Melbourne identity Mick Gatto speaks about his life and times in Melbourne's underworld
MICK Gatto on his life and times as a key player in Melbourne's underworld, including his murder acquittal over the death hitman Andrew Veniamin.
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On the release of his new book, Mick Gatto speaks about his life and times as a key player in Melbourne's underworld, including his murder acquittal over the death of "Australia's busiest hit man", Andrew Veniamin.
Q: Why did you write a book?
A: I was given no choice. Producers had come down to talk to me about making a movie. I decided that I may as well steer the horse myself a little bit. I thought I’d put my story out rather than let them paint me with two heads or as a drug dealer or God knows what.
READ EXCLUSIVE EXTRACTS FROM MICK GATTO'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN YOUR SATURDAY HERALD SUN AND THE SUNDAY HERALD SUN
Q: Was it important to you to try to be honest and include things that are naturally embarrassing?
A: If you’re going to do it you’ve got to do it right and do it as best I could without getting myself or anyone else into trouble.
Q: What’s your biggest regret?
A: Probably going to jail in the 1980s for a golf course robbery and again in 2004 [when remanded on charge of the murder of Andrew Veniamin]. Unfortunately, it was either go to jail or to the cemetery so I think the first option was better.
Q: Did the death of Jason Moran in 2003 represent a turning point in the underworld killings?
A: His son was in his presence when it happened and that’s always been taboo. If you want to hurt someone or kill someone there’s a million ways to do it, but leave women and children out of it. I think it was a turning point and it was when the public started getting interested in it. It was terrible thing in front of those children.
Q: Your good friend Graham Kinniburgh was shot dead in 2004. What would you had done if you’d found his killer(s)?
A: I don’t know. I was pretty hurt by it, I’ve got to be honest. He was sort of like a father.
Q: Have you actively tried to have anybody hurt or worse?
A: The thought has gone through my mind many times in my life but I’ve always believed if you’re going to do anything you should do it yourself. If anyone ever harmed my family, I’d hate to think what I’d do. It would turn a peaceful man into lion.
Q: You successfully argued self-defence in the death of (notorious hit man) Andrew Veniamin. What happened?
A: I was very, very lucky. I don’t know whether he was a little bit sick at the time or whatever, I think he was suffering with some sort of stomach complaint and wasn’t himself. That’s probably why he didn’t succeed in killing me. There’s no way known he came to kill me. He came there to talk to me. He was carrying a gun and one thing led to another and he lost it.
Q: Can you explain the origins of your anti-drugs position which you’ve said protected you from the main focus of underworld killings for a long time?
A: I used to see a lot of it growing up as a kid and I’ve seen the effects on different people and how people couldn’t be trusted who were using drugs. I just formed a belief that it’s not a good business. I always found another way to earn a dollar. The illegal gambling, I’ve done that all my life and that was where the majority of my income came from.
Q: You say drugs should be legalised in the book?
A: I first said that about 20 years ago. The fact is that anyone using is going to get it anyway. If it was legalised, there would be no overdoses and it would alleviate the jail problems we’ve got. Unfortunately, the police wouldn’t have a lot to do.
Q: You’ve gambled your entire life, losing and winning millions of dollars. Will you ever give it up?
A: I’ll always enjoy a punt, whether it be a card game or horses or whatever, it’s a bit of fun, a bit of an outlet. If I hadn’t have been a punter, I would have owned half of Lygon St.
Q: Do you get sick of being surrounded by violence?
A: You get sick of it, of course you do. But what do you do? I’m not sort to pack up and run. I’m here to stay. This is my town. I’ve cemented my feet in the ground here and I’m staying.
Q: Are you happy with the way your life has gone?
A: "I don't think I'm a bad person. It's not so much that I try to do the right thing. I do the right thing. I help more people than I don’t, not that I want to put tickets on myself. I get up in the morning and look in the mirror and I like what I see."
READ EXCLUSIVE EXTRACTS FROM MICK GATTO'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN YOUR SATURDAY HERALD SUN AND THE SUNDAY HERALD SUN
