"He's got all sorts of interesting associates and all sorts of interesting connections," said Deputy Commissioner Simon Overland. 

Mr Gatto, who shared a glass of red with Mr Hayes in a Melbourne restaurant days before the silk's mysterious collapse, described the QC as an "absolute gentleman".

"Your support in hard times has not gone forgotten," Mr Gatto wrote in a Herald Sun death notice.

Mr Hayes was cremated in a private service yesterday.

He died in hospital on May 21, 10 days after he was found naked and unconscious in his Adelaide hotel room.

The leading Victorian bar member had been in Adelaide to represent ex-bikie client Tony Sobey.

A 28-year-old woman who had been with Mr Hayes before his collapse has been charged with administering a drug of dependence to him.

A fight involving more than a dozen patrons, including 24-year-old Daniel Gatto, is alleged to have taken place in the Balcony nightclub about 3am the previous Sunday (May 26).

More than 20 police were called to the Queen Street venue and used capsicum spray to quell the violence, which spilled on to the street.

A witness claimed Mr Gatto spat blood at one police officer and assaulted another.

A police spokesman said the Melbourne criminal investigation unit was investigating, but no charges had been laid.

Mr Gatto and a group of men are believed to have been involved in another altercation with security staff at King Street strip club Showgirls Bar 20 earlier in the night.

John Gatto has defended his 24-year-old son, saying police beat him.

"This will be going to the Ethical Standards Department because I want to press charges against the police," he said.

"My son is badly hurt, they broke his nose, they cracked his head open, he's got bruises all over his body where he was kicked while handcuffed."

Melbourne East Inspector Chris Duthie said the nightclub area around Queen and Little Collins streets had become a trouble spot for police, who had attended a separate brawl the same night. With "huge barns" licensed for hundreds of people, "eventually you get conflict".

Mr Fitzgerald's appointment late in July came after the resignation in February of senior tax investigator and former Victoria Police detective Peter Spence, who was earlier suspended due to his association with Gatto.

It is the second time in three years that Mr Fitzgerald has been called to Victoria to inquire into the activities of local law enforcement officers, sparking a fresh attack from Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu on Victoria's "piecemeal approach" to tackling corruption.

An email sent to staff three weeks before by ATO deputy commissioner Michael Monaghan stated that Mr Fitzgerald was investigating a serious "potential conflict of interest in the serious non-compliance" unit in Melbourne, where Mr Spence formerly worked.

"While the commissioner is satisfied that there is no evidence of any systemic issues in SNC, the review will assure the highest levels of integrity within the Tax Office," the email says.

Mr Fitzgerald will question more than 40 ATO staff members about investigation practices and potential integrity issues highlighted by the Spence case.

In another email, staff are advised that information they provide Mr Fitzgerald will "not be disclosed to third parties, provided (it) does not involve your own misconduct".

Law enforcement sources said the ATO had previously failed to deal with malfeasance or suspected corruption, or properly address the risks associated with its expanding role in fighting organised crime and sophisticated tax fraud.

It is believed the Victoria Police privately pressured the ATO to ensure it acted decisively against Mr Spence, who has denied any wrongdoing and claimed his infrequent association with Gatto was not a conflict of interest.

ATO officials have investigated Gatto's earnings as part of police probes into his business activities, forcing him to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid tax.

The Sunday Age believes that Mr Fitzgerald has been provided with a small number of complaints lodged previously by ATO staff that raised concerns about Mr Spence's behaviour.

Law enforcement sources say they are concerned about the screening of ATO staff, including former state and federal law enforcement officials who may have left previous jobs under a cloud.

The Sunday Age confirmed that a small number of former Victorian police officers who resigned while under internal investigation have been re-employed by other government agencies, including the Victorian Workcover Authority, or as investigators for large corporate firms. Some maintain networks with serving police.

It is the second time that Mr Fitzgerald, a NSW-based QC who headed the royal commission into police corruption in Queensland in 1987, has travelled to Victoria to conduct a corruption probe.

In 2004, he was appointed by state Ombudsman George Brouwer to conduct a limited investigation into the theft and leaking to the underworld of sensitive police documents about murdered police-corruption informer Terrence Hodson.

State Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu seized on the latest appointment of Mr Fitzgerald to raise concerns about investigations into corruption and misconduct in Victoria.

"We seem to have a piecemeal approach to these investigations and the very many agencies which are responsible for them find themselves with their own conflicts and gaps in their responsibilities."

Victoria's corruption framework falls short of those interstate. The Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission, the WA Corruption and Crime Commission and NSW's Independent Commission Against Corruption can all investigate politicians and public officials.

The Victorian Office of Police Integrity has similar powers but is restricted to investigating police misconduct. The Victorian Ombudsman is unable to investigate commonwealth agencies, judicial bodies, politicians, private individuals or businesses, and cannot hold public hearings.

The Opposition has also renewed its call for Mr Brouwer, who heads both the OPI and the Ombudsman's office, to be removed as the head of one to avoid a conflict of interest.

On October 8, 2007, the Age reported that Gatto was under fresh investigation over his alleged links to the gangland murder of Victor Peirce.

Gatto was being scrutinised by Victoria Police's Purana taskforce over the killing of Peirce in 2002.

Peirce was shot around the time he had arranged to meet Vince Benvenuto in Port Melbourne.

One piece of the puzzle in the investigation is photographs secretly taken of Gatto meeting another member of the Benvenuto family in the middle of a city park 48 hours before Peirce's murder.

Questions also surround contact between Gatto and Vince Benvenuto in the hours before his murder.

Gatto's lawyer, Brian Rolfe, says that having closely scrutinised the brief against Orman there "is not the slightest possibility of Mr Gatto being implicated in (the murder of Peirce) in any way".

Police will say only that their investigations into the gangland murders are progressing.

The Age also revealed that authorities were separately investigating Gatto's links to former and serving police, including a senior detective.

In 2007 Gatto and Matt Tomas were appointed directors of a private oil company. 

Among Atlas Petroleum Pty Ltd's three other directors are Dragos Niga, jailed for 18 months in the mid-'90s for drug offences, and Steven Lazarevic, convicted in 2004 of firearm and stolen goods offences.

Former and serving investigators have told The Age they are concerned about Mr Gatto's reach into the police force. 

The police's ethical standards department recently investigated Mr Gatto's alleged association with a senior detective, although they have been unable to question him because he is on extended leave.

The detective told The Age he had occasionally greeted Mr Gatto — sometimes with a kiss on the cheek — after bumping into him at city restaurants, but denied any wrongdoing.

McKenzie wrote that Gatto, businessman, wanted a quiet life. "I just wish you would stop f-----g asking people questions about me," he had told The Age earlier in the year. "What I do is my business."

"The only story the former boxer wants told is that of redemption", wrote McKenzie.

"Gatto now insists that he has gone straight, making an honest living in construction, debt collection, even the oil sector. 

"He is just a family man getting on with life who donates regularly to charity and loves soccer. He was recently photographed with actor Simon Westaway, who will play him in a TV mini-series about Melbourne's underworld war — the picture has Gatto sitting at a restaurant table, grinning, his large hand clutching a glass of wine."

And so it remains. As Gatto and his associates have traded their favourite Lygon Street eateries for restaurants in the top end of Bourke Street, their business interests have also shifted.

A close associate of Gatto, finance broker Tom Karas, had recently played a key role in the acquisition of the building housing one of the city's biggest nightclubs, the Metro. 

The Age learned that investigators and tax officials have been questioning nightclub figures about whether Gatto is a source of money flowing into the industry.

Karas was also involved in an investigation into the ownership of a racehorse linked to the Mokbel family.

Nick McKenzie wrote that Gatto continued to charge building industry figures thousands of dollars to iron out their problems with the unions.

He has no formal industrial or legal training, but has close ties to industry players, including senior unionists, and an uncanny ability to guarantee a deal. 

Numerous industry figures say Gatto is usually a pleasure to deal with. 

But some concede he carries with him an unspoken threat, deliberate or not, because of his underworld ties and history.

His presence in the construction industry unsettles some, but not all. 

John Setka is a senior official with the powerful building union, the CFMEU. 

Asked in 2007 whether he supported Gatto's deep links with the industry, Setka answered: "The principle is you're innocent until proven guilty. I mean, look, it is a building industry just like any other industry and I suppose everyone is entitled to make a living."

Gatto also lashed out in 2007 at criticism of his role in the construction industry. 

"The people that deal with me say that I'm a gentleman; I like to think that I am a gentleman. I've never stood over anyone. There's no evidence of that."

Gatto's business interests extend offshore, as well. 

He partnered up with Melbourne businessman Andrew Harris in an overseas venture, believed to be a stevedoring company.

"He is a fantastic bloke and we do a lot of business together, although we do not socialise together," Harris told The Age.

Harris is among many who vouch for the good nature of Gatto who gives regularly to the Royal Children's Hospital appeal.

On December 24, 2007, John Silvester wrote in the Age that the Purana gangland taskforce had launched a long-term investigation into Italian organised crime, including several unsolved murders.

Silvester wrote that detectives are looking into five "hits" they suspect may have been ordered by leading Italian-Australian gangsters. These include the murders of Gerardo and Vince Mannella, Joe Quadara, Frank Benvenuto and Victor Peirce.

The cases have been officially switched from the homicide squad to Purana.

The first phase for the taskforce was to concentrate on the murders ordered by drug dealer Carl Williams. Williams was earlier this year sentenced to 35 years' jail for the murders of Jason Moran, Michael Marshall, Lewis Moran and Mark Mallia.

The second Purana phase was to investigate Tony Mokbel's drug syndicate, uncover his hidden financial network, and find him. On June 5 this year Mokbel was arrested in Greece and charged with two murders and a string of drug offences. He is expected to be extradited by mid-next year.

Detective Superintendent Richard Grant said Purana would take on new targets next year. He said intelligence files were being checked to identify a new crime ring that required long-term investigation.

Meanwhile, homicide investigators have found that a hitman who worked for Williams also worked for Italian gangsters. Andrew "Benji" Veniamin was considered to be Williams' loyal lieutenant, but police now believe he carried out three contract killings for Italian gangsters before Williams recruited him.

They believe his first known victim was Joe Quadara, and he remains the suspect for the murders of Frank Benvenuto and Victor Peirce.

Police suspect Veniamin was the gunman in seven underworld murders. They say he shot dead Dino Dibra, on October 14, 2000, Paul Kallipolitis, whose body was found on October 25, 2002, and was the main suspect in the murder of standover man Nik Radev, who was shot dead on April 15, 2003. Radev had an appointment to see Veniamin on the morning he was murdered, and was also part of the torture team that grabbed and killed Mark Mallia in August 2003.

Police say that both Peirce and Veniamin worked for Benvenuto at different times when the apparently respectable businessman felt the need to intimidate enemies at the wholesale fruit and vegetable market.

Veniamin was shot dead by a Melbourne identity, Mick Gatto, on March 23, 2004 in a Carlton restaurant. Gatto was acquitted of murder on the grounds of self-defence.

Purana detectives working on the Italian murders have arrested a man they allege was the driver when Veniamin ambushed Peirce in Bay Street, Port Melbourne.

Other inquiries into Gatto are under way, although little about them is publicly known.

That week marked a decade since Melbourne's gangland war started with Gangitano's execution.

Rowena Allsop has spoken out on behalf of the man many regarded as a cruel, violent psychopath.

"I get criticised every time I say he was a friend, but that's what he was," she told the Sunday Herald Sun.

"I'm not blind to the fact there was a side to Alphonse that he was not proud of. But the side I saw was the side of a friend."

The friendship between the bail justice and the crime figure prompted an investigation, which was dropped, by the Attorney-General.

Ms Allsop said her friendships with Carlton identities were appropriate.

"I think whenever there's a male-female relationship people are always fascinated," she said.

"I think the fact the wife (of Gangitano) asked me to give the eulogy certainly puts paid to the claim I was his mistress. But I was a female friend and I met him always in public places."

Ms Allsop said they became close friends over coffee after a late-night court hearing.

"I dealt with him through the courts. He came before me on a couple of occasions," she said.

Allegations Ms Allsop had an "inappropriate relationship" with Gatto were referred to the Solicitor-General in 1998. Ms Allsop said she still spoke to Gatto.

The court heard Peirce] was gunned down by Andrew Veniamin in a hearing for the accused getaway driver, 26, of Sunshine, who appeared at a commital hearing, charged with the murder of Peirce six years before.

Defence barrister Robert Richter QC told the court there was no question that "Benji" Veniamin killed Peirce, saying he undoubtedly planned and carried out the execution.

Mr Richter said much of the case against his client was based on claims by Venimain made to other parties including an informer that may not be admissible.

The informer was due to give evidence the next day.

Orman was remanded in custody.

On March 12, 2008, an underworld associate was asked if it was okay for hitman Andrew Veniamin to kill Victor Peirce, a court witness said.

The witness, known as witness B for legal reasons, told the court he approached underworld associate Michael Laverde two weeks before Peirce's murder to ask if it was okay for Veniamin to kill him.

He told the court he discussed the planned hit with Mr Laverde at his dry-cleaning business in suburban Coburg.

"I approached him because I thought he may have been friends with Victor Peirce," witness B told the court.

"He didn't care, as it was nothing to do with him," he said.

Witness B said that in the underworld there was an unwritten understanding if someone had been targeted, that it was discussed.

"In the underworld, if people are going to get knocked they ask others about it," witness B said.

"Some ask and some don't.

"Usually in the underworld ... if we can try to stop a shooting we will."

Witness B told the court that Veniamin confessed to Peirce's murder.

He said that Veniamin told him that he and Orman had planned to meet Peirce in a car park but saw him in Bay Street and decided to pull up alongside his car.

Witness B has denied any role in Peirce's murder.

He also told the court that Veniamin, who was shot dead in a Carlton restaurant in 2004, confessed to murdering another crime figure Dino Dibra in 2000.

He alleged that Orman had also been Veniamin's get-away driver in that murder.

On March 13, 2008, the court was told Victorian detectives were not told of phone intercepts which could have led them to the alleged killers of Peirce until five years after he was shot dead.

Melbourne Magistrates Court was also told an underworld associate was asked if it was okay for hitman Andrew Veniamin to kill Peirce.

Purana Taskforce Detective Sergeant Boris Buick told the court Orman became a suspect in Peirce's murder after the police informer known only as witness B made statements to police in 2006.

Those statements were corroborated by Australian Crime Commission telephone intercepts, Det Sgt Buick told the court.

"It was when he (Orman) was first nominated," he said.

"And after a review of Australian Crime Commission telephone intercepts which corroborated his (witness B) statements."

But he told the court Purana detectives did not know about the phone intercepts until five years after Peirce's murder.

"Telephone intercepts were held by the Australian Crime Commission and were not released to us until five years later," Det Sgt Buick said.

He said police had information showing Orman picked up Veniamin on the night of Peirce's murder, and both men's mobile phones were not used between 8.30pm and 11pm.

"It was about 8pm or shortly after on May 1, 2002 (Orman picked up Veniamin)," Det Sgt Buick said. "Both Veniamin and Orman turned their phones off during the time of the murder."

Witness B told the court he approached underworld associate Michael Laverde two weeks before Peirce's murder to ask if it was okay for Veniamin to carry out the hit.

He said he discussed the planned hit with Mr Laverde at his dry-cleaning business in suburban Coburg.

"I approached him because I thought he may have been friends with Victor Peirce," witness B said.

"He didn't care, as it was nothing to do with him."

Witness B said it was common for underworld figures to discuss when someone had been targeted, in order to avoid deaths.

"In the underworld, if people are going to get knocked they ask others about it," witness B said.

"Some ask and some don't. Usually in the underworld ... if we can try to stop a shooting we will."

Witness B has denied any role in Peirce's murder.

The court also heard Gatto helped Andrew Veniamin "set up"Peirce, who was killed before he could get revenge on the pair for killing Frank Benvenuto.

The underworld informer told police Peirce was murdered after he found out that Gatto had ordered Veniamin to kill Benvenuto.

Benvenuto, who hired Peirce as protection after a series of disputes at the market in the late 1990s, was shot dead outside his Beaumaris house on May 8, 2000.

"About two years after Frank's murder, Andrew said he heard Peirce had found out it was him who had killed Frank and he was worried that Peirce was going to get revenge on him and Mick Gatto. That's why he asked Mick to help him set up Peirce," the informer told police.

He said Veniamin had previously worked for Benvenuto but changed allegiances when Gatto found out Benvenuto had put a contract on his life.

"Andrew told me that Gatto gave him an ultimatum: that he come and work for him and take care of Frank Benvenuto or else Andrew would cop it," he said.

That evening Gatto denied the allegations, describing the informer as a renowned liar and the dead men as his friends, before adding: "The truth will come out."

The informer disputed rumours that Carl Williams ordered Peirce's murder because he reneged on a $200,000 deal to kill rival gangster Jason Moran. "(Williams) hadn't even met Andrew at this stage, as I was the one who introduced Andrew to Carl when he got out of jail after Peirce's murder," he told police.

Two statements made by the informer were tendered to Melbourne Magistrates Court.

The informer, a drug dealer who has confessed involvement in two gangland murders, said Orman was the driver for Veniamin

The informer said Gatto had Frank Benvenuto's brother, Vince Benvenuto, set up Peirce, to whom he was supplying drugs.

He said Vince Benvenuto arranged to meet Peirce at the rooftop car park of a Port Melbourne supermarket but, when Pierce didn't turn up, they arranged another meeting the following night.

The informer said Veniamin was "obsessed" with getting Peirce and became depressed when Pierce didn't show up to the first meeting. "Andrew's reputation was that of a killer. That was his profession and he loved it," he said. He said Veniamin asked for Gatto's help because he was having "a lot of trouble finding Peirce".

On March 13, 2008, Blues legend Peter Bosustow told how he played peacemaker between a leading underworld figure and a convicted murderer.

Bosustow said he'd been asked by Chopper Read to smooth relations with Mick Gatto and the so-called Carlton Crew.

The high-flying forward knew Gatto, along with Alphonse Gangitano and Mark and Jason Moran, through their fervent support for the Blues.

"You'd meet them as a celebrity footballer, and that's the way they would treat you," Bosustow told the Herald Sun.

He said they didn't regard him as a member of the underworld.

Bosustow, who played 65 games with the Blues between 1981 and 1983, and Read have done more than 300 public speaking engagements together since 2001.

He recalled the day Read told him he'd "had a problem with Mick Gatto, and Alphonse and Jason as well".

"I said to him that Mick was a one-eyed Carlton supporter, so he asked me to go and speak to Mick for him.

"I said I would. I was oblivious to what was going on. I wasn't in that area. So I just bowled into one of the Carlton restaurants one day, and Mick was there with his minder.

"We both shook hands and I sat down. I said, 'I need to talk to you about Chopper Read.'

"He said, 'Oh, yes.'

"I asked, 'Do you have a problem with Chopper Read?' He said, 'Absolutely not.' And I said, 'Well, Chopper said to me exactly the same thing.'

"He said, 'Buzz. If you see Chopper, then you tell him if I see him in Lygon St on a cafe strip I'll have a coffee with him'.

"And that was it. I reported to Chopper and he said, 'Good. That's it'."

Known widely as "The Buzz", Bosustow was close to Mark and Jason Moran, who were killed in Melbourne's violent underworld feuds.

One of the connections was through the Morans' grandfather, Leo Brooks, a Blues stalwart with whom Bosustow boarded when he came to Melbourne from Perth.

Leo Brooks died about a month before Mark Moran was murdered.

Bosustow recalled Brooks's funeral, where mourners included 30 or 40 gangsters, including Jason Moran in handcuffs.

"I spoke to Jason a week and a half before he was murdered. He was in Perth to 'sort out something'," Bosustow said.

"That's the sort of guy he was. Business was business to him and pleasure was a different thing."

Asked if he believed Moran had an inkling of what lay ahead for him, Bosustow said: "I think he knew. He had to be very silly if he didn't know.

"I spoke to Mark about four weeks before he was murdered. He was petrified."

Bosustow said he did not attend either brother's funeral.

He said the Underbelly TV series, which cannot be shown in Victoria for legal reasons, was a hit in Western Australia, where he lives.

"It's captured the imagination of everyone here. Everybody is talking about it," he said.

"Jason and Mark are household names. I don't know if that is good. Jason was a very vicious boy."

In the March 16, 2008, Sunday Herald Sun, Gatto broke a three-year silence to refute claims he was behind several unsolved underworld hits.

Gatto and his legal team said they have information that contradicts the allegations made against him.

Mr Gatto's team may produce documentary evidence in a bid to clear his name.

Mr Gatto and his lawyers say his name is being tarnished despite the fact that there are no charges against him.

"I find these allegations scurrilous," Mr Gatto said.

"I've never arranged a hit on anyone."

Mr Gatto said he believed he was being defamed as part of a personal vendetta.

He said he believed it was happening because as far as police were concerned, "I'm the only one who's got through the loop".

"It's annoying for me. It's annoying for my family. It's annoying for everyone. Personally I just want to be left alone."

Mr Gatto said he had told police he was prepared to be interviewed if he was suspected of anything, but they had not taken up the offer.

He said that otherwise his life was good.

"I've got no complaints. I try to mind my own business and keep my head held high," Mr Gatto said.

But he said he believed modern policing was eroding civil liberties.

Saying that the police have a powerful tool, Mr Gatto said "they can put people up (in custody) for 23 hours a day with no contact with the outside world until they've rolled over".

"And once they've rolled over, they turn them into puppets. Accused people who are innocent until proven guilty are locked away in a little eight-by-four room," he said.

"They drive people to the point that they are so desperate, they say anything at all to get out of there."

Mr Gatto had avoided the limelight since being acquitted of murdering Veniamin in 2005.

He said the previous week that reports Veniamin was "like a son to him" were not accurate.

"I used to see him once a week, once a fortnight. He was a powerful little figure over in Sunshine," he said.

A Victoria Police spokewoman declined to respond to Mr Gatto's comments.

On March 29, 2008, Gatto had one of his proudest moments at son Damien's wedding at St Mary's Star of the Sea Church in West Melbourne.

At the wedding of Mr Gatto Jr and model Fiona Scali. Mr Gatto Sr was left holding the baby -- 15-week-old grandson Dominic and bragged he would be "the next heir".

The Herald Sun were told you couldn't wipe the smile off Mick Gatto's face as he joined son Damien and his fiancee, at their engagement party in February 2007.

The paper believed the do, at the Waterfront in Port Melbourne, had close to 400 guests, including several well-known underworld figures, local boxing identities and, of course, models.

Two bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue label scotch, worth $295 each, graced every table. 'What can be next for the wedding?', Confidential asked.

On April 7, 2008, the Age reported that it had learned that Gatto had intervened in the dramatic collapse of stockbroking firm Opes Prime.

The broker collapsed after a handful of wealthy clients suffered losses totalling $128 million.

Gatto was working on behalf of an anonymous group of investors trying to recoup their losses.

A director of Opes Prime had been ordered by a judge not to leave Australia as fresh allegations emerged of manipulation and cover-ups in the lead-up to the collapse two weeks before.

Opes Prime owed more than $1 billion.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission had obtained a Federal Court order forcing Opes Prime director Julian Smith to surrender his passport — days before he had planned to go on a holiday to Fiji.

The order came on the eve of a series of meetings on April 7 in which hundreds of angry Opes Prime clients who were owed more than $500 million would be given an update on the fate of their savings by the firm's administrators.

The above photo shows Opes Prime co-founder Lirim "Laurie" Emini (left), fellow director Julian Smith (right) and Mick Gatto (centre).

Gatto was to fly to Singapore with a business associate to pursue the Opes Prime money trail, but declined to reveal who he would be seeing there or who he was representing.

Mr Gatto told The Age: "These Opes Prime clients can take their chances and lose all their money to lawyers and to the receivers, or they can take their chances with me to extract a return on their behalf.

"The proof is in the pudding with me. I solve problems … It's my way or the highway".

Barrister Nicola Gobbo confirmed that Mr Gatto would be travelling overseas to try to track down money and shares related to Opes Prime.

Asked about Mr Gatto's clients, she said: "Some would be described as business people, if you very loosely used the term 'business people'."

It was believed that Mr Gatto planned to travel to the British Virgin Islands, depending on how he fared in Singapore.

ASIC had been examining transactions between a company registered in the British Virgin Islands (which has an office in Singapore).

ASIC had also been paying close attention to accounts linked with Sydney solicitor Chris Murphy (left), a major client of Opes Prime. 

Murphy is believed to be one of Opes's biggest debtors and thought to have lost more than $100 million.

Olympic hero Herb Elliott lost more than $20 million.

The previous week, an affidavit sworn by senior ASIC investigator Richard Vandeloo alleged that Mr Emini directed staff to transfer shares or cash between the Virgin Island company's account and accounts operated by Mr Murphy or other Opes clients.

The regulator said fellow director Mr Smith may have been involved in covering up massive losses for certain clients just before the stockbroking firm collapsed.

ASIC also made fresh allegations about "double-counting" of shares, a practice it says shielded a handful of favoured clients from losing millions of dollars against their rapidly deteriorating share portfolios.

Mr Emini consented to a court order barring him from leaving the country until October 3.

ASIC then obtained urgent orders from Justice Ray Finkelstein in the Federal Court forcing Sydney-based Mr Smith to hand over his passport. 

He had booked a 10-day holiday in Fiji with his family and was due to leave on April 13.

He agreed to ASIC's request that he hand over his passport, but his lawyers then withdrew the offer, saying ASIC had no power to request the travel documents. Mr Smith declined to comment.

ASIC also told the Federal Court that initial investigations and interviews with an Opes employee had uncovered "systematic manipulation" of share-trading accounts.

In support of its travel ban against Mr Smith, Mr Vandeloo outlined how shares held in an Opes account, identified only as "EE", were lent to a company called Leveraged Capital Pty Ltd, then routed through a company registered in the British Virgin Islands before being delivered back to Opes.

Leveraged Capital was jointly owned by Mr Emini and Mr Smith. 

Its registered office is at the same address as the Babo Group accounting firm in Cramer Street, Preston.

In his affidavit, Mr Vandeloo said there was some "double-counting" of shares in the EE account, and that the effect of this "was to avoid margin calls on certain client accounts".

He said Mr Emini and Mr Smith were suspected of having "an interest" in another account identified as "BB", which had defaulted on paying $38 million. It was suspected that the default had been concealed before the failure of Opes Prime.

Meanwhile, the fallout from the collapse had spread, with the ANZ bank partly blaming its exposure to the broker for a $1 billion bad debts problem.

Gatto's associates who left the country with him were John Khoury (left) and long-time friend and business associate, Matt Thomas.

Mr Khoury, once a Metro nightclub owner, is believed to have lost $1 million in Opes.

Another close friend, State Security investment adviser and former joint Metro owner Tom Karas, said he had moved money out before the collapse after hearing rumours. 

But it was unclear whether his money, in a clearing account within Opes, was safe.

The Herald Sun had earlier written that it believed Mr Karas had links to the Mokbel crime family.

My Karas' wife was an owner of star racehorse Pillar f Hercules, a thoroughbred police believed was actually owned by the Mokbels.

Khoury said a few friendly words to the media at Tullamarine Airport as did Gatto. 

Gatto and Khoury were wearing bright t-shirts with large A-Team type emblems on their fronts (see photo page top).

Before the trio boarded a flight for Sinapore Mr Gatto was coy on the issue of their overseas dealings.

While Gatto did not have any money tied up with Opes, many of his friends had hundreds of millions of dollars frozen inside the company.

He said he and his associates would "give it a shake".

"I really can't divulge too much at this point," Mr Gatto told a throng of reporters at Melbourne airport.

"We're going to do our best. Hopefully we recover whatever we can from them. There's a lot better chance with us than anyone else, I guarantee you."

And the trio were confident of success

Mr Gatto said he hoped he would need a "tip truck" to bring investors' money back to Australia.

"A percentage of something is better than nothing," he said.

"And whatever that percentage is depends on how much we're chasing.

"It happens every one or two years - long, drawn out affairs that the solicitors and the lawyers end up with all the money and the poor investor gets nothing."

Mr Gatto told 3AW radio that morning that he was travelling on behalf of his own and "another couple" of companies.

"I've been known to fix up sticky problems as you're aware. A couple of people have approached us and asked us if we could assist them and we said we're interested," he said.

"We're certainly not police, we're not there to uncover any fraud, we just want to recoup the money and do the right thing by everybody."

Gatto was reluctant to go into specifics on who his clients were and how much they were owed, but he did claim that the amount missing was far higher than the figure that has been made public.

"My role purely is to help these investors for a minimal upfront fee," he said.

"The services we provide are simple - we go and see the client, we say we really think that you should pay, it's all done amicably and nine times out of 10 it's settled.

"The client's happy, we're happy and of course the bloke that owes the money is happy to get that weight off his chest."

Gatto had told The Australian that he believed the amount owed to be over $1 billion, and that he had "a good track record of tracking things down".

Gatto would not reveal the countries he planned to visit outside of Singapore or say how long he would be away.

Opes Prime had operations that spanned Singapore and the Middle East.

But the man disgruntled investors were believed to be paying him to find, Jay Moghe, was 2500km away at a conference in Macau.

And Mr Moghe told the Herald Sun he was unaware of Gatto's mission to Singapore.

"I've nothing to hide," he said. "I'm happy to talk to anyone."

The sole shareholder and director of a company, Riqueza, then at the centre of the Opes collapse, said he was unaware of irregular transactions between it and the Melbourne-based broker.

"The movements of whatever cash and stock in and out of these (Riqueza) accounts was not anything to do with me," he said. "I was effectively acting as a nominee for the Opes directors.

"I'm disappointed, and shattered," he said.

Administrator John Lindholm laughed off Gatto's claims that he had more chance than lawyers and administrators of getting back investors' money.

He said anyone who gave Mr Gatto money would still be pursued by legal means and have to hand over twice as much.

Debts would only be discharged when money was paid to the administrator.

Opes creditors were told they could expect to lose 70 per cent of their money once secured creditors, including the ANZ Bank and Merrill Lynch, got their money.

In other developments:

A HEROIN trafficker and former strip club owner said he'd been about to invest $50,000 through the broker but filled in paperwork incorrectly.

THE Australian Securities and Investments Commission was believed to be investigating claims that parties with links to Melbourne's underworld were using Opes to illegally "wash trade" shares.

Wash trading involves buying and selling shares to give an appearance of investor interest in a company, to encourage others. The wash traders then sell their shares to the tricked investors at inflated prices.

On the night of April 10, 2008, Gatto caught up with Opes Prime key player Jay Moghe in Singapore.

Mr Moghe was accompanied by Opes Prime figures Gordon Brown and Raj Maiden.

Originally scheduled to take place at the 60th floor luxury bar of the Swissotel the Stamford, the private meeting was reportedly moved twice before the group settled in for a chat.

When they emerged, Gatto told the Herald Sun Mr Moghe had been very transparent.

"He took us through ABC and we are satisfied they have done the right thing," he said. "They have reported everything to the authorities."

Gatto said the $100 million moved through Mr Moghe's company, Riqueza BVI, without his knowledge.

When asked for proof, Gatto said it would all come out in the wash.

Gatto and Khoury had a list of others they said may have held important information about key accounts Opes Prime moved money into in a bid to prevent fatal margin calls in March 2008.

On it were two Collins St traders, one who they say handled up to 100 per cent loans for $21 million in small mining stocks, and another who handled up to $4 million.

They also wanted to speak with a Sydney shareholder who had more than $100 million in shares.

But one broker who knew two of those on Mr Gatto's list said neither would have access to the large sums of money transacted and were only conducting trades on behalf of Opes and clients.

"These were second tier guys . . . they used to trade shares, and that was it," the broker said.

On the evening of April 11, 2008, Gatto returned to Australia without any money for victims of the collapse.

He said there was nothing for investors in Singapore.

"The money is all gone," he said.

"We are coming back without anything."

Mr Gatto said Singapore directors of Opes were living in rented houses and had produced records showing how shareholder funds had been wiped out by falling stockmarkets.

"We failed to find anything because there is nothing there."

In other developments:

TWO luxury cars were seized by Opes receivers in Australia as well as five in Singapore. The sale proceeds of another luxury car sold in Australia were also seized.

PRIVATE investors have been offering to buy penny dreadful stock ANZ Bank has been stuck with for a fraction of its worth. Investors believe if they can get the stock at a discount they will be able to sell it for a profit over an extended period.

Gatto's associate John Khoury claimed the mission could still be ranked a success because it had sped up the discovery process.

"We have fast-tracked everything," he said.

"These guys (Jay Moghe) came forward and put their hand up.

"Hopefully the investors do get more than the 30 cents in the dollar.

"They are very happy." he said of the six investors who had engaged Mr Gatto to chase funds.

Gatto would not say whether he would continue his hunt for the money upon his return but hinted he would look at Chris Murphy's Opes debts.

"When we get to Melbourne we are going to see what happens from there," Mr Gatto said.

"At this stage we are closing our books here (in Singapore)."

Murphy later recalled a red Maserati given to him as a gift by Laurie Emini.

"I thought it was very generous at the time," he said. 

"Then I hit the kerb when I parked it, and the mechanic said it was going to cost me $8000 to fix. Then it was another $10,000 to register and insure - $18,000 all up. I thought 'stuff it'. I drove it for eight weeks, until the rego ran out, and then got rid of it. Too much of a spiv's car for me."

On April 12, 2008, the Herald Sun reported that the Australian Taxation Office had launched an investigation into the "colourful identities" embroiled in the Opes Prime saga.

Tax Office bosses ordered the investigation after allegations of share price manipulation and clandestine companies and identities being set up to disguise the owners of shares in some companies.

Mr Murphy also said the previous two weeks had taken a huge toll on his health and his family's wellbeing.

Mr Murphy contacted The Sunday Age to correct a report that two Opes Prime trading accounts he held - one through his private company Cardiac Jolt and another through the company Sarah Brown, which he co-owned with Laurie Emini - should have been the subject of a margin call as early as July 2007.

Copies of Mr Murphy's Opes Prime portfolio statements were obtained by Gatto and John Khoury during their trip to Singapore.

"The statements that have been released only cover my exposure in Sarah Brown and Cardiac Jolt," Mr Murphy said. 

"They don't cover my account in my own name and its shareholding. 

Opes let customers combine the total value of their holdings in all their accounts, which is one of the reasons why I never received a margin call."

Mr Murphy said that on July 13, 2007 - the date of the Opes Prime statements obtained by Gatto and Khoury that had been leaked to the public - he also had a holding of 10,660,000 shares of Challenger in his private account, "account number 5493", worth $55 million.

"I had borrowed $38 million against them, I had about one-third equity in them - and an available margin of $16.2 million that Opes offset against the other accounts."

Mr Murphy also told The Sunday Age that he had been in contact with Mr Emini only once in the past month, despite the pair owning a share portfolio that had lost more than $60 million.

On the day of Opes Prime's collapse, Tom Karas told The Sunday Age: "Chris Murphy is the black hole. Chris Murphy and Sarah Brown - that's where all the money's gone. And it's all gone down the hole on Challenger." 

Mr Murphy was a substantial shareholder in the James Packer-controlled Challenger Financial Services Group. It was the collapse of Challenger's share price, which fell 65% in six months, that wiped out Mr Murphy's share portfolio.

According to the documents obtained by Gatto and Khoury, Sarah Brown's Opes Prime account had fallen almost $1 million into the red by July last year - it had borrowed $65.89 million against a share portfolio worth $64.94 million. It was paying an interest rate of 7.85% on that loan.

Cardiac Jolt's account shows that it had borrowed $102.3 million against shares worth $108 million. Its interest rate was 8.1%.

Mr Murphy confirmed to The Sunday Age that he was given a loan valuation ratio (LVR) of 95% - meaning he could borrow up to 95% of the value of the highly speculative shares he owned.

The Sarah Brown and Cardiac Jolt accounts had combined borrowings in excess of $167 million, and were charged interest rates on that money comparable to a home mortgage.

Asked if the 95% LVR and the interest rates he was charged by Opes were "generous", Mr Murphy replied: "Well, that's your opinion."

In another twist, a race had been on to track down a fleet of exotic cars that belonged to Hawkswood Investments, a fully owned unit of Opes Prime. 

Already 13 sports cars, worth more than $1 million, had been seized in Singapore.

Mark Hawthorne commented in the Sunday Age that the Opes Prime collapse had spawned a saga of fast cars and fast footwork keeping accountants and colourful identities busy.

A race has been on for the past week between Opes Prime's receivers, led by the Deloitte forensic accountancy team, and Melbourne's underworld, led by a man named "Rocky", to track down the missing sports cars. The smart money, all along, has been on Rocky to find them first.

The cars once belonged to Hawkswood Investments, a fully owned subsidiary of Opes Prime. The stockbroking company's three directors — Laurie Emini, Julian Smith and Anthony Blumberg — were also directors of Hawkswood. Among its many sideline businesses, Hawkswood imported flashy European cars, which were shipped from Singapore to Australia.

It was a happy sideline for one director in particular, Mr Blumberg, who had a well-known penchant for fast Italian cars. Thanks to his love of speed, Opes Prime even sponsored a V8 Supercar team.

Among the many documents Gatto and his travel companions managed to get their hands on while in Singapore was a list of sports cars that belonged to Hawkswood.

But Gatto and Khoury weren't interested in cars that weren't on their own turf, particularly as Gatto vowed to bring back "suitcases full of cash" for burnt Opes Prime clients.

After obtaining the documents they had sought in Singapore, their attention turned to the Hawkswood cars in Melbourne, particularly those linked with Mr Blumberg.

According to Gatto, his own speciality these days is "making problems disappear". Long-time friend John Khoury has a different skill set. "John's good at finding things," one of their business associates told The Sunday Age.

A list of the cars in question was sent from Khoury in Singapore to Rocky in Melbourne, and the hunt was on.

Deloitte refused to divulge details of the cars being sought, but Rocky was more willing to oblige.

"One Ferrari Daytona, olive green, sold before Opes Prime collapsed," he said, reading from his list.

"One silver Lamborghini Diablo 1996, right-hand drive, red. One Ferrari 360 Spider. One Ferrari F355, right-hand drive, red, 1997. One Ferrari F355, right-hand drive, blue, 1997. One Ferrari 360 Spider. One yellow Hummer. Two rare Maseratis, late 1950s, maybe early 1960s, both left-hook. One Ferrari 250 GTO Californian, short-wheel base, aluminium body, no wheels."

The list went on.

Within hours Khoury's team, led by Rocky, was calling its contacts in Melbourne on the lookout for the cars.

One, a Ferrari, was traced to the workshop of a well-known mechanic in Brighton, just a few minutes' drive from Mr Blumberg's house.

By the time Rocky turned up, it had gone.

"Someone tipped him off," Rocky said. "I heard it was someone related to Leo Khouri. Whoever it was, (name withheld) knew we were coming."

Leo Khouri is the well-known Melbourne share trader who, along with some of his business associates, lost an estimated $50 million share portfolio in the collapse of Opes Prime.

Like Mr Blumberg, Mr Khouri (left) has a love of fast cars. He and business partner Steve Dellidis (right) own Australia's biggest collection of GTHO and GT Falcons — 16 cars in total, with an estimated market value of $5 million.

Rocky knows that some of the cars have already fallen into the hands of the receivers, a fact confirmed by Deloitte partner Chris Campbell.

"We have got some cars in Australia, and we're searching down some others and we've got (five or six) Maseratis in Singapore under our control," he said.

"We've found a few here, and some of them are in our possession and some of them we're still tracing down. If (other) people get a heads-up about what we're looking for, the asset might disappear, or they might put blocks in front of us."

Sadly for Mr Campbell, some of those assets have already been uncovered.

In addition to the Ferrari in Brighton, the olive green Ferrari has already been sold — apparently to a well-known Melbourne dealer of rare cars. The dealer remained silent for a long time when contacted by The Sunday Age, then denied any knowledge of the vehicle.

Mr Khoury's men plan to check into the sale of that car very carefully. But Rocky really hit paydirt when he received a call telling him to go to a warehouse in Moorabbin, run by a man known in underworld circles as "Big Fat Bruno".

The warehouse is hardly in a salubrious part of Melbourne, located in an industrial estate and surrounded by factories.

It's the last place you'd expect to find two Ferraris but, when The Sunday Age arrived, two 1997 model F355 Ferraris, one red, one blue, and both right-hand drive, were sitting in the middle of his warehouse, surrounded by luxury sports cars, including Porsches and a Corvette, in varying states of repair.

Bruno was sitting on a stool, sipping a coffee. Signs saying "not for sale" were on the windscreens of the two Ferraris.

"One's mine, one belongs to a client," Bruno said. "I'm a legitimate businessman."

Of note, one of the cars, said to be the one belonging to a client, had the Victorian custom licence plate AB 010.

"Mr Anthony Blumberg?" we inquired.

"Who?" replied Bruno.

Bruno said he had "absolutely no underworld links" at all.

Apart from once going to school with Mick Gatto. And knowing him "from the Carlton days".

Bruno said the two cars were "definitely not the ones everyone is looking for".

"I've had calls all week, mate," he said. "Everyone's looking for some missing cars. Tell me, if I find them, is there a reward?"

On April 27, 2008, the Herald Sun reported that former world boxing champion Jeff Fenech had turned to Gatto for help as he prepared his comeback bout against Ghana's Azumah Nelson.

Fenech, 43, had begun training at Gatto's in-house ring and gym, and has lost 18kg in seven weeks.

Sydney-based Fenech said he planned to train every morning at Chatteau Gatto in Lower Plenty in the lead up to his June 24 grudge match against Nelson, expected to be held at Vodaphone Arena.

"I've known Mick for a while but for the last four or five years spent quality time with him. I've been to his family weddings and I respect him a great deal," Fenech said.

Gatto won five of his nine professional fights from 1973-79 and was ranked in the top ten heavyweights in Australia, said Fenech would "destroy Nelson in the clash of the triple world champions.

"He's been a good friend of mine in hard times, and he's a great champ," Gatto said.

Fenech said he thought Nelson, 49, would "try to knock me out, but he;'s no fitter than me. No one trains harder than I do".

On April 24, 2008, fists were flying at Malvern Town Hall on Anzac Day eve when Shannon MacMahon claimed the Bob Rose Cup with a fourth-round knock-out of Tom Hateley.

But there was as much interest outside the ring as was it in, with some colourful identities spotted in the crowd.

Former Collingwood player Rene Kink presented the cup, named in honour of former Magpie great Rose, to MacMahon.

Former world boxing champion Lester Ellis was ringside while ex-Melbourne captain Robbie Flower was also spotted along with Gatto, Kink's new sparring partner.

Prominent lawyers George Defteros and Zarah Garde-Wilson were also in the crowd.

On May 4, 2008, the Sunday Herald Sun asked: "What happens when a TV reporter gets into the ring with Mick Gatto?" The answer?: "Simple: the reporter gets decked".

That's exactly what happened to A Current Affair's Martin King, who was assigned to interview the Carlton identity.

Gatto had agreed to talk to King as long he faced off for a bout in the boxing ring of his palatial suburban Melbourne home.

King agreed and stood face-to-face with the former professional fighter. Minutes later Gatto landed a jarring left hook to King's face that sent him sprawling to the canvas.

"It was fun until he actually started to hit me," King said.

"The first punch in the head is worse because it's shock and pain, after that it's just pain. I actually landed quite a few punches but what worried me was, I think Mick quite enjoyed it.

"The thing is, I didn't want to hit him too hard because all that would do was make him angry and that wouldn't be healthy for any of us."

King has a bit of swelling and bruising, tender ribs and a fractured ego.

The interview - and knockout punch - was shown on A Current Affair.

On June 23, 2008, Gatto and radio presenter Derryn Hinch had an entertaining on-air spat.

A war of words erupted on 3AW after Hinch berated underworld figures for cashing in on their celebrity status.

Mick Gatto rang Hinch's radio show, furious over Hinch's comments.

He told Hinch he hoped he died soon.

Gatto told Hinch: "You are scum and I tell you what, I've got a punching bag at home with your name on it," he said.

"And I'll punch the s--- out of it."

Listen to the interview here

Hinch delivered a few punchlines of his own, telling Gatto he'd be happy to "burn him".

"If burning you was my job in life I'd be more than happy to do it," Hinch said.

"I think you and all your ilk, and all your mob and the Carlton Crew and the Carl Williamses of this world, you are all scum."

Gatto said it was "ratbags" like Hinch that kept him in the limelight.

"I want to be left alone and mind my own business and get on with my life, but I can't because I've got maggots like you driving me mad," Gatto complained.

Hinch sounded unfazed.

"If I can go to my grave being called a maggot by a person like Mick Gatto, I'm proud of myself," Hinch said.

Hinch hinted at Gatto's links with the underworld.

"You live in that world where people go to their graves quickly, don't you?" Hinch said.

Gatto hung up shortly after, telling Hinch: "Hope you die very soon."

On June 24, 2008, the Herald Sun reported that Gatto's son had taken aim at radio presenter Derryn Hinch on a facebook page calling him a "scumbag"

The facebook group "DERRYN HINCH IS A SCUMBAG" was created earlier in the day by a person claiming to be Damien Gatto.

The group already had 98 members.

On the facebook page, Damien Gatto said he had had enough of Hinch speaking about his dad.

"The only reason i published this was becuse im sick of this fool bagging my father week after week," Damien Gatto wrote.

"This group is for those who are sick of this f****** idiot and his trouble making opinions.

"Really speaks volumes for the credibility of 3AW and the substance of their reporting when they feel the need to publish this story on their website... Unbelievable."

On June 25, 2008, it was reported that a court had heard the nephew of Gatto would plead guilty to assault charges over an incident outside a nightclub in Melbourne's inner-east.

Daniel Gatto, from Templestowe, would enter guilty pleas to three charges - one count of recklessly causing injury, one of unlawful assault and one of recklessly causing serious injury - his lawyer Colin Lovett, QC, told Melbourne Magistrates Court.

Magistrate Duncan Reynolds extended bail for Gatto, 24, who appeared in court.

The charges relate to an alleged incident outside a Prahran nightclub on December 24, 2004.

On July 5, 2008, three $100,000 rewards were re-offered to help solve Melbourne gangland murders.

Detectives said they were closing in on several suspects in relation to the shootings of Victor Peirce, Paul Kallipolitis and Francesco Benvenuto.

They said they believe the killings are linked and offered a $100,000 reward a murder for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Police said there were no rules stopping gangland figures such as Carl Williams receiving the rewards.

"I don't make that decision, but he is eligible to apply," Det Insp Bernie Edwards, of the Purana Taskforce, said.

Detectives believe Andrew "Benji" Veniamin was the shooter in all three murders, but they want to identify other people involved.

"We do not believe Andrew worked alone," Det Insp Edwards said.

He said involvement in the murders could include financing the hits, or providing or disposing of firearms and cars.

Purana detectives were "definitely closing in on a number of suspects", he added, and warned it might be time for anyone involved to hand themselves in "before we come and get you".

The suspects were known within the "gangland fraternity", but Det Insp Edwards refused to say whether any of them were already in jail.

Det Insp Edwards said he hoped the rewards, which had been offered separately at different times in the past seven years, would help people do the right thing and contact police.

"The code of silence wavers a lot when there's money involved," he said.

The Victoria Police board of management determines whether a reward application is successful.

"It depends on the information they provide (and) whether there is a successful prosecution," Det Insp Edwards said.

"Solving the three murders would take police a great step towards finishing the gangland murders."

Det Insp Edwards said it was getting easier to crack underworld crime because, while older criminals were a "lot stauncher", modern crooks were "a little bit self-centred".

On July 14, 2008, Vince Benvenuto was charged of the murder of Victor Peirce.

The Age reported the following day that the charge had put a fresh focus on Gatto's alleged links to the killing.

Law enforcement authorities have information that Gatto was in contact with members of the Benvenuto family before Peirce's killing. On one occasion shortly before the murder, Gatto was covertly recorded meeting another member of the Benvenuto family in a city park.

It is believed that about the same time, Veniamin - who had formed a relationship with Gatto - was trying to find a way to lure Peirce to a location where he could be killed.

Benvenuto was to return to court on November 3.

On July 16, 2008, it was reported that Gatto had said police should charge him over the two murders or back off.

Mr Gatto said police were yet to produce any evidence he had been involved.

"If they're going to come and arrest me, come out and do it," he told the Herald Sun.

"I'll come up trumps, I promise."

Mr Gatto accused the Purana Taskforce of "putting the squeeze" on two suspects in the Peirce killings to implicate him.

He said one of the men, who has been in custody for months, had been made a series of offers to name him as involved.

"It's just wrong. They shouldn't be allowed to do it," he said.

"There's been an agenda with me for a long time. It's why they're squeezing these blokes. Go out and get evidence."

Gatto's legal representatives, Grigor Lawyers, wrote to Purana, accusing it of peddling innuendo about him.

The letter stated the talk was damaging his legitimate business activities and had the potential to endanger his life.

"Mr Gatto has answered questions in various interviews and hearings, both prior to and since his acquittal on a murder charge," it said.

"He remains prepared to fully co-operate with your investigators if he is able to assist with your inquiry.

"It would be most unfortunate if there was any suggestion that he had refused to co-operate with an investigation in any future proceedings that may involve him."

Victoria Police declined to comment on Gatto's claims.

Mr Gatto said he knew Vince Benvenuto but only spoke to him every few months, and not in the lead-up to Peirce's death.

He said nothing had changed since he was acquitted in 2005 over the shooting death of Andrew Veniamin.

"It's been three years since I've been home. Nothing's changed," he said.

Mr Gatto said the situation reminded him of the scrutiny he was placed under after the 1988 killing of another gangland identity.

He was then questioned by homicide squad officers over the shooting of Joe Arena.

"It's exactly the same. There's not an iota of evidence," Gatto said.

On July 17, 2008, Gatto's youngest son was convicted and fined $1500 over a car accident that left him in intensive care.

Justin Gatto, 23, lost control of his BMW and collided with a car on Macarthur Rd, Parkville on November 28, 2007.

Venditti's name surfaced during operation Barrator, an investigation looking at Mick Gatto, which began in early 2003 and is reported above.

On August 27, 2008, it was reported that Mick Gatto had been accused of pressuring businessmen, builders and trade unionists to attend a charity event that will finance the legal defence of accused murderer Faruk Orman.