Murdered defence lawyer had price on head for talking to cops
Victoria Police recruited other lawyers, apart from Lawyer X, as informers, including mafia defender Joe Acquaro who was providing information to the Purana taskforce before he was killed in a hail of bullets.
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Victoria Police recruited other lawyers, apart from Lawyer X, as informers — including a mafia defender killed in a hail of bullets.
The Herald Sun can reveal Joe Acquaro was providing information to the Purana Taskforce before he was murdered outside his Gelobar restaurant in Brunswick East in March 2016.
Although Mr Acquaro, 54, denied he was co-operating with police, the Calabrian mafia’s alleged Melbourne bosses — jailed crime figure Frank Madafferi and his older brother, fruiterer Tony — were convinced he was providing intelligence to police about them. They also blamed him for leaks to the media.
LAWYER X PT 3: THE MAN IN THE GOLDEN COFFIN
LAWYER X PT 2: THE BETRAYAL OF THE HODSONS
LAWYER X: ‘THERE MUST BE SOME VERY SERIOUS CONCERN HIGH UP’
It has since been confirmed Mr Acquaro had been co-operating with police when a $200,000 contract was put on his head.
It is not known to what level Mr Acquaro aided police or whether he breached privilege.
Mr Acquaro, 54, had told the Herald Sun he was suspected of being a snitch and was approached by a contact who told him he was a “hit” target.
Police then visited Tony Madafferi at his Noble Park grocery store to warn him not to go near Mr Acquaro. That tactic was thought to have been ill-conceived.
The Herald Sun is not suggesting Tony or Frank Madafferi were involved in his murder. Tradesman Vince Crupi, who worked at Mr Acquaro’s Gelobar, had been in an altercation with Mr Acquaro before he was shot. Mr Crupi was charged with his murder in November.
Tony Madafferi was questioned in the early stages of the homicide probe.
It can also revealed Mr Acquaro was aware of the identity of Lawyer X and her status as an informer.
He was with her when they were called to Australian Federal Police HQ when the 33-strong mafia-led syndicate, which imported 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy in the infamous “Tomato Tins” case, was arrested on August 8, 2008.
The pair was able to get bail for Frank Madafferi, and later both acted for Griffith mafia figure Pat Barbaro.
Rob Karam, serving 37 years for drug trafficking including in the Tomato Tins case, launched an appeal against his convictions in July 2016. This is perceived as a test case in regard to the role of Lawyer X.
It has been claimed that Mr Acquaro told Madafferi that he should hire Lawyer X as his barrister because “she is close to police” and Mr Madafferi could use her to pass on misinformation to the police.
Mr Acquaro’s life would fall into disarray as he fell out with the younger Madafferi brother, who is serving a 10-year jail term for his part in the Tomato Tins importation.
Sources say that it was a tactical mistake for police to approach Mr Madafferi about the alleged contract when they went to his supermarket in mid-2015 — it may have alerted those who wished to hurt him that he was co-operating with authorities.
Mr Acquaro’s life would spiral further out of control as he attempted to align himself with the Arico family. The last client he represented was underworld heavyweight Rocco Arico — who was jailed after Mr Acquaro’s murder and is appealing his conviction and fighting deportation.
Mr Acquaro’s rumoured informer status had seeped throughout the underworld, including his three estranged sons who were siding with Tony and Frank Madafferi.
The bitter family feuding began in 2013 when Mr Acquaro’s youngest son, Adriano, left his Gelobar job after a fight with his dad over a rental car.
When he went to work at Frank Madafferi’s Mondo Fruits in the northern suburbs, no one told Mr Acquaro. During a feud with Mr Madafferi, Mr Acquaro dumped legal files outside the fruit store.
The Honoured Society set would disown Mr Acquaro — who had, before the Tomato Tins arrests, gained great status when he won Frank Madafferi a reprieve from being deported — amid swirling rumours.
PT 1: HOW LAWYER X SHAPED MELBOURNE’S GANGLAND WAR
OVERLAND CRUSHED LAWYER X CRITICS — POLICE INSIDERS
HOW TIME VALIDATED GANGLAND LAWYER’S HUNCH
INSIDERS: LAWYER X WAS ‘MANIPULATIVE MASTERMIND’
MAFIA BOSS’S LAST BID TO OVERTURN ECSTACY CONVICTION
ROBERTA: LAWYER X TOLD CARL TO FLEE OVERSEAS
ROBERTA’S LAST-MINUTE BID TO SAVE CARL’S HOUSE
FAT TONY’S BIG BASH: LAST DRINKS BEFORE ARRESTS
TONY MOKBEL: I WAS URGED TO FLEE
SECRET FILES ‘KEPT FROM IBAC SCRUTINY’
DRUG LORD LEADS CHARGE FOR RELEASE OVER SCANDAL
ESCAPING ‘MOKBEL CARTEL’ DROVE LAWYER X TO TURN SNITCH
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