Deadly Bonds

He thought the nightmare was over, but nearly twenty years later, "e;the most terrible Mafioso in Ukraine"e; was back. This book is not just a memoir but a confession. In 1994, author Sergey Maidukov accepted an "e;exciting business offer"e; from Samvel Martirosyan, later renowned as one of the most brutal and indomitable leaders of the Ukrainian Mafia. Maidukov quickly discovered that his job as "e;president"e; of a newly created business was actually a front for Mafia activities. Despite regular attempts to extricate himself, he was told that it was too late in no uncertain terms. Thus ensued five adrenaline-fueled years in a long-term apprenticeship with the Mafia underground. Deadly Bonds: Five Years Inside the Ukrainian Mafia provides a deep look at the Mafia family that dominated the twentieth century post-Soviet state and how it brewed conditions of economic, political, and moral catastrophe.