Gatto mourns death of ‘beautiful loyal friend’ Brian ‘Mickey’ Finn

Mick Gatto has paid an emotional tribute to mate Brian “Mickey” Finn, after the man who helped him beat a murder charge died overnight.

Mick Gatto has paid tribute to his great mate following the death of Brian “Mickey” Finn.

Mick Gatto’s great mate Brian “Mickey” Finn has died overnight.

Gatto has expressed his love for Finn to family and friends.

“It’s with a heavy heart that I can tell you that my beautiful loyal friend Brian Mickey Finn just took his last breath. God love him,” he wrote.

Finn, 89, of Prahran, knew Gatto for almost 50 years.

He came forward just months before Gatto’s 2005 murder trial and would become crucial to his self-defence plea over the fatal shooting of Andrew “Benji” Veniamin in March the previous year.

Brian “Mickey” Finn was a key witness in Gatto’s trial over the shooting death of Benji Veniamin.

Mick Gatto is mourning the loss his great mate. Picture: Getty Images

Finn and Gatto with Roy Arceri and Tony Randello at the Melbourne Victory vs Juventus Chairman's Dinner in 2008.

Finn told the 2005 Supreme Court trial Gatto had emerged from La Porcella’s kitchen in Carlton and said: “Fair dinkum, that bastard in there tried to kill me. Fair dinkum.”

He said Gatto had then handed him a gun which he told no-one about for nine months because “it would not look good for Mick Gatto”.

Finn’s presence at La Porcella restaurant on the day Veniamin was shot in a back of restaurant hallway was heavily disputed but he vowed on his daughter’s life he was there.

Finn testified Gatto handed him a gun after the shooting – specifying it was a .25 calibre pistol.

But once it became clear Veniamin had been shot with a .38 revolver, he came forward and gave an account.

It suggested the revolver Veniamin was shot with was a gun the known hitman had brought to the restaurant.

Finn’s testimony worked in line with Gatto’s defence that Veniamin had drawn the revolver and tried to shoot him after they had argued over Graham Kinniburgh’s murder.

Gatto would testify he struggled with Veniamin. The revolver was fired multiple times hitting only Veniamin.

The jury acquitted Gatto.