The Source: The feud that saw Gavin Peston refuse to shake John Setka’s hand

The late gangman, shot in broad daylight last September, used to boast on construction sites about refusing to shake the CFMEU leader’s hand.

The late Gavin 'Capable' Preston had a lot of enemies. Picture: Supplied

Gangland wildman Gavin Preston would have turned 51 next Monday, had gunmen not struck in last September’s infamous ambush at a Keilor cafe.

Somebody was clearly no fan of Preston, but there were plenty out there he didn’t like either, including fellow underworld travellers like George Marrogi, Christopher “Badness” Binse and Toby Mitchell.

Gavin Preston was working his way through a list of enemies to deal with. Picture: Supplied

At one stage, before being sent to jail about a decade ago, he was working his way through a list of foes he intended to shoot.

The Source hears that while he never made the Preston bullet list, the triggerman was not overly fond of another Melbourne strongman, CFMEU boss John Setka.

We’re assured that the man known as “Capable”, if he was still with us, would have enjoyed Setka’s difficulties of recent months.

Preston had some involvement in the construction industry and would boast about having disrespected the union boss by refusing to shake his hand.

Former CFMEU boss John Setka was not on Capable Preston’s nice-list. Picture: Supplied

Anyway, any animosity died with Preston when bullets flew at the Sweet Lulu Cafe.

Coincidentally, October 7 is a birthday Preston shared with Binse and, yet again, there was no love.

Binse once spent an extended period tracking Preston around Melbourne with a gun and malicious intent.

Originally published as The Source: The feud that saw Gavin Peston refuse to shake John Setka’s hand