Radev invaded the lives of his extortion victims and terrorised them until they met his demands. Children, wives, family members were dragged in to his world of violence and horror. No one was safe.

Radev was a Bulgarian wrestler who came to Australia, claiming resident status as a political refugee. He preferred the nickname “The Russian” believing it instilled greater terror among his victims. Radev boasted of his close connections to the Russian mafia.

Tough Nuts provides detailed accounts of Radev’s terror tactics from several of his victims. Businessman Sedat Ceylan was lured to a hotel room in Melbourne and viciously assaulted by Radev and his thugs for nine hours.

Tough Nuts reveals that Radev committed identity theft and went on a crime spree, all under the name of his neighbour, a Russian émigré named Ivan Solokov, who he murdered.

And for the first time on television, then police detective and former member of Victorian Police’s Organised Crime Squad, Ben Archbold tells of his terrifying confrontation with Radev.

Radev was a psychopath; able to compartmentalise his life. He charmed and courted his wife Sylvia and had a daughter with her. He kept his wife and daughter, almost as goods and chattels in a separate home. The drop-in husband and father would call by on regular visits, kiss his daughter on the cheek and secrete guns and drugs in the child’s cot before heading back to his life of crime.

On the blood soaked streets of Melbourne’s gangland war, the lethal Radev was deemed too dangerous to be allowed to live. His life was terminated at the demand of drug lord, Carl Williams with Williams’ devoted assassin, Andrew ‘Benji’ Veniamin the triggerman.