Introduction and Background
| Founding location | Greece |
|---|---|
| Territory | Greece, Albania, Netherlands, Italy, Kazakhstan, United Kingdom, Germany, Bulgaria, Argentina, United States, Australia, Canada, China, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus, South Africa, and other parts of Africa |
| Ethnicity | Greek |
| Membership | Greeks, Maniots, Pontic Greeks, Greek Americans, Greek Canadians, Greek Cypriots, various other Greek islanders, Romani people |
| Criminal activities | Drug trafficking, arms trafficking, assassination, assault, bank fraud, bankruptcy, blackmailing, bribery, bombing, contract killing, extortion, fraud, entryism, illegal gambling, Insurance fraud, kidnapping, money laundering, murder, police corruption, political corruption, protection racket, racketeering, tax evasion, witness intimidation, witness tampering |
| Allies | Sicilian Mafia Camorra Albanian Mafia Serbian Mafia Armenian Mafia Philadelphia Greek Mob Velentzas Crime Family Greek Core (South Cartel) Greek North |
The Greek mafia (Greek: Ελληνική μαφία Ellinikí mafía) is the universal term used to reference various organized crime elements and groups originating from Greece. Indigenous organized criminal groups are well-entrenched in the largest Greek urban centers, particularly in Athens. Large-scaled organized crime, such as the Greek mafia should not be confused with Greek street gangs, who take part in smaller street crime.
Crime in Greece obtains its reign from famous groups and people including The Godfather's of the Night, The Velentzas Organization, Michael Thevis, Peter Manolakos and Giannis Skaftkouros. Together they additionally have connections outside of Greece, mainly various locations within North America.
The Greek Mafia has been a prevalent group throughout Greece, its surrounding countries and even overseas. For a while, there have been numerous criminal actions, practices and markets that have added an increase of violence to the country. This mafia remains silent with little information publicly known about the group; However the influences from them will impact the world forever.
Activities
A substantial number of Greek organized crime groups are based in Athens. However, many other organized groups operate throughout other cities, villages and overseas. Mafia groups in bigger cities within Greece are mostly involved in racketeering, illegal smuggling of oil and drugs, human trafficking, money laundering, weapon and drug trafficking, as well as murder.
Criminal groups on the Greek mainland have profited from the activities of poor officials. Arms, narcotics and illegal oil products are smuggled by Greek criminal organizations (often in collaboration with other groups including the Albanian and Russian mafia), from local seaports to destination centers like the docks of Naples or Antwerp. In addition, human smuggling is prominent. Most people go from Turkey to then Greece and later traveling to Italy. However, according to The Global Organized Crime Index, smugglers are now using “dangerous sea routes to avoid heavily-controlled Greek waters” which result in “multiple boat capsizing and numerous deaths”. [1]
Outside of the urban centers, the island of Crete is known for having family-based crime ties involved in the cultivating and trafficking of marijuana on a domestic as well as international level. With Greece holding a large percentage of the world's maritime merchant shipping, a substantial amount of Greek grown marijuana is shipped throughout Europe on a yearly basis. Grown on distant farms and fields, mainly on the island of Crete, it has found its way into the heart of most western and Central European cities, regardless of efforts made to stop this phenomenon. Kidnapping and weapon trafficking are activities of choice as well and are often in collaboration with the Albanian Mafia. In general, Greek organized crime groups are active on the Greek mainland, as well as in other parts of Europe. Recently, under pressure from the European Union, Greece and numerous other European countries have stepped up their war on smuggling, making numerous arrests and otherwise disabling the organizations in collaboration with European law enforcement agencies.
Outside of Greece, mainly in North America, the main crimes that take place include illegal transportation of drugs, firearms, kidnapping, pornography, racketeering, bribery, fraud, gambling, money laundering, and murder. The law enforcement in the United States tries their hardest to prevent these illegal activities and additionally stop the criminal organizations as a whole.
Well Known Groups & People
Godfather's of the Night
Greek crime bosses are locally known and referenced as "Godfathers of the Night". They are largely operating as owners of nightclubs, where they are able to operate their business from, or overall known as bosses of the mafia group communities.
There are close to 217 known domestic crime lords operating in Greece. With the need to infiltrate and manipulate multiple types of businesses in order to successfully smuggle internationally (which is usually their main source of income), such organizations often resemble professional international cartels rather than traditional organized crime groups, or mafias.
There is a book published by a prior member of one of the groups entitled “Godfather Of Night: My Life in America’s Hidden Mafia” written by Kevin Pappas. In this, he discusses his life story and things he did in the mafia including illegal activities like smuggling, racketeering as well as using and obtaining illegal firearms.
The Velentzas Organization
This is a group that is a division of the Greek Mafia in New York City, mostly in Queens as well as Brooklyn. This Greek American organization was founded by Peter Kourakos, also known as “Pete the Greek” and was primarily dominant in the 80s and 90s. They had gained dominance with the reign of Spyredon, also known as “Spiros” Velentzas.
Many members of this group were arrested for charges including murder, illegal gambling, fraudulent activities, and more. However, the group is still active today.
Michael Thevis
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Michael George Thevis was a well known pornographer who was infamous for his close ties to criminal organizations prior to his death in 2013. He came from a Greek-immigrant family and had five children within his lifetime. Thevis’ main source of income for himself and his family came from illegal pornographic films as well as magazines. He initially started this job through the black market magazines he would sell to people on the street secretly, but soon he turned his work into an empire.
Some of his criminal connections include the DeCavalcante family and specific sections of the Greek mafia. Later in his life, Thevis was in dispute with the law in regard to murder, conspiracy of arson, distribution of illegal materials, theft, and many more offenses. This allowed for him to wind up on the FBI's Most Wanted list and gain an intense reputation; especially after he escaped from jail. He had been in apparent business with the Greek mafia, however there was no evidence to fully “prove” this idea.
Peter Manolakos
Peter Manolakos, a Canada native, has been referenced as the “Greek gang boss” in this country for quite some time now. Although there has been little information given about him to the public, he had recently been charged with murder of three former employees. Manolakos and his three other attendants who helped in the murders are now serving life sentences. [2] Manolakos, though in prison, was the figurehead of the Greek gang organizations in Canada for the majority of his life.
Giannis Skaftouros
Giannis Skaftkouros, also called “Uncle Joe”, could be seen as one of the most well known Greek mafia bosses of this century. From Greece, Skaftkouros had been surrounded by the mafia throughout his whole life. In early 2022, after being released from prison three years prior, Skaftkouros had passed away in front of his family the day of Easter (on a Monday), while at his parents home in central Greece. He was 55 when two men on motorcycles came to the house and shot him to death. His daughter and father-in-law also were injured but did not pass away.
"Uncle Joe" was well-known for his enforcement and strong rule of the gang. In addition, he was known to perpetrate homicide, arson, racketeering, and other violent crimes before his death.
Connections Outside of Greece
North America
North America has the highest number of connections to the Greek mafia. North American cities with a large Greek community have traditionally also been home to ethnic Greek criminal organizations. Some of the well-known examples being the Velentzas crime family, the Godfather’s of the Night, and the Canadian crime syndicate families. These organizations have secretly operated for decades, and are notoriously powerful with underground as well as violent crime.
In the United States, the term "Greek mafia" may include or refer specifically to various Greek American organized crime groups. The most infamous Greek-American gangster is Michael Thevis, a multi-millionaire pornographer and convicted murderer based in Georgia. In addition, Peter Manolakos, a Canadian man who ran the Greek mafia group in Vancouver, is also well known. He is in custody and used extreme violence to kill people he even deemed as suspicious. Manolakos is now in prison for life.
In-Text Citation References
- ↑ Organized Crime Index Team. “Criminality in Greece - the Organized Crime Index2.” The Organized Crime Index | ENACT, 2023, ocindex.net/country/greece.
- ↑ Bolan, Kim (January 31, 2019). "Supreme Court of Canada Dismisses Appeal of Greeks Gang Killers". Vancouver Sun.
Bibliography
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Bolan, Kim. “Supreme Court of Canada Dismisses Appeal of Greeks Gang Killers ...” Supreme Court of Canada Dismisses Appeal of Greeks Gang Killers, 2019, vancouversun.com/news/crime/supreme-court-of-canada-dismisses-appeal-of-greeks-gang-killers.
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Macrotrends Team. (2023). Greece Crime Rate & Statistics 1990-2023 | macrotrends. Greece Crime Rate & Statistics 1990-2023. https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/GRC/greece/crime-rate-statistics
Maysh, Jeff. “The Scarface of Sex: The Millionaire Playboy Who Murdered His Way to the Top of Porn.” The Daily Beast, The Daily Beast Company, 23 Nov. 2020, www.thedailybeast.com/the-scarface-of-sex.
Pappas, Kevin. “Godfather of Night: My Life in America’s Hidden Greek Mafia by Kevin Pappas - Books.” Hachette Australia, 2009, www.hachette.com.au/kevin-pappas/godfather-of-night-my-life-in-americas-hidden-greek-mafia.
Organized Crime Index Team. “Criminality in Greece - the Organized Crime Index2.” The Organized Crime Index | ENACT, 2023, ocindex.net/country/greece.
Wees, H. van, Beston, P., & Lewis, J. (2001, December 16). Bryn Mawr Classical Review. https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2001/2001.12.16/