Getting a taste of Vince Focarelli’s new venture La’Fig Cucina

CARRINGTON St residents have dubbed Vince Focarelli’s city restaurant as the “Shoot em’ up Cafe’ amid concerns the former gang leader’s past could catch up with him. Read the restaurant review inside

Vince Focarelli at his La’Fig Cucina on Carrington St, where he says some of the profits go to charity and the homeless can come on Tuesdays to ‘get something warm’.

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• Read the La’Fig Cucina review below

CARRINGTON St residents refer to Vince Focarelli’s city restaurant as the “Shoot ’em up Cafe’’ amid concerns the former gang leader’s past could catch up with him.

The 41-year-old has survived six attempts on his life — including one in which his son was killed — and in recent months has opened the new business venture amid claims to have left his criminal past behind him.

The attempts ranged from a flawed bombing attack that killed two Hells Angels associates, to having a gun pulled on him in a supermarket. A shooting at Dry Creek in January, 2012, killed son Giovanni.

In April this year, Focarelli and his wife opened the La’Fig Cucina restaurant in Carrington St in the city.

Despite Focarelli’s insistence that he has distanced himself from his former gang associations, some residents say they try not to even walk near the restaurant.

One said locals called it the “Shoot ’em up Cafe’’.

“The street was scary enough before with the homeless centre and now with this opening up there’s a few of us who are concerned but aren’t saying anything,” they said.

The former leader of the Comancheros bikie gang in SA was released from prison in April, 2013, after completing a sentence for firearm and drugs offences relating to the incident that left his son dead.

Exterior of the La’Fig Cucina restaurant in Carrington St in the city.

A majority of local residents and businesses said they weren't bothered that the convicted criminal had set up a restaurant on their street but admitted they were keeping an eye on the eatery.

“I keep to myself and I hope he keeps to himself,” one resident said.

“I don’t really have any objections to him being here but I am keeping an eye on the place,” said another.

A nearby business operator said they were nervous at the thought it could bring an element of danger to the street.

“I suppose not a lot of people are talking about it — but yeah, there’s some nervous people,” one woman said.

“I don’t go anywhere near.’’

SA Police and members of Adelaide City Council declined to comment on the venture.

However, forensic criminologist Dr Claire Ferguson said it was not Focarelli that people should be worried about.

“If someone is motivated enough to make multiple attempts on his life, they probably don’t care that he’s found religion,” Dr Ferguson said.

“He is doing all the right things — I would be more worried about the people that want to kill him that he has no control over and what they’ve done in the last few years and whether that grudge is still maintained or whether they’re all in prison.

“They have very long memories, though, and you wonder what the original grievance was that led to such high-risk behaviour? You have to wonder if it is something these people would just forget about.”

Focarelli says his life of crime is well and truly behind him and states that his religion and the establishment of the restaurant are the pillars that have helped that transformation.

“I have completely distanced myself in all aspects of that life,” he recently said.

“I played my part and I received as much in return.

“I’m a human being and regardless of whatever I’ve done in the past, everyone makes mistakes.”

Restaurant review

Hearty, halal Focarelli style

La’ Fig Cucina
94 Carrington St, Adelaide, Ph: 8232 1775

Score 4.5/10

THE running joke is, “don’t book a window table”.

Well, we are seated at the window for a few minutes, then move, only because it’s jolly cold. Wind whistles through the typically poor cafe-window seals, which will be better open in summer.

Right now, the halal cucina has scant warmth. More heating is coming, we’re told as we huddle in coats. But baby, it’s also cold in style, despite the lovely staff and cheery welcome of Vince himself, his woolly beard hanging in a disposable mask. With bright lights, no music, few people, and no flow of alcohol, there’s no buzz.

A cosier zone of low red-dressed tables is occupied by what looks like a stern spiritual mens-only meeting, and people obviously from the owner’s new faith friendship group are dropping in for meetings and takeaway.

Best is Vince’s Bosnian mother-in-law’s hearty okra and wagyu.

With a good blueberry smoothie, $9.50, and fizzy waters, we graze an unimaginative platter, $27, of simple cold meats, including sad sandwich-loaf-like turkey, but also cheesy arancini, artichoke, eggplant, olives and good crusty bread, probably toasty from the big domed pizza oven.

Best is Vince’s Bosnian mother-in-law’s hearty okra and wagyu, $24, with more of that great bread to mop up the tomato-based gravy.

He asks for feedback on his own eggplant parmigiana creation, $25, which gets awkward because it’s super oily, too cheese-gooey, and still cold in the middle, so not pleasant.

A giant camel biryani, $29, is dry but the dish gets a tick for aromatic flavours slow-cooked into big chunks of flesh.

While friendly, the staff reflect inexperience, leaving us with dirty dishes for more than 30-minutes, before we raid the cake fridge for panna cotta.