Spets Mafia Boss TV

In the early 2000s in Ussuriysk, in Russia's Far East, local mafia boss Vitali Dyomochka decided to dramatize his own criminal life in a seven-part television series called "Spets." He wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the show, and he cast real members of his gang to play themselves, staging scenes based on actual rackets and violent episodes.

During production, police investigations closed in on his crew, resulting in the arrest of around ten gang members, while rival criminals murdered one of his associates. When the series finished in 2003, it aired on local TV, reportedly drew near 100 percent ratings, and turned a working crime boss into a notorious cult TV figure.

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