Francesco Mangione, who killed his cousin in an ice-cream turf war, on fresh staking charges

A man who spent 18 years behind bars for brutally killing his cousin in an ice-cream business turf war is out of jail and facing stalking charges, accused of harassing a woman at her work in St Kilda.

Francesco Mangione, 66, leaves the Melbourne Magistrates' Court. Picture: Liam Beatty

A man who murdered his cousin in an ice-cream turf war is out of jail and faces stalking charges, accused of harassing a woman at her St Kilda workplace by trying to “engage in her services”.

Former ice-cream truckie Francesco Mangione, 66, was sentenced to 22 years’ jail after he lay in wait in his cousin Denis Giunta’s bedroom, slashing the naked man to death when he got out of the shower, in February 2002.

Mr Giunta’s wife, who was asleep in their bed, fled their Williamstown home in fear for her life, jumping from the bedroom’s balcony and breaking her leg.

Mangione, now out of jail after he was ordered to serve a minimum 18 years behind bars, was back in court on Thursday where he faced fresh charges of stalking a woman over 12 months.

Francesco Mangione, 66, was jailed for 22 years for killing his cousin.

According to charge sheets, he allegedly stalked her in St Kilda between July 2022 and June 2023 by “continually” turning up to her home and workplace, and “incessantly contacting” her by phone and on social media in contravention of a personal safety intervention order.

Then on June 28 this year, he’s accused of going to her work in St Kilda and “remaining within five metres of her when he tried to engage in her services”, also in breach of the IVO.

It’s alleged the convicted killer had the “intention of causing physical or mental harm to the victim, including self-harm, or of arousing apprehension or fear”.

Wearing hearing aids, with his formerly dark hair having turned grey and now cropped short, Mangione sat beside his lawyer in the Melbourne Magistrates Court’s public gallery as he waited for his hearing to begin.

Denis Giunta was murdered in 2002.

Peter and Angela Giunta, parents of Denis. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Magistrate John Hardy was told the stalking case “hasn’t resolved”, with Mangione fighting the two charges.

He was ordered to return to Melbourne Magistrates Court for a two-day contested hearing in April next year.

The court heard his bail was extended, while he faces strict orders not to go to St Kilda, and must abide by a curfew between 10pm and 6am.

Mangione appealed his sentence over Mr Giunta’s murder in 2006, arguing he had no prior convictions, a good relationship with his children and a sound employment record and good future.

But the Court of Appeal rejected his submission, stating Mangione had shown no remorse for what happened.

“The offending conduct here was not only incomprehensibly brutal, but it was cowardly,” the court’s ruling said.

“It was a planned assassination of an unarmed victim who must have been taken by surprise by his attacker. It has, as I have noted, had devastating consequences for a number of people.”