"Tito:" "The Communist party will be always awake, protecting us..." "From anything that stops our society, from going forward..." "The legacy of our revolution should be the keeper of us all..." "Not the Army, The army should protect our borders from outside..." "We didnt turn democracy into the past, into dogmatic waters..." "A strong hand is the communist party, it is a thinking hand that exactly... leads our socialist development." "At the beginning of September 1979 President Tito was on a trip to Cuba." "In the meantime, an unknown driver caused havoc on Belgrade streets." "He drove a stolen Porsche." "They named him "The Phantom"." "This implies our faith in the Phantom." "You go there just for one reason, to watch him." "Once you see him in action, you believe in him." "The Phantom was simply a man who raced through streets of Belgrade." "He just broke the speed limit." "The Phantom, in fact was the Porsche." "The Phantom drove the Porsche." "Because nobody managed to see his face." "They made a photo of the Porsche, but they couldn't get the face." "We did our best." "But he was really..." "That's why they called him the Phantom." "He just goes in and out the roundabout." "And then, he just vanishes." "He was... the Phantom." "He was their hero, he was their everything." "We know who gave him that name." "People gave the name." "Those people that came to watch, they named him The Phantom." "They just made it up... the Phantom." "Nobody knows him." "He's a phantom." "Anything that's invisible, or unknown..." "So, they made a Phantom out of him." "I see golden wheat fields..." "On the hill i see my place of birth..." "Every moment I think of you, Oh, Country of Mine..." "WAITING FOR TITO" "Even though im not there, let us all give up to the dream..." "Every night ihear a voice calling me, come to me hapiness awaits us all..." " My country, that's nature." " My country, that's my notebook." "My country, that..." "My country, that's my garden." "My country, that's my teacher." "My country, that's my house." "My country, that's Tito." "The most prominent Non-Alignment leaders came to Havana in late August." "One of the first heads of state to arrive was Josip Broz Tito." "Fidel Castro has greeted the founder of the Non-Aligned Movement." "This was their third meeting." "This was yet another meeting at the top level." "They held talks about the goals of the Non-Aligned Movement." "President Tito arrived in Havana on 29." "August." "The next day he was a guest of honour at a dinner with Castro." "On 31." "August the two Presidents discussed the Sixth Summit." "It was 1979, the last year of Tito's reign." "At that time his "personality cult" reached its peak." "Tito was the absolute master of the entire political life." "There was only one government" " Tito." "He and his sidekicks formed a pyramid." "Everything was done from there." "One of the best things at that time was the white Porsche episode." "That was an utterly interesting car." "It gained a certain status in our capital city." "At the time, car thefts were not such a common thing." "I can't remember now whether this car had an alarm, or not." "I was shocked to see it was gone." "I went to the police to report the theft." "It was a regular morning briefing." "The Chief told us about the Porsche." "It was white, with a black rooftop." "The news somehow already reached the public." "People talked about the Porsche on the streets." "He started to perform his stunts on the very first day." "Nothing has happened during the first few nights." "First two nights were the same." "He was racing around, and the cops were helpless." "Those funny little cars they had were more than weak." "Suddenly, I saw him." "The police car behind him, at snail's pace." "The guy behind the wheel in shock." "Others holding their caps, trying to chase him." "We had routine police patrols all over Belgrade." "One of the patrol units saw him driving around in the night." "The patrol unit organized a mini-pursuit." "The Phantom in a Porsche creates chaos all over Belgrade." " Good morning." " Yes?" "I'd like to report a stolen car." "Let me see your ID." "Where, and when have you noticed that the vehicle is missing?" "I was at home, I wanted to drive back to Germany in the morning." "But, the car is gone." "Type of vehicle?" "Porsche... 911-S..." "Targa." "The car is painted white." "German plates." " Good morning." " Good morning, Chief." "A Mercedes 234D found by the highway." "Witnesses saw three youngsters walking away." "That would be all." "We believe it's the Count." " Next." " Reckless driving." "Awhite Opel." "Some guy showing off in the wrong track." " Anything new?" " This just came in." "White Porsche?" "This could be a problem for us." "Do we know who could that be?" "There's no other like that in town." "What's the idea?" "You're right." "We'll nail him the minute he shows up." "Maybe they saw the Porsche, thinking it was an Opel." "All right..." "Everybody went running towards the Slavija Roundabout." "The wanted to see for themselves that nobody could beat him." "The crowd was getting bigger." "They gathered on the route where the Phantom was expected to show up." "They knew that he would appear somewhere around Slavija." "People brought chairs and thermos bottles filled with coffee." "When he saw the crowd, he wanted to show how good he was." "He didn't want to drive anywhere else." "The crowd cheered him, they all wanted to see him." "Everybody wanted to get a better view of the Phantom." "All of us all waited for him." "We all cheered." "We wanted to see the Phantom and his stunts." "I was thrilled to see him, too." "They said, he'll be here any minute now." "They all gathered around one man." "He was telling them a story." "He said, you can't even imagine what this guy can do." "He can't turn over, he drives on two wheels." "He said that the car has inside a rod filled with mercury." "Nobody knew that I was there, listening." "That was the first time I heard that my car had a mercury rod." "People like to talk, to amuse themselves." "Pull over there." " What happened?" "You lost him?" " Yes, sir." "Wait for me at the station." "Slowly." "Go over there." "Check them out." "To Franchet Street." "Good evening." "Step on it!" "Now!" "I didn't need any answers, the car was on display every day." "They didn't have to tell me whether they got him, or not." "Everybody could see what's going on." "There was another chase, and that's when we came in." "He didn't drive to reach a destination, he drove just for the pleasure of it." "And I said, the car is great, I'd like to drive it, too." "He was able to escape the police." "He drove around Slavija." "The police was..." "how should I put it..." "The Phantom tricked them, and people enjoyed." "At the time, the only purpose for stealing a car was to go on a joyride." "There were around a dozen of boys in the city, car enthusiasts." "They could steal a car and drive it, just to show off." "Branislav..." "Fistric." "Has a job and a girl." "Go on." " Did time for reckless driving." " Next." "Nikola Ivanovic, aka Crowbar." "Mother, Zorica." "Girlfriend, that Doda." "The pickpocket?" "I know him." "Bring him in." " Pick him up in the evening." " All right." "We'll ask our friends, too." "Fangio is here." "Have you heard the news?" "Your type of guy." "All we have is a couple of witnesses, no description." "White Porsche, keeps popping up at same places." "Slavija, Boulevard." "Well..." "I'll get on him tonight." "Okay..." "You start at Slavija, we'll cruise." " He has to show up somewhere." " Of course." "If you want to get what you're after, you have to be streetwise." "I was born and raised on these streets." "Some of us chose to be criminals." "I joined the police force." "The forces of law and order did a very good job." "The streets were safe." "The Phantom was somebody who brought excitement into that peace." "We must say that the press kept quiet for five or six days." "They mentioned the Phantom one day before his final appearance." "There was an article in the daily newspaper Politika." "There were just brief news about the Phantom." "I believe the reporters rooted for him." "The editors probably cut out all the reporter comments." "First couple of nights he made them look like fools." "The crowd started to gather on the third night." "After that, he started to announce the exact time of his drives." "It was not the point just to drive and run away." "The Phantom took it one step further." "He started to announce his route, to taunt the police." "He didn't call the police, of course." "He called the most popular radio station at the time." "The Belgrade Police listened to it, too." "He called me." "Yes?" "Again complaints about my religious talk?" "No." "The guy from the white Porsche." "He says to tell the cops he'll be out on the streets again tonight." "We just heard from the Phantom, he says he'll be there tonight." "He sends his regards to the police, asking them kindly to wait for him." "People say he wanted to fool with the police." "That's not true." "What went on in his mind, only psychologists could explain." "Attention all units." "White Porsche spotted." "Pursuit under way." "He developed the route during the ride." "He wanted to have somebody at his tail." "He drew pleasure from that, he didn't want just to drive." "I don't like to lose." "I like to win." "I never accuse innocent people, but I never forgive and forget." "Unit 45335, block the bridge." "Block the incoming street." "We lost him." "Fangio continues pursuit." "Unit 313, I'm on his tail by the shipyard." "I need a unit on the other side, or we'll lose him." "He was a good driver, he had a fast car." "He used to hit the breaks, then step on the gas." "He knew he could run away from me." "Everybody on the Force was involved, even the Homicide division." "When it all started, our fellow officers made fun of us." "They said, 'You can't catch one guy'." "We were upset, and wanted even more to get him." "He played games with the police." "He wanted to show them that they were helpless." "The police set traps all over the city." "They set up roadblocks in all major city routes." "The police were everywhere." "They had cars ready to lock him." "It was all futile." "He played with the police, he made jerks out of us." "Maybe not jerks, that's a strong word." "He wanted just..." "He went there, and dared the police to catch him." "Everybody was on alert, and we simply had to find him." "But how can you find a man who drives so fast?" "We couldn't locate the car during the day." "All the younger officers were his fans." "Of course, we kept our moths shut in front of the older officers." "They would say that we don't appreciate their efforts to catch him." "Mister..." "I would like to know what's going on with my Porsche." "Comrade PleEevic, believe me, I know how you feel." "There's nothing to worry about." "Rest assured, we'll find it." "I have to go back to Germany." "If you need help, I have some friends." "Please..." "you can relax and go." "We have our methods." "Believe me..." "we know where the car is." "Okay." "It's here... we'll find it." "Chief, they called us from the City." "They're not happy." "They say we're on the radio." "Of course we are." " Sorry, we're closed." " Let them in." "They're not here for the textile." "No." "We're interested in a Porsche." "Awhite Porsche." "The one that runs around at nights?" "I hear he's a hell of a driver." "What else do you hear?" "A loner... probably." "Nobody knows him." "Do us a favour, ask around." "Please." "The police, as well as everybody else, knew about us." "There were only five of us who were really good at this." "I mean, there were hundreds of them." "But the list of real "enthusiasts" was small." "There was Vasa, me, Merc, Mosquito." "Who else..." "Crowbar." "And that was it." "For him, it was a child's play to hot wire a car." "He grabs the wheel, and..." "Maybe someone has seen him by the Porsche." "But all this was made into a such a big deal..." "Maybe that someone was afraid to come forward." "On the fifth or sixth day, the police picked me up." "They took me to the station and started the old hassle routine." " Your full name?" " Mladen Majstorovic." " Are you going to tell the truth?" " Yes." " Have you been convicted for crimes?" " Yes." "Do you know who stole the Porsche?" "No." "Go on." "Did you steal the Porsche?" "No." "Did you drive Porsche 911 for the past few nights?" "No." "It wasn't just on Slavija roundabout, but..." "Slavija was the best place for the whole stunt show." "He liked Slavija because that's where the crowd gathered." "That was his playground." "He used to storm into Slavija and race three rounds." "Then, when the cops set in, he just vanishes." "Porsch was just the machine for that." "The Slavija roundabout has eight exits." "It's the largest roundabout, with many exits." "It was probably the most convenient square for the Phantom." "He could do a handbrake turn anyway he wanted." "He didn't do it in an alley, he had plenty of space on Slavija." "Besides, the crowd was there, watching." "They craved for attraction." "This was a great show for all of them, like a football game." "They just wanted to be there." "All the props were there:" "Popcorn, cameras, binoculars." "He showed resistance against the authorities." "They try to catch him, they put up a chase, but in vain." "The crowd wanted to see him evading the roadblocks and traps." "In a certain way, they also waited for a tragedy." "They wanted to be there when everything blows up." "Unit 200 to all units." "Confirm your positions." "Unit 425 at the City Hall." "Aveteran reporter told me once..." "You should always take photos of the people around the scene." "When you see who was there, you can make something out of it." "When I realized what was going on..." "That he really raced there night after night... that was a real challenge." "My idea was, I'm the best, I'll be the first one to get him." "White Porsche on the roundabout." "Over." "Unit 577, start the pursuit." "At the moment of his approach I was reloading my cameras." "Then I heard somebody shouting, 'There he is'." "There he is!" "I was rather far from there." "I started to run." "I made a snapshot, then I saw I was out of film." "I was reloading the camera, when a girl threw a rose..." "On his windshield." "He just disappeared." "All units, block the Knez Miloo St." "Unit 770, to the Army Boulevard." "I'll get him on Autokomanda." "Calling all units in the TopEider Star area." "Block the roundabout." "Unit 923 has crashed." "I remain in position." "Fangio is shooting at the Porsche!" "What?" "I want to see Fangio tomorrow in my office." "The policemen are humans, too." "I think they admired him, but secretly." "The police actions are based on orders." "Even of you admire someone, you have to catch him." "You must stop him." "The police was one of the pillars of the Socialist regime." "The police was untouchable." "Nobody could question the abilities of the police force." "That was regarded as a strike against the regime itself." "That's why the police overreacted in this case." "It was a devastating blow to the police." "The prevailing opinion was that the police were all-powerful." "They would leave no stone unturned until they find him." "Okay... stealing a car is a criminal act." "But it's not a capital offence." "The police were ready to eliminate him." "It is very likely that Tito heard about it in Havana." "He probably knew about the Phantom." "People say that an order was issued for his liquidation." "So, if it went on a little longer, it would've been terrible." "Probably someone told him about a madman." "His reaction was, I suppose..." "'He'd better not be there when I get back. '" "This has turned into something that goes way beyond a simple joyride." "It's in the papers now, people gather around, to watch." "That's not good." "That's dangerous." "It's a threat to the national security." "I don't get it." "How come the entire police force cannot get hold of one man?" "Some people call me, some important people." "They lost their sleep over this." "I mean..." "literally lost their sleep." "I really don't know..." "What can be done to clean the city?" "Keep in touch." "And... drop by." "My lab is near by, so I decided to develop the films right away." "I was checking the negatives and suddenly, I saw it." "His face!" "I got an adrenalin rush." "I made it!" "And now... what next?" "I could take the photo to the police, but..." "I didn't want to have him on my conscience." "Let them do their job, and I'll do my." "The square is dirty." "Go." "Unit 252, get ready." "Time for the buses." "Go." "Porsche spotted." "All units, get ready." "Go." "I ran towards the car." "I think I saw bullet holes in the rear window." "Then, a strange man just popped out from the crowd." "He had a fire extinguisher." "Where did he get the fire extinguisher?" "He smashed the car, destroying evidence." "It looked like bullet holes to me." "But, it was destroyed." "Anyway, the nightmare for us came to an end after ten days." "The street cleaners were there, washing." "He skidded." "That had nothing to do with our police business." "We didn't organize that." "We didn't put up a roadblock." "This is a misdemeanor, you cannot kill someone for that." "I remember, there was a girl named Gina." "She left a lipstick mark on the Porsch." "That was a sad night for the citizens of Belgrade." "That was the end of the road for the Phantom." "The police blocked him with a bus." "And yet, he just walked away and disappeared in the crowd." "What did the police do?" "They had guns, and everything." "At that moment, too, he was their hero." "We, the police, failed to stop him in a legal way." "Shoot to kill was never an option for us." "If we hit the tyres, someone could get killed." "You cannot put someone's life in danger over a joyride." "If Tito had stayed longer, he would've driven longer." "Tito was about to return, and they simply had to stop him." "There was a tradition of greeting Tito on the streets of Belgrade." "They couldn't afford to have a white Porsche greeting Tito." "So, they did what they did." "It was 08.00 h in the morning of September 9th." "The Sixth Summit awarded President Tito a special honour." "The force of the Non-Aligned Movement lies in its basic principals." "The Movement continues to grow and is united by differences." "All Non-Aligned countries remain equal partners in decision-making." "This was a festive parting of the highest Non-Aligned Movement statesmen." "The next Summit is planned for 1982, in Baghdad." "President Tito and others left Havana the same day." "Their host, Fidel Castro was there to see them off." "The two statesmen say their farewells." "President Tito returns home after yet another successful mission." "Vlada Vasiljevic was a hero." "He stood up against the well organized police force, the political police." "For ten days, they were on a wild goose chase." "That was a fantastic thing." "They named him the Phantom after this episode." "His nicknames were "Vasa Opel" and "Vasa the Key"." "His real name was Vlada Vasiljevic." "But, everybody knew him as "Vasa"." "Among us, in the trade, it was "Vasa Opel"." "Or "Vasa the Key"." "I can't remember how he got that." "The police started with massive arrests." "When cops start doing that, they always come up with something." "Finally, some smartass picked up the phone." "Opel." " We are looking for..." " Vlada Vasiljevic!" " Is he in?" " Yes." "Get up, and get dressed." "Get dressed, now!" "So, you think you're fast?" "Did you really have to go through all that?" "Let's have a civilized talk." "You had the Porsche, you had your ride." "You crashed it." "It's all over now." "The car is at the forensics." "Nobody's gonna hurt you." "The Phantom is dead and gone, but Fangio is here to stay." "First of all, he was no phantom." "For me, he will always be Vlada, that smiling fellow." "He was a real friend, Vlada was the good guy." "I don't know how old was Vlada at that time, but..." "If I weren't a policeman, I would probably do the same thing." "He was a hero." "A cool dude." "A real gentleman." "A brave man." "Hats off to him." "He was an... extraordinary man." "Extraordinary." "Extremely good fellow." "For some, he was a madman, for others, a hero." "Some wanted to see him dead, the others worshiped him." "And nobody knew who he was." "That was the Phantom." "Sadly, he's gone." "Many don't share this feeling." "But Vasa was a man full of noble qualities and virtues." "He lived on the edge of crime." "He chose to "borrow" cars." "If it weren't for that, he would've been in a Formula Team." "What can a man do?" "Fate is powerful." "Ten days after his release from prison," "Vlada had a car accident on the Belgrade-Nio highway." "He died in the hospital from the effects of wounds." "The police file of Vlada Vasiljevic was never found."