In 1762 he quit his job as an armatole, climbed the mountain Taygetus and with Panagiotaros's help he built a fort at Kastanitsa of Mani and two small houses close to it.

In one ambush at the bridge of Birbaga in Katsana he managed to kill one of the most infamous leaders of the Albanian irregulars, Bekiaris, along with 36 of his men.

After ten days of tense fighting, the besieged, men, women and children, being low on ammunition, made a sortie, where Panagiotaros was captured alive and killed.

Kolokotronis received an almost fatal blow from a sword, escaped temporarily and hid in the bushes, but due to suffering from his wound and high fever he sought help in the open.

His body was later recovered intact due to low temperatures and was buried subsequently in the village of Milea, Messenia.