Secret world of Melbourne mafia now under scrutiny

THE execution of gangland lawyer Joe Acquaro has left Melbourne’s underworld figures exposed to the public. That won’t please them.

All eyes on Melbourne underworld

THE execution of former gangland lawyer Joe “Pino” Acquaro yesterday has put Melbourne’s mafia front and centre of public thinking.

The Victorian capital is no stranger to these sorts of shootings, and Mr Acquaro himself was all too familiar with the shadowy figures that make up the Melbourne mafia scene.

He represented many of the major players over a long period of time although reportedly fell out with senior mafia over the past 12 months. A bounty was placed on his head — some estimates suggest it was worth $500,000 — and police spoke with a mafia figure to warn them if something happened to the lawyer they would know where to begin their investigations.

Yesterday, about 12.40am it happened. A series of shots fired from a car and the 55-year-old was dead — lying on his back on a footpath near his gelato bar in Brunswick East to be found by a garbage collector.

He had represented underworld figures Pasquale Barbaro, Rocco Arico and Frank Madafferi.

His association went deeper than just representing mafia members though. He mixed in the same circles and community as them, including at the Reggio Calabria Club, in Brunswick, where mafia members were regulars.

Joe Acquaro knew his life was in danger.

Police outside Mr Acquaro’s Gelobar. Picture: Nicole Garmston

A major crime scene was set up after a garbage collector found Mr Acquaro’s body. Picture: Nicole Garmston

A spokesman from the club yesterday told news.com.au there would be “a lot of resistance” from members to speaking on the record about what happened.

Many people believed Mr Acquaro viewed himself as Melbourne’s “Godfather”, or wanted that role, and there was growing distrust within underworld members who believed he had been the source about media stories about them.

He even had a bloody fight with a well-known Calabrian figure who confronted him at his Gelobar. Mr Acquaro is said to have won the fight.

News Corp journalist Keith Moor, speaking on the ABC’s 7.30 last night, said he was sure senior members of the Calabrian mafia would be questioned by police.

But information was unlikely to be forthcoming.

“Having said that, the Calabrian mafia is famous for its code of silence — omertà — and anybody that breaks it usually ends up dead,” Moor said.

As well as warning the mafia member they knew about a bounty on Mr Acquaro’s head, they also warned the target himself.

He changed his appearance but didn’t make major changes to his way of life, or security, and appeared to think he wouldn’t be physically harmed.

“I’m isolated … They are trying to destroy my reputation, my family. I’m not afraid of dying,” he told the Herald Sun in recent months.

For some reason, he thought no one would try to harm him. Tragically, that proved to be wrong.