Robbery, standover, smuggling, gambling, drugs and prostitution were the lifeblood of Melbourne's notorious Painters and Dockers trade union. For more than a century it spewed out some of Australia's most violent men, including Brian and Les Kane, Ray 'Chuck' Bennett, Billy Longley and the Moran family.
This blood-soaked chapter of Aussie organised crime on the waterfront is the focus of a new book by James Morton and Russell Robinson. It outlines the turf wars of a union whose motto was "We Catch and Kill Our Own''. Here are their 10 most violent and vicious crimes:
1. Union Secretary Pat Shannon copped three bullets in his chest (1973)
"You c---" were his last words before getting assassinated at a South Melbourne hotel. Billy "The Texan" Longley, a bitter union rival, would serve more than a decade for ordering the hit. A second man, Kevin Taylor, was put away for pulling the trigger. While in the clink, Longley's spray on union corruption sparked a royal commission. A third, Gary Harding, who tipped off the cops about the pair, would get much worse (see No.2).
2. Snitch Gary Harding stabbed to death with a sharpened table knife (1975)
He was an inmate at Victoria's Pentridge Jail awaiting trial for his part in the Shannon murder. So was Taylor — who told the cops he found Harding dead in his cell and denied any wrongdoing.
3. Les Kane's body riddled with machine-gun fire in bathroom (1978)
Three men pushed his family into another room before opening fire and dragging his blood-soaked body to the boot of his Ford Futura never to be seen again. Some say it was a pre-emptive strike after a punch-up between brother Brian and Vincent Mikkelsen (later on trial as one of the killers) in which Brian came off second best, minus a chunk of his ear. Others say it was over money (see No.4). Worried the Kane brothers would come after him; Mikkelsen struck first.
4. Revenge as Ray Bennett gets gunned down in courthouse (1979)
The architect of the Great Bookie Robbery (Melbourne's Victoria Club lost as much as $15 million) 'Chuck' allegedly helped Mikkelsen and a contract killer put a hit on Les Kane (see No.3). The cops couldn't pin it on him (with no body) but the Kane family took its revenge. Incredibly, nobody could ID the killer although many believe it was Brian Kane himself (disguised in a false beard).
5. Payback as crime king Brian Kane gets shot in the face (1982)
Two men walk into an East Brunswick bar, but this was no joke. Kane had his teeth knocked out in the shooting and died the next day. Every crim, from Mikkelsen to Chris 'Mr Rent-a-Kill' Flannery, was offered up as a suspect but no-one was charged.
6. Eleven-year-old boy gets a stray bullet between the eyes (1973)
Nicholas Kolovrat died in his father's arms at the Moonee Valley Hotel. The killer's target, Laurence Chamings, was shot dead running out the back door. Sydney standover man Barry "The Bear" Kable, who went to trial for the murder but acquitted, was later bashed to a pulp and left brain damaged.
7. Sydney woman gets bullet from a .38 to the back of the head (1977)
Bottle blonde June Thompson ran a dole scam for thousands of dockers. Her body was found under the Bass Strait ferry loading ramp in Melbourne.
8. Freddie Harrison has jaw blown off with a 12-gauge shotgun (1958)
Despite the wharf being packed, no-one saw a thing but many heard the killer's words: "This is yours, Freddie". More than a dozen men said they were in the can (a two-man toilet). Apparently, it had been revenge for an incident on a recent pig-hunting trip where "Froggy" had shot off a mate's hand.
9. Alfred Nelson now buried under the docks? (1971)
Three days before a union election, Nelson known as "The Ferret" was pulled from the shower of his Collingwood home never to be seen again. His Valiant Charger was later dragged out of the Yarra, but there was no Ferret. Some say his remains are under the cement at the docks; others say he was tossed into the incinerator behind the union office.
10. Suspected killer Des Costello gets a gun unloaded in his face (1971)
Days after the Ferret's disappearance, Costello's mangled body was found in a ditch at Clifton Hill. One arm was shattered and part of his hand blown off. The rest made a mess of his face. He was due in court the next month for a break-in.
Michael Williams
Shotgun & Standover: The Story of the Painters and Dockers by James Morton and Russell Robinson, Pan Macmillan, $34.99.
Which Painters and Dockers crime do you think is the worst? Leave your comment below.
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