A rare peek inside Gatto's world in the hours after he shot Veniamin dead was revealed in a three-page letter he penned to fellow Carlton Crew elder Mario Condello from his cell at Port Phillip Prison's high-security Charlotte Unit.

"Keep your eyes wide opened, you can't trust any of these rats. I would hate to see anything happen to any of ours."

On June 30, 2004, the Herald Sun reported that Victorian Premier Steve Bracks had expressed discomfort at attending an ALP fundraiser supported by a business half-owned by Mick Gatto.

"I wouldn't like those arrangements at all in the future," Mr Bracks said when quizzed about the involvement of Elite Cranes at the $1000-a-head dinner.

The dinner was organised by the state ALP's fundraising arm, Progressive Business.

Elite Cranes had joined Progressive Business about a month before, and invited construction union leaders to the June 24 dinner with the Premier and Cabinet ministers.

Asked if he was comfortable with Elite Crane's presence at the dinner, Mr Bracks said: "Absolutely not. Of course not.''

Agriculture Minister Bob Cameron, who sat on the same table as Elite Cranes staff, said he had not spoken to Progressive Business about the matter.

"I go to many functions, I meet all sorts of people and will continue to do so,'' he said

Elite Cranes was owned jointly by Mr Gatto and the company's secretary and sole director, Mathew Tomas -- listed as Matt Thomas on Australian Securities and Investments Commission records.

Mr Tomas was one of three men acquitted of murdering a teenager who was kicked and stomped to death in a crowded Carlton restaurant on July 16, 1996.

He was charged with the murder of Raymond Oueinati, 18, who was killed in a savage attack at the Gatto Nero restaurant in Lygon St.

After Mr Tomas's acquittal in December 1998, lawyer George Defteros expressed his client's sympathy for the family of Mr Oueinati.

Mr Tomas told the Herald Sun he was an honest businessman who employed about 30 people leasing mobile cranes.

While conceding he was a friend of Mr Gatto, Mr Tomas said he wanted nothing to do with any illegal activity.

Jason Wood, a former detective who went on to become an MP makes several recollections regarding T(h)omas on his web-site.

"I recall in July 1996, while I was a detective at the organised crime squad, a listening device affidavit being prepared over several days. I recall the affidavit was near completion but still needed to go through the rigorous tests of the special project unit."

"The target for this warrant was Mat Thomas, who at the time was the driver for the now deceased Alphonse Gangitano."

"Our intention was to install a listening device in the car of Thomas but, because of the high standard of proof required in the affidavit, more preparation time was required."

"On Sunday, July 14, 1996, a week after starting to compile the affidavit, Mat Thomas drove his Mercedes Benz to the Gatto Nero Bar. When he left, Raymond Oueinati was found dead, kicked to death."

"Thomas was one of several suspects and was charged with the murder, but was subsequently acquitted."

"Thomas would say he was innocent. I say he was acquitted of murder."

"I remember the Monday following the murder and the frustration faced by members of the organised crime squad—knowing that, were the process for obtaining the warrant made easier, what additional information would have been obtained and supplied to the jury had police had a listening device installed in Thomas’s
car immediately after the death of Oueinati."

The Herald Sun later revealed links between Tomas and long-serving police officer, Tony Juric.

A secret anti-corruption taskforce examining links between police, criminals and sex workers raided the Australian Croatian Association as part of inquiries into Juric, its president.

Officers from a joint Victoria Police and Office of Police Integrity taskforce raided the club premises in Footscray seizing documents and financial records.

The October2007 raids were the first overt move of a long-running investigation into several police with suspected improper associations, including some who have served at inner-city stations.

Mr Juric, who had been president of the Croatian Social Club since 1995, was suspended from his role as uniform sergeant at the St Kilda police station in October 2007.

Mr Juric's links with figures tied to the crime world had caused concern among law enforcement officers.

In a speech at a Croatian community function in 2006, Sergeant Juric thanked Mick Gatto, along with 19 other building industry figures, for providing free materials, labour and equipment to renovate the Croatian association headquarters.

He also thanked Matt Tomas, who is a long-time friend of Mr Juric, and also plays a prominent role in the Croatian community as chairman of the Melbourne Knights Football Club, of which Sergeant Juric is a former board member.

Elite Cranes, emerged from the ashes of a failed Sydney crane and scaffolding company, TJF, which some builders joked stood for the acronym "the job's f-----d".

Mr Tomas said he had apologised to the Bracks Government for any inconvenience.

"I now intend to focus on the activities of Elite Cranes and make sure we have the most reputable crane company in Victoria,'' he said.

ASIC records show Mr Gatto's 150 shares in Elite Cranes were transferred to Belgium Avenue Pty Ltd on June 28, 2004, after a failed bid to move the shares in

Belgium Avenue is a $2 company owned by Primad Pty Ltd.

Michael Di Pietro, of Barkers Rd, Kew, is the sole director and secretary of both companies and the owner of all Primad's 12 $1 shares.

Mr Di Pietro also owns a company called Gatto Holdings Pty Ltd.

Though there is no formal connection between this $1 company and Mr Gatto, he owns two companies -- The Gatto Group Pty Ltd and La Belle Resort Pty Ltd -- using the same Barkers Rd address with Mr Di Pietro.

ALP state secretary Eric Locke said he was unaware of the new part-owner, but if Elite Cranes did not sever their ties with Mr Gatto, the ALP would cut its ties with the company.

During Gatto's committal hearing on July 14, 2004, defence lawyer George Defteros (left) asked Chief Magistrate Ian Gray if Mr Gatto could be moved to the Melbourne Assessment Prison (MAP).

Mr Gatto wore runners with no shoelaces, a black Fila tracksuit bottom with a white stripe on the side, and a cream and blue ribbed tight long sleeved Billabong jumper.

At the hearing, Carl Williams' wife, Roberta Williams, waited outside the courtroom.

Accompanied by police, Ms Williams made an emotional outburst toward the courtroom before leaving, leaning on her sister.

After the hearing, George Defteros was asked if Mr Gatto would plead self-defence. Mr Defteros said he had "no further comment at this stage," but added that he anticipated Mr Gatto would make an application for bail at the Supreme Court "in due course".

Gatto faced trial in May 2005 and admitted shooting Veniamin twice in the neck and once in the head.

During the 14 months he was in jail awaiting his trial, Gatto lost 30 kilos.

He insisted he was acting in self-defence after Veniamin produced a gun and threatened to kill him.

Gatto said he thought he was a "dead duck" as they struggled for the gun, with the first of five shots fired narrowly missing his face.

The key question for the jury was which of the two men carried the revolver into the restaurant.

"He actually kicked my foot under the table and he motioned with his head like that, that he wanted to have a chat, and I said 'Do you want to have a chat?' and he said 'Yes, I do.'

"I thought he led the way, but I'm not 100 per cent sure, and why I say that is I thought that we were going to go outside, and actually he pointed into the kitchen and I said 'Wherever you want to go'. And we walked in there.

"He walked in. I just followed him . . . he turned around and he was just looking at me and he said 'I'm sick of hearing this shit' and I said 'What do you mean?'

Gatto said Veniamin had complained of hearing persistent rumours that Gatto blamed him for the murder of Graham Kinniburgh.

Veniamin claimed he would not interfere with him because Gatto was a mate.

Gatto said he told Veniamin: "Dino Dibra and Kallipolitis were your mates. You f---ing killed them." Veniamin was a suspect in the murders of Dino Dibra, Frank Benvenuto, Nik Radev and Paul Kallipolitis.

Gatto said that Veniamin responded that Dibra and Kallipolitis were "dogs" and deserved to die.

"And at that point, I turned around and I said 'Look, Andrew . . . I think it's better if you stay out of our company . . . I really don't believe that you can be trusted. I'd just rather you not come around near us at all'.

" . . . And I was looking at him in the eyes and his face went all funny and he sort of stepped back and he said, he said, 'We had to kill Graham. We had to kill f---ing Graham.' He said 'F--- him and f--- you' and he - I never seen where he got it from, but he pulled a gun out and that's when I lunged . . . I just lunged at him and I grabbed his arm, grabbed his arm with my hand, and the gun went off past my head.

Gatto, claimed he did not have time to reach into his trouser pocket for his .25 calibre pistol which he had bought several years earlier from Lewis Moran.

". . . I had hold of his hand with both my hands and I sort of pushed it towards him and I - with my hands I sort of - I forced - he had his hands on the trigger and I just forced his hands, squeezed his hands to force him to pull the trigger and . . . I remember nearly falling on the ground on top of him. He sort of pulled me over off balance.

". . . It was just bang bang, and I mean, I don't know where it went or whatever. I've got to be honest, I thought I was a dead duck anyway, I thought I was gone.

"And like I said, I remember nearly stumbling, landing on top of him, and I just pulled the gun out of his hand because he still had it in his hand. I pulled it out of the grip of his hand and I ran out of the hallway there, out of the corridor into the restaurant."

Steve Kaya, an associate of both Mick Gatto and Andrew Veniamin, told the court of a time when Veniamin was trying to track down a rival named Pasquale Zefina and that he was prepared to shoot Zefina's sister to "draw him out".

Kaya said he talked Veniamin out of carrying out the threat against the sister.

He said it was common knowledge that when Veniamin ultimately found Zefina and shot him five times.

Veniamin had also threatened to shoot police at the St Kilda Road complex after a search of his mother's home uncovered a .38 revolver.

He told Kaya that police had stolen some of his mother's jewellery.

"He said he was just going to run into the police complex and do his best . .. . kill whoever he can kill," Kaya said.

"I just talked him out of it. I calmed him down."

Kaya also said that a man - Brian Finn - who claimed Gatto handed him a pistol after the shooting, was present the day Veniamin was killed.

He did not, however, see Finn after the shooting.

Mr Kaya (pictured below with Mick Gatto) agreed that he had not mentioned Mr Finn being present in an earlier statement.

After seven weeks of trial, eight hours deliberation and 14 months in custody, Gatto was acquitted on June 15, 2005, the jury accepting that the killing was in self-defence.

The trial ended in cheers, applause and squeals of delight when the Supreme Court jury acquitted the Carlton identity.

Several jurors appeared distressed and shed tears after bringing in the not guilty verdict.

Police denied that the verdict was a setback for the Purana gangland taskforce, but it will mean an overhaul at the city mortuary after it was revealed that key items of evidence may have been contaminated there.

Gatto entered the court under guard and blowing a kiss to a supporter in the public gallery.

He left the building to be embraced by his wife Cheryl, and calling out "Thank God for the jury system".

But his acquittal may not have been the end of his troubles with the law.

He faced being investigated over allegations of perjury arising from evidence he gave during the trial, which appeared to contradict sworn testimony he gave to the Australian Crime Commission in 2003.

Gatto's solicitor, Brian Rolfe, said the prosecution case had been based on a theory, not facts, and that Gatto had insisted throughout that he acted in self-defence.

"The prosecution could never establish that Veniamin did not bring the gun to the restaurant," Mr Rolfe said.

He said Gatto's defence, led by Robert Richter, QC, had cost "many hundreds of thousands of dollars", including the cost of independent forensic advice.

Prosecutor Geoff Horgan, SC, paid tribute to the police investigators.

He said they had done an excellent job.

A police spokesman said the Purana taskforce was continuing its work. 

"The jury made its decision and we accept that," the spokesman said.

Senior barristers said the case was unique among underworld killings because it was the only one in which the accused had stayed at the scene to wait for police.

Darren Palmer, the criminology co-ordinator at Deakin University, said the self-defence case mounted by Gatto was different from most other cases in Melbourne's so-called underworld war.

"It does stand out as a very different case to the others which we expect to come, because of that issue of (sole) self-defence," Dr Palmer said. "I would not think it has much bearing for Purana."

In other developments, the mortuary was to review its procedures after the Gatto trial heard that key exhibits may have been contaminated, and that there was a failure to note crucial details when Veniamin's body was prepared for autopsy.

No record was made of whether the drawstring on Veniamin's track pants was tied, which could have indicated if he was capable of securing a revolver at his waist when he arrived at the restaurant for his fateful meeting with Gatto.

Also, gunshot residue found on Veniamin's underwear could indicate a gun was carried in the waistband, but the findings were compromised because the residue might have been transferred from his outer garments to his underclothing when his body was undressed.

Jodie Leditschke, manager of forensic technical services at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, confirmed that a review of procedures was imminent.

"There are definitely some issues," she said.

Gatto marked his first full day of freedom with a visit to the Lonsdale Street chambers of Robert Richter, QC, before having lunch with friends at one of his old haunts in Lygon Street.

He was within a block or so of the restaurant where he shot and killed Veniamin.

On June 25, 2005, the Age reported that Gatto was making the media an offer he thought was too good to refuse - an exclusive chat for a substantial price.

He had received a number of requests to tell his story.

But as some associates of Mr Gatto had learned, there is no such thing as a free lunch and he decided to auction the rights to the exclusive interview - with the money to be donated to the Royal Children's Hospital.

Mr Gatto had been a regular contributor to the hospital and donated $5000 from his prison cell while on remand waiting for his trial over the Veniamin killing.

"I have been doing it for the last 15 years," he said.

For many years, large amounts of money had been raised for the hospital through an illegal two-up school in Melbourne, Mr Gatto said.

Television, newspaper, radio and magazine journalists joined the queue once occupied by police, prosecutors and the Australian Crime Commission of those who have tried to persuade Mr Gatto to talk about his life and the events that led to Veniamin's death.

It is believed that one television group has made a bid of $50,000 for an exclusive interview.

"If people think I have something interesting to say, then perhaps they will prepared to make a donation to a worthy cause," Mr Gatto said.

"If not, then that's fine too, I'll just get on with my life. It would get the media off my back and at the same time raise money for the hospital."

Hospital spokeswoman Julie Webber told The Age: "Mr Gatto is a long-time supporter of the Good Friday Appeal and his donations have always been appreciated.

"We certainly have no objections in accepting the money. We are not here to judge people."

"Mr Gatto said he was not interested in courting publicity or making money from the media but was happy to talk if the price was right."

On October 21, 2005, the Herald Sun reported that Mick Gatto had bought a palatial $2 million mansion in Melbourne's northeastern suburbs.

The French provincial-style property sits on 4000sq m of landscaped grounds and boasts five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a four-car garage, a pool, spa and tennis court.

It was believed Mr Gatto and his wife Cheryle had been seen at the Lower Plenty property, which overlooks the 15th tee at Heidelberg Golf Club, several times in recent weeks.

They bought the Roseburn Court home on September 28 but the deal had not been settled.

The price tag was just over $2 million and the sale was finalised without the property being subject to finance.

A real estate advertisement for the property describes it as the "ultimate family lifestyle combining contemporary luxury with thoughtful and practical design''.

The Gattos' plans were still believed to include spending time in Noosa, given that his crane company plans to expand to the Sunshine Coast.

But a source told the Herald Sun the Lower Plenty property was more of a family home than an investment property.

"You don't buy that kind of house to move permanently to Queensland,'' the source said.

Mr Gatto's East Doncaster home was expected to fetch more than $600,000.

In the early evening of February 6, 2006 Mario Condello joined friends, including good friend and fellow Carlton Crew elder, Mick Gatto, at the Society Restaurant in Bourke St.

Condello was last seen alive at 9.40pm when he left a restaurant in Hardware Lane in the city to drive home after dining with a lawyer.

Condello, 52, was gunned down at his heavily secured home in North Road, Brighton East, where he had returned to live.

He arrived there just on 10pm under the conditions of his bail.

When Condello believed he was at risk, he moved house.

But on this night, he drove into his driveway, opened the garage door and was shot dead before it closed.

His killer is thought to have run into the garage when Condello activated the electronic door, fired at least three shots and fled before the door finished closing.

The Herald Sun reported that a terrified woman was a telephone witness to the murder.

The woman, a friend of Condello, heard him shot while she was talking to him on the phone.

The secret witness was interviewed by police who hoped she may have heard the voice of Condello's killer.

She refused to comment when approached by the Herald Sun and said she knew nothing that could help police.

The woman is believed to have driven to the scene after hearing shots, but left when she saw police at the house.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed the woman had been interviewed and that investigations were continuing.

Eighteen months after police foiled a plot to kill Condello, police said they had no information there would be another attempt.

Mick Gatto went to the Condello house shortly after his friend had been killed, and police were concerned he may also be at risk.

Assistant Commissioner Simon Overland said, "The events of last night indicate to us that there may be, and I say may, be some heightened risk to Mick Gatto.

We have spoken to Mr Gatto already. We've made arrangements to speak to him again, and we will be making offers of assistance and protection to him.

I have to say, though, our experience in the past is when we make these offers they're not accepted.

When police spoke to Gatto he told them he had no idea who killed Condello.

"I know nothing about it. I don't believe it is gangland connected … no way. I believe whatever the reason, it will come out in the wash."

Police suspect the man who ordered Condello's murder set a deadline on the hit that was due to expire within weeks.

Condello's trial for incitement to murder was to begin the next day with legal argument, before the empanelling of a jury, and was expected to finish within two weeks.

Condello was charged with incitement to murder three men - one, a prominent figure in Melbourne's gangland wars.

Priests pleaded with a congregation not to exact vengeance for a murdered man.

In June 2006 Mick Gatto was back in court.

This time, he was a witness in a wrongful dismissal case and made a two-day cameo appearance in the Supreme Court.

Ted Sent (right) had been the head of the huge retirement village developer Primelife Corporation until he was sacked in 2000 from the $850,000-a-year job running the firm he had originally founded.

In the wrongful dismissal case, it was revealed that sent had paid Gatto a monthly retainer to be his 'eyes and ears' in the hope of encouraging industrial harmony on the company's building sites.

The payments began at $4,400 a month and rose to $6,600.

Mick pocketed $220,000 over three years from the grateful Sent.

The money was paid over during a monthly lunch at Gatto's favourite haunt, La Porcella in Carlton.

During cross-examination Gatto revealed he had been hit with a back tax bill of $1 million but had settled the bill for $200,000.

It was revealed that during the lunches Sent would slip over and hand the cash filled envelope to Mick.

The invitation usually began with a quick call where Gatto would simply say: "It's that time of the month mate."

"We'd sort of have something to eat," Gatto recalled, "There would be a big group of us there and then he (Sent) would call me aside and we would have a little chat in relation top building issues or things that were troubling him at the sites or whatever."

"He would just pull it out of his pocket and say, 'Here', and I would give him the invoice," Gatto said.

"He would also do it in private; he'd never do it in front of anyone else."

On June 9, 2006, the Herald Sun reported that police were told Mick Gatto threatened to kill union boss Dean Mighell in a building industry dispute.

Mr Mighell confirmed having a dispute with Mr Gatto, but denied being intimidated in any way.

"Mick Gatto never threatened to kill me,'' he said.

Former chief superintendent Kerry Milte made the death-threat claim in a five-hour taped interview with detectives from Victoria Police's ethical standards department.

Milte, also a barrister, had once represented Gatto.

In the interview Mr Milte also named allegedly corrupt police and identified several organised crime figures.

The Herald Sun had seen a copy of the transcript of Mr Milte's interview with ESD.

Mr Milte, 61, a former Commonwealth police officer and barrister, was recruited by Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon in 2002 to help tackle organised crime in Victoria.

He has been committed to stand trial on charges including bribery and conspiring with a Victorian police officer to disclose confidential information.

In his interview, Mr Milte:

NAMED an Italian organised crime boss who was allegedly involved in five murders.

CLAIMED murdered mafia financier Mario Condello and another underworld figure stripped a solicitor naked and beat him in a Lygon St restaurant basement as a warning not to speak about their activities.

IDENTIFIED a Lygon St crime figure who had allegedly paid $4 million in bribes to senior Victorian police.

CLAIMED corrupt police "green-lighted'' the illegal activities of several Italian organised crime bosses.

ALLEGED the Italian syndicate has put gang members in positions of authority in immigration, customs and the police. Mr Milte told ESD why he was recruited by Ms Nixon.

"Because of some old connections, I had the means of getting information on particularly Italian organised crime,'' his August 19, 2005, record of interview claimed.

"And to a lesser degree, Chinese operations and to another degree, some Lebanese people and that principally involved Mick Gatto, Mario Condello, Mokbel (fugitive crime boss Tony Mokbel).''

Mr Milte claimed in the interview that Mr Gatto had threatened to kill Electrical Trades Union boss Dean Mighell.

"He came to see me via a politician,'' his record of interview claimed. "I offered, in regard to the obvious state of fear he was in, to make contact between him and the police.''

Mr Mighell denied Mr Milte's claim.

He said a dispute with Mr Gatto over building work at the National Gallery had been sorted out amicably.

Mr Milte told the Herald Sun he was horrified his ESD record of interview was being circulated.

He claimed a small faction of Victorian police was trying to undermine Ms Nixon and suggested circulating his ESD interview was an attempt by these officers to discredit her.

Mr Milte would not identify Mr Mighell as the person allegedly subjected to death threats, but said: "The union official was in genuine fear of his life.''

Mr Milte told ESD about an alleged attack by Condello and another man on a solicitor for an Italian organised crime boss.

"They stripped the solicitor naked . . . held a pistol to his head, broke a plate on his head and wanted to know how much he'd told me about what was going on,'' he said.

On June 28, 2006, the Age reported that St Kilda sergeant Chris Lim was being investigated by Victoria Police's ethical standards department over his interests in a property company.

A fellow investor was an associate of Mick Gatto.