Bugattis in the garage, Roma slaves in the streets: The empire of Rumen Gaytanski "The Wolf"
Bugattis in the garage, Roma slaves in the streets: The empire of Rumen Gaytanski "The Wolf"
or why the Romani resort to wrapping themselves in plastic bags while their boss collects luxury cars
“The wolf has to eat,” is a common saying at Pepi’s job, at least among the Roma street cleaners. It means, put very simply, that money never flows down to the workers. Instead, it stays with the owner, Rumen Gaytanski.
Garbage disposal and street cleaning of our city Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria) used to be monopolized by Gaytanski in the 1990s into the early 2000s. Every article about him says his nickname is “The Wolf” because one of his two companies was named “Wolf 96.” But the nickname is more than earned.
“He used to be very cruel then,” Pepi said. Martina wondered how much crueler he could have been compared to now. “I didn’t work for him then. But some coworkers still talk about how awful he was. He has mellowed down now.”
In 2005-2007, Boyko Borisov - who would later become the longest-reigning prime minister of our country until he was pushed out by anti-corruption protests - used the Wolf as one of his slogans when he was campaigning for mayor of Sofia. "We’re doing everything in our power to free Sofia from the Wolf,” he said in 2006. “By the time he has dinner, goes to the bar, lies down to sleep, and wakes up, he has snuggled 2-3 million BGN.”
Eventually, Sofia was freed from the Wolf. He continued running his business in other major Bulgarian cities. But about a decade later, in 2018, the Wolf returned to Sofia with his new street cleaning and garbage disposal company “Green Partners”.
Pepi and his tribe work at “Green Partners” in typical positions reserved for the Romani. Swiping the streets with brooms, over and over again, especially when the leaves fall in autumn which is one of the two reasons, next to snow, when they are forced to work over time. The wind can bring waves and waves of leaves, and the Romani have to keep mindlessly sweeping. Their workday stops when the wind stops. Pulling grass in between blocks of concrete pavement with their bare hands (because “the Wolf has to eat” and doesn’t provide them with the very simple solution used to spray pavement so that grass doesn’t grow there.) No gloves, no hats, no waterproof jackets or shoes even though they have to work in all weather conditions - especially bad ones. No basic equipment. Pepi’s position is considered one of the most difficult ones, reserved for men. “Lifting of heavy objects.” Because “the Wolf has to eat,” the trucks don’t have any modern equipment to lift heavy things, and this has to be done by hand. Pepi lifts tons - and we mean tons very literally - every day. Wardrobes, ovens, tables - loading them into the truck and unloading them in the garage.
It was this same garage that we saw on the news recently. Among the garbage trucks, were the Wolf’s luxury cars being confiscated by police.
The Wolf in handcuffs
Rumen Gaytanski, we learned from the news, was involved in a 150,000,000 BGN scam back in 2019. The prosecutors say that the money was supposed to be a loan to a company but it was used by Gaytanski for personal gain and some politically-motivated payments towards one of the big parties in Bulgaria. All his assets were being seized and frozen and there was now a national search for him and his two accomplices, one of whom was the director of said bank.
On our TV screen, we were watching how the police were confiscating a Bugatti-Veyron, a Rolls-Royce, and a Mercedes from the same garage where Pepi unloads wardrobes and ovens every day.
Gaytanski has been under arrest and behind bars since August. In the videos and pictures from the news, you’d be forgiven for mistaking the wolf for a lamb. Dwarfed by the big policemen around him, wearing a white pristine angelic shirt, hands interwoven as if in a humble prayer, face covered with a mask, and eyes full of sadness and contemplation.
His lawyer recently released a statement that this was a politically-motivated arrest. In a power battle in one of our biggest parties, Gaytanski fell victim due to his association with one of the founders. It is also pretty well known that many companies took out big loans from this bank in 2019. In other words, at best Gaytanski is innocent, and at worst, he’s no different than all the other regular Bulgarian mobsters.
His arrest isn’t causing big waves in Bulgaria. We are all desensitized to this type of “white-collar crime”. We are used to municipal utilities and services being monopolized and corrupted for private profit. We know we are a “mafia country” and we are used to justice never reaching these people. Our political landscape has been such a circus that Gaytanski, his millions, and his ties to one of the big political players, are a drop in the ocean.
The confiscated luxury cars from the truck garage were only 3. Supposedly, he owns 8. There were mentions of a yacht. Overall, the impression from the news reports is that he owns a lot that we will never hear about. It’s being seized and frozen now. But Bulgarians are too exhausted to clap in approval.
The Roma verdict
People in Pepi’s tribe were a little bit amused to see their boss in handcuffs on the news, mostly because they were used to seeing fellow Romani in handcuffs and brutally punished for much smaller crimes. Our “favorite” example is one relative of Pepi’s who went to prison for snatching a lighter from a policeman.
Nobody in the tribe cares that Gaytanski pulled a 150,000,000 BGN scam. They almost expect it of him. Because “the wolf has to eat.” The Romani’s only question was if they’ll have a job and a salary tomorrow.
And the real theft has been happening in their own pockets.
Even though the Wolf is behind bars, this winter when the snow falls Pepi and everyone else in the tribe will receive a phone call from their supervisor at 3:00 am to come to work early. The snow has to be shoveled and streets cleaned before the city wakes up. Nobody is paid overtime for this. If you don’t show up, you’re punished with a fine twice your daily wage.
Last winter, Pepi came home from work one day and couldn’t stop shaking. We switched on our heater and sat together on the floor in front of it. His skin was red from the cold. “Do you want some tea? Some aspirin?” Martina kept asking. “Don’t worry,” Pepi said, “it’s nothing new, I’m used to it.”
Chronic back pain, leg pain, ripped skin, and other aches are also part of life for Gaytanski’s Roma employees. Pepi’s almost had his eye poked out, has been stabbed by glass and metal, and has had all kinds of injuries on the job, as well as all of his coworkers. When something like this happens, their supervisor always tells them not to go to the hospital. Or if they go, to not mention that they were injured on the job - because then, there would be bureaucratic complications for the company.
The Wolf pays his Romani workers minimum wage. No-shows are penalized twice their daily wage. Overtime is required but never compensated. They only have 6 days off per month. No weekends. They’re not given any documentation whatsoever. No salary slips, nothing to show how much paid leave they’re entitled to. If you quit, you are allowed one chance to apply again. If you quit a second time, you’re blacklisted and can never be re-hired. In an economy already hostile to the Romani, this ensures that people keep their heads down or they’ll lose one of the few options for employment.
Pepi took paid leave this month. An entire calendar week. When he returned to work, he was told that he had only one day off for the two weeks remaining of the month. Turns out, 3 of his allotted 6 days per month were worked into his paid leave. “So they gave you 2 of the vacation days you’re entitled to?” Martina asked. “Who knows,” Pepi said, resigned. The supervisor never gives them a single piece of paper showing how much leave she’s granting and how much they have left.
“I hope you get hit by a car” is something the supervisor often yells out to whoever she’s angry with as they walk out to sweep the busy boulevards.
Last year, people were promised a 50BGN monthly pay rise that was postponed and postponed again. Finally, it arrived in the form of food vouchers. Then the food vouchers stopped.
This is 50 BGN per month for about 30 people employed in the neighborhood of our tribe. 1,500 BGN per month - around 850 USD - that was too much for the Wolf to spare even though he’s netting millions from the street cleaning contracts.
But as the Romani say, he “has to eat.” And let’s not forget, he has mellowed down.