Gangland murder halts trial
Another murder in a violent feud between rival underworld warlords is threatening to reignite a series of bloody tit-for-tat underworld killings in the southern city of Melbourne.
The latest victim, Mario Condello, a former lawyer who had previously served jail sentences for drug and conspiracy convictions, was gunned down outside his home on Monday night.
He was due to appear in court yesterday morning accused of inciting to murder two alleged gangland rivals.
Instead, when his lawyer Robert Richter rose to address the Victorian Supreme Court yesterday , he said: 'Unfortunately I announce my client won't be answering bail. He was murdered last night. '
Born in Italy, the 53 year-old gangland powerbroker and millionaire was allegedly the leader of a group of Melbourne criminals known as the Carlton Crew.
He had previously been investigated for money laundering, assault, drug trafficking and fraud. Melbourne's last big gangland murder was nearly two years ago when crime patriarch Lewis Moran was gunned down in a gambling club while sipping a beer. He was the 24th underworld figure to die in six years.
Since then there have been four more suspicious deaths including Condello's, raising fears that the city's gangland wars are breaking out again.
Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Simon Overland admitted there was a threat of a new wave of underworld killings, but he insisted police would do all they could to prevent further violence.
