Not sure how I'm ever gonna top this, but...enjoy.
Q & A after the jump.
"My name is Matei Dinu, I was born May 29th, 1967, was convicted in January 15th, 1994, and served a sentence from March 28th, 1994 to May 24th, 2003 in Târgu Jiu. If anyone can somehow access the court/prison records and verify this, please do. I just have no idea how to do that over the Internet."
Up close or from a distance?
Up close.
Was this the only "job" you ever pulled?
It was the only murder I've ever committed. I've been involved in shady stuff since 1989, though.
Did you feel remorse? Or did you try to be emotionally detached?
Never. The person who killed that guy was my client; if I wouldn't be an executor, someone else would be.
Do you believe in capital punishment?
I do. I would be sad, but not angry if I would be executed.
How did you get caught?
I'm not sure. I guess I was ratted out.
Who do you think ratted you out?
One of my client's accomplices, I'm sure of it.
What incentive would this person have for doing so?
Disposing me in the mob's power ladder.
Do you regret doing it?
Nine years in prison is quite a price to pay, but it was my own fault. I don't think my life would end up different if I wouldn't do it.
Isn't $5k a bit cheap for a hit?
In Romania, in 1993, it was a gigantic amount of money.
$5000 is all?? I didn't realize a hit was so cheap.
In some places of the world, in some times, it's even cheaper.
I don't have any idea what these things should cost but $5000 seems kind of low. Is that a typical price for these services? Was it a low-risk situation?
It was a typical price for high-risk situation, namely eliminating someone from the mob. Low-risk murders were $1000 and below, depending on who was doing the hit. One of the guys in my client's entourage has been killed by a bunch of unarmed hobos that were waiting for him to return home; I guess they were paid in alcohol only.
Unarmed? Did they kick him to death?
Exactly.
Were you paid in US currency, or is the $5000 figure for our sake?
I was paid in US currency. At that time, all the underworld dealings, and quite a lot of legitimate business, was done in USD.
Unarmed? Did they kick him to death?
Exactly.
Were you paid in US currency, or is the $5000 figure for our sake?
I was paid in US currency. At that time, all the underworld dealings, and quite a lot of legitimate business, was done in USD.
The guy who hired me was blown to pieces in his Mercedes four months later.
Hypothetically, would you do it again?
In my current situation, no. If I would be 26 again, I guess, yes.
What would you do differently?
Make sure no one knows about the contract in my client's entourage.
Do you think 5000$ was worth the 9 years of your life?
No. Yet, it was a risk I had to take.
Did you need the money that badly?
In 1989, I graduated from a university with an English degree and took a job in Ministry of Exterior as a translator. I was being paid $30/month for this and considered my job to be a kickass one. A year later, my income was fluctuating between $500-$1000 per month. You may see what kind of difference that is.
Was it your only crime or it was the first time you were caught?
It was the first time I was caught. I'm free to speak about the assassination I've done, because society has no qualms about me anymore. I'm not so open about my previous history, though.
So you were a hitman from the most unlikely background? A graduate working with the foreign ministry, not some dropout from a bad neighbourhood. Do you blame the chaotic conditions after USSR disintegrated for it?
USSR has no relation here; I blame the chaotic conditions after Ceauşescu's demise.
Were you ever curious about what your targets did in order to deserve a hit? Did you care? I think to be an effective hitman, you would have to not give a shit...Is this possible?
It is possible. Both my clients and my targets (I'm not talking about assassinations only) were the scum of the earth, so why should I care really?
Looking back, would you have considered yourself scum, too? What set you apart?
If someone would kill me and claim not to do any wrong since I was the scum of the earth, I wouldn't mind.
How did you find your way to Reddit?
I personally have a dislike for Bulgarians, but that's just me. No special feelings for other nationalities.
What was prison like?
Unpleasant, but bearable. Hitmen have quite a good prison standing both with inmates and guards, so I was spared many of the horrors.
Do you know why they wanted him dead?
Drug trade agreement violations, I explained already.
How big is your hometown? How do people react to you in the street? are children afraid of you?
I'm a translator. I'm trying to get as much written English as I can daily; so I frequent Reddit (as a reader only) for quite some time already.
With the insurgence of AMAs, I've decided to tell my own story as well.
Random question: Do Eastern Europeans hate others from different Eastern Europe countries? I have Ukrainian cousins who hate anyone from Eastern Europe who's not Ukrainian, but maybe that's just them.
With the insurgence of AMAs, I've decided to tell my own story as well.
Random question: Do Eastern Europeans hate others from different Eastern Europe countries? I have Ukrainian cousins who hate anyone from Eastern Europe who's not Ukrainian, but maybe that's just them.
What was prison like?
Unpleasant, but bearable. Hitmen have quite a good prison standing both with inmates and guards, so I was spared many of the horrors.
Do you know why they wanted him dead?
Drug trade agreement violations, I explained already.
How big is your hometown? How do people react to you in the street? are children afraid of you?
~50000. I don't observe much street reactions; mostly old ladies murmuring when I pass by.
I had at least one kid, aged 8 or something, ask me to teach them to be a hitman, Léon-style. I told him that there is a special hitman course at the last grade of high school for kids that have the highest grades. I think he bought it.
How did the opportunity present itself? I mean, it's not like someone just came up to you off the street and said "I'll pay you $5K to knock off this dude."
Pretty much. I had an established relation already with this client, he called me up and asked me to solve a problem he had. He said the name of the problem and the price he's willing to pay. That's it.
I had at least one kid, aged 8 or something, ask me to teach them to be a hitman, Léon-style. I told him that there is a special hitman course at the last grade of high school for kids that have the highest grades. I think he bought it.
How did the opportunity present itself? I mean, it's not like someone just came up to you off the street and said "I'll pay you $5K to knock off this dude."
Pretty much. I had an established relation already with this client, he called me up and asked me to solve a problem he had. He said the name of the problem and the price he's willing to pay. That's it.
How did you establish this relationship?
By working with the mob. I answered this somewhere already.
What was your original plan for the hit, were you planning on doing it as posted below or was there a foolproof scheme that went awry when it came down to it?
By working with the mob. I answered this somewhere already.
What was your original plan for the hit, were you planning on doing it as posted below or was there a foolproof scheme that went awry when it came down to it?
Well, I could have dragged the client to a deserted house, killed him there, and burned the body (it's a kind of mob ritual). I would still get caught (because I would still get ratted out), but it would be more “proper”.
What evidence led to you being convicted?
A gun, some shite recognizing my face, stuff… Pretty unconvicing, but it's a Romanian court.
What did the man do that deserved death?
Did you hunt him for a while? watch his patterns, then pick the right moment, or was it just first chance I get I have this silenced Makarov...rest is history?
You're wildly overestimating my sophistication as an assassin. I've followed him for a while, found a moment when he was alone, asked him to come with me, shot him when he refused.
You said your employer told you he had a problem he wanted taken care of but apparently he didn't explicitly state murder. If this man had gone with you is there a chance you would have just messed him up without killing him or would you just bring him to a more secluded location and kill him there?
I had to bring him to a secluded location and kill him there.
What did you use to kill him?
Silenced Makarov PM.
I have a few questions about this, if you don't mind:
1) Was the choice of weapon one of availability or preference?
2) Do you believe 9x18 is sufficiently lethal, or would you have preferred a more powerful caliber?
3) Was your ammo old military stocks, modern factory, or custom loads?
4) How did you acquire your weapons, both in this case and in general?
5) Was it the factory Integrally Silenced Makarov?
6) How did you dispose of the gun afterwords?
1) Availability.
2) I'm not too keen of more powerful guns. Considering that I work in short range, 9x18 is lethal enough.
3) Military stock.
4) I was buying them off a person considered to be the mob's “weaponmaster”. The gun in question was Bulgarian-made.
5) Aftermarket suppressor.
6) Via the same person. The fact that they had the gun by the trial is the foremost sign that I was ratted out.
What were your emotions the precise moment after you pulled the trigger?
“Pfff, good job”
How does your wife feel about your past?
Uneasy.
Do you ever plan on telling your children about that part of your life?
Yes.
May I inquire as to what your was on your criminal resume below hitman?
I started as a drug courier, then drug trader and enforcer. I'm probably one of the very few Romanian hitmen that didn't serve in the Army.
How many are there? That kind of line makes it sound like there's hundreds of hitmen wandering eastern europe. As separate from casual murderers subject to crimes of passion/revenge.
Did the guy you shot look at you before you killed him? Did he say or do anything to try to save himself? Do you remember what he looked like? Where on his body did the bullet hit? Do you have children?
What evidence led to you being convicted?
A gun, some shite recognizing my face, stuff… Pretty unconvicing, but it's a Romanian court.
What did the man do that deserved death?
Sold a big shipment of drugs to the dealers in my client's territory, breaking the previous arrangement.
Did you hunt him for a while? watch his patterns, then pick the right moment, or was it just first chance I get I have this silenced Makarov...rest is history?
You're wildly overestimating my sophistication as an assassin. I've followed him for a while, found a moment when he was alone, asked him to come with me, shot him when he refused.
You said your employer told you he had a problem he wanted taken care of but apparently he didn't explicitly state murder. If this man had gone with you is there a chance you would have just messed him up without killing him or would you just bring him to a more secluded location and kill him there?
I had to bring him to a secluded location and kill him there.
What did you use to kill him?
Silenced Makarov PM.
I have a few questions about this, if you don't mind:
1) Was the choice of weapon one of availability or preference?
2) Do you believe 9x18 is sufficiently lethal, or would you have preferred a more powerful caliber?
3) Was your ammo old military stocks, modern factory, or custom loads?
4) How did you acquire your weapons, both in this case and in general?
5) Was it the factory Integrally Silenced Makarov?
6) How did you dispose of the gun afterwords?
1) Availability.
2) I'm not too keen of more powerful guns. Considering that I work in short range, 9x18 is lethal enough.
3) Military stock.
4) I was buying them off a person considered to be the mob's “weaponmaster”. The gun in question was Bulgarian-made.
5) Aftermarket suppressor.
6) Via the same person. The fact that they had the gun by the trial is the foremost sign that I was ratted out.
What were your emotions the precise moment after you pulled the trigger?
“Pfff, good job”
How does your wife feel about your past?
Uneasy.
Do you ever plan on telling your children about that part of your life?
Yes.
May I inquire as to what your was on your criminal resume below hitman?
I started as a drug courier, then drug trader and enforcer. I'm probably one of the very few Romanian hitmen that didn't serve in the Army.
How many are there? That kind of line makes it sound like there's hundreds of hitmen wandering eastern europe. As separate from casual murderers subject to crimes of passion/revenge.
Now, I guess there are only a few. Right after the fall of communist Romania, when the society was pretty much subordinated to criminal interests, there were plenty. I think there were something like six hitmen total in my tiny town; I'm pretty sure there were hundreds, if not thousands, of assassins in Romania as a whole.
Did the guy you shot look at you before you killed him? Did he say or do anything to try to save himself? Do you remember what he looked like? Where on his body did the bullet hit? Do you have children?
I have described the events of the murder in other threads. As for the questions previously unasked, I do remember what he looked like — a young pretentious mafia-type man.
I shot him in the head — the bullet went just under his eye.
I do have a daughter.
I shot him in the head — the bullet went just under his eye.
I do have a daughter.
Where did you kill him? Did he see you coming? If so, did he say anything before you killed him?
In a bar of his.
Yes. When he let go of his entourage, I approached him and asked him to come with me, trying to get him in a more neutral territory. He asked me what for, I pulled a handgun and shot him.
were you religious then or now? do you believe in God?
Somewhat ironic, but I'm a devout Catholic.
Do you believe you're damned to hell in the afterlife?
Yes.
Is there a procedure in which you can be absolved of your sins by a priest, even for a capital sin?
Theoretically, yes. Practically, I don't believe I can repent before the eyes of God for murder.
Yes. When he let go of his entourage, I approached him and asked him to come with me, trying to get him in a more neutral territory. He asked me what for, I pulled a handgun and shot him.
were you religious then or now? do you believe in God?
Somewhat ironic, but I'm a devout Catholic.
Do you believe you're damned to hell in the afterlife?
Yes.
Is there a procedure in which you can be absolved of your sins by a priest, even for a capital sin?
Theoretically, yes. Practically, I don't believe I can repent before the eyes of God for murder.
You seem too well-adjusted. I've never met anyone to come out of an American prison who isn't a bit ...disturbed. Are your prisons better?
For people who go there with “protection”, they are. By the mob etiquette, my client should have bribed the judge and/or the prosecutor to find me innocent and let me go; since he didn't, there were arrangements made to make my prison term quite comfortable. My client was killed later, and his mob fell apart, but still, as a hitman (as opposed to a thief or a pimp or someone) I had quite a high status in the prison hierarchy.
How different is it from American prisons (that you may have heard about or seen in TV/movies)? Is it extremely racially segregated as they are here? Is there homosexual activity? Is the prison system corrupted? Your wife and children know this previous history (I presume so, since you say everyone in your hometown knows?)? And how did you break it to her that you murdered someone for some money?
In your participation of the gangbang, what did you do? Find him, fight him, penetrate him or hold him down? You had to because it was your mob against him? Or is that the general treatmen of a convicts that are in for sexual crimes?
For people who go there with “protection”, they are. By the mob etiquette, my client should have bribed the judge and/or the prosecutor to find me innocent and let me go; since he didn't, there were arrangements made to make my prison term quite comfortable. My client was killed later, and his mob fell apart, but still, as a hitman (as opposed to a thief or a pimp or someone) I had quite a high status in the prison hierarchy.
How different is it from American prisons (that you may have heard about or seen in TV/movies)? Is it extremely racially segregated as they are here? Is there homosexual activity? Is the prison system corrupted? Your wife and children know this previous history (I presume so, since you say everyone in your hometown knows?)? And how did you break it to her that you murdered someone for some money?
Yes.
There is not many race issues here, though gypsies tend to flock on their own. Yes, there is a lot of buttrape. I've never been a victim of one, though I had to participate in gangbanging of a sodomy convict.
System is extremely corrupted; to the point that one of the mafia bosses imprisoned had a wardrobe, TV set and a king-size bed in his cell (with whores coming and leaving frequently).
Yes, my wife knows my history; my daughter is too little to know this.
She knew that I come from the mob; when she asked me what I was serving my sentence for, I told her the story. That's easy.
There is not many race issues here, though gypsies tend to flock on their own. Yes, there is a lot of buttrape. I've never been a victim of one, though I had to participate in gangbanging of a sodomy convict.
System is extremely corrupted; to the point that one of the mafia bosses imprisoned had a wardrobe, TV set and a king-size bed in his cell (with whores coming and leaving frequently).
Yes, my wife knows my history; my daughter is too little to know this.
She knew that I come from the mob; when she asked me what I was serving my sentence for, I told her the story. That's easy.
In your participation of the gangbang, what did you do? Find him, fight him, penetrate him or hold him down? You had to because it was your mob against him? Or is that the general treatmen of a convicts that are in for sexual crimes?
It's the general treatment of convicts that are in for sexual crimes. I don't know whether it's the same in US, but here, rapists, pedophiles and homosexuals are supposed to be “bitches” in the prison.
In my participation of gangbang, I held him down while others were taking their turns, and penetrated him. I don't really want to focus on it, this is one of the things I actually regret.
Would you have been able to get out of that? Or would there have been some repercussions for not wanting to penetrate him?
It would be in a bad taste.
In my participation of gangbang, I held him down while others were taking their turns, and penetrated him. I don't really want to focus on it, this is one of the things I actually regret.
Would you have been able to get out of that? Or would there have been some repercussions for not wanting to penetrate him?
It would be in a bad taste.
Probably I would, though it would be seen as a sign of effeminacy/cowardice.
Yes, you're considered more gay if you refuse to participate in blatantly homosexual acts.
Yes, that's prison logic.
Looking back, are you glad that you were caught and imprisoned? Or do you regret the nine years in the prime of your life wasted away in prison?
I didn't like it, but it was appropriate.
Are you a gypsy? Were your client or targets gypsies?
Neither.
How did you pass the time in prison?
What type of drugs was your mob involved in selling? Also what kind of amounts and prices were they dealing with?
Yes, you're considered more gay if you refuse to participate in blatantly homosexual acts.
Yes, that's prison logic.
Looking back, are you glad that you were caught and imprisoned? Or do you regret the nine years in the prime of your life wasted away in prison?
I didn't like it, but it was appropriate.
Are you a gypsy? Were your client or targets gypsies?
Neither.
How did you pass the time in prison?
Reading books, playing guitar. I acted in the prison troupe; also, one of the bosses imprisoned had a few penpals in UK, I've been translating their letters back and forth.
There were a lot of conflicts between me and various other inmates, but none were particularly nasty.
There were a lot of conflicts between me and various other inmates, but none were particularly nasty.
What type of drugs was your mob involved in selling? Also what kind of amounts and prices were they dealing with?
MJ/Cocaine/Heroin. No fashionable synthetic stuff, just the old staples.
Sorry, won't divulge amounts/prices. You must understand the the only crime I have cleared is the murder I've done.
What about the relatives / associates of the dead man? Did they try to kill you?
Sorry, won't divulge amounts/prices. You must understand the the only crime I have cleared is the murder I've done.
What about the relatives / associates of the dead man? Did they try to kill you?
The dead man's mob fell apart with his death.
There were no relatives I know of.
How much would it take for you to kill someone now?
Grave danger to me or my family.
There were no relatives I know of.
How much would it take for you to kill someone now?
Grave danger to me or my family.
Wow. Of the many ridic aspects of this post, the six-part question from obvious gun nut and possible future murderer stands out.
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