Are You Kidding Me?!?!?

[wojonatior]

I would provide the link but there is a lot of swearing on the page, so I censored it and reposted it here. Now time to enjoy the show.









Vassilis Paleokostas

What do you get when you cross Jesse James, Robin Hood, and Jack Bauer in the body of a giant, bearded, bald Greek man?
Meet Vassilis Paleokostas:

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/paleokostas.jpg

This crazy, utterly fearless dude is public enemy number one in Greece, and probably one of the most badarse mother*bleep*er to come from the country since the days of our friend Leonidas.

Vassilis' story starts back in the early 90s, when he went on an insane crime spree of delicious armed robbery, blackmail, extortion, and kidnapping. Basically, his modus operandi was to kidnap a super-rich bastard, hold him for a ridiculous ransom, and then sell him back to his stupid family in exchange for giant piles of cold, hard cash. Then, he'd take that bling, keep a small percentage of it for himself, and distribute the rest of his newly-acquired wealth to impoverished farmers of the tiny rural province in which he grew up. The dude quickly made a name for himself as the Robin Hood of Greece, and was beloved by fans of badarsery, the people of the lower classes, and pretty much anybody else he wasn't in the process of robbing or extorting for money. *bleep*, even the freaking people he kidnapped came out later and said that he was very polite and respectful to them while they were in captivity, and that it was pretty much the most pleasant kidnapping they'd ever experienced. That should give you some indication of what this dude was all about – steal from the rich, give to the poor, make a profit in the process, and be completely awesome all of the goddamned time. He also made a vow never to harm a member of the public in his criminal escapades. He's been true to his word.

In true badarse fashion, Vassilis Paleokostas also has a trusty sidekick – a lunatic Albanian named Alket Rizai. Rizai is like the Friar Tuck in this story, only if instead of being a benevolent, staff-swinging priest, the clergyman was a crazy gunman with a hair-trigger and a penchant for firing automatic weapons at heavily-armed tactical police officers. Rizai is currently up on charges for murder, though I haven't really been able to track down any details about any of that (that's the problem with trying to research current events, I suppose). My assumption is that he was being attacked by some evil corrupt officers sent by the Sherriff of Nottingham and responded by burning a full clip of Uzi ammunition into them, jumping through a plate glass window, rescuing a damsel in distress, and swinging off on a chandelier with a hot babe clinging to his rippling biceps. Also, according to a Greek friend of mine, this guy once blew up a known Mafia hangout by shooting it with a *bleep*ing rocket launcher.

Of course, the downside to being a career criminal – even a happy-go-lucky one who commits non-violent crimes in the name of the oppressed populace – is that eventually the long arm of the law is going to slap you in the ****ing face really really hard. In 1995, Vassilis Paleokostas was caught by the fuzz, convicted of kidnapping, robbery, and weapons charges, and hauled off to a federal pound-me-in-the-arse penitentiary known as Korydallos Prison.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/paleokostas1.jpg

Now over the years, Korydallos Prison has gained a reputation as being one of the harshest and most brutal prisons in Greece. This place is like a mix between Andersonville, Oz, and that stupid plastic box they keep Magneto inside in the X-Men movies. The warden is a hardarse son-of-a-bitch, the guards don't give a crap, and people that go inside the facility never come out.

Except Vassilis Paleokostas.

In June 2006, Paleokostas' older brother (another pathological criminal who is now serving jail time on 16 counts of armed robbery) commandeered a helicopter, and landed it right in the middle of the *bleep*ing exercise yard of the prison in broad daylight. The armed guards at Korydallos, not expecting to be subjected to such and unbelievable display of gigantic steel-plated balls, assumed that this chopper belonged to the warden or the Chief of Prisons or something, and instead of investigating it they all decided to make sure their shoes were appropriately spit-shined so as not to incur a citation from their wrathful bosses. Vassilis, who had orchestrated the entire operation from the beginning, and his Albanian buddy simply walked up to the helicopter, hopped inside, and lifted off. By the time the guards got their heads out of their arses and started firing their guns at the bird, it was already too late. Paleokostas had escaped.

So the Greek police put out an all-points bulletin, and a nation-wide manhunt began for the Greek Robin Hood. Officers, dogs, and federal agents scoured the countryside for this fugitive day and night, relentlessly following leads and doing everything in their power to bring this wanted criminal to justice.

Paleokostas evaded them for two and a half years. He lived in the mountains outside Athens, evaded all attempts to recapture him, and even orchestrated another high-profile kidnapping in the process – snatching a powerful jackarse CEO industrialist, ransoming him for a huge wad of cash, and once again distributing the loot to local farmers and families. There are also rumors that he planned and executed another kidnapping while he was still incarcerated, which is bonus points no matter how you look at it.

In August 2008, Paleokostas was tracked down and re-captured by the Greek police. He was placed in a different maximum security facility, where he was held for another six months, awaiting trial for his brazen escape in 2006. On 21 February 2009, Vassilis Paleokostas was transferred back to his old home – Korydallos Prison. His trial was to begin on the 23rd, and he was to stay in his former holding area while he stood trial for this crime.

But he never made it to trial. The very next day, 22 February, ANOTHER *BLEEP*ING HELICOPTER showed up in the skies above Korydallos Prison. It flew over a large tower of the prison, lowered a long rope ladder, and Vassilis Paleokostas and Alket Rizai climbed up into the chopper. As the helicopter flew off into the sunset, the prisoners of Korydallos cheered.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/paleokostas2.jpg

Greek police opened fire on the chopper as it flew off, but a woman returned fire with an AK-47 assault rifle. Now having hot Greek babes with automatic weapons come save your arse from prison isn't the sort of thing that happens to normal people every day, but that's just how things work out for you when you're a badarse like Vassilis Paleokostas.

The police eventually tracked down the helicopter, and found that it had ditched on the side of the road outside Athens with a bullet hole in the gas tank. According to the pilot, Paleokostas and his associates left the chopper and drove off on totally sweet motorcycles to an undisclosed location. They also popped some totally awesome wheelies while doing so.

Vassilis not only earned his freedom for the second time, and once again showed the world that his ballsack is roughly the size of a small continent, but he also got some sweet delicious revenge on the mother*bleep*ers in charge of the Greek prison system at the same time. For allowing the same guy to escape the same prison in the same manner twice in a row, the Greek government fired the country's Chief of Prisons, the Inspector-General of Prisons, the warden of Korydallos, and three guards at the facility. They all learned what it means to step to somebody as awesome as the Greek Robin Hood.

Vassilis Paleokostas is fully rad because kicked arse, won the respect of the people, said "*bleep* you" to the police, and managed to single-handedly place the country's three top-ranking prison officials in the back of the unemployment line.

He is still at large.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/paleokostas3.jpg


I looked us the Wikipedia page and the escapes were in 2006 and 2009 so just recently.

[Allysian]

o.0 That's pretty cool.

[Canadian]

Real Ultimate Gyro!

[Copacetic]

He gets bonus points, for sure.

[Groundhog]

Much as I abhor stealing and such, that guy is awesome. Prison Break has nothing on him.

[Collin152]

Obviously, this man has The Gift, and we would be wise to stay out of his way, lest he turn its fearesome powers on us.

[DraPrime]

The main guy arms cool, but I'm not sure about the sidekick. I mean, those cops he probably shot have people who care about them. They're police, they have to stop criminals no matter how badass they are, and the killing of these guys is wrong. I have a friend who's dad is a cop, and I'm pretty sure that he'd be pretty miserable, no matter who kills him or for what reason.

[skywalker]

Real Ultimate Gyro!

Oh, the pun damage, it burns!

I can't tell whether I'm more astonished by the story itself or the reverent tone of the article. Awesome or not... still a criminal. *shrug*

[Raistlin1040]

Hah. RabbitHoleLost sent me this story the other day. This man is a supreme badass.

[Sneak]

Oh, the pun damage, it burns!

I can't tell whether I'm more astonished by the story itself or the reverent tone of the article. Awesome or not... still a criminal. *shrug*

Agreed.

He may be badass, but this is real life. We have law, and like it or not, most of them are there for a reason. He's still a criminal.

It's not okay to kidnap people, even if they're rich, and especially not just because they are rich.

[Collin152]

Agreed.

He may be badass, but this is real life. We have law, and like it or not, most of them are there for a reason. He's still a criminal.

It's not okay to kidnap people, even if they're rich, and especially not just because they are rich.

You people and your Lawful Good ideals. As Neutral Evil, this guy rocks my ideaology.

[Rogue 7]

Heh. I'm Lawful Good and this is awesome. I still think he needs to be brought to justice and sent to prison, but I'm not going to think he's evil.

[d13]

Is anybody thinking "Paladin of *bleep*ing Freedom* (Chaotic Good all the way ~) here?

Maybe not the best course of action, but I can't despise his ideals.

[Sneak]

You people and your Lawful Good ideals. As Neutral Evil, this guy rocks my ideaology.

Hey...all that said, I'm still rooting for the guy. :smalltongue: :smallbiggrin:

[Deathslayer7]

ok. I consider myself to be lawful good, if not neutral good. What he does, I approve because he is the exact type of guy this world needs.

[Berserk Monk]

This sounds like the greatest anime ever! Mind if I write some fanfic for it?

[Trog]

Criminal or not you gotta admit the man has style.

*snrk* ... wheelies *snrk*

[Divine Comedy]

Making people like these into heroes is simply wrong. It's fine for ill-educated farmers to be happy he has helped them, but people who know better should see it for what it is.

Despite any good intentions the man may have, the ends don't justify the means. The money he redistributes can just as easily be confiscated. The only part that is admirable is the fact that he's so skillful in doing this, quite some wasted talent.

In the end he's not making a difference, he's just aggravating a system without changing it for the better. Whats worse are the good people who get hurt in the mix, as needless to say being a career criminal attracts all kinds of other lawbreakers who have no good intentions. Just look at the delightful woman firing at police officers, not to mention his sidekicks and cronies.

He's a Charlatan.

[RabbitHoleLost]

I Stumbled Upon the its from just the other day, actually, and decided he's fairly awesome.
Whether or not he's making a huge difference is not the issue; they tell you as a child to stand up to bullies, and, in his own way, he has. Of course, his associates leave a little to be desired, but I think the man a modern-era Robin Hood.

[ghost_warlock]

"Crime once exposed has no refuge but in audacity" -Tacitus

This guy is Captain Audacity. :smalleek:

I'm rather fond of him. :smallamused:

[Coidzor]

Quite the story. Quite the story indeed.

[randman22222]

Why in god's name has he become glorified? :smallyuk:

[Athaniar]

As people have said, this man is a criminal, and should not be glorified, no matter how well-intentioned he is. The tone of the original post made me very uncomfortable.

[Mordokai]

Not really sure what to make of this entire story. On one side, what he's doing is pretty awesome and I can't really blame him for it. If this prison of which the article speaks is really as badass as they say, he shouldn't be able to break out, not once, much less twice. Don't blame the game, blame the player. So yeah, I'd say he deserves to get the credits for what he did. In a weird way, he showed just how incompetent the system really is. If this will serve to good ends, then he has done good thing. He just didn't picked the best way to do it.

On the other side... criminal is a criminal, no matter how glorified. Robin Hood was criminal too, but lets not go down that lane. Maybe it's the paladin in me speaking, but I'm pretty sure he ain't all that good guy, as the article makes him look like. So yeah, I really think he would deserve to be stuck in jail for this. If not, there's only a matter of time before copy cats emerge. And that usually leads to no good. So here's to hoping they catch him somewhere in the near future.

This one (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/168/375585107_c546a2e53c.jpg) pretty much sums it up.

[bosssmiley]

Why in god's name has he become glorified? :smallyuk:

The spurious glamour of criminality of course.

"Dinsdale was always a perfect gentleman, even when he was breaking your kneecaps. Always decent about it he was..."

This Yuri-looking SoB and his filthy little spree-killing, goat thief of a sidekick are kidnap and ransom artists. Just think about the implicit threat inherent in a kidnap and ransom operation. If the family don't pay up... :smalleek:

Vassilis Paleokostas is a dangerous hardened criminal; not a hero. Those who can't tell the difference may want to get their moral compasses recalibrated. :smallmad:

Badass of the Week should have the sense to stick to people in the history books, not active criminals.

[Jack Squat]

I have trouble believing so many people here think that he shouldn't be glorified because he's a criminal. Mobsters have made their way into legend, and they were thiefs, rumrunners, and extortioners. If we didn't make them out to be heroes of sorts, The Godfather wouldn't be nearly as acclaimed of a series as it is. Being glorified doesn't make you a good guy.

Yes, this guy should be behind bars, preferably one that he can't climb into a helicopter from. He also isn't a kind Robin Hood-like character, and would probably turn on you if he could make a quick buck. That being said, you have to admit that it's pretty amazing that he could pull this off twice. I'd have revoked any and all outdoor privileges after the first time.

[randman22222]

The spurious glamour of criminality of course.

"Dinsdale was always a perfect gentleman, even when he was breaking your kneecaps. Always decent about it he was..."

This Yuri-looking SoB and his filthy little spree-killing, goat thief of a sidekick are kidnap and ransom artists. Just think about the implicit threat inherent in a kidnap and ransom operation. If the family don't pay up... :smalleek:

Vassilis Paleokostas is a dangerous hardened criminal; not a hero. Those who can't tell the difference may want to get their moral compasses recalibrated. :smallmad:

Badass of the Week should have the sense to stick to people in the history books, not active criminals.

/agree. My question was rhetorical, naturally. And yeah, it's horrifying how many people's moral compasses are that way. :smallyuk:
Case in point within this thread.

...I'm not being very useful here. Maybe I should go back to doing homework.

[Cristo Meyers]

...and that it was pretty much the most pleasant kidnapping they'd ever experienced...

These people being kidnapped often, then?

Yeah, fine, you're a badass, whatever, now be a good little badass and get back behind bars where you belong.

[Hyozo]

Not really sure what to make of this entire story. On one side, what he's doing is pretty awesome and I can't really blame him for it. If this prison of which the article speaks is really as badass as they say, he shouldn't be able to break out, not once, much less twice. Don't blame the game, blame the player. So yeah, I'd say he deserves to get the credits for what he did. In a weird way, he showed just how incompetent the system really is. If this will serve to good ends, then he has done good thing. He just didn't picked the best way to do it.

On the other side... criminal is a criminal, no matter how glorified. Robin Hood was criminal too, but lets not go down that lane. Maybe it's the paladin in me speaking, but I'm pretty sure he ain't all that good guy, as the article makes him look like. So yeah, I really think he would deserve to be stuck in jail for this. If not, there's only a matter of time before copy cats emerge. And that usually leads to no good. So here's to hoping they catch him somewhere in the near future.

This one (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/168/375585107_c546a2e53c.jpg) pretty much sums it up.

Yes. This.

Also, while I am uncertain of my oppinion of Paleokostas, I think his trigger happy allies should certainly be locked away for a long time

[SoD]

What. A. Legend.

If the article can be taken at face value, this guy is amazing! Yeah, he kidnaps people, but treats them well. You may as well say that a country that takes PoW's, but treats them honourably, is a bad thing. Does he keep the money for himself? Only as much as he needs, and gives the rest to his poor hometown!

Yes, his compatriots leave a bit helluvalot to be desired, and I feel sorry for those who have been injured, and for those who have lost loved ones. This is not a good thing. If I were him, I'd collect people who share my ideals, not trigger happy fools.

But the guy himself? Brilliant!

[RabbitHoleLost]

He also isn't a kind Robin Hood-like character, and would probably turn on you if he could make a quick buck.

What about this story, taken at face-value, gives you the idea he would do that?
The man gave most of the money to farmers. It looks as if he's fairly loyal to his partners (whether or not they deserve it).
There's not one part of that article that supports betrayal on his side.

[Player_Zero]

So, how many murderers has he been affliated with? Policemen hospitalised or even killed?

No, no, no, no. Just no. This article doesn't tell you everything you would need to know to make an assessment of his character.

Protip: crime makes you bad, not good.

[Fostire]

Ends does not justify the means. But I have to agree that the guy's good at what he does.

Also, does anyone else see the ninja on the second picture?

[Mordokai]

Of course not! You don't see ninja, silly! :smalltongue:

[KnightDisciple]

The spurious glamour of criminality of course.

"Dinsdale was always a perfect gentleman, even when he was breaking your kneecaps. Always decent about it he was..."

This Yuri-looking SoB and his filthy little spree-killing, goat thief of a sidekick are kidnap and ransom artists. Just think about the implicit threat inherent in a kidnap and ransom operation. If the family don't pay up... :smalleek:

Vassilis Paleokostas is a dangerous hardened criminal; not a hero. Those who can't tell the difference may want to get their moral compasses recalibrated. :smallmad:

Badass of the Week should have the sense to stick to people in the history books, not active criminals.

This.
See, the implicit assumption laid out here is that these rich people "didn't deserve" their money, so let's take it away?
Are there rich people who've exploited the common man to gain a buck? Sure. But there are just as many rich people who have made an honest living; some people are just good with making money.
And this guy comes along, takes them away at gunpoint, and threatens their lives to get as much of that money as he can.
He's not a hero. He's not a "bad***". He's a criminal. A petty thief writ large. Do not glorify him. I imagine he only gives that money to farmers precisely to engender this reaction, that of "Oh, he's a modern Robin Hood!"
He's. A. Bad. Guy.
He deserves prison, not praise.
I hope they catch him, convict him, lock him up, and throw away the key.

[Dallas-Dakota]

Hmmm....Both good and bad.

He shows how incompetent the system is, while he himself looks to be pretty cool I can not greatly appreciate his means of showing how incompetent the system is. Though I fear it would be around the only one.
And he should have picked better aides/croonies.

[Lycan 01]

The dude is a criminal, yes. But to the public, here's... well... Robin Hood. :smalleek:


I think he's a criminal, yes. But at least he's using his evil deeds to accomplish something even halfway decent, rather than just using innocent victims to better his own existance.


Also, it said his Albanian buddy blew up a Mafia hideout with a rocket launcher. What if that's where the murder charges came from? :smallconfused: Becausey you gotta think, if they killed cops, do you think they'd have really been taken alive the first time, let alone the second? I think a little bit more info is needed on that part...


But seriously, a freaking helicopter rope-ladder escape in the middle of a gunbattle atop a prison complex? That just doesn't seem like something you'd see in real life. :smalleek:

[Castel]

I second those who dislike the... "This guy is a Hero" tone of the original post.

You seriously can't believe its all rainbows and happiness in those stories. Just think of the people hurt in the process: Those who were kidnapped, those who where shot, those who were afraid the moment those robberies took place, the families of the police officers that were hurt.

Living through a kidnap leaves someone with a sense of fear and paranoia that isn't cured only because "the guy was polite". You're telling me that, if you were being robbed at the point of a gun or knife, you wouldn't mind that much if the guy said "please, raise your hands and, if it isn't that much of a problem, give me all the money you have"?

The guy is a badass, yes. But that isn't something that should overlap the fact that he is a criminal that hurts people, both physically and/or psychologycally.

And don't say I saying this because im "Lawful Good" or anything like that, in fact, I believe myself to be pretty far from the definition of "Good".

[DraPrime]

I do want to point out one difference between this guy and Robin Hood. Robin actually had a reason to fight the sheriff. He had lost all he had because of that guy, so he fought him. And don't forget that the Sheriff was a very cruel ruler. This guy however, doesn't have a personal grudge against the government, and I really doubt that the Greek police are a a oppresive as the guys who worked for the sherrif of rottingNottingham.

[RabbitHoleLost]

Of course people got hurt.
People are always getting hurt. Everything you do inadvertently hurts someone.
Of course stealing is wrong.
My point is, if you're going to be a thief, this is certainly the way in which to do it. Hurt as few people as possible, be as kind as possible, and give away most of it to people who need it.

[KnightDisciple]

Sorry, I just don't buy it.
Like I said, I'd wager most, if not all, of the people he's stealing from earned their money honestly, or inherited it honestly. Just because they're rich doesn't mean they "deserve" to not have it.
And while there's little physical harm, the psychological harm is harder to measure, especially via an obviously biased source. I don't know about you, but being kidnapped like this, even if he were "polite", would likely leave me paranoid and scared for a long time.
And again, I personally bet he's doing the "give to the poor" schtick just to keep his PR up.

Of course, I also disagree that everything we do hurts someone. Not to mention that this isn't an unintentional byproduct; he's specifically doing this.

Sure, he's not as bad as the serial killer/molester. That's not really saying much.

[Phaedra]

@Rabbit:

And I think the point others are making is that you shouldn't be a thief at all. If you want to make a difference to others' lives, there are better, more honest ways of doing this. If you want to be a thief, you're a criminal, nothing more.

The fact that people are almost always hurt in life isn't a valid reason for causing that hurt. Ever.

For all that he helped some people, he also hurt people. And there's no way of balancing that, no way of saying the people he helped were worth more than the people he hurt. That they were poor makes them no better or worse than the people he stole from.

[Dr. Bath]

@Rabbit: But he doesn't have to steal, does he? Since when was this guy forced to steal? 'If you're going to murder, murdering someone with no family or friends is certainly the way in which to do it' Something wrong with that? Yes. It's the same logic though.

What he's doing isn't even all that badass. Giving farmers some money which is going to be taken from them straight away, possibly getting them punished. That's a good deed, right? Taking advantage of an incompetent jail service isn't all that badass either. There are plenty of wanted criminals, and I wouldn't say that them being able to evade capture makes them badass.

I'm gonna agree with mr. Eggy and co. on this one.

[Castel]

Of course people got hurt.
People are always getting hurt. Everything you do inadvertently hurts someone.
Of course stealing is wrong.
My point is, if you're going to be a thief, this is certainly the way in which to do it. Hurt as few people as possible, be as kind as possible, and give away most of it to people who need it.
You remind me of a "phrase of wisdom" we have in mexico, that says "[...]robar sin desprestigiarte[...]" wich roughly translates to "steal without discrediting yourself"...

2 days ago, I was discussing those words with some people in a seminar, and they, too, thought it was "OK to steal, if you make it look like you're not really stealing, or if you make it look like its a good/innocent thing". And I can't really bring myself to believe people actually think stealing, in any form, is acceptable.

Again, stealing is not acceptable. If you start accepting "little crimes" like stealing as ok, soon you wond mind the larger crimes, like kidnapping or armed robbery. Oh, wait.... :smallannoyed:

[MeatShield#236]

Yes, this guy is a badass, but he's no hero, he's a thief; a common, petty criminal who happens to do some very badass stuff. I don't care how many farmers he helped, he is still a thief.

[late for dinner]

The story is great and the escapes are funny, but the guy is still a criminal. and even though he doesnt kill people, He hangs out with a guy who does, which makes him just as guilty. Kidnapping is deffinitly wrong too. But, I gotta hand it to him to be able to escape from a prison twice and in such fashion.

[Jack Squat]

What about this story, taken at face-value, gives you the idea he would do that?
The man gave most of the money to farmers. It looks as if he's fairly loyal to his partners (whether or not they deserve it).
There's not one part of that article that supports betrayal on his side.

It's nothing the article stated, it's just general attitude of thiefs I know. They're looking for their benefit. There's a code of honor of sorts, but generally, their always looking out for number one. While he believes he's doing good by giving to farmers, I think that if one of his "friends" came into enough money and let their guard down that he'd go after them. They don't have as good of intentions as he does, so he may see it as going corrupt.

This is all speculation from dealing with some unsavory types and watching too many movies, but it makes sense in my head.

______________

While the details of such are probably for another board, I will state that I believe that "morally right" and "legally right" aren't always synonymous. While I'm not going to use that to make value judgements on Mr.Paleokostas' occupation, I don't think we should automatically equate criminal with evil-doer.

[Collin152]

And again, I personally bet he's doing the "give to the poor" schtick just to keep his PR up.


What good does PR do him? He's been imprisoned twice and sentenced to death. If it was just a cover, you'd think he'd have given up when it doesn't stop people from trying to kill him.

[KnightDisciple]

What good does PR do him? He's been imprisoned twice and sentenced to death. If it was just a cover, you'd think he'd have given up when it doesn't stop people from trying to kill him.

Because now those farmers will hide him, or at least not call a tipster's line. He may not have great PR with the government, but that would be a given anyways (unless he was a Batman-style vigilante, which he's not).
Also, the whole "but he was so polite!" thing means he might have an easier time getting his ransom money out of his victims.

[zeratul]

Of course people got hurt.
People are always getting hurt. Everything you do inadvertently hurts someone.
Of course stealing is wrong.
My point is, if you're going to be a thief, this is certainly the way in which to do it. Hurt as few people as possible, be as kind as possible, and give away most of it to people who need it.

How are those people any better than a thief who doesn't do those things though? I mean personally if someone were to kidnap me I wouldn't care if they're nice I'm still going to want them to die. The money will if the system works correctly in some way be taken back from those he's given it to and return it to those to whom it originally belonged. If you really want to help the poor either earn your own damn money and give it to them, or help them find jobs, or help to educate them if they aren't educated. If you take someones money and or kidnap them they won;t care who you gave it to they will just want it back because who you give it to doesn't matter. I mean if someone wants to be a thief be a thief, but be prepared for what happens to you. If he ends up getting killed or arrested it will be due to his own actions. That said, if he manages to elude the police forever then he does deserve praise, not for helping the poor but for being a wonderfully good Criminal mind.

[Cubey]

The original article is clearly biased for the criminal, which you can see even without the author calling law enforcement figures motherf-ers.

I'm almost sure this guy is whitewashed in the article. People who call him the new Robin Hood disgust me, and so does anyone who believes this is cool or awesome.
(And yes, whomever idolized the Mafia at its times was disgusting in my book too.)


You people and your Lawful Good ideals. As Neutral Evil, this guy rocks my ideaology.
I'd be worried, but fortunately people grow out of the "evil is kewl, good is DUMB!" phase. Eventually.

[Devils_Advocate]

Oh, for goodness's sake. Complainers: YES, the guy is still a criminal. He did indeed violate the government's monopoly on using coercion and violence to amass huge stacks o' cash. And he did it with great success, to the benefit of the needy, and with copious amounts of style. Thus he has earned great admiration and respect from many.

Not everybody is Lawful, y'know.

I'm not condoning his behavior (nor condemning it), I'm just sayin'.

[Zeb The Troll]

Yes, this guy is a badass, but he's no hero, he's a thief; a common, petty criminal who happens to do some very badass stuff. I don't care how many farmers he helped, he is still a thief.While I agree that he's a thief and no hero, if any of the story is true then he's neither common nor petty.

One has to wonder, also, if he's giving so much money away, how is he affording helicopters and RPG's? :smallconfused:

[toasty]

While I agree that he's a thief and no hero, if any of the story is true then he's neither common nor petty.

One has to wonder, also, if he's giving so much money away, how is he affording helicopters and RPG's? :smallconfused:

Must be big ransoms...

What he has done is... cool, but its wrong. That's what I'd say. Cool but wrong. Bad guys are only cool in fiction.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff of Moddingham: Locked for review.