komotini for thefts though he soon escaped. In 1996 he was arrested after an attempted robbery where he even shot at police. In jail, he met two Romanian gangsters, Ion Vasili and Nicolae Gorea. They formed their own gang who specialized in robberies, (hotels, banks, brothels, travel agencies and other businesses). He was arrested and convicted for the robberies and attempted murder of a policemen (during a shootout, Vasili was killed and Passaris swore that he would kill three cops for revenge).

Feigning illness, he escaped from Korydallos Prison on February 2001, killing two cops in the process. He soon resumed robberies in Athens and its suburbs. Though he claimed to avoid violence whenever he could, Passaris has quite the body count and proved to be rather ruthless: he killed a cashier during a robbery, murdered his girlfriend, a Bulgarian prostitute, he tried to kill an Albanian named Andrea Shera and his Greek girlfriend on august 2001. He also murdered Dr Maria Safou and tried to kill her sister during a pharmacy robbery on August 2001. On July 2001, fifty policemen surrounded his apartment during a big police operation to arrest him, but he managed to sneak away anyway, forcing Police Chief Yannis Yeorgakopoulos to resign.

He then left Greece for Romania. In Bucharest, he raided a foreign exchange bureau, stealing away $15,000 and killing the cashier and the security guard. He was arrested soon after and is currently incarcerated in Romania. Recently he claimed to have renounced his violent way, regretted his past actions and he turn to religion and is currently studying to become a monk under the Saint Xeni Brotherhood for the poor and the prisoners.




Konstantinos Hirvantidis

Greek gangster born in 1971 and considered one of the most dangerous inmates in Greece. Hirvantidis is a henchman of the Crime Syndicate, a powerful Greek mafia now defunct and was mainly involved in robberies. Like Passaris, he is very ruthless and violent, though he appreciated trust and fidelity and hated snitches. Jailed in Korydallos, he was among the leaders of a prison riot in 1995 where several prison guards were taken hostages and one inmate was brutally killed by being burnt alive by Hirvantidis and other inmates. After the riot, Hirvantidis was moved to Corfu prison, where he was jailed with Crime Syndicate leaders Vassilis Kaltsas and Antonis Diplas.

On August 1997, he and 43 other prisoners escaped from Corfu prison and he briefly fled to Albania (most of the escapees were Albanians) before coming back to Greece. Among other crimes, he murdered Michalis Adamantidis, one of the Corfu escapees, and his girlfriend Athina Vlahosteryiou, and also killed Yeoryios Kaltsas who was Vassilis Kaltsas brother. During his string of robberies he robbed Varda Ilias National Bank (32 million drachmas loot), Egine National Bank (8 million drachmas) and CIT Group (67 millions drachmas). Arrested on January 1999 in Salamina, he was convicted for illegal possession of weapons and explosives. Released from Malandrinos prison on 2006, he was involved in at least 3 murders after his release and several other robberies, and he was maybe involved in the murder of Sotiris Kousis. He was arrested on 2007 in Corfu after a botched robbery where he shot an employee (wounded but who survived) and is currently jailed there.


Konstantinos Andreadis

Mobster born in 1963. After the arrest of Antonis Diplas and Vassilis Kaltsas at Porto Germeno in 1992, he and his associate Sotiris Kousis became the new leaders of the Crime Syndicate. In 1994, they set up a kuwaiti dinars counterfeiting ring, and were also involved in protection racket. Also involved in robberies and contract killings, Andreadis had a base in Stuttgart, Germany where he owned a greek nightclub.

Andreadis was the brain of the gang and the one who "signed" the contracts while Kousis was his right-hand man and the one who managed things in Grece. Among their lieutenants: Dimitris Kapetanakis, the "handyman" of the gang; hitman Vassilis Souflas and Theodoros Katifidis (both former members of Diplas and Kaltsas syndicates who evaded arrest). Among their crimes was the robbery of the Nigrita National Bank near Serres where security guard (or treasurer) Yeoryios Karagiozis was killed as well as the robbery of Egnatia Bank in Thessaloniki (stealing away 48 millions drachmas) in 1994; the murders of Evangelos Paraschiakos, treasurer of the "Mercedes" club in 1994, Thodoros Kallimoros in 1991 and Manolis Samios (who was involved in driving licenses forgery ring). They also had their own hitman, Souflas, killed and buried near Agrileza. They are also responsible for at least a dozen other murders in Attica and Northern Greece. It costed 2 millions drachmas to have someone killed by them and they always leave a mark on their victims as a signature. 

On may 1996, the organization was disbanded and Andreadis and Kousis were arrested in Amsterdam, Netherlands and convicted to 16 years in prison. After his release, Andreadis settled in Thessaloniki and began a life of fear after Kousis was killed on january 2007. Convinced the mob want him dead, he always wear a bulletproof vest and stay in the sidelines of the Greek underworld, apart from an attempt to racket a jeweler in 2007.




Vassilis Souflas

Hitman for the Greek Underwolrd born in Eleusina. He was one of the most ruthless hitman of the greek underworld: he worked with his father Kyriakos (or Nikolaos) and they were considered a perfect team and were very efficient and feared. However, after the death of his father in a car accident, he became mentally unstable and unpredictable. He worked for Themis Kalapotharakos and Yiorgos Frangoyiannis and committed at least four murders for them. Then he joined Kaltsas and Diplas syndicate and was involved in the robbery of European Bank of Rafina in 1992 where three policemen were wounded, along with several other robberies and murders. He was among the gangsters who escaped the mass arrest at Porto Germeno in 1992.

He went into hiding until he was recruited by Andreadis and Kousis. He was the one who shot Yiorgos Karagiozis at the Nigrita robbery. He is also responsible for the double murder of Pavlos and Kanella Katsafareas in Oitylo, Laconia on april 1990. He is the one who carried most of the Syndicate's killings, including Paraschiakos. However, his colleagues allegedly became to be wary of his violence and fearing he will turn on them (also, he liked to publicly brag about his kills)  they killed him (his killer might have been Dimitris Kapetanakis) and buried him near Agrileza in 1994. His body was found in 1996.







Alket Rizaj

Albanian gangster and hitman born on 1974 in Fier, Albania. He came to Greece in the 90's and become one of its most influential Albanian gangster. A polyglot, beside Albanian he can speak Greek, Serbian, Italian, Russian and Spanish and apparently has a fondness for foreign magazines. He started his career by smuggling and dealing cocaine and heroin in Greece in the 90s before getting involved in erotic nightclubs. He then became an hitman, among others for Vassilis Stefanakos whom he met in jail, where he also befriended Nikos Paleokostas thanks to their mutual appreciation for reading (Nikos Paleokostas likes stories about Greek outlaws). He provided the Paleokostas brothers with ammunitions and weapons whenever they needed it. On 2003, he murdered electrician Thanasis Koropiotis, whom he thought to be the lover of his girlfriend at the time, a Russian named Oksana (it was actually a misunderstanding as Koropiotis was dating a Russian named Roxana). He was later arrested with his Moldavian girlfriend Svetlana Zagat and his accomplice Elvis Mullishi, though they did their best to resist arrest with Kalashnikovs and grenades.

On June 2006, Rizaj and Vassilis Paleokostas, Nikos brother, escaped from Korydallos prison with a helicopter. The escape was staged by Stefanakos, who housed Rizaj in his Corinth's apartment and paid him some surgical operation. Rizaj murdered two guys for Stefanakos later, but he was still arrested again. Though this time, he and Nikos Paleokostas escaped again from Korydallos in a helicopter on February 2002 thanks to Rizaj greek lover, Aspasia Mitropia who even shot at prison guard with a Kalashnikov. He wasn't free for long though because he and Mitropia were arrested in their apartment in 2010 and he was convicted to 25 years in jail for prison escape, illegal gun carrying, death threats, kidnapping and being part of a criminal organization. On March 2013, he took hostage four wardens and two prisoners with half a kilogram of C4 around his body in Malandrinos Prison demanding to be released but he eventually surrendered.





Konstantinos Nastoulis

Gangster born around 1964 and considered one of Greece's most dangerous prisoners (alongside Hirvantidis, Rizaj and Vlastos). He grew up in Eleusina, where his mother currently run a cafeteria. In the 90's, he was a leading member of the Crime Syndicate of Antonis Diplas and Vassilis Kaltsas, which is involved in several murders and the robbery of Nigrita National Bank, where treasurer Yiorgos Karagiozis was killed. He was involved in at least four murders and six attempted murders with the Crime Syndicate, including the one of soldier Antonis Famelos in 1991. In 1996, he fled to Canada after most Crime Syndicate members where arrested in the resort area of Porto Germeno, Nastoulis himself was wanted for murder. 

Involved in Athens nightclubs protection racket, he and his brother Yerasimos soon butted heads with the Vlastos family who were beginning to make themselves a name in the mob. In 1994, Yerasimos and associate Dimitris Spinos were killed by Vlastos during a meeting. His younger brother Dimitris is currently in jail. He was also involved in extortion of shopkeepers, those who refused to pay had their shop bombed. Kostas Passaris father, Vangelis, worked for him by putting bombs in the shops until he was convicted in 2009 for placing explosives in a Cretan gas station. He is also involved in fuel smuggling. Nastoulis is currently jailed in Malandrinos prison for murder (he was arrested for six murders but was only convicted for one). He is currently married to a lawyer and father of a daughter, and his daughter's godfather is infamous criminal lawyer Alexis Kouyias (who was also his best man at his wedding), who ironically also had Panayiotis Vlastos as a client.

He was involved in a gang war with Panayiotis Vlastos and had several of his men killed from 2005 to 2009. Two of his lieutenants, Israeli-Greek Yiorgos Shabbat, who was his main hitman, as well as lebanese Ali Saeed, who was his koumbaros were murdered in 2008. Also, his mother cafeteria in Eleusina was bombed by Vlastos men in 2003.









Ruslan Chermidis

AKA Iordanis, Rossopontios (Greek from the former Soviet Union, considered "different" from other Greeks) gangster born in 1982 in Georgia. Chermidis was the leader of a gang of armed robbers of banks, armored cars and other businesses, mainly made up of Rossopontioi, though there are Greeks and Albanians members as well. Greek-Armenian boxer Tigran Ouzlian was an associate of the gang as well. The gang was very well organized and trained and carried-out military-like robberies throughout Attica and the Islands.

They are active since at least 2007 and are thought to carry out a robbery each 20 days. Every robbery the team changed, and Iordanis recruited people with no criminal records from West Attica and Thessaloniki. They always wore masks during their heists, and often escaped with stolen luxury cars. They also had fake IDs, fake policemen uniforms, and were well armed. Iordanis himself owned a trucking company and invested his money abroad. He also might have set up a similar organization in Georgia.

On December 2010, Chermidis was arrested outside a bank in Livadeia planning a robbery and convicted December 2011 to 15 years for the robbery of a bank in Santorini in 2009. On March 2011, two members of his gang shot and killed two young police officers during a car chase in Menidi, Athens and asked Chermidis for fake IDs to flee the country, though they were still caught by the police (two Albanians accomplices are still at large though).

Evangelos Sellianakis

Cretan outlaw born in 1958 in Chania who grew up in the Apokoronas municipality. He was a violent thug and small-time criminal involved in thefts and burglaries in Lappa, near Rethymno as well as in cattle-stealing. He was first arrested on September 1985 for attempted murder in the village of Kournas. He was also wanted for another attempted murder in an Athenian bar and he shot someone in the leg in another Athens bar in 1998.

He became famous for his involvement in one of Crete's bloodiest vendettas. In 1994, Fotoula Mouzouraki was raped, tortured and strangled in Patima village. Sellianakis was one of the culprits, though his friends Michalis Dikonimakis and Nikos Pollakis were the ones convicted for the crime. Apparently the reason for the feud between Sellianakis and the Mouzarakis family was a land dispute. On August 1994, Sellianakis murdered Fotoula's youngest son, Kostas, to prevent any retribution.

Later that year, Dikonimakis' father and brother, Manolis and Sifis, were also killed and on September 1995, Sellianakis nephew, Vangelis, was shot and killed. Sellianakis himself was arrested by the police while trying to flee to Canada on February 1995. Jailed in Alikarnassos prison, he managed to smuggle a gun into the prison and escape with seven other prisoners on July 1996, wounding two policemen in his escape. In 1996, he killed Yiannis Mouzourakis, Fotoula's eldest son and murdered a Sellianakis nephew, in Peristeri where he was hiding.

He then became one of Greece's most wanted fugitives and escaped arrest for 15 years. He hid in the White Mountains of Crete, always changing locations and always having weapons on him. He also acted as a contract killer in various vendettas, in exchange ensuring him  protection from the law and help. He might be responsible for the murders of Yiannis Papadonikolakis in Athens in 2009; Manolis Vranakis in Archontiki village on August 2009 and Manolis Zakakis on February 2010 near Rethymno. However, on January 2011, the police managed to track him down in Archontiki: he first tried resisting arrest with a Kalashnikov and grenades, but eventually shot himself in the head to avoid being arrested.




Alexandros Kosmopoulos

Mobster born in 1961. During the 80'-90's he was one of the main mobsters of Central Athens as well as in the City of Acharnes in East Attica. He was involved mainly in the protection racket of nightclubs and brothels. He was arrested in 1992 in Gythio, Peloponnese for the murders of bank employee Giorgos Kasas as well as of boxer Theodoros Dourziotis in a nightclub, allegedly because he didn't call him "sir". He might also be responsible for the murder of Dimitris Maniavos in Petroupoli in 1990.

His organization was already weakened by the murder of his right-hand man Theodoros Kallimoros. However, he still was involved in protection rackets even in prison and Vassilis Stefanakos had to pay him one million drachmas a month so he'll leave him operate alone without interfering. He was indicted for his participation in extortion and the criminal organizations of Attica in 2002 even though he was already in prison.  

He was released on 2003 and joined the organization of another godfather and may have been involved in three bombings in Eleusina. He was murdered in November 2008 by two hitmen. His death might be related to the war between two jailed godfathers, one in Trikala and the other in Malandrinos (maybe Vlastos and Nastoulis) as he was close to the Trikala godfather.



Great post Mithridatis!!!

I have heard of Stefankos before.

He is supposed to originally be from Mani and has a lot of cops on his payroll.

I believe he is in prison in Northern Greece (can't remember the name at the moment)

Stefanakos is supposed to be the real "Boss of Bosses" in Greece

Yes, great post!!!

I would like to see more like this!!!

Thanks guys I will update the topic soon; As for Stefanakos, he was indeed rumored to be Greece main godfather but that said he is still in jail and his and Vlastos organization is disbanded so while he isn't out of the game yet, his power has been greatly reduced. I'd say Tsakoyiannis is the most powerful godfather around but even that isn't sure.

According to some Greek newspapers Athens underworld is currently divided into several gangs without one who really rule them all. It is apparently the same in Thessaloniki though since Karamberis mafia been dismantled I guess this city mob is quite weakened. There were some gangland killings in Patras this year also so no supreme boss there too. 

If you want some information on Greek organized crime, I'd recommend the newspaper site Espresso and the articles of To Vima journalist Vasilis G. Lambropoulos who is specialized in crime news. I don't think there is any site specialized on the subject but you might try looking out for forums, I didn't try myself.


NOTE: Due to the length of my first post, I cannot update it anymore so I can't add new informations to the bios. This is why I'm cutting it in two by putting all the Greek Gangsters from outside Athens in this post.




Markos Karamberis

Greek mobster from Thessaloniki, born of 1953. His father was Thomas Karamberis, nightclub owner and king of the night of Thessaloniki (even prime minister Andreas Papandreou was in one of his nightclubs apparently). His son Markos resumed the family business though he mainly got involved in real estate and only kept one club. Karamberis was involved in the Vatopedi scandal (though I wasn't able to understand in which capacity) and is tied to several politicians of Central Macedonia including Central Macedonia's president Panayiotis Psomiadis and Thessaloniki's former mayor Vassilis Papayeorgopoulos, and run with LAOS (far right greek party) MP Kyriakos Velopoulos for governor of the Imathia region. 

Karamberis ran large loan sharking networks in Thessaloniki for 15 years. They lent money at an interest rate of 5-15% per week. Karamberis and his mafia harrassed, blackmailed, or beat up those who couldn't pay in time. About 1500-2000 people were victims of the Karamberis Mafia, including a lot of shop and business owners. The mafia included a member of the Economic Crime unit Christos Papahadzis, ERT journalist Yiorgos Feretis , lawyers, bankers, a doctor, and private company employees. Money was laundered in Switzerland or through the system of winning lottery slips. They earned at least one billion euros. After the suicide of one of their victims, restaurant owner Leonidas Mariolis, the organization was discovered and disbanded.







Alexandros Angelopoulos


Nicknamed the "Greek Escobar" or "Fat Guy", this drug lord was born in 1965 in Nea Pori village in Central Macedonia. Formelry a sailor, he was involved in cigarette smuggling in late 80's. He then became involved in the smuggling of several tons of cocaine from Latin America through Western Europe to Greece, hiding the drugs in fishing boats. Officially, he owned four fishing companies Argo Alpha, Vita, Gamma, and Zita, though only one of them was used for drug smuggling, the other ones were legit. 

He had several accomplices and informants. He bought two football (soccer) clubs in his native regional unit of Pieria: Pierikos FC and Posidonas Neon Poron FC who even managed to make it to the Greek Superleague. He was also a philanthropist in his native Nea Pori. He owned several others legal businesses and was even dating an employee of the EYP (National Intelligence Services of Greece) who was unaware of his criminal dealings. He was noticed by the DEA since 2002, but they began to actively seek him after one of his drug boats (with more than 5 ton of cocaine in it) was caught near Gibraltar in 2004. Captured in Stuttgart, Germany he was convicted to life (later reduced to 22 years) for drug smuggling and money laundering and jailed in Korydallos prison.


Emmanouil Polydoulis


This leader of a gambling ring was born on September 19, 1975 in Volos. Already arrested in the past for involvement in slot machines, he, his sister Hrysapho, and his right-hand man Yeoryios Grigoriou managed an illegal gambling and betting ring in the city of Volos. His organization counted at least 34 members and they managed at least six mini-casinos (in Coffee shops, internet cafes and even an underground garage) through strawmen and changed their licenses several times. They also operated illegal gambling websites in their casinos. In their casinos they also offered drinks, coffee, and food for free. 

Among his casinos, there were the Akropolis in Volos, and two others in Almyros and Thessaloniki. The money was sometimes laundered through luxury cars, cruisers, and jet ski's for Polydoulis. He bought coastal land in Volos worth around 400,000 euros and lived a jet-set life in his villa in Volos. Over a five year period, the organization earned about 30 millions euros and owed at least a 10 million euros debt to the Greek state. Of course his thugs beat up any bad payers. On one occasion, one man who threatened to tell the police about them was not only beaten but also forcibly committed to a mental hospital. Whenever the police shut down one of his casinos, they reopened another with a new license. On December 2012, the organization was dismantled and the Polydoulis siblings, Grigoriou, and most of their employees arrested.










Emmanouil Kritikopoulos

Mobster and drug lord born in 1951 in Elassona, Thessaly who was the son of a police officer. He used to be the founder and owner of a driving school and owner of a bus in Larissa. He married an architect and they had two children, one son and one daughter, together. He was rather well-off and lived in Giannouli, a wealthy Larissa suburb and is very close to his family. He was a rather impulsive person who got addicted to cocaine in the 90's and often found himself in trouble, though he always managed to get out of it thanks to his family. 

However, on Christmas 2009, his son was murdered. Insane with grief and not able to avenge his son by killing the culprit, he apparently then became a drug lord and mafia boss to flood Thessaly with drugs. He became the mastermind behind 3 criminal organizations in Larissa and throughout Thessaly, involved in drugs (cannabis, cocaine and heroin) and arms trafficking as well as prostitution and with at least 220 people with ties to the gangs. He generally had the last word considering the mafia's dealings and was the one who contacted Albanian prisoners in the prisons of Patras, Larissa, and Korydallos who were his organization's suppliers in drugs. He also planned to murder a Department of Narcotics officer as well as the murderer of his son. 

Thessaly's Mafia (as it was called in the newspapers) was disbanded and Kritikopoulos and around fifty members of the gang were arrested. However Kritikopoulos died on 2012 without being convicted for his crimes. He denied his role in the Larissa Mafia.






Panos Tsirkas

Patras Mobster killed on April 2013 at 38 years old. Apparently used to be a very good student, came from a loving family with strong moral principles (according to him) and his brother Pantelis is a policeman. Tsirkas was the leader of a six-men gang involved in nightclubs, extortion, burglaries and robberies. He is responsible for at least 30 burglaries in Patras, for two attempted murder in 2010 (one victim was beaten with knives and baseball bat because he refused to pay them); for the robbery of the Agrotiki Bank headquarters in Patras where one security guard was nearly killed. They also racketed various Carnival's groups (Patras Carnival is the biggest one in Greece) and set one carnival hangout on fire (while there were people inside it, fortunately they survived) when they refused to pay them. 

He and his men were arrested in 2011 and jailed in Korydallos prison (around that time, several graffiti writing saying "Free P. Tsirkas" appeared throughout Patras) though he was only convicted for assault with severe injuries and freed on July 2012. In 2013, he butted heads with the Kostas and Alexis Frangos, two boxers and underworld figures in Patras (they used to be part of Dimitris Persanis gang). On April 17, Kostas Frangos and handball player Vassilis Sinouris (who was just a innocent friend of Kostas) were shot and killed outside a nightclub. On April 20, Tsirkas was killed while in his car with two of his friends, Dionysis Vervasenos (seriously injured) and Nikos Dadis (who later died from his wounds). Alexis Frangos, the one responsible for his murder was later arrested.







Andreas Païzis

AKA Liondari (the Lion) Gangster and boxer born in 1967 in Patras. He used to be a quite and peaceful child from the Psilalonia neighbourhood of Patras, who joined at 17 the EA Patras boxing club and quickly became a boxing champion who represented Greece in the Balkans games. In the 90's he came to Athens to study and met there some underworld figures, and began working for them as muscles. When he came back to Patras in 1992, he started his own gang involved in protection racket of nightclubs, bars and clubs and later extended his racket to tavernas, and made about 12 millions drachmas a month. 

He recruited others young boxers whom he personally trained as henchmen. He also expanded his activities to drugs and arms trafficking as well as prostitution and gambling. He also had his men hired as bouncers in clubs. Any new clubs or game rooms in Patras must have been allowed by him to open. He was a natural leader with a strong and calm personality, and one of the pioneer of protection racket in Patras. He was respected by the people he racketed-those who could paid at least-because he provided genuine protection and the fee varied for each business according to their means. Of course, opposition to his racket were met with threats and beatings. 

However other gangs vying for power began to appear in Patras, as well some in his own gang who wanted to be in control. One of them was Dimitris Persanis, who wanted to operate his own gang while Paizis demanded he makes allegiance to him. In 2004, there was a shootout with another gang, though he was unscathed. On April 14 2005, he was shot and killed by another boxing champion Grigoris Katsonis under Persanis orders. His death opened the room for more ruthless gangs to operate in Patras and his gang separated into several smaller groups.




Vassilis Varelas

Gangster born in 1963 in Nedousa village, Messinia. He used to be a kickboxing champion and even was a stuntsman in a Chuck Norris movie.  In the 90's he was the leader of a gang who dealt drugs in Athens, Piraeus and Kalamata where the gang was based. Already wanted for a murder committed in 1988 in Canada and for drug-dealing, he was arrested on 1997 with his brother Christos and Vassilis Mamaneas, a former bodyguard of famous banker Yiorgos Koskotas (for whom Varelas worked in the past), in Kalamata after the police found large quantities of drugs and some weapons in a appartment rented by him in Nikaia, West Attica. He was also arrested on may 1998 for having taken a family hostage in Kalamata. The Varelas brothers were arrested again in 2001 for hashish cultivation and traficking (they owned 1000 seeds of hashish) but he was released again in 2008, though jailed again sometimes later. He was considered one of the toughest prisoners in jail because of his boxing skills, and he always have a gun on him. 

He also led from a 14-people gang (11 greeks in 3 foreigners) in Kalamata involved in protection racket of shopkeepers, drug dealing and contract killing. In 2009, Varelas had his girlfriend ex-husband, Konstantinos Koulouris, killed in Nea Philadelphia, because he fought for the custody of his daughter. In November 2011 he had Felim Meshaj, an albanian whom he suspected of having an affair with his girlfriend as well as trying to create his own gang, murdered along with his 2,5 years-old son Kori. He is currently in jail and facing trial for the murder of Kounouris and Felim and Kori Meshaj.

In march 2014, it was revealed he was still leading from prison a gang of eight criminals who were involved in the protection racket of at least seven nightclub owners in Kalamata (who had to pay 150-250euros per week) as well as other shops. They were also planning the bombing of the shop of one of the witnesses in Varelas trial. The bombing was prevented and the gangsters arrested. On january 2015, it is rumored he had brutally assaulted Christodoulos Xiros in Domokos Prison (though according to other sources the culprits might have been another anarchist).



Parasyris family (Michalis in the picture)

Cretan crime family from the Zoniana (where they are only 16 families for more than 1000 inhabitants, so there is lot of Parasyris, including people with no connection to crime whatsoever) village in the Mylopotamos municipality. They are mainly involved in drug trafficking and cultivation, especially hashish, together with the Striligas and Spanakis family, and managed several drugs plantations in the Island. The leader of the family was Konstantinos aka Koukias, who lived with his brothers Michalis, aka Psakas, and Anasto outside Ayios Nikolaos. 

During the 2012 legislative elections in Greece, Michalis Parasyris was a candidate for the "Democratic Alliance" party (a splinter party from Greece main conservative party New Democracy) of Dora Bakoyianni (born Mitsotaki) herself from a prominent Cretan political family, in Lasithi though he failed and wasn't elected (though apparently a lot of people voted for him in Neapoli prison in Lasithi). Michalis is also the president of the Vrahassi Football Club, and the most known figure of the family because of is involvement in sports. They are also involved in arms trafficking and herds thefts (of sheeps) and were active in Lasithi, Heraklion and Rethymno. In November 2012 their organization was dismantled by the police and the Parasyris brothers arrested. 




Vilanakis family

A rich and powerful greek gypsy crime family from Larissa. They seem to be mainly involved in thefts, robberies, burglaries, protection racket and loan sharking, and reside in the wealthy suburb of Giannouli. The patriarch of the family seems to be Kostas, father and grandfather of several members of the family. They are associated with another gypsy family, the Siambanis.

They runned a loan sharking business, lending money at an interest rate of 10% per month, throughout Thessaly as well as in Pieria and Thessaloniki, and acquiring several properties in Thessaly, as well as luxury cars and even yachts. One of Kostas sons (or nephew), Kyriakos, was the one who organized the ring and was arrested in 2006 along several other people. Kyriakos was also convicted in 1998, for the murder of his cousin Vassilis in Giannouli, during a bloody shootout between two rival branches of the family, where one of Kostas sons, Angelos, was injured. 

One of Kostas brothers, Stefanos, was arrested for usury and protection racket in 2009 along with several others members of the family: they demanded 50 000 euros for the protection of benches and places in Agrinio which he also rented to street dealers; places they secured through the Agrinio Municipality. At one point, Stefanos Vilanakis even told someone who owed him a money he had to sell one of his kidney to pay his debt. On april 2006, they also robbed a pair of goldsmiths on the Polykastros-Kilkis road, posing as policemen and stealing away six bags of gold worth one million euro. 

On may 2011, several members of the family as well as Sambanis, including Kostas (who was convicted to 14 years of prison) and his Kyriakos, were convicted for various offences such as armed robbery, extortion, fraud, usury, thefts and money laundering.
On 2012, another family members were involved in several burglaries in Northern Greece, including the burglary of the house of MP Elena Rapti's father as well as the house of the Metropolitan of Langadas, a suburb of Thessaloniki. They mostly targeted private and public companies, often stealing the safes, until they were arrested in 2012. 




Michalis Makriyiannis

AKA Makellaris (the Butcher) Gangster born in 1963 in Trikala municipality. He used to be an associate of the Paleokostas brothers and they committed bank robberies, theft, and burglaries but they partnership went sour, perhaps because of the Paleokostas non-violence. Their biggest hit was the robbery of the National Bank of Velestino in 1993, where they stole 20 millions drachmas. First arrested for murder in 1985, he stabbed to death a guy who was bothering a waitress in a bar in Trikala (or he killed a waiter, I'm not sure). Convicted to 24 years but he escaped on October 1990 while being taken to court. 

He apparently caught the eye of the Greek underworld and his next big crime was the robbery of the National Bank in Servia, near Kozani on July 1991, where he got away with a loot of eight million drachmas. Armed robbery soon became his specialty, and he is famous for his violent temper. On October 1993, Makriyiannis, after an argument in a club named  Hrysa Nyhta (Golden Night) in Acharnon, shot and killed the treasurer of the club as well as one of his own friend who tried to stop him, Antonis Dimitropoulos (whose brother, Haris, was also with them) and wounded two waiters. On December 1993, he shot five times his Greek-American girlfriend, Angeliki Tsenembi (who apparently threatened to report him to the police) in Keratea, who then died from her injuries while being treated in a hospital in Toronto. He also murdered postman Ilias Liavas on October 1994. Liavas brought Tsenembi to the hospital and Makriyiannis and Tegas were afraid he would talk. He was also accused of the attempted murder of a relative of Trikala nightlcub owner Zloutas Diamandis in Varkiza as well as for a shootout with the police, once again in 1994. He and his accomplice Kostas Tegas were arrested on December 1994.

First jailed in Korydallos, he was injured during an escape attempt and moved to Alikarnassos prison in Crete. On July 2006, he was allowed a leave and did not return. He was arrested on October 2007 in Haidari, Attica along with anarchists and bank robber Konstantinos Polydorou. On August 2012, he was allowed a five-day leave from Larissa Prison and escaped again (though he was allowed ten leaves since 2010 and came back to prison every time before that). During his time outside, he robbed four banks in Corinth, Fthiotis, Ermionida and Achaea until he was recaptured in Peristeri, West Attica in November 2012.







Marjan Kola

Albanian gangster born on July 27 1977 in Vig village. He fled Albania after killing two fellow villagers because of a blood feud with another family. Mainly involved in armed robberies, he started operating in Thessaloniki in the early 90's. He also did agricultural work in the 90's in the Argos and Corinth region, which he know very well because of this and worked as a shepherd in Greece before fleeing his village. On October 1995, he murdered taxi driver Nikos Tsalakos near Aegina. 

On November 2007 he was arrested in Thessaloniki after he robbed 37 banks and post offices, including 14 in the Attica region and jailed in Larissa prison, though he escaped during a day leave in 2009. On November 2009, he escaped from a police station in Thebes where he met his accomplice Ermal Lita, himself a prolific robber. Together, they committed more than 30 robberies throughout the Athenians suburbs, usually armed with Kalashnikovs. On February 2010, Kola was arrested in Vyronas after a shooting with the police during which a 25-year old plumber was killed in the crossfire. 

Jailed in Trikala Prison, he staged a massive escape on March 23, 2013, where six Albanian gunmen stormed Trikala prison, injuring two prison guards during a long shootout and helped eleven Albanian prisoners escape (three of them were caught the following day though) including Kola, Lita and Ilir Kupa, Flaulant Luli, Admir Murataj, Fatos Sulaj, Edison Lika and Klement Kala. During his escape, he didn't stop his criminal career: among other feats, he killed a woman bystander during a shootout with the police in Isthmia and shot and killed a policeman during a routine check in Distomo. He became more ruthless and determined to die rather than go back to prison (as he said to cops "next time I will kill you or you will kill me"). He was finally killed during a police operation near the Albanian border.

Yeah, great post man!!!!!!!

Tsakoyiannis is a joke and he probably never killed a man in his life.

Ekathimerini.com had great articles and they deleted the archive over a year ago.

Mithridatis, I would like for you to write a bio on Tsakoyiannis, Crack Head Peter, and Teddy & Nick the Greek if it's possible.

Cool photos!

If any of you guys can post more photos, that would be great!

CostasGr1 as I already said, most information about the Grigorakos, Crack Head Peter Sedhom and Tsakoyiannis are already covered in the topic The Final Greek Mafia War of the Century, part one and two, and I don't really have much more information on those guys. The only things more I can tell you about Tsakoyiannis is that he was born in Athens in 1970, was first convicted for car theft at 19 before joining the Grigorakos in the 90's. After having all the Grigorakos killed and becoming one of the top bosses in Athens, he became the owner of the Ilioupoli Football Club in 2003. On June 2011, he was arrested for being part of a match-fixing ring that involved a lot of people in Greek football including PAOK (one of Thessaloniki club) president and the Hellenic Football Federation. He is currently jailed in Trikala prison.

Mithridatis,

I tried to find articles at espressonews.gr and tovima.gr (Vasilis G.

Lambropoulos) and I cannot find any.



>>If you want some information on Greek organized crime, I'd

recommend the newspaper site Espresso and the

articles of To Vima journalist Vasilis G. Lambropoulos who is specialized in

crime news. I don't think there is any

site specialized on the subject but you might try looking out for forums, I

didn't try myself.<<

For Lambropoulos try typing his name in Greek Βασίλης Γ. Λαμπρόπουλος it usually work for me, as for espresso news try using keywords such as "mafia", "sumoria", "nonos tis nychtas" etc (or even when searching for info on greek gangsters on google, use Google Greece it's better). The site Crimesonair seems good for information on crimes in Greece (never really read it though, so I can't really say if it's reliable), though besides that I didn't found any sites specialized in Greek gangsters so you pretty much have to search for informations in various news sites, just as I do. If you can understand greek then it's better, I had to translate most informations with google translate so it badly worded or even misunderstanded. I hope I helped you.

Thank you man. I will start looking things up myself 

I just noticed the additions you just made.

Good job Mithridatis!!!

MORE MORE MORE

Pethyia, I just found this sight from GreekOrganizedCrime.blogspot.com and I am very proud of my Greek heritage.

I always wanted more knowledge on Greek Mafiosi and I could never find anything at all really.

This site fuckin rocks and you can believe I will be posting my opinions and questions whenever I get a chance.

Tsao!!!

I'm glad some of you guys are starting to post because I would like to see some dialogue on Greek Organized Crime since we cannot do that on my site.

To Michael Pappas
I wish it to be the case as well, also if any of you have some information on some leaders of Cretan crimes family, Cretan nonos or any important figures from Zoniana or Mylopotamos (I've done a biography on the Parasyris family but besides that, I couldn't find the name of any Cretan nonos, apparently the "K family' is the most powerful crime clan from Mylopotamos, so if someone know who they are, it would help. Also I'm trying to find information on gypsies gangsters or clans in Greece, since two gypsies ghettos, Dendropotamos in Thessaloniki and Zefyri in Attica, are also drugs supermarkets so I wish to know who run those dealings.

Also according to To Vima there are eight great inmates in Greek prisons, who are all important criminals and live like princes in jail, they are 3 greeks, 3 rossopontioi and 2 albanians. While I'm pretty sure two of the greeks are Vlastos and Stefanakos, and that Rizaj is probably one of the two albanians, it would be helpful if you know, or at least have an idea, who theses big inmates are.

I definitely concur!!!

Bravo,, I am in!

great read!!!

 "Parasyris Family"

Crazy ass Cretans!!!

They will challenge you to a knife fight outside just for looking at them "wrong"..lol.

"...in Lasithi though he failed and wasn't elected (though apparently a lot of people voted for him in Neapoli prison in Lasithi)."

So, prisoners can vote from prison for the elections?

In the US, felons lose their right to vote.

I think they can vote yes, I recalled having once read an article which said people in Korydallos psychiatric unit voted. However the whole "people in prison voted for him" thing was maybe only a joke (the article I took it from was mainly blaming political corruption in Greece and Bakoyianni's ties with the Parasyris so it may not have been said seriously). As for a lot of things, I can't really be sure.

I heard of Vassilis Varelas. I also heard he could take on multiple opponents with his superior striking skills and nobody wanted to fuck with him in jail.

Apparently he suffer from some illness now, besides the fact he probably is past his prime, so I guess he's not the toughest guy in prison anymore. I wonder how the other prisoners will react to a guy who had a child killed, that's the kind of shit even the most hardened gangster is disgusted by.

In prison, everyone hates an inmate who raped or killed an innocent child.