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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
The Pimps of Gdansk by Bertold Kittel is a sweeping look at how prostitution funded Gdańsk’s post-communist underworld through criminal networks that reached far beyond the escort agencies where much of the money began. Kittel covers Rozi, the long-running Gdańsk club that prosecutors say generated over forty million złoty in illegal profits between 2005 and 2021, before the investigation widens to Olgierd L., a former neo-Nazi football hooligan who rose through prostitution rackets. His organization collides with Daniel “Zachar” Z. over criminal territory before Zachar’s 2009 killing at an Oliwa bus terminal changes the balance of the city’s underworld. Kittel then follows the criminal order that came after, as Olgierd’s circle moved through motorcycle clubs before appearing around patriotic organizations connected to people entering Polish politics.
Bertold Kittel’s The Pimps of Gdansk is fascinating, and I learned heaps about Poland’s post-communist underworld in this single volume. What's interesting is how important Kittel's reporting is right now. In a day and age where questions about a politician’s past associations can become nationally significant, photographs placing Olgierd at patriotic events attended by Karol Nawrocki were a reminder that those relationships can be in the public view for years. The writing is easy to understand because Kittel turns his exhaustive reporting into something I could comfortably follow. The standout investigation was Zachar’s murder. Recovering a knife from a drained pond was impressive enough, then DNA found beneath its handle gave investigators evidence linking it directly to Zachar. Well written and as entertaining as it is educational, readers who enjoy criminal history that is thoroughly investigated will adore this book.
