An alleged Russian mafia boss has survived an assassination attempt in central Moscow, the Russian RIA Novosti reported Friday.

The 73-year-old Aslan Usoyan, aka Grandpa Hassan, was shot on Moscow's main street about 8 pm local time. Usoyan and his bodyguard have been rushed to the hospital.

At first, the police have announced that the man had died, but later confirmed both men had received medical care and were alive. According to a police officer, the wrong information was given in order to prevent further assassination attempts during Usoyan's transportation to the hospital.

The Russian ITAR-TASS has reported that Grandpa Hassan was viewed as one of the most influential godfathers in Russia. He allegedly controlled the majority of organized crime groups.

Usolyan has also been linked to another widely known Russian mafia boss, Vyacheslav Ivankov, who was shot dead in Moscow last year.

Grandpa Hassas was detained in Ukraine in April, where he reportedly presented forged documents. The Ukrainian authorities deported him to Russia where he was set free, ITAR-TASS reported.

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