Top Russian mobster Ivankov dies (Vyacheslav Ivankov The Yaponchik)

WA today ^ | 10/10/09

[TigerLikesRooster]

Top Russian mobster Ivankov dies

October 10, 2009

One of Russia's most notorious mafia kingpins, Vyacheslav Ivankov, known by his nickname of Yaponchik, or Little Japanese, has died in Moscow after suffering serious injuries in an assassination attempt in July.

"Investigators have received official confirmation from a Moscow clinic of the death of Vyacheslav Ivankov," the Investigative Committee of the General Prosecutor's Office said in a statement on Friday.

Ivankov was shot in the stomach as he left a glitzy Thai restaurant in Moscow on July 28. The shot was fired by a sniper who hid 70 metres away in a truck, prosecutors said.

/snip

Ivankov, 69, was nicknamed Little Japanese because of his short stature, distinctively slanted eyes and expertise in the Japanese martial art of ju-jitsu.

/snip

He fled Russia in 1992 and began a reign of terror over the Russian community of Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, New York. After serving a nine-year sentence in a US prison, Ivankov was released in 2004 and deported to Russia.

Hev was jailed on his return, but was released in 2005 after being controversially cleared by a jury of killing two Turks in a Moscow restaurant in 1992.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Well, he is a littler luckier than this guy: Carmine Galante

[FreeAtlanta]

This seems to be the only way to take care of the wicked trash around the planet.

[MarkT]

However, he still will be able to vote in Chicago for Obama.

[Yorlik803]

Why do people seem to idolized these thugs? They are a parasite and a menace to all honest people everywhere, and yet the movies seem to romanticize the life.
Next to Islam, Gangsters are the next biggest threat to the USA

[wafflehouse]

is there a connection between the two? (that is, other than getting lead poisoning at a restaurant?)

[TigerLikesRooster]

No connection. I was merely commenting that Ivankov was luckier than Galante. Galante died at the spot while Ivankov lived for a few months. On the other hand, you can also say Galante was luckier because he died in a quick and probably painless way.:-)

[Steely Tom]

Do I actually see Galante’s ever-present cigar sticking out of his mouth in that pic?

[TigerLikesRooster]

Yes, the guy gave lasting impression on many because he was found dead while having cigar in his mouth.:-)

[Shooter 2.5]

It looks like he lived long enough to lift his left arm off the pavement. That’s why the arm is covered in blood and the pavement has a smear.

There also may have been two people involved. There’s another blood trail going toward the drain.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Yes, one of his men was with him. If I remember correctly, they were having lunch together when they were hit.