Mick Gatto accused of blackmailing, assaulting restaurant owner

Melbourne underworld figure Mick Gatto has been charged with extorting, blackmailing and assaulting a restaurateur with whom he has been embroiled in a bitter feud.

Mick Gatto has been charged with extortion, blackmail and threats to kill. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Melbourne underworld figure Mick Gatto has been charged with extortion with threats to kill, blackmailing and assaulting a flamboyant restaurateur with whom he has been embroiled in a bitter feud.

The Office of Public Prosecutions on Friday revealed it had charged Mr Gatto, 69, with 10 offences, including blackmail, extortion with threats to kill, assault and firearms offences after it took over a private prosecution launched by Jamal Mohammad, 61.

In May last year, Mr Mohammad alleges Mr Gatto called him to a Lygon St restaurant to resolve a dispute over a $4m debt Mr Mohammad claims he is owed.

“His plan was to assassinate me same style as he did to Andrew Benji in 2004 ... I did not attend the meeting,” charge sheets released by Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday allege.

Co-accused Adam Wright, the owner of a Melbourne-based security company, has been charged with a single count of conspiracy to “seriously assault or kill” Mr Mohammad.

According to charge sheets, Mr Mohammad was allegedly blackmailed into coughing up weekly $2000 payments while he was head of security at Mercury Lounge at Crown casino in 1999.

“Mr Gatto flashed his hand gun in front of the bar ... and he blackmailed me that if I don’t pay weekly cash $2000 without delay, I would be hurt physically,” it was alleged in the charge sheets.

“His associates still collected weekly $2000 cash payments from me till 2019.”

Jamal Mohammad also goes by the name Jamal Khan. Picture: Diego Fedele

Mr Gatto is charged with extortion with threat to kill after he allegedly threatened Mr Mohammad with a handgun and forced him to transfer a lease and hand over the keys to his South Yarra nightclub, Sub Club, in 2004.

Mr Mohammad alleged Mr Gatto hosted numerous events, including his daughter’s birthday, at the venue between 2001 and 2004, which cost $200,000 but was never paid for.

In June 2019, Mr Gatto allegedly produced a handgun in a function room at Mr Mohammad’s Port Melbourne restaurant, Waterfront, threatening he would “put all the bullets in (his) skull” over a legal dispute.

Charge sheets also allege an associate of Mr Gatto asked Mr Mohammed to come to a Lygon St restaurant in May last year so they could settle a dispute over a $4m debt Mr Mohammad claims he is owed.

Mr Mohammad alleged he declined because he was feared he would be killed in the “same style as he did to Andrew Benji (Veniamin) in 2004 at La Porcella Restaurant”.

In 2005, Mr Gatto was found not guilty of the shooting murder of Mr Veniamin by way of self-defence.

Charge sheets allege Mr Gatto tried to extort Mr Mohammad again in June last year by setting up another meeting.

But the former restaurant owner claimed he declined because he feared he would be killed.

In February, Mr Mohammad, who also goes by the name Jamal Khan, launched the private prosecution by filing the charges with the court.

Private prosecutions are rare in Victoria and occur when a complainant rather than prosecutors or police initiate criminal proceedings against a person.

Mick Gatto allegedly threatened Mr Mohammad with a handgun. Picture: Diego Fedele

At an earlier hearing, Mr Mohammad told the court he had compiled 1100 pages of evidence, which was forwarded to the OPP to consider if it would take carriage of the prosecution or dismiss the charges.

Mr Gatto’s lawyers had previously pushed for the charges to be thrown out, claiming the prosecution was “fanciful” and Mr Mohammad was waging a war against their client.

“This prosecution has no foundation in law, this prosecution has no foundation in fact,” lawyer Martin Amad said.

Mr Mohammad, who was self-represented, said he made a complaint to police but was unhappy with how long their investigation was taking so he filed his own prosecution to “speed up things”.

Charge sheets allege Mr Mohammad was blackmailed into coughing up weekly $2000 payments while he was head of security at Mercury Lounge in 1999. Picture: Aaron Francis

Last year, Mr Mohammad posted videos on social media in which he labelled Mr Gatto a “piece of s--t” and a “weak dog”.

He was granted an interim intervention order against Mr Gatto in March, and previously told the Herald Sun he had no concerns about taking the former heavyweight boxer on.

“I have no worry about it at all,” he said.

“He owes me $4m and I will get it.”

Mr Gatto, who was not present in court on Friday, will return to court on December 6.

Mr Mohammad was last month charged with possessing two or more firearms, an imitation firearm and ammunition after weapons were allegedly uncovered during a raid of his Beaumaris home.

Mr Gatto declined to comment.