Zagreb Congress Zef dies

He had committed a murder in Zagreb, Croatia, for what has become a song for him, Klankosova reports.tv.

Kosovo journalist Enver Robelli, who years ago made a profile for Zef Kachinari, whom he sent back to the audience after publishing news of his death.

PORT RET KCHAINARIA ZEF

I pulled Belgium's plaster and shot the tram driver» Zef Kacinari relates how he killed him in Zagreb in 1965. And how «The Song of Zagreb» was created, which is still often sung in Kosovo, though most of the listeners think it is Albanian legend or fairy tale. But Jeff Kachinari is alive and has something to tell from his spectacular life.

Enver Robbelli

Rare are the parties and weddings in Kosovo, in which no «Sings from Zagreb».

At first, as the seniors show, the song was sung with charms and pairs at the oda, while the teenagers brought the only drink for guests served in heavy glass purchased in Istanbul. In recent years singers of the Estrada also sing it in harmony, clarinet, and other instruments.

Sounds like a legend for three Albanians, for a murder in Zagreb, a tram. Sounds like an Albanian tale of archaic heroism, for bloody happenings of exiled Albanians.

But «Ken by Zagreb» relies on a real event. Jeff Kachinari, the man who killed the tram driver number 11 is alive.

The story of the most dramatic event in his life he begins at «Gradska cavana». Lochal lies in the heart of Zagreb, in Ban Jelacic square, which in the time of communism was called Republic Square. At the entrance, some women in traditional clothing were ready to defil at the square, or even heard the voice of Zef Kacinari because of the noise of guests, mostly old men and old women, embroidered gentlemen and heavy ladies with old - style ornaments, modern cosmetics from Paris factories, and expensive costumes.

Conversation with Zef Kacinari soon continued at an angle in the quiet hotel room «Dubrovnik», as well as in «Ban Jelaciq» Square.

Like not a few other exiled Albanians in Croatia in the late 1950s, members of the Kacinari family initially sold trees in Zagreb markets and worked at a pie shop in Dubrava, a then suburb of the capital of this Yugoslav republic. In 1965 Zef Kacinari expanded his business, opened a pie shop at Karlovac. Work worked well. Zef Kacinari began to stabilise economically, to be notified with Albanian students, to participate in literary evenings.

But one day June 1965 Zef Kacinari was involved in a bloody conflict that greatly changed the course of his life.

On June 19th, on Saturday, Mark Allaki, a friend of Zef Kacinari from Zagreb, had gone to Karlovac. They decided to go to Zagreb for the weekend. The next day, on Sunday, they had walked around town like young men who curiously discover a new world. Jeff says that no one has been hostile. But he also explains that he was one of those Albanians who, in any case, have not taken away their weapon. I've never walked without the ally, I've had Herstal, Belgian, 14 in omvira, one in a cev, all 15 female», explains Zef Kacinari.

By June 21, 1965, day is eaten, early out of the house, and I'm up at 6 on the tram. That's where I made a mistake, but the mistake isn't big. I boarded Chernomerec on the tram, along with Mark Allaki and Preka Dede Gin. It's not even snow for three minutes and it started with the software that sells tickets, because I made a mistake, it had to buy the prelaze ticket», Zefi relates.

With «prelaz» meaning: a ticket the traveler had the right to change the tram and the line with. Jeff's ticket and his friends were simple.

When he saw that the tickets were wrong, the conducator was swearing at me and I dropped them. They were beaten by the tram router and stopped after 500 meters. We've been punched. Massanees have also beaten us, and we have blood. We're protecting as long as we can, Mark Allaki has come to help me with an umbrella and he's waiting for the concert on top, but the contractor didn't give up».

In the meantime, the situation was out.

Three Albanians fought dozens of tram travellers, which had passed near the Military Academy and other stations while stopping at Ilica 165, on Zagreb's main road.

This is where I'm left alone without Mark Allaki and Without Pregga Gen Gin», Zefi relates.

As Jeff confesss, he constantly pulls out his gasp. Tears often flow. It's about God. For the sacred books. Jeff's two companions had already been beaten by travelers and taken out of the tram. Jeff was alone, but the gun had not been taken. He held it in his belt. At once, he was approached by the tram driver, helping his friends to beat Jeff.

I've led you straight to God, when that poor bastard came, that barrel, I've got him with Belgium's plaster, I've killed him with a bullet, he's been killed next to me», explains Zefi's worst moment of his life.

After the arrest Zef Kacinari and Marki Allaki were taken to the «Rebro» clinic after having suffered serious injuries.

They've left our whole body with alcohol, and they've passed our wounds».

How does one man feel after killing another man? Even today, Zef Kacinari has no explanation. His hands tremble. He regrets that a man has taken his life. He says that the driver was exchanged by the contractors and travelers to give the final blow to Zef Kacinari.

After the murder, five people have stuck my plaster and couldn't get it. A cop beat me with a feather and he grabbed my hand. He's got my plaster like my shower sheet, so you can get over it.

The killing of tram driver number 11 in Zagreb had been met with sharp reactions from opinion, in the newspaper «Vecernji list», a commentator had put up a rhetorical question about whether Croatia should offer hospitality to Albanians.

During Zef Kacinari's trial at Zrinevac Square in downtown Zagreb a week straight ahead, hundreds of protesters demanded the severest punishment for the death penalty.

At the end of the Kachinari process, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison. He particularly commends one of his lawyers, who assumes he was derived from Dubrovnik and «well known the Albanian's character when it goes to the face of».

Zef Kacinari was sent to serve his sentence in Lepollava, where Josip Broz Tito was also imprisoned prior to World War II.

At first, Kachinari had worked in the carpenter's department, and then he made a spectacular career - as the chef had great influence. Often, according to Zef Kacinari, the prison director ordered that political prisoners have no right to eat meat. Zef relates how he hid meat under the cabbage from prisoners.

At that time Zef Kacinari in prison had announced many Albanians convicted along with Adem Demac's group. But for this period, it may be best to speak to the protagonists of time, the survivors. Zef Kacinari was released from prison in 1972 and joined his family.

He says he has saved Fadil Hoxha's life, at that time senior Kosovo and Yugoslavia. He speaks highly of Fadil Hodza, whom the Kachinars praise as a guest.

Not a few Albanians viewed Kacinari's work as an act of self-preservation, so they also began to clone it at their own parties in Zagreb.

Soon the first verses of Zeph were woven. Augustin Ukaj, a prominent rapsod who worked in Zagreb for the first time. And then a lot more.

Today Zefi lives in Zagreb, with bitter memories of the past and good memories of 2008, when Kosovo, his birthplace, became an independent state. He left this three months ago.

But memories of Kosovo Zef Kacinari are very fresh. As much as pain.

«I was born in Velesh, a quatund near Prizren, on October 26, 1934», Kacinari says. With some sort of nostalment for a long time past and almost forgotten, he shows that he has grown «in the time of Xhap Deva», Albania's interior minister under the invading Italian regime.

Zef Kacinari has experienced that time as elementary school student and as a vegetable and tree salesman at Prizren's market.

A time when Albania had expanded, including Kosovo. Nor today did Zef Kacinari hide admiration for German soldiers, their uniforms, their discipline, the authority that they believed they aroused until they patrolled the streets of Prizren.

«In that grace the German will never have ma», he says. For Italian soldiers, German allies in World War II Zef Kacinari have no such high opinion. «Some of them», the Kacinari shows, «part of the time, especially at night, was spent in public houses».

«at that time», Zefi says, «in Prizren opened many nightclubs, where there were Serbian, Albanian, Roma women. Some Italian soldiers for a Roma gave it a» rifle.

In 1945, in Yugoslavia, he won <x0 minus Tita», as Zef Kacinari calls the Communist marshal.

But at that time it was not yet sure of Zefi or his family that «would be done well or bad».

Zef Kacinari married in 1954, and after seven days he went soldier to Zajecar, Serbia, to return to Kosovo after 22 months of service and at the peak of the arms action, when the Kachinari family was also hit.

When I returned from the army I found my uncle and my brother severely beaten. Eight weeks they've dealt with the wounds with hot tiles», Zef Kachinari shows.

Some of the weapons they had, I think, were handed over. Another part of Xhafer Deva meal».

Violence exercised during arms action forced the Kacinari family to leave Velesha.

There was a void in our souls», Zef Kacinari indicates.

On May 6, 1959, on St. George's Day, several family members left Prizren to Zagreb in a Tartra brand car, produced by then Czechoslovakia.

Once vegetable sellers, Kacinaris later opened several goldsmiths in Zagreb, and according to personal records were among the richest families in the former Yugoslavia.

But they also contributed to Croatia's liberation. It's a story of exile. Zef Kacinari is one of the unexpected protagonists of this story.