Alphonse Gangitano was killed 17 years ago today in Melbourne

 Some of you might know it, some might not know it, but I am currently writing a new short book “How to Recognise the Mafia Abroad” - of course about the ‘ndrangheta abroad. I was researching some things about the Carlton Crew in Carlton, Melbourne, and the face of it, Alphonse Gangitano, and my eyes just went on his death day - 16th January 1998.

Wow - what are the odds of me looking at this date today? I thought it was worth writing about!

Now, for those of you who might not know what I am talking about keep in mind these three things as you keep on reading:

1. Carlton is a neighbourhood in the heart of Melbourne (just so you know, it’s also where the University of Melbourne is!) and it is widely known as the Little Italy of the city, although Italianness there has clearly changed a lot since the early days of migrants there.

Here is a picture of me in Carlton last year!

2. The Carlton Crew was a gang made of various people, mostly born and bred in Carlton, a lot of Italians, but not just Italians by all means. The main characteristic of the Carlton Crew was that it looked exactly as Carlton did: multi-ethnic, a bit eccentric, and absolutely irresistible for the media outlets, since the alte 1970s onward, but primarily as murders became the business card of the group, in between 1998 and 2010.

(If you are interested in this we did a roadtrip podcast series about the ‘ndrangheta in Australia, and episode 6 is where we talk about the Carlton Crew).

3. There has been - still there is - quite a lot of confusion, in the media but also with law enforcement, on the relationship between the Carlton Crew and the ‘ndrangheta, the Honoured Society, that in Melbourne in the mid-1990s was quite established already (again, go back to the podcast, episode 5!). Why was there confusion? Because of the so-called ‘ethnicity trap’: some in the Carlton Crew, including Gangitano!, had Calabrian roots. That’s basically it.

Spoiler alert: the Carlton Crew was NOT the ‘ndrangheta, some ‘ndranghetisti might have engaged with the Carlton Crew member, but my guess is - always has been - that the Carlton Crew was not ‘cool’ enough - literally, they were hot-headed - for the ‘ndrangheta, beyond some local business opportunities. By the way, since 2010 some of these relationships, with the remaining people who ‘grew up’ in the Carlton Crew, might have changed.

But now, let’s talk about the Black Prince of Lygon Street, Alphonse John Gangitano, the one and only street boss of the Crew, whose murder started a gangland war.

By the way - here is your song for this! I adore it, it’s my Melbourne anthem! It's called Lygon Street Meltdown 

In the underbelly of Melbourne's criminal landscape, his name still resonates with both intrigue and infamy: Alphonse John Gangitano, the "Black Prince of Lygon Street” was born on April 22, 1957, and in the late 1970s emerged as a formidable figure within the already notorious Carlton Crew, a multi-ethnic gang that took the name from the district where most of its members were born, second-generation Italians and whatnot. Gangitano’s life was a tumultuous tapestry woven with ambition, violence, and tragedy, as he became a symbol of a sort of lawless era that gripped the city.

Gangitano's early years were marked by a relentless drive toward a life of crime. He really wanted, apparently, to become a criminal. He soon would soon find himself entwined in the chaotic world of nightclubs, fight promotions, and protection rackets. By the height of his criminal career, he was raking in an estimated $125,000 to $200,000 a month, a staggering sum that underscored his status as a high-profile player in the Carlton Crew.

One pivotal moment in his story unfolded on December 19, 1995, at the King Street nightclub, where Gangitano, along with his associates Jason Moran and Tony Rapasarda, was embroiled in a violent confrontation that left patrons reeling. This incident, emblematic of the brutality that defined the gangland wars, would later be immortalized in the notorious TV series "Underbelly," encapsulating the violent reality of their world. [Not that I endorse this kind of spectacle…]

Tragedy struck on January 16, 1998, when Gangitano's life was cut short in a chilling act of violence at his Templestowe home. That fateful day, a phone call with John Kizon preceded his murder, a grim reminder of the treacherous alliances that permeated his life. As he was shot multiple times in the head, his de facto wife bore witness to the murder. The investigation would reveal that underworld figures Jason Moran and Graham "The Munster" Kinniburgh had been present, weaving a web of complicity, backstabbing, and danger that would ensnare them all. At his funeral, the presence of colorful figures like Mick Gatto - who succeeded him as the face of the Carlton Crew - and John Kizon spoke volumes about the gravity of his influence.

Indeed, the legacy of Gangitano endures. Recently, a piece of his history—the former meeting place of the Carlton Crew at 225 Lygon Street—changed hands, sold to a medicinal cannabis company [bizzarre, I know]. 

This property was more than just bricks and mortar; it was a sanctuary for clandestine meetings and high-stakes poker games during the 1990s, a testament to the era's excesses and the criminals who shaped it.

Gangitano had purchased this very home long before the gangland wars spiraled into chaos, a place that bore witness to the camaraderie and conspiracies of Melbourne's underworld. Here’s a picture of it I took!

Anyway, in the years that followed his murder, the violence escalated, claiming the lives of those who danced too closely to the flames of gang warfare. The courtrooms and streets of Melbourne became battlegrounds, as Enzo Condello—brother of another slain gangland figure, Mario Condello—successfully halted the demolition of a shed in Fitzroy. This unassuming structure had served as a "war room" for the gangland elite, a reminder of the ongoing battle for power and control.

Alphonse Gangitano's legacy, steeped in tales of crime, camaraderie, and conflict, remains a fundamental chapter in Melbourne's criminal history. His life, a vivid illustration of the violent result of ambition and betrayal, continues to echo in the streets of Carlton, a chilling reminder of the city's darker side.

Gangitano was not a criminal because he was Italian or half Calabrian; he was a product of what we now know to be the profound detachment of some second-generation migrants from their host country that in some cases leads to Carlton Crew type choices.