Gunned down crime boss follows sons to grave

By GREG ANSLEY

CANBERRA - The thinning ranks of Melbourne's leading crime clans remain under serious threat following the assassination of Lewis Moran in a suspected revenge killing.

Moran, whose sons Mark and Jason were victims of a five-year underworld war, died when two balaclava-clad hitmen opened fire with a shotgun and pistol in a Brunswick club on Wednesday night.

At least 23 men have died in the conflict.

Moran's killing followed the funeral of another hitman, Andrew "Benji" Veniamin, who died nine days ago at a shooting in a Carlton pizzeria, allegedly at the hands of rival Dominic "Mick" Gatto.

After police charged Gatto with Veniamin's murder they warned more killings would result, naming his boss, Carl Williams, as the next likely victim.

Instead, Lewis Moran died while at his habitual table at the Brunswick Club, despite warnings from police and attempts to force him to vary his routines.

He was drinking with longtime friend Herbert Wrout about 6.30pm when two assassins walked into the bar, shot the pair and quickly left, although police said security videotape of the shooting had provided valuable clues.

Wrout, who was in a critical condition yesterday, was facing trial with Moran and five other men on drug-trafficking charges. Moran had been in custody until July last year - he was denied leave to attend Jason's funeral - but was freed on A$1 million ($1.15 million) bail despite police fears he could kill informers in his case and seek revenge for his son's death.

Melbourne's Herald Sun reported yesterday that Moran and Williams clashed at a race meeting this year, when Williams fled after being called a "dog" by Moran.

Williams was shot in the stomach by Mark and Jason Moran in the run-up to the war that began with the killing of self-styled godfather Alphonse Gangitano in January 1998.

Jason Moran and Graham "The Munster" Kinniburgh - a close friend of Gatto's - were implicated in Gangitano's death.

Jason Moran and an associate, Pasquale Barbaro, were shot dead at their children's football clinic in June last year, and Kinniburgh was gunned down outside his home in December. Three years earlier, Mark Moran, was also shot dead outside his suburban Melbourne home.

Kinniburgh was also a close friend of Lewis Moran, and the two had been prominent in the Painters and Dockers Union during the battle for control of Melbourne's crime world 30 years ago.

Williams is a suspect in the gang deaths investigations and is on bail on charges of drug trafficking and death threats, but has so far refused to answer questions into the killing of Veniamin that police suspect led to Lewis Moran's assassination.