- Many mafia identities are now free to appear on the roads
- The Victoria Police measure has lost its effectiveness.
A ban on Australian mafia figures attending spring carnival racing competitions has reportedly been lifted, leaving some of the country’s most notorious criminals free to party at events such as the Melbourne Cup.
Victoria Police were given legal power to ban underworld figures from the Crown Casino in Melbourne and all racing venues in the state from 2004.
The move came as part of Melbourne’s crackdown on underworld figures, giving police broad power to exclude those with criminal records or other evidence against them showing they had broken racing and gaming laws.
As a result, around 600 suspected criminals and their associates were blocked from accessing the locations.
Those exclusion orders, which are issued at the discretion of the police chief commissioner, allegedly included the likes of Tony Mokbel, Carl Williams and Mick Gatto along with biker leaders Toby Mitchell, Mick Murray and Jay Malkoun.
Mob boss Rocco Arico and former jockey Danny Nikolic, who rode Mummify to win the Caulfield Cup in 2003, but were banned from all racing venues after several convictions, were also reported to have been banned. including recklessly causing injuries to jockey Mark Pegus in 2011.
Nikolic unsuccessfully attempted to have his exclusion order removed to resurrect his sporting career in 2015, 2017 and again in 2020.
However, news corporation has reported that a number of these exclusion orders have been revoked since 2020, allowing convicted offenders to attend the 2024 Spring Racing Carnival, including the Melbourne Cup.
Mick Gatto was one of the first figures to be issued an exclusion order by Victoria Police, but that order was reportedly lifted earlier this year.
Former Comanchero boss Amad ‘Jay’ Malkoun was another of those banned from Victorian racecourses and the Crown Casino under exclusion orders.
Mick Gatto is a well-known Australian figure associated with Melbourne’s criminal underworld, particularly during the 1990s and 2000s.
He gained public attention for his involvement in organized crime and was acquitted of the murder of Andrew Veniamin in 2004, claiming self-defense.
Gatto was one of the first people to be banned under Victoria Police exclusion orders, but revealed to News Corp that he received a letter saying the ban had been revoked around May this year.
“I think a lot of people did,” Gatto said.
“They told me that 200 people were allowed to return. I’ve been to the races, but not the casino, to be honest.
“I find it incredible that I was banned because I was accused of murder, but when I was acquitted it should have been null and void.”
Former jockey Danny Nikolic (pictured left) was also banned from and attending races after assaulting fellow jockey Mark Pegus.
Excluded figures who had their orders lifted were able to attend the 2024 Spring Racing Carnival, including the Melbourne Cup, for free.
Convicted drug dealer Harry Mokbel, Tony’s brother, also previously had his exclusion order lifted after challenging its validity in court.
“As part of this review, an exclusion order has recently been withdrawn,” a police spokeswoman said at the time.
“It is important to note that just because an exclusion order has been withdrawn does not mean that a new exclusion order cannot be issued for an individual.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Victoria Police for comment.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the orders were being reviewed in 2001 to determine their validity today.
“We can confirm that, as a matter of good practice, all exclusion orders are currently being reviewed to ensure they remain relevant and that procedural fairness was applied to individuals,” the spokeswoman said. The age.
‘An exclusion order has recently been withdrawn as part of this review.
“It is important to note that just because an exclusion order has been withdrawn does not mean that a new exclusion order cannot be issued for an individual.”