Iso Lero, known by his nickname Džamba, was a
Romani Yugoslavia
, common_name = Yugoslavia
, life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation
, p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia
, flag_p ...
n gangster based in
Belgrade
Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
,
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
. He was called "the
Don of
Dorćol". He disappeared on 23 September 1992 after having received a beating from several members of the
Serb Volunteer Guard
The Serb Volunteer Guard, SDG. Also known as Arkan's Tigers () or Arkan's men (). was an elite Serbian volunteer paramilitary unit founded and led by Željko Ražnatović (better known as "Arkan"). It was recognized for its superior bearing an ...
paramilitary near the
Beograđanka
The Beograđanka ( sr-Cyrl, Београђанка; , lit. "Belgrade Lady"), officially ''Belgrade Palace'' (, ) is a modern high-rise building in the Belgrade downtown area.
A tall structure, it is one of the symbols of the city and represent ...
building.
Early life
Džamba was born in an
ethnic Romani family in 1953. He grew up on Dobračina Street in the
Belgrade
Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
neighborhood of
Dorćol where his family shared a yard with Džamba's maternal cousin, singer
Džej Ramadanovski.
Criminal career
He began his criminal career in his youth. He was jailed at the Central Prison in 1976 for
purse snatching and fighting at a bus station in Belgrade. While in prison, Džamba memorized the Criminal Code and offered legal advice to other inmates. In prison, he was often severely beaten up by the Central Prison guards due to his rebellious nature. He was often violent towards rapists and homosexuals.
During the 1970s and 1980s, he, as many Yugoslav criminals, committed crimes in
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
and
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, but not in Yugoslavia. At first in conflict with
Đorđe Božović
Đorđe "Giška" Božović (; 16 September 1955 – 15 September 1991) was a Serbian criminal and paramilitary commander during the Yugoslav Wars.
Biography Early life
Božović was born Đorđe Mićković on 16 September 1955 in Peć to father ...
"Giška", they became friends while imprisoned in Italy. He was a close associate of Aleksandar "Knele" Knežević,
underboss
Underboss () is a position within the leadership structure of certain organized crime groups, particularly in Sicilian Mafia, Sicilian and Italian-American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the Crime boss, boss. The un ...
in the Voždovac gang.
Džamba owned a detective firm called "Karmen". On several occasions, he led
goon squad
A goon squad is a group of people, often composed of hired criminals, detectives, or mercenaries, formed to intimidate and assault a specific group of opponents, most often unionized workers.
Examples
In the United States, a goon squad is a gr ...
s engaged in breaking up labor strikes in several firms.
Disappearance
He disappeared on 23 September 1992 at the age of 39 after being beaten up by casino security headed by Vukašin Gojak, a member of the Serb Volunteer Guard paramilitary. Gojak was guarding the casino on the 6th floor of the
Beograđanka
The Beograđanka ( sr-Cyrl, Београђанка; , lit. "Belgrade Lady"), officially ''Belgrade Palace'' (, ) is a modern high-rise building in the Belgrade downtown area.
A tall structure, it is one of the symbols of the city and represent ...
building. According to Gojak, Džamba tried to enter the casino drunk and without a ticket, and brandished a firearm at one of the guards when he was denied access. Gojak claimed to not know of his whereabouts after casino security had him removed from the building.
According to Džamba's wife Snežana Lero, a group of the Serb Volunteer Guard and
Delije beat Džamba unconscious before driving him off to their camp in
Erdut and burying his body there. Campaigning for the
1993 election, politician
Vojislav Šešelj
Vojislav Šešelj ( sr-Cyrl, Војислав Шешељ, ; born 11 October 1954) is a Serbian politician and convicted war criminal. He is the founder and president of the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS). Between 1998 and 2000, he was a D ...
claimed
Arkan had planned the murder, and that he was in contact with an eyewitness. Allegedly, Arkan and Džamba had a falling out in March 1992 when Džamba accidentally shot a framed picture of Arkan in the restaurant Zona Zamfirova.
According to the
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
The Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) was an open source intelligence component of the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Science and Technology. It monitored, translated, and disseminated within the U.S. government openl ...
, Džamba belonged to a string of murdered criminals from Serbia who all had one thing in common, namely a lack of "good backing" in the police. The man accused of his murder, Vukašin Gojak, was shot and killed by a sniper in the neighborhood of
Kosutnjak on 13 September 1997. His killer was never found.
Songwriting
In an interview given to ''
Politika
( sr-Cyrl, Политика, lit=Politics) is a Serbian daily newspaper, published in Belgrade. Founded in 1904 by Vladislav F. Ribnikar, it is the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in the Balkans.
Publishing and ownership
is publ ...
'', Džamba's cousin
Džej Ramadanovski stated that Džamba wrote the lyrics of two songs he later recorded and published. One was "Teško je živeti" from album "Zar ja da ti brišem suze" and the other was "Žuta ruža/To je žena mojih snova" published on his album "1,2".
See also
*
List of people who disappeared
References
Sources
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* {{cite news , last1=Tufegdžić , first1=Vojislav , title=NEREŠENI ZLOČINI: Nestanak pokajnika – slučaj Ise Lere Džambe , url=https://www.ekspres.net/brejking/nereseni-zlocini-nestanak-pokajnika-slucaj-ise-lere-dzambe , accessdate=12 August 2020 , work=Ekspres , date=26 August 2018 , language=Serbian , ref={{harvid, Ekspres 2018
1953 births
1990s missing person cases
1992 deaths
20th-century Serbian people
Gangsters from Belgrade
Missing gangsters
Missing person cases in Yugoslavia
Murdered Serbian gangsters
People murdered in Serbia
Serbian Romani people
Yugoslav Romani people