Tony Mokbel alleged to have put a $500k contract out for hit on Mick Gatto

Tony Mokbel was worth millions, with “a hundred people hanging off him” at the height of his power, and once offered $500,000 for a hit on Mick Gatto, a gangland killer claims.

One hitman believed Tony Mokbel had the most power during the Gangland War.

Tony Mokbel was alleged to have put a $500,000 contract out for a hit on Mick Gatto by a Carl Williams’ henchman angling for a deal with anti-gangland detectives.

The getaway driver on at least two gangland hits, who instigated Carl Williams’ demise after becoming the gangland’s first snitch, made the incredible claims about Mokbel in statements to detectives while in custody in late 2003, detailed as part of later court proceedings.

The vicious criminal, who has been given the pseudonym Shifty McGrath, made his claim after being asked by detectives Stuart Bateson and Boris Buick how much a hit was worth.

“For what? For Jason’s (Moran murder)? I don’t know … depends who ­organised it,” McGrath said.

“Like Mokbel’s got half a mill on f---kin’ ah, Mick Gatto,’’ he then said.

“Ya know, it depends who’s got the money and who wants to pay.’’

McGrath was later asked who would be murdered next in the gangland war, which was peaking and would ultimately claim more than 30 lives.

Mokbel was alleged to have put a $500,000 contract out for a hit on Mick Gatto.

Benji Veniamin was killed by Gatto, in self-defence.

“Do you think there’ll be anymore killings?” Detective Senior Constable Buick asked.

“Oh, I’m guessing, oh, Mick Gatto, or ah, old man Moran. it’s just a couple. There’s probably more.”

Carl Williams’ key ally Andrew ‘Benji’ Veniamin, who McGrath referred to as “the Greek Cypriot” was killed by Gatto, in self-defence, in the back hallway of an Italian restaurant in Carlton a few months later, on March 23, 2004.

Lewis Moran would be gunned down eight days later, on the orders of Williams, as he was enjoying a beer at the Brunswick Club in Sydney Rd.

Gatto was involved with the long-established Carlton Crew, whose members included Lewis Moran, and was allied with Mark and Jason Moran, who had already been executed by that time.

Williams had been involved in a long-running feud with the Moran boys, which was central to the gangland war, and was also an ally of druglord Mokbel.

Carl Williams had a feud with the Moran boys.

Lewis Moran was gunned down as he was enjoying a beer at the Brunswick Club on Sydney Rd.

Gatto told in his autobiography I, Mick Gatto that he had heard Bulgarian immigrant and drug tsar Nik Radev had at one point been offered $400,000 to kill him.

Asked what was driving all the murders, McGrath added: “All this has got to do with drugs. Every f--king death you’ve probably got on your books is something to do with drugs.”

On who the kingpins were, McGrath said: “Oh, you probably know as well as I do.”

“Who would you put at the top?” Constable Buick asked.

“There’s no such thing as like a top. They settle on who has the most money, equating to power, or more to the point, fear factor. Well money’s usually the most influence and, ya know, f--king Mokbel’s got the most of that,” McGrath said.

Asked about Williams’ wealth, McGrath described it as “minuscule’’ compared with Mokbel’s. Money from drugs bought Mokbel more “lieutenants’’, he said.

Asked again who had most power, McGrath said: “Probably Mokbel. He’s got f---ing 100 people hanging off him.’’