Police are investigating how the 37-year-old murderer of Faye Blacha came to control a gas station, a café, and a luxury Ferrari—all while imprisoned. His connection with a murdered mafia boss, his furloughs from prison, and the child born at the moment he died from cardiac arrest are all part of a strange and dark puzzle.

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From Convict to “Businessman”

A convicted murderer enters prison at 25. Coming from a typical middle-class Greek family—neither wealthy nor deprived—he begins serving a life sentence.

Twelve years later, while still incarcerated, Vaggelis Stefanakis somehow acquires ownership of a gas station and a café. During his temporary releases from prison, he’s seen driving a black Ferrari. Upon his future release, he seemed set for a life of stability and wealth.

Stefanakis, an electrician by trade, was convicted for the brutal 2013 murder of 23-year-old Faye Blacha, his girlfriend. He died suddenly last Thursday in Spata, just hours after receiving permission to leave prison and attend the birth of his child.

His death, in a way, closes a dark chapter that began with the murder of a young woman and ends with the arrival of new life.

Scent of Greek Mafia

What baffles investigators is how Stefanakis managed to build a business empire while behind bars.

Sources suggest links to the so-called Greek Mafia. He is believed to have formed a close relationship with a notorious mob figure who was recently assassinated in northern Athens. It was this individual who allegedly orchestrated business acquisitions—also from within prison—allowing Stefanakis to gain control of a profitable gas station in Spata and a nearby café.

Luxury Cars, Guns, and Mafia Ties

Police discovered two firearms in Stefanakis’s house following his death. Both are being examined by forensic experts to determine if they were used in any crimes. The black Ferrari was towed to the local police department’s lot for inspection.

Authorities are also investigating the ownership and transfer history of the gas station in an attempt to trace the network of individuals possibly involved in mafia-related activities both inside and outside prison walls.

Although his link to the murdered mafia boss was on the radar of law enforcement, they never fully understood the depth of their collaboration. Stefanakis’s sudden death has now shifted investigative focus onto others in that circle.

An autopsy will determine the precise cause of death, though initial assessments suggest cardiac arrest. Emergency medical responders were called by a woman who had been visiting him at his home in Spata.

The Murder of Faye Blacha

Vaggelis Stefanakis was initially sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal killing of Faye Blacha, his 23-year-old girlfriend, in April 2013. A trained martial artist, Stefanakis viciously beat her, first with his hands, then kicking her in the head after she fell. She was left in a coma and never recovered.

The story shocked the Greek public. It later emerged that Stefanakis was also in a romantic relationship with Faye’s older sister, Marialena—nine years her senior. It was Marialena who informed Faye about the affair, leading to a furious argument between the couple that culminated in the deadly beating.

Stefanakis initially claimed she had suffered injuries in a hit-and-run. Later, he changed his story, saying she had accidentally hit her head on a car bumper. Forensic evidence quickly disproved those claims, revealing clear signs of severe, deliberate physical assault.

Faye fought for her life for two weeks before succumbing to her injuries. The autopsy confirmed the cause of death as massive cranial trauma consistent with a brutal beating.

Marialena initially supported Stefanakis’s false narrative, making her a co-defendant in the case. Though she was charged, she eventually avoided serving prison time following her appeal.

A Killer’s “Good Conduct”

Following the conviction, Stefanakis sought to reduce his sentence by appealing for leniency, claiming sincere remorse. He obtained certificates of “good conduct” from prison authorities, stating that he always returned on time from his furloughs and posed no disciplinary issues.

Over time, he began taking frequent leaves from prison and built a new life. He developed a relationship with another woman, who was giving birth to his child the day he died. This child was the reason for his final prison leave from Avlona Prison—a facility primarily for juveniles, though it also held adult inmates like Stefanakis.

More Than One Conviction

In addition to the murder conviction, Stefanakis had also been found guilty of dangerous bodily harm, illegal possession of weapons, and participating in violent attacks. He had been involved in a 2012 assault against members of the Greek Communist Party (KKE) during a pre-election campaign in Agia Paraskevi, allegedly as part of a Golden Dawn militant group.

In death, Stefanakis leaves behind a child born the same day he collapsed, a trail of criminal enterprise and suspicion, and the long shadow of a violent legacy—one that may yet unravel further in the hands of investigators.