FLASH
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Named after Athena the Goddess of Wisdom, the Greek capital of Athens is considered a 'dream destination' for the millions of tourists who visit each year.
It is also famous as the oldest capital of Europe and the birthplace of modern democracy and Western civilization.
But hidden in the shadows of its ancient gems lies a brutal world of crime and gang violence, blackmail, extortion and murder.
Known locally as the 'night world', there have been over 30 gangland murders in the historic capital in the past seven years.
Last month's public execution of a Greek mafia boss, killed by a hail of bullets, has now fueled fears that the country's mafia rivalries could spiral out of control.
Crime boss Vangelis Zambounis was ambushed in the early hours of January 14 as he sat in his BMW. The 44-year-old known as 'The Ham' had parked outside a petrol station he owned when his killers pulled up behind him in a stolen Lexus Jeep with fake number plates. Surveillance video shows a masked man armed with a Kalashnikov rifle approaching Zambounis' SUV and firing over 90 rounds through his side window.
The hooded assassin then reloads and fires another volley of bullets at the mobster's head before opening the door and shooting him several times in the head with a pistol.
According to police, 'The Ham', who controlled the western and southern suburbs of Athens, is believed to have run a string of extortion and smuggling operations.
He is also accused of being behind a series of murders of rival gangsters.
Police spokesman Stavros Balaskas said: "He lived by the sword and died by the sword - or rather by the bullet."
"The victim was an executioner. He began his illegal career as an executioner and even attempted to kill a high-ranking judge. The people who carried out this attack were determined to catch him. You saw the ferocity with which they attacked and the determination they had by opening the door and shooting him in the head with a pistol."
Police say they have since identified seven people suspected of being involved in the contract killing, which they believe was either an act of revenge or an attempt to seize control of the country's lucrative oil smuggling business.
It is estimated that there are around 215 crime bosses known as the 'Godfathers of the Night' vying for control in Greece.
Most are in collaboration with the Sicilian mafia, the Camorra and Albanian, Romanian, Russian and Serbian organized crime groups.
In addition to extortion, prostitution and blackmail, most of the groups' activities revolve around oil smuggling, money laundering, arms, drug and human trafficking, kidnapping and murder.
In a 2023 report, the Global Organized Crime Index, which assesses levels of criminality and the resilience of countries to organized crime, states: “Recent murders of individuals linked to these networks highlight the severity of this issue.
"The spread of crime through the already weakened Greek economy is expected to worsen the situation. During the pandemic, reduced revenue in nightlife establishments led to increased competition between these groups, with each trying to keep a larger share of the extortion market.”
According to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, more than 30 murders for hire have involved the Greek underworld since 2017.
One was Zambounis' girlfriend, who was gunned down by Kalashnikov-wielding assassins outside her luxury apartment in the Greek capital in 2018.
After surviving a previous attempt on her life in 2011, when she was shot in the head, Katerina Anagnostaki had returned to her home in the "Kifisia" neighborhood.
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