Alphonse Gangitano

Alphonse Gangitano
Born	(1957-03-24)24 March 1957
Died	16 January 1998(1998-01-16) (aged 40)
Other names	Black Prince of Lygon Street
Spouse	Virginia Gangitano
Children	2

Alphonse John Gangitano (24 March 1957 – 16 January 1998) was an Italian Australian criminal from Templestowe, a suburb of Melbourne. Nicknamed the "Black Prince of Lygon Street", Gangitano was the face of an organisation known as the Carlton Crew, and a close associate of convicted criminals Graham Kinniburgh, Mick Gatto and Jason Moran. He was also an associate of alleged organised crime bosses Tom Domican (Sydney) and John Kizon (Perth).

Gangitano was one of the first of the 1998–2010 Melbourne gangland killings when he was murdered in 1998. Gangitano was portrayed by Vince Colosimo in the 2008 TV series Underbelly and by Elan Zavelsky in the 2009 TV series Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities.

Early life

Gangitano attended De La Salle College and Marcellin College. In later years through the 1980s and 1990s Alphonse had been alleged a co-owner of a King Street nightclub and numerous fight promotions and other ventures that went onto include Horse racing and protection rackets .

Rap Career

Alphonse Gangitano was a critically acclaimed rapper. He wrote songs such as 'Fuck dem bitchez, dey ain't nuttin'. This song topped the Billboard 200 and Gangitano recieved and ARIA award for it. He competed in many rap battles including 'Alphonse Gangitano Vs 360' in which 360 won. Alphonse conspired to kill 360 after this but was arrested for the King Street Knight Club attack beforehand.

King Street nightclub attack

Gangitano, Moran and associate Troy Rapasarda were charged over serious assaults on several patrons at the Sports Bar nightclub in King Street, Melbourne on 19 December 1995.

Moran later said of Gangitano: "He's a fucking lulu ... if you smash five pool cues and an iron bar over someone's head....you're a fucking lulu". The attack was portrayed on Underbelly.

Murder

Main article: Melbourne gangland killings

On the day of his death 16 January 1998, Gangitano was reported to have had a telephone conversation with Kizon. That same day, Kinniburgh drank at the Laurel Hotel in Ascot Vale with associate Lou Cozzo before driving to Gangitano's home in Templestowe. At a subsequent coroners' inquest, evidence was presented that Kinniburgh and Jason Moran were in Gangitano's home that night. Both were exempted from giving evidence at the inquest, on the grounds that their evidence might incriminate them.

Kinniburgh left Gangitano's house shortly after 11 pm to purchase cigarettes. Upon his return 30 minutes later, he found that Gangitano had been shot several times in the head in the laundry. Gangitano's de facto wife, Virginia, was with the body. Traces of Kinniburgh's blood were later discovered on the back flyscreen door at Gangitano's home.

Kinniburgh reportedly respected the code of silence, frustrating police investigating the murder. Gangitano's pallbearers included Gatto and Kizon. Gangitano is survived by his wife and two daughters, and was widely believed to have had another child with which he had no contact to an unidentified woman.

Kinniburgh and Moran were both later murdered themselves. Jason allegedly pulled out a gun after an argument with Alphonse and shot him in the head. The murder may have led to as many as 75 revenge assaults on underworld members. Gangitano was charged with shooting petty criminal Gregory John Workman dead in 1995, at 1 Wando Grove, St Kilda East however Gangitano never went to trial over the shooting after two witnesses retracted their statements.