By Nino Bucci
It was the sort of trade — some food for some wares — that would have occurred in small regional towns across Italy for centuries.
George Mirabella, owner of Mirabella Lighting, had known Joseph "Pino" Acquaro his whole life, attending Italian social functions together in Melbourne from the time that they were children.
The last time he saw him, Mr Acquaro traded Mr Mirabella some cannoli for some light globes, their version of an Italian regional town a small strip of Italian businesses in Lygon Street.
About 12.40am on Tuesday, Mr Acquaro was shot dead near a side entrance to Gelobar, his gelataria and cafe.
Joseph Acquaro was owner of the Lygon Street gelataria and cafe Gelobar.Credit: Eddie Jim
Mr Mirabella, standing on the opposite side of the street, just south of his own business, a few hours later, was shattered.
"He was so down-to-earth, everyone loved him, I've got my whole staff in tears," Mr Mirabella said.
The last time he saw Mr Acquaro was when he came into his store and bought two globes.
"And he brought in some cannoli. That's the type of gentleman he was. I can't believe it."
Cafe owner Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro, had been warned by police that his life was in danger.
Tony De Domenico, president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Melbourne, said Mr Acquaro's death would shake the business group and wider Italian community.
Mr Acquaro served as president immediately before Mr De Domenico, and his father, Fred, was also a past president.
Mr Acquaro was murdered in St Phillip Street, the side street next to his Lygon Street cafe and gelateria Gelobar.Credit: Jason South
Mr De Domenico said it was normal for Mr Acquaro to work late at Gelobar before starting his day as a lawyer early the next morning.
"He was a very hard-working man, and he enjoyed working at Gelobar because it was his way of keeping contact with the Italian community.
"There's a lot of Italian businesses and friends of his there along that Lygon Street strip."
Mr De Domenico said he last saw Mr Acquaro just before Christmas, when they shared a coffee together at Gelobar to mark the season, and he did not appear ill at ease - despite knowing, at that stage, that he had a contract on his head.
The ICCI will discuss honouring Mr Acquaro at its next board meeting.
"We've got to get over the shock first of all," Mr De Domenico said.
Fred, or Alfredo, Acquaro ran 501 Receptions for decades in West Footscray, and was twice the president of the ICCI, before his son's presidency.
The receptions venue claims to have hosted more than one million guests since opening in 1980. A worker at the venue said the Acquaro family were not ready to comment.
"The family are not available at the moment, they're in grief," she said.
Outside Gelobar on Tuesday, staff members and regular patrons stood outside on the street staring at the business, as if willing it to open and end the cruel prank that had been played on them.
But it remained closed, all through the morning rush and lunch time, the steady stream of patrons replaced by a swarm of journalists, homicide detectives and forensic police.
Sam Loprete, a friend and client of Joseph Acquaro.Credit: Jason South
By mid-afternoon, mourners started arriving with flowers.
Sam Loprete engaged Mr Acquaro as a solicitor for decades, and had known him since they were boys.
Fred Acquaro was his accountant. He had coffee with Mr Acquaro at Gelobar on Monday, but laid flowers on the footpath where he took his last breath only hours later.
"How can you leave a person shot and in the rubbish?" he asked.
"That's really the lowest of the low."