Murdered gangland lawyer speaks from the grave ...story
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| Photo: Sam Clark/ABC |
'He perceives I'm a threat to him'
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Gangland lawyer Joseph Acquaro had spoken of his 'power struggle' with pizza chain owner Tony Madafferi months before he was gunned down, it has emerged.
Mr Madafferi, who is the brother of mafia drug kingpin Frank Madafferi, was suspected of putting a $200,000 bounty on the head of the slain lawyer, according to court documents seen by the ABC.
Underworld figures have claimed that Mr Acquaro, 55, was shot up to five times outside his gelato parlour in Melbourne early on Tuesday because he 'knew too much' about the mafia.
Detectives spoke to Mr Madafferi last June when it emerged that a contract was placed on Mr Acquaro and warned if anything happened to him they would 'know when to look', court documents have alleged.
Gangland lawyer Joseph Acquaro (pictured) was shot up to five times outside his gelato parlour in Melbourne early on Tuesday
Photo: GEOFF AMPT/Fairfax
Gangland lawyer Joseph Acquaro (pictured) was shot up to five times outside his gelato parlour in Melbourne early on Tuesday
The lawyer was gunned down outside his gelato bar at Brunswick East, in Melbourne inner northern suburbs
Photo: EDDIE JIM/Fairfax Media
The lawyer was gunned down outside his gelato bar at Brunswick East, in Melbourne inner northern suburbs
Court documents reveal Mr Madafferi was suspected of putting a contract on the head of his former family friend because he believed Mr Acquaro was leaking information to the media.
In the months before he was shot dead, Mr Acquaro told the Herald Sun: 'Tony (Madafferi) is rampant. He's slowly getting isolated.
'If you've got a problem, you deal with it. It's a power struggle. He perceives I'm a threat to him. He expects me to succumb ... The guy's lost the plot.'
Mr Madafferi, who owns pizza chain La Porchetta and a number of supermarkets, has lost a battle to keep secret the explosive claims about his links to the lawyer.
The police suspicions surrounding Tony Madafferi were revealed when a Supreme Court judge lifted a suppression order.
The affidavits which name Tony Madafferi were part of a defamation action he has filed against Fairfax Media, which was due to be heard in August.
Two detectives visited Mr Madafferi (pictured) at his fruit shop in south-eastern Melbourne, court documents have alleged
Photo: Seven
Two detectives visited Mr Madafferi (pictured) at his fruit shop in south-eastern Melbourne, court documents have alleged
Court documents claim that police have accused Antonio 'Tony' Madafferi of allegedly put the $200,000 bounty on the head of Joe Acquaro (pictured) because he believed Acquaro was leaking information to the media
Photo: ABC
Court documents claim that police have accused Antonio 'Tony' Madafferi of allegedly put the $200,000 bounty on the head of Joe Acquaro (pictured) because he believed Acquaro was leaking information to the media
The affidavits claim that two detectives visited Mr Madafferi at his fruit shop in south-eastern Melbourne after they had met with Mr Acquaro and warned him that there was a contract on his head and that his life was in danger.
The documents say detectives told Mr Madafferi they believed he was soliciting a hit on Mr Acquaro and that if something happened to the lawyer, they would consider Mr Madafferi their prime suspect.
In an affidavit, Mr Madafferi's lawyer Paolo Tatti said: 'My client requested that they move outside the shop as there were customers present, and a discussion took place in the loading bay adjacent to the shop,' according to The Age.
'During the discussion, which lasted no longer than a few minutes, the police said words to Mr Madafferi to the effect that they had information that there was a contract on the life of Mr Joseph Acquaro for $200,000, and that if something happened to Mr Acquaro they would know where to start looking.
'My client told the police that he knew nothing about the matter and the police then left and have not contacted him again.'
The ABC reported that Tony Madafferi had strenuously denied the allegations. There is no suggestion that Mr Madafferi had any involvement in Mr Acquaro's death.
Mr Acquaro had a career representing prominent Calabrian Australians, some of whom had mafia links.
The homicide squad is waiting for an autopsy report to confirm how many times Mr Acquaro was shot
Photo: AAPIMAGE
The homicide squad is waiting for an autopsy report to confirm how many times Mr Acquaro was shot
Floral tributes lay out the front of the ice cream parlour on Tuesday afternoon
Photo: Andrew Nelson/Nine
Floral tributes lay out the front of the ice cream parlour on Tuesday afternoon
He represented Frank Madafferi and former mafia crime boss Pasquale Barbaro when both men were accused on their part in a 2007 importation of 1.2 million Ecstasy tablets from Italy.
More than 30 men were convicted and jailed over the plot to smuggle the drugs in tomato tins to Australia.
Frank Madafferi received a ten-year sentence. Pasquale Barbaro is serving life.
Mr Acquaro reportedly felt isolated after a falling out with the Madafferi brothers with whom he had been lifelong friends.
They are believed to have fallen out over business dealings and the fact that Mr Acquaro's sons were becoming close to the Madafferi brothers, which their father did not want.
The Herald Sun has revealed that Mr Acquaro's office was ransacked and his Mercedes Benz smashed by young crime figures shortly before his death.
He also caught an ex-employee and others searching for files.
Mr Acquaro's body was found on a footpath in East Brunswick by a rubbish-truck driver about 2.30am on Tuesday.
His partner of 20 years, Marisa Di Lisio, has now spoken about the moment she found out that Mr Acquaro had been killed after seeing news reports about a shooting early on Tuesday.
Ms Di Lisio, 51, who runs Melbourne cafe Bella Cosi, said she had known Mr Acquaro since she was 16 and revealed that they started their relationship 20 years ago.
She described the lawyer as a 'loving' family man who adored his children, as well as her three sons.
Ms Di Lisio (pictured) has now spoken of the moment she found out that Mr Acquaro had been killed after seeing news reports about a shooting early on Tuesday
Photo: Facebook
Ms Di Lisio (pictured) has now spoken of the moment she found out that Mr Acquaro had been killed after seeing news reports about a shooting early on Tuesday
Ms Di Lisio, 51, who runs Melbourne cafe Bella Cosi, said she had known Mr Acquaro since she was 16 and revealed that they started their relationship 20 years ago
Photo: Facebook
Ms Di Lisio, 51, who runs Melbourne cafe Bella Cosi, said she had known Mr Acquaro since she was 16 and revealed that they started their relationship 20 years ago
But Ms Di Lisio revealed that they would argue about the fact that he 'couldn't say no'.
The lawyer, who had aspirations to be Melbourne's 'godfather', was stripped naked, pistol-whipped and beaten in a pizza restaurant 14 years ago over suspicions that he was a police informer.
Police documents seen by the Herald Sun detailed how mafia 'money man' Mario Condello blamed Mr Acquaro after police became aware of an attempt to launder proceeds through an estate agency.
But Mr Acquaro was later freed after convincing Condello, who was later killed, that he was not to blame, the newspaper said.
Mr Acquaro's murderer remains on the loose and police want to speak to any witnesses who heard shots or a car travelling fast the wrong way up the one-way street where his body was found.
The homicide squad is waiting for an autopsy report to confirm how many times Mr Acquaro was shot, or what type of gun was used.
The father-of-three had strong ties within the Calabrian community and had been president of Melbourne's Italian Chamber of Commerce and the Reggio Calabria Club.
He was also a criminal lawyer who had represented a raft of prominent gangland figures in Victoria.
Tony Madafferi, who denies any connection with the Joe Acquaro contract, is the brother of jailed mafia drug boss Frank Madafferi (pictured)
Joseph Acquaro also represented Mafia drug boss Pasquale Barbaro (above right) who received a life sentence for his part in a 2007 importation of 1.2 million Ecstasy tablets from Italy
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Tony Madafferi, who denies any connection with the Joe Acquaro contract, is the brother of jailed mafia drug boss Frank Madafferi (above left). He also represented Mafia drug boss Pasquale Barbaro (above right)
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