By Laura Chung, Sally Rawsthorne and Mary Ward
The ex-bikie founder of a fight club in Sydney's inner west has died in hospital two days after police believe he may have fatally shot his housemate.
Albert Rick Difloriano, 55, died at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on Sunday night after he was found with gunshot wounds to the head in a quiet Lewisham street.
Police at the scene in Henry Street, Lewisham, where Aleksandar Stevanovic was shot dead and Albert Difloriano was in a critical condition. Credit: Rhett Wyman
Armed police officers found Mr Difloriano in a home on Victoria Street after another man, Aleksandar Stevanovic, 36, was found with gunshot wounds to his chest in nearby Henry Street on Friday afternoon.
Mr Stevanovic was shot at the home before making his way down Henry Street, where he was found by members of the public. He died on the way to hospital.
Hours later, Mr Difloriano was taken from the home and transported to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where he died.
Police believe Mr Stevanovic may have been shot by Mr Difloriano, who subsequently died in an act of self-harm. But police are not treating the incident as a murder-suicide and say investigations continue.
The two men had been living together at the Victoria Street address. There is no indication the pair had been arguing before the shootings.
Mr Difloriano did not have a gun licence and investigations into whether the weapon was registered are ongoing, police sources say.
Police are continuing to establish the motive and events leading up to the shootings but there are no current links to The Saint Michael Christian Brothers Fight Club, a group with which both men had been involved.
Mr Difloriano was the founder of the fight club, which was the focus of an investigation into the shooting murder of father-of-two Brad Dillon in Leichhardt in 2014.
Albert Rick Difloriano, 55, is taken to hospital after he was found with gunshot wounds to his head on Friday.Credit: Rhett Wyman
Mr Difloriano was the registered owner of a fight gym in a quiet Lewisham street up until 2011. Since 2015, Mr Stevanovic has been the sole registered owner.
The fight club had its roots in religion but evolved to have rules and activities that resembled a bikie club.
Most of its 20 to 30 members were Catholics of Italian heritage living within Sydney's inner west who also had a common interest in Muay Thai boxing.
The Lewisham shooting, which shocked neighbours on Friday afternoon, was the latest in a string of similar events across Sydney this month, prompting police to ramp up their resources.
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