Never-before-seen image of Melbourne’s most dangerous hitman, Andrew “Benji’’ Veniamin
This underworld figure would go on to become Melbourne’s most dangerous gun for hire, but before that the baby faced killer posed on St Kilda beach for this striking photo.
Police & Courts
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In this never before seen photograph of Andrew “Benji’’ Veniamin, he is just another tattooed stroller walking his dog along the St Kilda foreshore.
Herald Sun photographer Alex Coppel was a student in the summer of 2002-2003 when he spotted Veniamin with a mate. The mate was Carl Williams.
Veniamin is already a killer.
By now he is the suspected triggerman in the murders of mafia boss Frank Benvenuto, Dino Dibra, Victor Peirce and Paul Kallipolitis.
And here, Veniamin, Melbourne’s most dangerous hit man, is switching teams from the “Carlton Crew’’ to Williams’ gang.
In the months ahead he will kill on the orders of Williams, gunning down Nik Radev in a Coburg street and later taking part in the torture killing of Mark Mallia.
Police will also investigate Veniamin over other ambush shootings.
But Coppel had no idea of the identity of the gangland players as Veniamin posed on the beach.
“I asked him if I could take a picture of the dog,’’ Coppel says.
“I think he might have been a bit flattered and I politely asked if he would be in the shot.
“He said ‘absolutely, no worries.’’
But it is more than a picture.
Veniamin knows he is living on borrowed time.
In a little over a year, as he continues his life as a gun for hire, Veniamin will meet his demise inside a Carlton restaurant during a confrontation with Mick Gatto.
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