Melbourne lawyer Joe Acquaro slain to stop him spilling mafia secrets
UPDATE: SLAIN gangland lawyer Joe Acquaro’s deep knowledge of Melbourne mafia secrets sealed his fate, say organised crime sources, as the anti-gangland Purana taskforce joins the investigation.
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UPDATE: SLAIN gangland lawyer Joe Acquaro’s deep knowledge of Melbourne mafia secrets sealed his fate, say organised crime sources, as the anti-gangland Purana taskforce joins the investigation.
Victoria Police confirmed this morning the homicide squad would retain primacy of the murder probe, led by investigator Det Sen Sgt Robert Nazaretian.
Last year in June the Purana Taskforce warned Mr Acquaro he was in danger last after a $200,000 contract was taken out on him.
A mafia godfather was approached by detectives and told “if anything happens to Joe Acquaro, we’ll know where to start looking”.
The probe could lead investigators interstate or even overseas in their manhunt.
Mr Acquaro believed an international hitman had arrived in Australia in January but was not sure if he was the target.
Police say they are following extensive avenues of inquiry in relation to the murder and continue to canvass the area for witnesses. Forensic testing is continuing on a vehicle and items located at the scene.
Meanwhile, Mr Acquaro’s long-term girlfriend, Marisa Di Lisio, has spoken of her grief at the loss of a man who “couldn’t say no”.
“No one deserves to die like that, least of all him,’’ a devastated Ms Di Lisio said.
The first she knew of the killing near his Brunswick East gelato bar was on hearing news reports early on Tuesday.
The Herald Sun has learned that senior figures in the city’s Honoured Society had become increasingly alarmed and angry at Mr Acquaro’s drift from their influence in recent years.
Underworld sources said Mr Acquaro “posed a dire threat” to a man regarded as a Melbourne mafia godfather.
“He just knew too much. He knew everything,” a friend of Mr Acquaro said.
“He just wanted out of all this.”
In further revelations:
A PROMINENT underworld figure was said to have rejected an approach for him to organise for an outlaw bikie gang member to execute Mr Acquaro;
MR ACQUARO became aware of the price on his head when Albanian contacts visited him last year, passing him a photo of himself, which they said they had been given for the assignment;
CONVICTED drug trafficker Frank Madafferi had been enraged at legal case files being dumped at his fruit shop as a rift escalated between him and Mr Acquaro;
FURNITURE king Nick Scali was briefed on the feuding between Mr Acquaro and the powerful Madafferi family — including Frank’s fruiterer brother, Tony — and asked to intervene.
Mr Acquaro was ambushed and shot dead as he left his Gelobar restaurant about 12.40am on Tuesday. His body was found at 3am.
He had been the subject of a $200,000 murder contract, which it is understood was raised to $500,000 after there were no initial takers.
As Mr Acquaro’s home and office were searched by detectives, Ms Di Lisio told of her despair after seeing the news reports of the killing, and phoning her lover’s office.
“They confirmed what I dreaded,” she said.
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“He represented a lot of people,” she said, adding that he never failed to drop whatever the was doing to help out people in need, notably Italian immigrants.
Sources said that the rancour with his former client, Frank Madafferi, ran deep.
Mr Acquaro, a friend of Mr Madafferi for decades, is understood to have been at odds with him over legal costs awarded to the drug importer and Calabrian mafia figure after an abandoned prosecution.
The drug lord is known to have claimed to others that Mr Acquaro had pocketed over $70,000 and not made him aware of the costs payment.
But Mr Acquaro had complained that Frank Madafferi failed to put $200,000 in a trust account for his legal representation over the huge tomato tins ecstasy bust.
Asked about being approached to organise a hit on Mr Acquaro, a major underworld figure said it was nonsense.
“Nah, I don’t know anything about that,’’ he said.
“You must be getting it from the coppers ... I’m not aware of it. I run my own little race.’’
The Herald Sun can reveal that Tony Madafferi’s ban from Crown casino had also been blamed on Mr Acquaro.
Mr Madafferi was a VIP at the venue and would attend high-roller rooms with guests.
He has launched a writ against Victoria Police in a bid to lift the ban and has called on Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton to reveal what intelligence was relied upon.
TONY MADAFFERI LAWYERS FAIL IN SUPPRESSION BID
LAWYERS for alleged mafia boss Tony Madafferi have failed to suppress key documents and allegations he organised the murder of lawyer Joe Acquaro.
Georgina Schoff SC had been trying to keep secret claims Mr Madafferi had been warned by police not to harm Mr Acquaro.
But Supreme Court Justice John Dixon dismissed the bid and lifted suppression on key documents alleging Mr Madafferi had placed a $200,000 contract on Mr Acquaro’s life.
According to documents lodged by Mr Madafferi’s own lawyers in an ongoing defamation case against The Age, the grocer was accused by police of offering the $200,000.
Mr Maddaferi, according to the documents, denied having any knowledge of the contract.
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