Joseph Acquaro

Joseph Acquaro
Born1961 or 1962
Died (aged 54)
Brunswick East, Victoria
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)Lawyer and Businessman
Known forFormer president of Melbourne's Italian Chamber of Commerce and the Reggio Calabria Club

Joseph Acquaro also known as Joe Acquaro or Pino was a Melbourne lawyer, businessman and former president of Melbourne's Italian Chamber of Commerce and the Reggio Calabria Club who was shot to death on 15 March 2016 at age 54.[1]

Acquaro previously represented Francesco Madafferi, including helping overturn his deportation order,[2]: 260  before severing ties in recent years.[3]

Incidents

In June 2015, 8 months before he was killed, Acquaro was warned by Victoria Police that his life was in grave danger and needed to ensure his own safety.[3]

On 23 January 2016, about 2 months before he was killed, Acquaro's ice cream and Italian cake shop Gelobar was severely damaged in a suspicious fire which police later stated that they do not believe is related to his murder.[3][4]

Death

After closing his ice cream and Italian cake shop Gelobar in Brunswick East at about 12:40 in the morning of 15 March 2016 Acquaro was shot whilst walking to his car. His body was found at 3:00 that morning and was described at the time as a targeted attack. Before his murder police suspected that a $200,000 bounty, later increased to $500,000, had been placed on Acquaro's life. After Acquaro's death a suppression order related to a defamation case submitted by Antonio 'Tony' Madafferi against Nick McKenzie and Fairfax was lifted allowing information about Madafferi, Acquaro and the alleged contract to be made public. Madafferi vehemently denied the allegation of a contract on Acquaro.[1][5]

On 17 March 2017 it was announced that the Homicide squad of Victoria Police would work with the Purana taskforce to investigate Acquaro's murder.[1]

Role as a police informer

Following the release of information about Nicola Gobbo's involvement with Victoria Police and the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants it was revealed that up to 6 other legal professionals are still acting as informants.[6] At that time Victoria Police stated that, of these legal professionals, there was only one possible case of unethical behaviour.[7]

It was also revealed that Acquaro, referred to as Lawyer A, had given Victoria Police information on his former client Francesco “Frank” Madafferi without being registered as a human source as Acquaro had been deemed unsuitable for registration. The convictions of Madafferi and Saverio Zirilli for a 2007 drug importation scheme is being appealed as they were represented by both Acquaro and Gobbo.[8][9]

Victoria Police had attempted to keep their relationship with Acquaro secret by following their standard policy of neither confirming nor denying that he was an informer until they were ordered to release it by the Court of Appeals so that it can be used by Madafferi and Saverio Zirilli in appeals against their convictions.[10]

In January 2021 it was revealed in court documents that Acquaro was never registered as a police informer although he was assessed to become one in 2008 and 2014 and had provided information on Madafferi which may have materially affected his trial.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Businessman with alleged mafia links 'behind' bounty on lawyer". ABC News. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  2. ^ Dowsley, Anthony (2020). Lawyer X. Patrick Carlyon. Sydney, N.S.W. ISBN 978-1-4607-5806-9. OCLC 1108822090.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ a b c Bucci, Nino; Houston, Cameron; Hills, Tammy (15 March 2016). "Mafia lawyer and gelati bar owner Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro gunned down on Brunswick East street". The Age. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Fire at popular Melbourne gelato bar one of two suspicious blazes". ABC News. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Victorian court rules newspaper's sources protected". ABC News. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  6. ^ "New twist in Lawyer X royal commission threatens faith in Victoria's legal profession". ABC Radio National. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  7. ^ Mills, Tammy (11 April 2019). "'No other case like it': The unique case of Lawyer X". The Age. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Melbourne gangland lawyer Joe Acquaro gave police information on former client". the Guardian. Australian Associated Press. 19 January 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  9. ^ Murphy, Damien; McKenzie, Nick; Welch, Dylan; Houston, Cameron (9 August 2008). "World's biggest ecstasy bust". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  10. ^ Vedelago, Chris (19 January 2021). "Underworld lawyer Joe Acquaro provided information but was not registered police informer". The Age. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Gangland lawyer provided damaging information about client but was not a police informer". ABC News. 19 January 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2022.