Dyomochka previously was head of an organised crime group in Ussuriysk, Primmorsky Krai; he subsequently dramatised his experiences in the TV series Spets.
[1] Vitali was convicted of several crimes including extortion and shooting a rival gangster, and after his release from prison in 1997 became the head of the Podstava criminal group.
Unsatisfied with the way organized crime was depicted in film and television,[citation needed] Vitali set about creating his own TV series.
Largely financed by his own money, the seven-part series finished production in 2003 and became a huge success, getting close to 100% ratings on a local television station.
[citation needed] The series drew a lot upon Vitali's own experiences, such as when a driver he had attempted to blackmail turned out to be a judge.