The town grew, the local economy thrived, the population increased and life became more pleasant with the addition of schools, churches, sewers, roads and sidewalks. But Astakos remained for many years an isolated urban outpost surrounded by a wild and untamed countryside where bandits ruled and fear reigned. In the 1860s the oak forest around Astakos was the haunt of Spyros Delis, an infamous bandit accused of murdering 38 people. He had also abducted two Englishmen in Astakos whom he exchanged for a ransom of 3000 pounds, a staggering amount at the time. His reign of terror came to an end in April 1870, when he and four of his men were killed by a unit of the Greek army.