Sydney gangster Raphael Joseph expected to die violently: police believe he was most likely kidnapped and murdered a week ago

SYDNEY gangster Raphael Joseph knew he was a marked man years ago. Many people believe it’s lucky he lived this long.

SYDNEY gangster Raphael Joseph knew he was a marked man years ago. Many believe it’s lucky he lived this long.

The Iraq-born Joseph was the prime suspect in the 2002 shooting of a man outside a Sefton strip club when he fled Australia for America.

Six years later, when he was arrested for being an illegal ­immigrant, he begged US authorities not to be sent back to Sydney because there was a contract on his life.

To avoid extradition, he pet-itioned then-US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, saying there was a $100,000 contract on his life. He also said the Sydney Bronx Boys gang would hunt him down and kill him.

Now it seems Joseph’s fears may have been realised.

Whether it was the Bronx Boys or another of his many criminal associates and enemies, police believe Joseph was kidnapped and most likely murdered just over a week ago.

“Mr Joseph was well known to us and was also a man of means,” NSW Homicide Squad head Mick Willing said.

“It is possible he was kidnapped with a view of someone making financial gain through extortion.”

No ransom has been sought from the Joseph family but police indicated some of his ­associates may have been approached. The Joseph family pulled out of a planned press conference yesterday because they were frightened and are now being protected by police.

Mr Joseph, also known as Rafi Tooma, spent the afternoon of March 20 at his apartment in Chiswick before he was spotted at The Star casino.

About midnight, Mr Joseph drove a Mercedes-Benz to an Auburn street. He was then seen getting into a silver sedan and has not been seen since.

“There is a slim glimmer of hope he is alive but in all honesty we suspect he may have been murdered,” Detective Superintendent Willing said.

Before fleeing, Joseph was linked to the street gang DLAST HR and the organised crime gang Assyrian Kings. He told US police he was smuggled out of Australia via Turkey, Thailand and Mexico before ending up in San Diego.

After being extradited to Australia, he was charged with the murder of Dimitri Debaz, 28, and spent nearly 18 months in prison before the charges were dropped.