Greek crime boss gunned down in Village

A man with a long criminal record that included life sentences was ambushed and killed at his parents' home in Skourta, Viotia (Boeotia) prefecture on Easter Monday.

Yiannis Skaftouros, 55, was celebrating Orthodox Easter at his hometown whan two motorcycles arrived with four helmet-wearing riders, two of whom entered the yard and started firing from Kalashnikov rifles. Of the nearly 10 people gathered, Skaftouros' daughter, 22, and her father in law, 45, were also slighly injured and hospitalized.

The dead man was considered one of the "old generation" of Greek crime bosses and was involved or named in criminal cases including murder, the kidnapping of shipowner Periklis Yannopoulos, blackmailing and arson. He had been served life sentences but managed to leave jail legally three years ago, after having completed several years in jail.

Security police attribute his murder to a death contract, part of an ongoing feud between Greek organized crime bosses.

Police are investigating but have not traced the perpetrators.