Final man charged with Alen Moradian murder: NSW Police

Police claim to have arrested the final person involved in the daylight assassination of Sydney underworld figure Alen Moradian.

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A man allegedly involved in a criminal group linked to the murder of Alen Moradian has become the eighth and final person charged with the underworld kingpin’s death, police say.

Joseph Santino, 27, was arrested by detectives at a Clarence correctional centre on Tuesday and charged with murder.

He made no application for release at Waverley Local Court on Tuesday morning and as a result was formally refused bail.

He is now set to appear before the Downing Centre local court on May 9, alongside the co-accused.

Santino was already on remand relating to drugs and firearm charges associated with the same criminal group. His arrest in relation to those alleged offences in January came at the same time as the arrest of his alleged associate Dut Deng, who was charged by detectives with firing the gun that killed Moradian in a Bondi Junction car park on June 27, 2023.

Joseph Santino who was charged over his alleged involvement in the murder of Alan Moradian. Photo: Supplied

A Porsche getaway car was found on fire in nearby Bondi Junction shortly after Moradian’s murder and a burnt-out Holden Commodore in Zetland.

Known as the ‘Mr Big’ of Sydney’s gangland, Moradian was the biggest killing yet in the city’s bloody underworld war.

Eight men have been arrested over the death of Alen Moradian in Bondi Junction in June.

On top of his bikie links, Moradian was also understood to have sat on “The Commission” – a drug cartel created by the Comanchero to tax and control the black market price of drugs, chiefly cocaine and ice.

The 48-year-old’s death was the subject of the latest series of The Daily Telegraph’s award-winning crime docu-series The War.

Moradian’s death, as well as other shootings across Sydney, was the catalyst for NSW Police forming Task Force Magnus – a joint operation with the NSW Crime Commission and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission – to target gun-related crime.

Seven men have been previously charged in relation to Moradian’s death – including Deng – and remain before the courts.

Police will allege in court Santino was directly involved in the preparation and planning of Moradian’s murder.

ALEN MORADIAN’S LAVISH LIFE

Moradian was born in Iraq in 1974 and moved to Australia in 1980.

He left school before finishing his HSC and focused instead on becoming a career criminal, in particular one with an obsession with designer labels.

Moradian famously spent $1 million in cash on Versace furniture as well as a few bits and pieces when renovating a home in Sydney north west over a decade ago.

During a drug trial in the NSW Supreme Court a former salesman for Versace gave evidence about Moradian’s spending spree.

CCTV released by police shows a man with a gun jumping into a car.

Already established as a major cocaine distributor in Sydney, the western suburbs boy set about transforming his suburban in Pennant Hills, in the city’s north west, into a McMansion. Neighbours soon saw trucks arriving filled with Versace furniture from antique dealer Martyn Cook’s shop in Queen Street, Woollahra.

Mr Chard also handled the landscaping outside the house and arranged for an artist to turn the lounge room into a version of the Sistine Chapel, with a $40,000 ceiling mural showing sky and angels.

In an email his wife even likened his lifestyle to that of the TV gangster character, Tony Soprano.

Police examine the destroyed car found in Zetland following Alen Moradian’s murder. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“Why do you` just sit there and show off – ‘I am the man, I am the man? Do you see Tony Soprano doing that? … He doesn’t care who people think is the boss, [money] is his number one priority. You, on the other hand, want the attention, you want the big head, you love it. People like that won’t survive’,” she said.

But to the underworld Moradian was a lot more serious character than Tony Soprano not only being a major mover of cocaine, but also a provider of weapons.

He was a major member of The Golden Gun syndicate which the NSW Police and NSW Crime commission detected in 2005 and 2006 as being behind the importation of 300 kgs of cocaine.

When they finally dismantled the group and arrested Moradian and others they seized $20 million cash, property, vehicles, high-grade cocaine and 17 firearms, including a gold-plated .357 calibre pistol.

Moradian was in jail between 2007 and 2017, and was still on parole at the time of his death.