Gaz Muça, the gangster of Tirana/ From breaking the weapons warehouse to the threat of Azem Hajdari

2024-05-13 12:13:00, Kronika Ferdinand Dervishi

Gaz Muça, the gangster of Tirana/ From breaking the weapons warehouse to

Interested Albanians have been faced with piecemeal information about the history of Gazmend Muça, the strongman of Tirana, who became known immediately after the overthrow of the communist system. But what is the truth, where does reality end and legend begin?

Leader of a group of peers of the "Bardhyl" street, his fame would overtake the capital in August 1991, after the news of the mass exodus towards the Italian shores.

Exactly, the fame would come through the word-of-mouth narration of several episodes of the journey of Gaz Muça and his group, with the ship "Vlora", in the direction of the port of Bari, in Italy, and especially after the violent and chaotic events in the stadium. Victoria" of this city, all reflected in the main Italian televisions.

At the beginning of 1992, when Gazmend Muça had returned to Albania, his name, as a thug who "kills and cuts in Tirana" would be mentioned in the Parliament by deputy Azem Hajdari - another episode that increased the speed even more. of skyrocketing fame.

But who was Gazmend Muca really?

Was he a thug or capo who killed and cut every day, or was everything perceived exaggerated?

How was it possible that, in only two years post-dictatorship, Albanians were faced with a feverishly growing microcrime that was completely out of control?

What were the events that would break the iron laws of absolute police control during the dictatorship?

Gaz Muça, the gangster of Tirana/ From breaking the weapons warehouse to

The police experts of this time period are of the opinion that the big break would happen because of the sins of politics and especially after the murders of April 4, 1991 in Shkodër. According to them, immediately after this event, the authority of the police fell to the ground, while the place left empty was quickly filled by micro-criminality.

Gazmend Muça, born in 1969, the son of a barber originally from Kavaja, had become famous among his peers on "Bardhyl" street, as early as 1985, at the age of 16, primarily because of his physical abilities.

This is because the teenager Gaz Muça had injected himself with the confidence of a physically invincible man.

He had to come out victorious at all costs in one-on-one boxing matches between his peers. Even if he could, he would continue to challenge others to a duel until one day he put you down. Further, he made friends of all those he beat.

Gaz Muça's first attraction is said to have been pigeons. In the ground-floor house of his parents, which was located somewhere between the area called "Xhamlliku" and the children's hospital, he used to own 300 pigeons at once.

The rules were strict; "You can't have more beautiful pigeons than mine! Your pigeons either become mine or they will be exterminated!"

Gazmend Muça's other great pleasure, certainly influenced by the many feature films with the theme of medieval battles, which the only Albanian television broadcast, was riding and possibly participating in some horse race.

But there were also dangerous races, such as; to knock the horse down with a single punch. As if copying a scene from a western movie, Gazi is said to have done this by throwing a municipal utility horse to the ground.

Gazmend Muça would pay dearly for his desire to ride. The event had this flow: In 1988, at the age of 19, Gazi stole a horse from the "Gjergj Dimitrov" farm in Sauk, but while going down the road to Elbasan, they collided with a truck. The gas miraculously escapes, but the horse dies.

The court sentences Gazmend Muça to 8 months in prison "for damage to socialist property". Surprisingly, the state of the time decided to close the "Bardhyl" street fortress in Spaçi prison.

Gaz Muça, the gangster of Tirana/ From breaking the weapons warehouse to

Gazmend Muça returns to Tirana the following year, 1989. Friends confess that prison not only matured him, but also increased his fame.

It was during this period that Gaz Muça began to appear, first in his own neighborhood, and later, throughout Tirana, accompanied by a group of boys who did not spare a fistful of mugs, or a tip of a knife.

Just as quickly, Gaz Muça's group also approaches the lek. It is proven that at first the money was extracted by means of gambling tricks, while then it started to fall short:

They start attacking the points where gambling was played at the moment when the game ended, extorting, through threats, all the turnover of money.

The group, which appeared with the ferocity of a pack of piranhas, used knives, metal gloves, iron crowbars. Mostly only those who did not know Gazmend Muça ate wood.

During the years 1990-1991, the piranhas of Gazmend Muça's group started to become famous even after incursions into the industrial market, which is known as the "New Market". As if they were in their mall, there they chose the most beautiful clothes, played a tape recorder and so on.

Sometimes it happened that, as soon as the group of strongmen appeared at the head of the road, all the traders would pack up and leave in a panic.

Let Gaz Muça's group get into someone's bar to have a drink! If this happened, first the entire clientele would be removed from the bar, then the drunkenness and drinking of alcohol directly from the bottles continued all night.

It is precisely this type of behavior, after no reversal, that makes Gaz Muça's group stand out from other groups in Tirana. They were absolutely the strongest. In their neighborhood, no one dared to approach, while they could enter every corner of the city and finish work, either by searching, finding and beating up anyone who dared to challenge.

In this period of time, the new love of the boys of Bardhyl Street is motorcycles.

Gazi himself used a black SUZUKI motorcycle, which has not been preserved. But currently his friends, in memory of Gaz Muça and the glorious times gone by, have found another 100 per 100 identical one, they have even tagged it and keep it in working condition.

In the time span of 1991, the fame of Gaz Muça and the boys of "Bardhyl" street crossed the borders of Tirana. Precisely at this time, through mutual friends or acquaintances, in Tirana, in order to meet Gazi, sit next to him and learn from him, some strong people from the districts started coming, whose names would become known , especially during 1997.

Friends from the districts, who were numerous, Gazi arranged for them to sleep near the "Çajupi" gymnasium, in an empty apartment, which belonged to a family left with the exodus of embassies.

Sometimes, together with friends from the districts, the group, even 50 people together, fixed like a scene from the movie "Gangsters of New York", appeared in the streets of Tirana passing the date, first to the minority traders in the industrial market.

At the beginning of August 1991, Gazmend Muça, together with his group, tried to emigrate to the south of Italy.

They boarded the ship VLORA, loaded with sugar, among thousands of other Albanians, who dreamed of that magical change in the standard of living.

Witnesses describe Gazmend Muça as being present on the bridge of the ship, next to its captain, and certainly as the man who had some control over the chaotic situation.

History follows Gaz Muça, especially after several thousand Albanian immigrants are locked inside the "Victoria" stadium in the city of Bari with the aim of repatriation.

The situation is ignited precisely by the news of the return to Albania. The young people locked in the stadium revolt. The reactions, in relation to the police, as the hours pass, become violent.

Meanwhile, inside the stadium, Gaz Muça's group starts to make the law. Police and Red Cross assistants are forced to leave. Chaos is laid cross-legged.

Friends confess that in the midst of the created mess, Gaz Muça managed to establish at least one rule, which everyone began to respect: Thanks to him, food, which was dropped from the air by helicopter, was first distributed to children and women.

However, the situation becomes extremely dangerous when the Gas group breaks down the doors of a room inside the stadium, revealing a cache of firearms.

It was a whole arsenal, including submachine guns, pistols and even sniper rifles.

A few minutes later, the explosions in the air begin to terrorize not only the Albanians inside the stadium, but also the police around it.

Soon the perimeter of the stadium is surrounded by police and military forces.

But the adventure continues. Once Gaz Muça and the group, all armed, get on a bus and try to break through the police cordons in order to escape, but concrete block obstacles stop them.

After the deadlock, the negotiations started. All the agreements had to be made through Gazmend Muça, who is then interviewed by all the Italian media.

But Gazmend Muça himself would be the master of the stadium for a while. After two days and nights, secretly, he manages to leave and head towards France.

Meanwhile, the group remains, very quickly losing control of the situation.

At least two other curlers, one of whom was Arjan Hoxha, a cousin of Gazi from Kavaja - began to remove themselves as if they were Gazmend Muça. Violence and injuries, especially with cold weapons, began to increase, complementing the echo of the violent revolt of Albanian immigrants in the "Victoria" stadium in Bari.

Gazmend Muça spends a few months in France and Germany, among friends, but is not convinced to start the life of an immigrant. It seems, the life among adventures and everything achieved in Albania, lured him more, pulled him back.

Finally, after 4-5 months, at the end of 1991, Gazmend Muça returns to Tirana, where he suddenly faces his multiplied fame.

The beginning of 1992 finds Gaz Mucha's company expanded.

In addition to the group of strongmen, he also had company with members of the special forces of the Police and other personalities, who years later would become famous.

Meanwhile, down in the city, the political parties had started the campaign for the Parliamentary elections, to be held on March 22, 1992.

It was during this period that Gazmend Muça made a move that would probably cost him a lot.

Gaz Muça, the gangster of Tirana/ From breaking the weapons warehouse to

On one occasion, called by some guard friends, he helps the Socialist Party to close a meeting accompanied by an anti-meeting, where a group of young people had attacked them with stones and crowbars.

After the victory of the Democratic Party in the elections, it is not known for what motivation or argument, MP Azem Hajdari, during a speech in the Parliament, begins to accuse the police of not arresting the strongman of Tirana - Gazmend Muça, who "killed and cut" in his neighborhood.

According to friends, Gazmend Muça was extremely irritated. He had told Azem that when he caught him, he would cut his hair like a brick.

The police take MP Azem Hajdari under protection until a meeting is held between the two.

The man who cooperates and brings Gazmend Muça to talks with Azem Hajdar, would be another strong man of Tirana - Nehat Kulla.

Even the meeting between the two takes place somewhere on the outskirts of Tirana, in the area that was controlled by Kulla.

According to the witnesses, the conversation had started with heated tones, then both had gone to bed, parting as friends.

But there was not much time left for Gazmend Muça. At the beginning of April 1992, an ordinary incident would interrupt the journey of life.

The cause of the incident would be Landi, Gazmend Muça's brother.

The event starts near the train station, around 11:00 on April 7, 1992, when Land Muça and Gent Hajdari try to take the motorcycle, a white VESPA, from an acquaintance of theirs.

The event takes place in the presence of Franc Konomi, another Tirana strongman, whom Gaz Muça and his group did not consider.

Feeling insulted, Franc Konomi chooses to slap Land Muça.

Meanwhile, Gazmend Muça, on April 7, 1992, the last day of his life, started by taking some photographs, which would also be his last.

Then, around 12:30, Gazi gets into his car, an Opel with German license plates, and goes to buy paint, as he was obsessed with painting it white.

Unfortunately for him, the cartographic company, where the ink was bought, was located in front of Naim Zyber's house.

The incident with Franc Konomi Gazit was told at 14:00. He wastes no time in getting revenge. But they don't find Franci either in the neighborhood or in the usual gambling dens.

In the last minutes of his life, around 5:00 p.m., Gaz Muça was at "Xamlliku", where a car dealer had just brought a "Ford Sierra", which Gaz had liked and was dying to buy.

It is on these roofs that a car stops next to him, from which Naim Zyberi gets out with a Kalashnikov in his hands.

Gaz Muça, the gangster of Tirana/ From breaking the weapons warehouse to

Here is the description of the event according to the decision of the Court of Tirana, which sentenced the defendant Naim Zyberi for the murder of Gazmend Muça.

"On the afternoon of April 7, 1992, around 6 p.m., the defendant Naim Zyberi was traveling in an OPEL type vehicle, driven by a citizen named Franc Konomi. By car, they go to "Qemal Stafa" street and stop at the bar called "Xhamlleku", in front of the fountain, while on the other side of the road, in front of the vehicle in which the defendant was, was the victim Gazmend Muça.

At this moment, the latter, the victim, starts to go out on the other side of the road. At this time, the defendant Naim Zyberi got down from the second door of the car (rear) and with a model 56 machine gun fired two volleys in the direction of the victim Gazmend Muça, injuring him in different parts of the body.

The car with the killers came from the ring road, passed the place where Gazi was, turned back about 100 meters higher and stopped in front of the group of people surrounding Gazmend Muça. Witnesses say that Gazmend Muça, even though he saw Namim with a Kalashnikov in his hands, did not take a single step back, waiting for the bullets to hit him, while everyone else had fled in panic.

As it was later understood, the organizer of the murder was precisely Franc Konomi, who was afraid of Gazi's revenge for slapping his brother, Roland.

Known for insidious actions, he had put Naim Zyber into the game, filling his mind that Gazmend Muça wanted to kill him.

Naim Zyberi is believed to have been convinced after verifying that, on that day, Gaz Muca had indeed been near his apartment, precisely at the cartographic company, where he had gone to buy paint.

Naim Zyberi, the direct executor of Gazmend Muça, was arrested a few months later, on September 10, 1992.

During the trial, which would sentence him to 25 years in prison for murder, he tried to play the card of mental irresponsibility, but failed. The data are reflected in the sentencing decision.

"But from the latest expertise conducted during the investigation of the criminal case for the murder of the citizen Gazmend Muça, it appears that the two previous expertises were also analyzed by a wide commission of experts and in conclusion, after long-term observations of the defendant, it was clearly and expressly concluded that he - the defendant Naim Zyberi, not only at the time of committing the crime, but also a few months before, was in a normal mental state.

A few years later, in 1998, Franc Konomi, the other accused for the murder of Gazmend Mucha, manages to bring him to justice.

How to go backwards in its performance, the Albanian justice of the time, fails to find evidence for his involvement in the murder, accepting a version according to which Franc Konomi was taken hostage by Naim Zyberi. The argument is read in the decision to drop the charges against Konomi:

"After committing the murder by the convicted Naim Zyberi, the latter got back into the back seat of his car, which was driven by the defendant Franc Konomi, and when he heard the defendant asking him about the motives that led him to commit the act and was not moving the vehicle, the convict Zyberi put the machine gun, which he still held in his hand, to the head of the defendant Franc Konomi, ordering him to drive the vehicle quickly, or else he would kill him too".

The funeral ceremony of Gazmend Mucha was magnificent. Even though it was raining heavily, to say goodbye to the 23-year-old boy, half of Tirana came out, performing a procession similar only to that of Enver Hoxha.

Gazmend Muça is remembered as the gangster who would throw punches. He was the most worthy successor of the old generation of Tirana's strongmen who made a name for themselves during the dictatorship. "The coward kills you, the brave punches you" - said Gaz Muça, who seems to have had a hard time understanding that times had changed and that even a kalama could kill you now.

The execution of Gaz Mucha would end an era. With his murder, it can be said that the era of the dominance of the strong who gained fame through courage and physical strength ended, to pave the way for the start of a new era, of another type of strong, who, instead of fists , would use firearms, instead of manhood - intrigue and infidelity.

It is surprising how, even today, his image, the expressed youth, the shy smile, are remembered with nostalgia, not only by those who had him as a relative, friend or companion, but also by all those who knew him in distance, whether conceived as the fort of "Bardhyl" street./Crime Story