Vince Focarelli: I’ve left my gangster life behind

NOTORIOUS former underworld figure and gang-leader Vince Focarelli says he is a changed man now looking to live a normal family life and help the needy.

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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NOTORIOUS former underworld figure and gang-leader Vince Focarelli says he is a changed man now looking to live a normal family life and help the needy.

The 41-year-old, who has survived six attempts on his life, including one in which his son was killed, has finally broken his silence, saying “everyone makes mistakes”.

Focarelli, who has opened La’Fig Cucina restaurant in Carrington St, has revealed how he has got his life back on track and claims he is now feeding the homeless and donating to the needy.

“I have completely distanced myself in all aspects of that (gangster) life,” he told Seven News.

“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.”

He credits his family, his religion and the establishment of his restaurant as the pillars that have helped his transformation. Focarelli claims that the restaurant is helping the homeless and donating to charity.

“As Muslims, it’s our responsibility to give, especially on the day of Ramadan where we can learn to be humble and pious and absorb all the kindness and love there is in and around the world,” he told RamadanTV.

“With Ramadan, whatever we sell there will be a portion, a percentage of that profit, that goes to human appeal. We want to contribute that in the best way possible.”

Focarelli said the restaurant was also catering for the homeless — and had established a soup night for those in need.

“Tuesdays — to all the homeless people — come to La’Fig Cucina around 7-7.30pm and come and get something warm,” he said.

The former gang leader said the idea for the restaurant was hatched when they wanted to create something that was halal friendly.

“We started off by talking at home in our kitchen, my wife and I,” he said.

“We got thinking and we said, ‘Look, we want to open up a small cafe, why don’t we do it properly. Why don’t we help the community of the Muslims and do something halal, organic and vegan’.”

Between 2010 and 2012, Focarelli was the target of six assassination bids.

The attempts on his life 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 his son, Giovanni.

That attack left Focarelli injured as well and in custody on drugs charges.

“We miss Giovanni very dearly ... he’s always in our thoughts,” Focarelli said.

“We think about him and talk about him daily.”

Focarelli, who previously led the Comanchero bikie gang in SA, was released from prison on parole in April, 2013, after completing a sentence for firearm and drugs offences relating to the incident that left his son dead.