The years following the Second World War were marked, for Romania, by chaos and deep instability. In the capital, the outlying neighborhoods became areas where law was almost nonexistent and daily life unfolded under the sign of violence. Out of this bleak backdrop rose a figure who would enter the dark legend of Bucharest: Gică Cioc, nicknamed “The Dragon” of Ferentari. His name inspired fear and horror among locals, and his story illustrates perfectly how, when the state fails to maintain order, the law of the jungle comes to dominate the streets.

Postwar Ferentari, fertile ground for crime

Ferentari, a district that even today remains on the social periphery of Bucharest, was in 1944–1945 an ideal environment for the growth of criminality. Dusty streets, poor houses, and the absence of any basic infrastructure made survival a constant struggle.

After August 23, 1944, historical events amplified the chaos. Controversial amnesties freed not only political prisoners but also common criminals. At the same time, retreating and disorganized armies left behind a true arsenal in civilian hands: pistols, Russian automatic rifles, grenades. Bucharest’s streets became a kind of urban battlefield.

With no effective control, gangs formed spontaneously and fought over territory through violence. Their preferred targets were warehouses of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicines—rare and highly coveted goods. Obscure taverns and dives on the city’s fringes, such as those in Piața Matache Măcelaru, Strada 11 Iunie, or Brezoianu, were gathering points where robberies were planned.

The rise of a gangster: Gică Cioc, “The Dragon”

In this climate of disorder and lack of authority, Gică Cioc emerged. A native of Ferentari, he quickly distinguished himself through his violent temperament and the cruelty that marked his every act.

His nickname, “The Dragon,” was no accident. It reflected not only his physical strength and aggressiveness but also his reputation as a man who showed no mercy. His attacks were not simple thefts but executions meant to inspire terror. Together with his heavily armed gang, Gică Cioc prowled the streets, striking wherever quick profit was to be had.

The peak of his violence came in the summer of 1945, when Bucharest was shaken by more than ten murders in less than two months. Victims riddled with bullets in the street or in taverns revealed a city plunged into the atmosphere of civil war.

The bloody rivalry with Sandu Moise “Hitler”

Although gang alliances at first seemed stable, the thirst for power and personal conflicts soon caused splits. At the center of these clashes were Gică Cioc and Sandu Moise, nicknamed “Hitler” because of his mustache resembling that of the German dictator.

Initially partners in robberies and killings, the two became rivals after Sandu Moise stole Gică Cioc’s mistress. This act sparked an open war between their gangs, with shootouts in broad daylight and massacres in taverns or on crowded streets.

Every encounter between their groups turned into a scene of horror. Russian automatics, left over from the front, wreaked havoc in their hands. Bucharest lived in constant fear of the next attack.

The “Fulger” Brigade and Alimănescu’s law

Faced with such danger, authorities had to act. The investigation was led by Commissioner Eugen Alimănescu, a figure who would become legendary in the fight against organized crime.

Realizing that classic police methods were insufficient, Alimănescu created the “Fulger” (Lightning) Brigade, composed of 22 young agents specially trained for rapid interventions. His strategy was radical: criminals were not arrested, but shot on the spot, even if they surrendered.

This method, though highly controversial, had immediate effects. Within just a few months, many of Bucharest’s gangs were silenced. But the conflict between Gică Cioc and Sandu Moise was far from over.

The bloody New Year’s Eve of 1945

The rivalry between “The Dragon” and “Hitler” reached its climax on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1945. Commissioner Alimănescu had learned that Sandu Moise and his men planned to celebrate at the restaurant “La Colonerul” on Calea Călărașilor. The “Fulger” Brigade was ready for a lightning intervention.

But the police plan was no longer needed. When Alimănescu and his men stormed the place, the scene was one of carnage. The bodies of Sandu Moise, his mistress, and his gang lay sprawled on the floor, riddled with bullets. Among the dead were also Gică Cioc and several of his men.

The gangs had slaughtered each other in a final act of blind violence. As Bucharest awaited the new year, it awoke instead to yet another mass killing that confirmed the fragility of social order.

The bloody legacy of the Ferentari “Dragon”

Thus ended the career of Gică Cioc, the gangster who dreamed of ruling Romania’s underworld. It was not the law that defeated him, but power lust, betrayal, and revenge.

His figure remained in the collective memory of Bucharest as one of the most sinister presences of the postwar period. His story is not just the biography of a criminal but also a symbol of a sick society where bullets spoke louder than words.

Gică Cioc was the product of a time when the state was too weak to protect its citizens and chaos ruled the streets. Ferentari, the neighborhood he came from, became synonymous with fear, and the nickname “The Dragon” entered urban folklore.

An important lesson from Bucharest’s past

Today, the name of Gică Cioc is almost forgotten, but his story remains a bitter lesson. It shows what happens when law is replaced by force and violence becomes the rule.

“The Dragon” was not just a gangster but the mirror of an era dominated by political instability, lack of authority, and extreme poverty. His deeds turned Bucharest into a terrorized city where every street corner could hide mortal danger.

His violent death, just like the life he led, remains the symbol of a lost generation and of a city caught between the ruins of war and the dawn of a new authoritarian regime.