By Liam Mannix
Mario Condello – 2006
Mario was the last Mafia man to go down, his death perhaps signalling the end of Melbourne's mafia wars – or at least, that was the thinking at the time. Mr Condello's murder shares strong similarities with Joseph "Pino" Acquaro's, who was gunned down on Tuesday in what looks like a professional hit.
Both are lawyers, both were believed to have crossed the mafia, and both are now dead.
Mick Gatto (second from left) and crew arrive at Saint Ignatius Church in Richmond for the funeral of Mario Condello.Credit: Jason South
Mr Condello, 53, laundered money for the Mafia, and was facing trial over conspiring to kill Carl Williams at the time of his death. He was ambushed as he returned home and fatally shot. His murder remains unsolved.
Frank Benvenuto
The son of Liborio Benvenuto, who was described in reports as "the undisputed Godfather of Melbourne". Like father like son. Frank, along with his brother Vince, were major identities in Melbourne's wholesale fruit and vegetable market scene. Frank was killed as revenge for the killing of Mafia heir Alfonso Muratore in 1992. Mr Benvenuto was found slumped over the steering wheel of his dark blue Holden Statesman, shot in the chest, in the bayside suburb of Beaumaris.
File pic 1992. Supplied - Fruiterer from Hampton, Alfonso Muratore who was murdered in August 1992. ***FDCTRANSFER***
Alfonso Muratore – 1992
Alfonso was the son of Vincenzo, a deputy leader of the Calabrian Mafia in Melbourne. Father and son both died the same way, 28 years apart – shotgun, close range, just after they had left their Hampton homes.
Alfonso had been asked to take his father's place as head of the Mafia. However it appears he had a change of heart. Rumours persist Mr Muratore, who also went by "Fonse", was preparing to expose the Mafia's own fruit-and-veg extortion racket. Or he may have been killed for cheating on his wife. If anyone knows the answer, they are not telling.
Police mugshot of Rocco Medici
Rocco Medici and Giuseppe Furina – 1984
When Rocco Medici's body was found, the ears had been cut off. His brother in law, Giuseppe Furina, also murdered, kept his. It's not known why. Both bodies were dumped in the Murrumbidgee River. Reports claim police were told Liborio Benvenuto, Frank's dad, ordered their murder in response to a failed car-bombing attempt on Liborio's life.
Vincenzo Muratore – 1964
Melbourne specialises in violent greengrocers. Vincenzo's death, in 1964, shows just how deep and how far the link between fresh fruit and veg and the underworld in this city is. Vincenzo was shot by a double-barrelled shotgun as he left his Hampton home to head to the Queen Victoria Market. Why was the market so key to the mafia's operations? Two reasons. First, the vast supply chain was very useful shipping another plant – dope. Even easier, because the Mafia controlled supply they could stick a 50 cent tax on top of every pallet of legal consumables shipped. A tidy profit maker.
photo of Graham Gene Potter in Tasmanian Police custody in Launceston, August 12, 2008.Credit: Launceston Examiner
And the hit that could have been – 2008
Mick Gatto's son's wedding had it all. Including, allegedly, a planned hit on an alleged drug dealer. We cannot name him for legal reasons, but Graham Gene Potter, 53, has been on the run ever since police revealed the plot and charged him with conspiracy to murder. The "vengeance" murder, over a dispute with a major drug syndicate, was going to take place at one of three locations: the wedding, a kickboxing tournament, or Parkville's Reggio Calabria Club.
The hit never took place though, because the getaway car broke down. That's why it pays to keep your vehicle in good nick.