Hi Paul..

[admin]

The Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union was an Australian trade union that covered "mostly work associated with chipping, painting, scrubbing, cleaning, working in every size of tanks, cleaning boilers, docking and undocking vessels, and rigging work" [1]. Originally established as the Balmain Labourers Union, the union changed its name to the Ship Painters and Dockers Union in August 1900.

The union federated with branches in other states from its beginnings in Sydney and improved conditions on the wharves. During and after World War II the union was run by Communists. Later on in the 1960s and 1970s the union was alleged to have criminal connections.

In 1980 the union was subject to the Costigan Commission (officially entitled the Royal Commission on the activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union), enquiring into its involvement with organised crime and tax evasion. This Commission became famous because its investigations led to the airing of allegations of tax evasion and drug trafficking against Kerry Packer, then Australia's richest man.

The union was deregistered in 1993. Despite widespread allegations of criminality, the reason the union was deregistered was because it had less than 1,000 members. After the Industrial Relations Act 1988 was passed by the Hawke Government unions with less than 1,000 members had to show why, in the public interest, their existence should continue. Whilst the Dockers opposed the deregistration on principle it could not advance an argument to continue its existence, taking the Act into account. [2] Before de-registration members of the Dockers had been transferred to what are now the Maritime Union of Australia and the AMWU.

Several prominent former members were involved in the Melbourne gangland killings. Lewis Moran and Graham Kinniburgh were both former members and met on the Melbourne waterfront.

[admin]

Martin:

Perhaps you can explain the above to our forum members. Mr. Drockton despises Communism as much as he despises Monopolistic Capitalism. Please explain the link between your union and the Illuminati or I will. No-one deleted anything in the above post, as you well know.

Right now you appear to be another disinformation agent and the burden of proof is on you to prove you are not.

You have 24 hours to respond or you will be deleted and banned from this forum.

[admin]

The Melbourne Gangland Killings were the killings of 35 criminal figures or partners in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in a series of retributional murders involving various underworld groups between 16 January 1998 and 15 June 2009. The deaths caused a sustained power vacuum within Melbourne's criminal community, as various factions fought for control and influence. The majority of the murders are still unsolved, although police from the Purana Taskforce believe that Carl Williams was responsible for ten of them. The period culminated in the arrest of Carl Williams, who pleaded guilty to three counts of murder on 28 February 2007. As part of a deal which will see Williams out of prison after he turns 70, police will not charge him with the other seven murders they believe he committed.[1]

Since the confession of Williams, the ultimate source of the violence has become public knowledge.On his 29th Birthday while meeting with Jason Moran and his half brother Mark Moran on 13 October 1999 at a suburban park in Gladstone Park, Jason Moran shot Carl Williams in the stomach over a dispute about money earned in the amphetamine trade. Through the period after his run-in with the Moran family, Williams commenced a war with the aim of killing all of the Moran clan.[2]

The murder of former lawyer Mario Condello on 6 February 2006, caused speculation of a possible resurgence in the killings, although this was denied by police.[3]

A drama series detailing the gangland war and the efforts made by the Purana taskforce to contain it, Underbelly, premiered on the Nine Network on 13 February 2008. Due to ongoing legal proceedings in Victoria, Justice Betty King prohibited the Nine Network from airing the show in Victoria and from providing access to the show via their website. An edited version commenced screening in Victoria on the 14th of September, 2008.

The majority of underworld crime figures and major incidents can be traced back to the Painters and Dockers Union that existed on Melbourne's waterfront after the Second World War. The Union had a Mafia-like structure, and most criminal activity was centred around control of the Union, and the cut associated with the drugs (primarily heroin and cocaine) that passed through the port. The Melbourne Markets were seen as a natural distribution point for these illegal substances.

The breakup of the Union in 1984 did nothing to stop the importation of illegal drugs, and by 1990 the local manufacture of amphetamines had increased to the point where the Police described Melbourne as the "amphetamine capital of Australia".[4] As well as drug dealing, criminals received income through protection rackets in King Street nightclubs, as well as in prostitution, illegal gambling, and armed robbery.

Crime land boss Patrick (Sacko] Hayes and his accomplice Jonathan O Donovan from Ireland Cork is wanted for the murders of two underground figures
[edit] Groups and factions

The following groups of people were connected to the murders.

The Honoured Society
A Calabrian 'Ndrangheta group that has long been linked with control of Melbourne's fruit and vegetable markets. Frank Benvenuto, Frank Tizzone, Robert Trimbole and Domenico Italiano are reported to have been associated with this group.

The Painters and Dockers / Moran Family

Main article: Moran family

A loose association of Irish waterfront workers and ex-members of the Painters and Dockers Union. Brian and Les Kane, Graham Kinniburgh, Victor Pierce, Lewis, Mark, and Jason Moran have all been associated with 'the Dockers'.

The Carlton Crew
An independent cosa nostra group created by Alphonse Gangitano. Domenic "Mick" Gatto and his lawyer George Defteros, Mario Condello, and brothers Vincenzo and Gerardo Manella are also associated with this group.

Radev Gang
Led by Nikolai "The Russian" Radev, a convicted drug dealer and career criminal who was shot in Queen St, Coburg in 2003. No killer has been formally identified, although several possibles have been named (see Nik Radev). Mark Mallia, Housam Zayat, Istvan Gulyas, Michael Marshall, and Willie Thompson were known associates.

The Sunshine Crew
Led by Paul PK Kallipolitis. Dino Dibra, Andrew Veniamin, Toofie, Johnny Auciello, Big Bluey and Rocco Arico were also members. The only surviving members are Rocco Arico, Toofie and Johnny Auciello. All members of the group had been friends from their childhood. Benji Veniamin took over the group when Paul PK Kallipolitis was murdered.

The Williams Family
Led by Carl Williams and his father George Williams and Antonios Mokbel. Andrew Veniamin, Victor Brincat, Thomas Hentschell, Dino Dibra, Alfonso Traglia, Damien Cossu were known associates.

[admin]

1995

* Greg Workman shot by Alphonse Gangitano, on 7 February 1995.

[edit] 1998

* The Melbourne gangland killings are believed to have begun with the murder of 40-year-old Alphonse Gangitano on 16 January 1998. He was shot and killed in the laundry of his home, while clad only in his underwear. A coroner's report into his death directly implicated Jason Moran and Graham Kinniburgh. They were both found to be in Gangitano's home in Templestowe when the murder took place; however, it could not be established who pulled the trigger. Kinniburgh's blood was found on a banister inside the house, and his skin was found on a dent on the front security door. Both were excused from giving evidence to the coroner on the grounds they might incriminate themselves.[5]

* On 3 August John Furlan, a 48-year-old motor mechanic from Coburg was killed by a car bomb in his Subaru Liberty outside his home. Domenic "Mick" Gatto was treated as a suspect since he had recently been involved in a payment dispute with the deceased; however, no one has been arrested in connection with his death. [2]

* 42-year-old stand-over man Charles Hegyaljie, known as "Mad Charlie", was killed at his Caulfield home on 23 November. He was an acquaintance of Chopper Read and had been associated with the amphetamine industry. Dino Dibra was linked to the killing, which was believed to be either drug or debt related.[citation needed]

[edit] 1999

* Vince Mannella,[3] a former associate of Victor Peirce and Alphonse Gangitano, was ambushed and killed outside his home in North Fitzroy on the evening of 9 January. Media suspected his death was debt-related or part of an underworld power struggle but no suspects were ever named.[6]

* Danny Catania was the victim of a drive-by shooting about 6.00am on 24 February. Catania was waiting outside his home in Hoppers Crossing in Melbourne’s western suburbs for a regular lift to work when an early model white Commodore slowed as it cruised by. A gunman in the car, reputedly Andrew Veniamin, opened fire, hitting Catania at least four times in the legs and groin. Catania, a mid-level “player” in the underworld was an ex-boxer who had a string of minor convictions, mostly for violence. Catania almost lost a leg as a result of the shooting and spent 12 months in hospital recovering. Those in the car were never caught. On Monday 22 May 2006 Catania, then 30, was sentenced to a minimum of six years jail for pouring petrol over a man who had annoyed him and setting the victim alight, causing horrific burns. Not surprisingly, Catania told the court that on his eventual release from jail, he wanted to “pack up and travel out of Melbourne”.

* Joseph Quadara, a 57-year-old greengrocer, was ambushed by two people and killed in a Toorak carpark in the early hours of 28 May as he was about to start work at a Safeway supermarket. The former millionaire was declared bankrupt in 1994. Police believed that his killing was a case of mistaken identity, due to the existence of another Giuseppe "Joe" Quadara involved in Melbourne's fruit and vegetable industry with underworld connections. [4]

* Brighton businessman Dimitrios Belias, 38, was killed with a single shot to the back of the head on 9 September in an underground carpark on St Kilda road. He was believed to be heavily in debt.[6]

* On 13 October known drug dealer Carl Williams was shot in the stomach and survived in Gladstone Park. Williams told the police he blacked out and could not identify the shooter. Known underworld figures Mark and Jason Moran were present at the time, and police believe there was a dispute related to a failed amphetamines batch and ownership of drug manufacturing equipment. A woman told police she heard a man cry "No, Jason!" moments before a shot was fired.[7]

* On 20 October Vince Mannella's brother, 31-year-old Gerardo Mannella, was ambushed and killed outside his brother's home, after attempting to flee from two men.[6]

* On 25 November George and Carl Williams were charged with multiple drug offences after police raided an alleged amphetamine factory in Broadmeadows. Police seized around 25,000 amphetamine tablets, a pill press, a loaded pistol and 6.95 kg of powders containing methamphetamine, ketamine, and pseudoephedrine with a street value up to AU$20 million.[8] These charges were never brought to trial because of corruption allegations against former drug squad detectives involved in the raid.[9]

[edit] 2000 – 2002

* 52-year-old fruiterer Francesco Benvenuto, also known as "Frank Benvenuto", was shot dead while sitting in his car in the driveway of his Beaumaris home on 8 May 2000. Phone records show that as Benvenuto lay dying he managed to ring ex-employee and associate Victor Peirce on his mobile phone.[citation needed] Police initially treated him as a suspect but later offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. [5]. Mark Moran and Andrew Veniamin were later named as chief suspects.[10]

* Richard Mladenich, a 39-year-old career criminal and associate of Mark Moran, was killed with a single bullet in the St Kilda Esquire Hotel on 16 May 2000. He had recently been released from jail where he once shared a cell with Chopper Read. Police later named Rocco Arico as a suspect but were unable to interview him whilst he was in prison. They later named Dino Dibra as their primary suspect[citation needed][10]

* On 15 June 2000, Mark Moran was killed by Carl Williams with two bullets as he was getting out of his white Holden utility vehicle, outside his luxury home in Aberfeldie. Mark's murder initially thought of as retribution for the death of Frank Benvenuto.

* 25-year-old Dino Dibra was killed on 14 October 2000, after leaving his house in West Sunshine. At the time he was facing charges relating to kidnap and assault. At a police press conference, Detective Inspector Andrew Allen said "We are confident that this gunman is a hired hitman and that he, along with another person, ambushed Mr Dibra that night about 9.15pm and shot him a number of times ... this is not the only murder (the gunman) has committed".[11] This police profile strongly suggested that "Benji" Veniamin was one of the gunmen. A A$100 000 reward was offered by police for information.

* George Germanos was shot repeatedly in an Armadale park on 22 March 2001.

* On 19 May 2001 Carl Williams was re-arrested and charged with drug trafficking and possession. He remained in custody until 17 July 2002 when he was released on bail due to an internal corruption investigation at the Victorian police drug squad.[12]

* Victor Peirce, 42, was killed on 1 May 2002, while in a car parked opposite the Coles supermarket in Bay Street, Port Melbourne. A white Holden Commodore pulled up beside Peirce, and Peirce exchanged words with the occupants inside the car, before being shot four times at close range. Victor was officially employed as a waterfront worker, however Police believed he was the leader of various drug syndicates in Melbourne and heavily involved with drug trafficking. The death of Peirce heavily impacted the Melbourne underworld. [6] Some media linked Nik Radev with the killing but Police never named any suspects.

* Alexander Kudryavstev was shot by Michael Goldman on 10 July 2002. Goldman, 55, said he shot to miss a wounded acquaintance on a suburban nature strip despite orders from psychotic criminal, Nik Radev to "finish him". Goldman said he was "under the gun" and terrified of Radev. Goldman lured Kudryavstev to his Hampton flat and told a Supreme Court jury he was acting like a robot when he shot Mr Kudryavstev in the stomach at the flat. He said Radev told him earlier the same day: "Give him one in the head and I take care of the body." Goldman, of Highett Road, plead not guilty to the attempted murder of Mr Kudryavstev. The jury heard Mr Kudryavstev, a police informer, was wearing a concealed tape recorder when shot in the abdomen and in the head. He secretly recorded his terrifying brush with death. Goldman shot Mr Kudryavstev in the abdomen as he greeted him at the front door. Mr Kudryavstev said he moved his head when Goldman fired at him on a nature strip near Highett Road. Goldman denied during cross-examination that he knew at the time Mr Kudryavstev was a police informer. He said an angry Radev wanted to meet Mr Kudryavstev over a burglary at a friend's warehouse. On 27 May 2004 Goldman was jailed for 14 years. Supreme Court judge Justice Robert Redlich ordered Goldman to serve a minimum non-parole term of 11 years. "Your anger and desire to kill him (Mr Kudryavstev) is evident on listening to the tape recording," said the judge.

* On 16 October 2002, the body of drug dealer Paul Kallipolitis was found in his West Sunshine home. He was lying on his bed and had one gunshot wound to the head. He clearly knew his killer. Police believe he had been murdered a day earlier and publicly suspected that his one-time-friend Andrew Veniamin was the killer. Veniamin took over Kallipolitis' drugs business the next day. Veniamin and Kallipolitis had been friends for many years, since they were kids. Kallipolitis shot and killed a man in Deer Park almost a decade earlier after having a gun pulled on him.[citation needed] Angelo Mario Venditti was arrested for this murder on 29 July, 2008[13]

[edit] 2003

* Nik Radev, known as "The Russian", was killed in Queen St Coburg on 15 April. The known drug dealer and standover man was shot seven times in the head and chest as he sat in his Mercedes-Benz coupé. Victoria Police told The Age that they believed his death was planned by a father and son drug manufacturing team, and a hitman suspected of four other murders carried out the killing in a red sedan.[14] Andrew Veniamin met Radev on the day of the murder and unambiguously fitted the police description of the prime suspect, along with George and Carl Williams. Radev had been warned that he was a marked man but ignored the warnings refusing to believe his friends would turn on him. Damien Cossu and Alfonso Traglia were with Radev at the time of the murder but claimed they could not identify the gunman, and were subsequently named by police as 'persons of interest'[15]

* In June, Taskforce Purana was set up by Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Simon Overland to investigate Melbourne's underworld.

* On 6 June 28-year-old male prostitute Shane Chartres-Abbott was shot dead outside his Reservoir home. Underworld assassin Evangelos Goussis confessed to this murder and said two corrupt detectives were linked to the murder.

* On 21 June 36-year-old Jason Moran, and his minder, 40-year-old Pasquale Barbaro were shot dead by Victor Brincat who happened to be wearing a balaclava as they sat in a parked blue van outside an Auskick football clinic in Essendon. Five children were witness to the murder including Moran's six-year-old twin boy and girl. The gunman ran away across the football oval and over a Moonee Ponds Creek footbridge to a waiting vehicle.[16]

* Small time drug dealer Willie Thompson, 39, was killed on 21 July while sitting in his car after leaving a karate club in Chadstone. Police say the gunman strolled up to the car and shot Thompson dead before escaping with a second person in a stolen Ford sedan. Some bullets were lodged in nearby shops. Thompson's official occupation was a lollipop vendor inside nightclubs, and a police report said he had recently developed an enmity with Nik Radev.[17]

* The charred body of Mark Mallia, 30, was found in a stormwater drain in West Sunshine on 18 August. He was an associate of Nik Radev

* Housam Zayat, 32, was found in a paddock in Tarneit with multiple bullet wounds to the head on 11 September. Zayat was also a close associate of Nik Radev.

* On 20 October Istvan "Steve" Gulyas, 49, and his defacto wife were found executed in their Sunbury home. Together they ran a dating agency, Partner Search Australia, which Police suspected was a front for a brothel. Gulyas was also a friend of Nik Radev.[18]

* Michael Marshall was shot five times in the head outside his South Yarra home in front of his girlfriend and his five-year-old son on 25 October. He was the owner of a hot dog stand, and also a suspected drug dealer. Marshall was a 'friend' of Willie Thompson and also Nik Radev. Victor Brincat and Thomas Hentschel were arrested and charged for the murder within hours of the shooting by Operation Purana. Police revealed that Hentschel's car had been bugged and that the killing had been caught on an audio surveillance tape. Both men were associates of Carl Williams[16]

* On 17 November Carl Williams was arrested and charged with making threats to kill a Purana Taskforce detective and the investigator's girlfriend. The alleged threats were made in a taped phone conversation to Victor Brincat in Barwon Prison. Carl was bailed two weeks later. The arrest was dramatically captured on film by The Age photographer Angela Wylie.

* 62-year-old Graham Kinniburgh, known as "The Munster", was ambushed and shot dead outside his home in Kew just after midnight on 13 December. Police said he had been killed in front of family members soon after parking his car. Kinniburgh was carrying a gun and managed to return one shot before being killed. He was considered Melbourne's most influential criminal at the time of his death. Domenic Gatto was a pallbearer at his funeral, Lewis Moran and many other underworld figures also attended. Andrew Veniamin was treated as a suspect in his murder, and Carl Williams was also questioned.[19]

[edit] 2004

* In February, Carl Williams went on the record with the news magazine The Bulletin with a denial that he had paid "Benji" Veniamin A$100,000 for five of the murders.[20]

* In March, Federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison announced the Australian Crime Commission would be investigating the murders. The ACC is a federal law enforcement body, with a role similar to America's Federal Bureau of Investigation (or FBI).

* On 23 March Andrew Veniamin was shot dead by Domenic Gatto in the Carlton pizza restaurant "La Porcella" after an argument. Gatto was charged with his murder, Police alleging that Domenic had set a trap for Veniamin. Veniamin was a close associate of Carl Williams and was suspected to be a hitman involved in as many as seven underworld murders. Gatto was later acquitted on the grounds of self-defence.

* The next victim was 58-year-old Lewis Moran, father of Jason Moran and stepfather of Mark Moran. On 31 March he was shot and killed in broad daylight by two balaclava-clad men in the front bar of the Brunswick Club in Brunswick. Lewis had only recently been released on bail for drug trafficking charges and police had warned him that his life was in danger. The shooting also injured his associate, Bert Wrout.

* On 8 May the body of Lewis Caine was found dumped in Brunswick street, with a single gunshot wound to the head. He was a friend of Carl Williams and had been seen dining with him two nights earlier.[21] In May 2008, Evangelos Goussis was convicted of killing Lewis Moran in March 2004. Goussis was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years for the Caine murder and in February 2009 was sentenced to life in prison for the Moran killing. He will be eligible for parole in 2039.[22]

* Terrence and Christine Hodson were found executed in their Kew home on 16 May. Terrence Hodson was revealed to be a police informant. A week before the bodies were found ABC radio reported that a leaked document revealing Hodson as an informant was doing the rounds in certain underworld circles. It is also reported that an associate of Lewis Moran hired Hodson to murder Carl Williams in 2001.[23]

* Purana Taskforce detectives arrested Carl Williams for conspiracy to murder on 9 June. His associates Sean Sonnet and Gregg Hildebrandt were arrested only metres from the home of Mario Condello. Victoria Police said the raids had "absolutely" saved Mario Condello from becoming the 28th gangland victim.[24] Eight days later Mario Condello and Dominic Gatto's solicitor, George Defteros, were arrested over a simultaneous plan to murder George Williams and Carl Williams.[25]

[edit] 2005

* Antonio Sergi was shot as he sat in his car on 13 November. He was parked just 400 metres from the Moonee Ponds police station. Sergi staggered into the arms of police after he was shot in the chest and both arms. Sergi, 32, of Sydenham, was in a stable condition in hospital, having driven himself to the police station after being shot in The Strand, on the edge of Queens Park, about 1.20 am. He was due to appear in court over ecstasy importation charges.

[edit] 2006

* On 6 February, the eve of his murder trial, Mario Condello was shot and killed in his driveway at around 10 pm. Condello had dined with Mick Gatto earlier in the night and police have warned Gatto is under increased risk as this may be the resumption of the gangland war.
* On 20 March Melbourne business man Tony Mokbel failed to appear in Court during his trial for the importation of cocaine from Mexico in 2000. Mokbel had been granted bail by friendly Magistrate Phillip Goldberg, despite protests from the Police. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but Mokbel had not been seen since 5pm on 19 March. His defence team feared for his life. The week before this date, Mokbel raised concerns for his safety, after an incident not related to this case. He eventually reappeared and was arrested by Greek police in Athens, Greece on 5 June 2007.[26] Mokbel was successfully extradited to Australia on 17 May 2008.
* On 14 October Michael "Eyes" Pastras was shot once in the buttocks and once in the thigh at a house in Albion St, Brunswick. Pastras gave evidence at Mick Gatto's murder trial that he spoke to Andrew Veniamin on 23 March 2004, the day Veniamin was shot dead by Mr Gatto. He said that Veniamin never mentioned anything to him about wanting to harm Mr Gatto. But after testifying, he approached the Purana gangland killing taskforce and made a statement refuting what he said in the witness box. Pastras told Purana detectives he saw Veniamin with a gun when he went to meet Mr Gatto in Carlton's La Porcella restaurant and that Veniamin told him he wanted Mr Gatto dead. He claimed Veniamin told him: "I am fucking dirty on Mick Gatto. He has got to go." That evidence was not presented to the jury in the Gatto murder trial. Pastras was named in a confidential Victoria Police document that was blamed for prompting the executions of police informer Terrence Hodson and his wife, Christine in 2004. It contained details of what Hodson told police and was leaked to Melbourne's underworld shortly before the Hodsons were shot dead in their Kew home in 2004. His brother Savas Pastras was an associate of Lewis Moran. Pastras, 39, turned up at Moran's Essendon unit on 25 October 2002, not knowing police were inside raiding it. One of the detectives asked Moran's partner, Virginia Strazdas, who was the man walking up the driveway, and she said he was a friend. Moran's partner ignored a police command not to warn the man and managed to slightly open the door and tell him to go away. A detective, Senior Constable Victor Anastasiadis, said he opened the door, recognised Pastras and said, "Sav, come in." He was taken into Moran's house and a search discovered he had $44,000 in $100 and $50 notes hidden under his jacket in a green plastic bag. After removing the bag, Pastras hunched over and began to shake, he said. Detective Senior Sergeant Marty Allison told the court that Pastras had a look of shock and horror on his face when police confronted him. "He looked as though he had seen a ghost; he couldn't speak. He opened his mouth but words weren't coming out," Senior Sergeant Allison said. Forensic tests revealed the cash showed traces of heroin and cocaine. Savas Pastras was charged with possessing the proceeds of crime. Police alleged the $44,000 was to be paid to Lewis Moran to settle a drug debt. Pastras's lawyer, Stephen Shirrefs, SC, told the court that the warrant used to conduct the raid on Moran's home was illegal. "The search of Mr Pastras and the seizure of the money on him only arose because he was invited into the house by police," Mr Shirrefs said. He said the money could not be deemed proceeds of crime because Moran had not touched the cash and police said it was related to a drug deal "purported to have occurred". Magistrate Ann Collins ruled in April 2004 that Savas Pastras had no case to answer because police could not prove the money was derived from a crime. Collins cleared Mr Pastras in the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court after finding that police could not prove that the money, stashed in a green plastic shopping bag, had anything to do with the sale of drugs. She also found that police could not prove that traces of heroin and cocaine found on the cash did not come from other sources.

[edit] 2009

* On Monday 15 June underworld identity Desmond Moran is shot dead at Ascot Vale in Melbourne's north-west. Des Moran is the brother of slain underworld figure Lewis Moran, who was murdered in 2004 during Melbourne's gangland war, and uncle to Mark and Jason Moran, who were also killed in gangland disputes. Des Moran originally escaped serious injury in March 2009 when shots were fired outside his Ascot Vale home. He was in his car with a friend when one shot was fired through the front windscreen, narrowly missing the pair. At the time, a Purana Task Force detective said police did not believe that incident was gangland-related. On Tuesday 16 June Sister-in-Law Judy Moran was arrested and charged along with two other people in relation to the murder.

[edit] Arrests and sentencing

Carl Williams was later charged along with Victor Brincat and Thomas Hentschel for the murder of Michael Marshall. He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges relating to his arrest in 2001 and in October 2004 was given a seven year jail sentence, which he is currently serving in the maximum security Acacia unit of Barwon Prison.

Thomas Hentschel turned informer [7], and consequently on September 17, 2004 Alfonso Traglia, Victor Brincat and Carl Williams were charged with the murders of Jason Moran and Pasquale Barbaro.[27] In May 2005 Carl Williams was additionally charged with the murder of Mark Moran, after a former employee agreed to testify that he was Carl's driver on the day of the incident, and drove him to a location near Mark's house at the time of the murder.[7] Zarah Garde-Wilson, the widow of Lewis Caine, is defending all of the men in their court cases.

Conspiracy to murder charges against George Defteros and Mario Condello were dropped nolle prosequi by the DPP in June 2005.

In May 2005, Keith Faure, brother Noel Faure, 50, and Evangelos Goussis, 37, all of Geelong were charged with the murder of Lewis Moran and the attempted murder of Bert Wrout. Security footage from Moran's murder showed that one of the gunmen had a tattoo identical to one of the accused.[28] Previously Keith and Evangelos been charged with the murder of Lewis Caine. Faure and associate, Evangelos Goussis became the first convicted of murder related to the gangland killings on 3 November 2005.

Known underworld figure Nicholas Ibrahim and Abraham Mokdessi was charged with the murder of Housam Zayat. During the trial in June 2005 an eyewitness to the shooting refused at the last minute to testify against Ibrahim, and was charged with contempt of court.[29]

In June 2005 Domenic Gatto was found not guilty of the murder of Andrew Veniamin. During the trial, he claimed he had acted in self defence after Veniamin pulled out a .38 and threatened to kill him. Gatto claims that during a struggle he was able to turn the gun around on Veniamin and fire one shot into his neck, and one shot in the eye. He also claimed that during the argument, Veniamin had implicated himself in the deaths of Dino Dibra, Paul Kallipolitis and Graham Kinniburgh.[30]
[edit] Purana Task Force

On 3 November 2005, Keith Faure and Evangelos Goussis became the first convicted with murder related to the Melbourne gangland killings. Both have appealed their conviction. [8]

On 14 July 2006, Damien Cossu was arrested at gunpoint while driving in Sydney. He was charged with the murder of Mark Mallia whose tortured body was stuffed in a wheelie bin, dumped in a stormwater drain and set alight. Cossu was also present at the murder of Nik Radev.[31][32]

On 28 February 2007, Carl Williams pleaded guilty to murdering Jason Moran in June 2003 and his father Lewis Moran in March 2004. He also pleaded guilty to a third murder, but the name of that victim was suppressed until recently when it was announced that it was Mark Mallia.

On 6 June 2007, it was announced that Mokbel had been arrested in a café in Athens.[26] At the time of his arrest, his appearance had changed significantly from when he went missing. Wearing a brown stuff wig and having grown a beard, Mokbel was found carrying a fake Australian passport and driver's license in the name of Stephen Papas.[33] Tony Mokbel was finally extradited back to Melbourne (and Barwon Prison) on May 17, 2008, from Athens via a heavily guarded, private charter plane. His flight path included refuelling in the Maldives and Port Hedland, before landing at Tullamarine. He was then flown in a police helicopter to Barwon Prison. He appeared via video link to the Melbourne Magistrates Court on May 20, 2008.[34]

On the same night Mokbel was arrested, police carried out a raid on an underworld gang calling themselves 'The Company'. Fourteen other underworld figures were arrested in Melbourne. Drugs, weapons and $790,000 in cash were seized.[35]

Purana Taskforce detectives arrested Angelo Mario Venditti for the murder of Paul Kallipoitis on 29 July, 2008[36]

[admin]

Costigan Commission:

The Costigan Commission (officially titled the Royal Commission on the Activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union) was a controversial Australian royal commission.

Headed by Frank Costigan QC, the Commission was established by the Australian government in 1980 to investigate criminal activities associated with the Painters and Dockers Union.

The union had a militant history, and the commission was seen as politically motivated; however, its enquiries led away from union activities towards investigation of so-called "bottom of the harbour" tax evasion schemes. This involved the asset-stripping of companies to avoid tax liabilities and was facilitated by criminals among the Painters and Dockers but benefited wealthy individuals.

[edit] The Goanna Controversy

In 1984 the now defunct Fairfax newspaper The National Times published leaked extracts of the Commission's draft report which implicated a prominent Australian businessman codenamed the "Goanna" in tax evasion and organised crime, including drug trafficking, pornography, and murder. Australia's richest man, media magnate Kerry Packer revealed himself to be the subject of these allegations which he strenuously denied.

Ironically it was Packer's own Bulletin magazine that had been instrumental in the calls for a Royal Commission into the union. Packer's counterattack was led by his counsel Malcolm Turnbull (later a prominent politician) and accused the Commission of a misuse of power. No charges were laid against Packer, and in 1987 Australia's Attorney-General Lionel Bowen formally dismissed the allegations. Mystery still surrounds, however, his receipt of a supposed "loan" of A$225,000 in cash from a bankrupt Queensland businessman. When questioned by the Commission, Packer testified, "I wanted it in cash because I like cash. I have a squirrel-like mentality."[1] Packer was therefore codenamed the "Squirrel" in the Commission's case studies, but the National Times changed this to "Goanna" to preserve anonymity.

The Commission concluded in 1984 and the revelations of organised crime led to the establishment of the National Crime Authority.

At Kerry Packer's state funeral in February 2006, his son James stated that the Packers had never forgiven Costigan for what they took to be a smear. Costigan publicly responded that as Royal Commissioner he simply investigated, and did not make allegations or prosecute.