The daughter of John Latorre, the Melbourne underworld figure gunned down in his driveway has shared tragic new details about the moments after he was shot.
At a packed funeral, Latorre was remembered as ‘a man of honour, respect and generosity’ and his daughter said she did ‘everything she could’ to save him after his execution-style murder.
The family hugged and cried as they continued into the church, decked out in head-to-toe black for the somber affair.
While hundreds of mourners filled the seats in St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Moonee Ponds, Latorre’s flower-strewn casket was displayed at the front of the church, complete with a wreath and framed picture of Latorre.
A heart-shaped floral tribute was also placed in front, spelling out ‘Nonno’ in red letters, while hymns played in the background in both English and Italian.
Mourners gather outside St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Moonee Ponds as family members walk outside with a photo of Latorre after the service
Sources believe Melbourne fruiterer John Latorre (pictured) was gunned down by a fly-in-fly-out assassin on orders from high up in the mafia
Mourners wore all black as they said goodbye to Latorre, who was described as a ‘man of honour’ at the service
Sir. Latorre is said to have been a discreet but influential member of the Australian arm of the ‘Ndrangheta – a powerful mafia organization from Calabria in southern Italy.
Latorre’s wife Maria and daughter Antoinette shared the roles of the Catholic death rites, including sprinkling the coffin with water and lighting the memorial candle.
Antoinette paid my tribute saying her father was a ‘pillar of strength’.
“Latorre in Italian translates to ‘the tower’ and dad, you always will be,” she said.
‘My beautiful and amazing father, I can’t believe you are no longer here with us – it was not your time to go.
‘I want you to know that I tried everything I could that morning to help you. I was just with you as you are with me.
Sources claim the execution of the successful greengrocer outside his home (pictured) as he left for work was highly planned
Shocked friends and family rushed to the scene where John Latorre was gunned down in his Greenvale driveway last Tuesday morning
‘My courage and strength came from you that day – we will always remember you and say your name, you will never be forgotten.
‘You were a man of honour, respect and generosity. You taught us the importance of family. You told us that we are strong and that we must hold our heads high.’
Latorre’s other daughter, Melina, broke down in tears as she paid her tribute, saying she had ‘never felt such pain’ and that her heart was ‘broken beyond repair’.
“You taught us the value of respecting our family and friends from such a young age, which I think has really become a part of who we are,” she said.
‘You were a big softie at heart and would do anything for us.
‘Not a day goes by where we don’t look at your picture and talk to you.
‘How I am truly sorry that you have left this earth so suddenly and not in your own or God’s time.
“You didn’t deserve this.”
The church was packed for the 64-year-old, who ran a wholesale fruit business
John Latorre, Melbourne underworld figure gunned down in his driveway, has been remembered by family at his funeral
Pallbearers carry Mr Latorre’s ornate coffin from St Monica’s Cathedral
Father Joe Giacobbe gave the introduction to the Mass and said that apart from formal tributes such as eulogies, a clear tribute to Latorre was the large number of people who attended the funeral.
“If you want a tribute to the lord, look around,” he said.
‘This is quite a large church and it’s full, probably twice the capacity.’
Another introduction and opening prayer was also said in Italian, including a series of Ave Maria prayers of thanksgiving.
Latorre was a fruiterer who had been a regular at the Melbourne Markets in Epping.
Around 4:30 a.m. on March 12, he was shot in the upper body in the driveway of his home in Greenvale as he went to work.
Killed instantly, his bloodied body was discovered soon after by a horrified family member.
John Latorre’s daughter Antoinette revealed she was the family member who found his body and told mourners she did ‘everything I could’ to save him
A heart with the word Nonno was done by younger family members
Father Joe Giacobbe told those in attendance to ‘look around’ at how full the church was if they ‘wanted a tribute to the gentlemen’
The herald The Sun previously reported that Latorre’s assassination contract would have needed the go-ahead from top Mafia kingpins, suggesting it may have been a fly-in, fly-out type of job.
Several sources confirmed to the same masthead that there was no way the assassination of such a high status as Latorre could have happened without the sanction of the bosses of the honorable society.
Detectives are piecing together the circumstances surrounding the hit job and continue to appeal for any information relating to the murder.
It is understood that a small motorbike was the killer’s getaway vehicle, with police intelligence suggesting the bike, which ‘made a loud noise’, was seen near Latorre’s Buchanan Place home around the time of the murder.
Police continue to investigate possible links to organized crime in the shooting.
No one has been charged in his death and police are still looking for his killer.