His epithet mezzomorto is the Italian for "half-dead" and was acquired during a fight with the Spaniards,[2] when he was gravely injured.

The dey of Algiers Baba Hassan handed him over as a hostage to the French, but Mezzomorto persuaded the French admiral to send him back to shore, where he led an insurrection against Baba Hassan, killed him, and took over as dey of Algiers.

As dey of Algiers, Mezzomorto took part in the Morean War between the Ottomans and Venetians in 1686.

The Venetian threat to the Ottomans' Aegean possessions led to Mezzomorto's appointment as sanjak-bey of Rhodes in 1691.

[4] Distinguishing himself during the reconquest of Chios in early 1695, he was promoted to Kapudan Pasha, acquiring lordship over the Province of the Islands.