A fly-in, fly-out assassin is suspected to have jetted in from overseas on a Mafia-sanctioned mission to kill a successful greengrocer in a brutal gangland execution.
John Latorre, 64, was gunned down outside his Greenvale home in Melbourne’s north as he headed to work early last Tuesday morning.
His family were woken by the gunshots and found his body lying in the driveway. Almost one week later, Mr Latorre’s killer still remains at large.
Underworld sources believe the execution was so well planned they believe it had to be ‘100 per cent’ endorsed by the highest levels of mafia leadership.
Mr Latorre is understood to have been a discreet but influential member of the ‘Ndrangheta – a powerful Mafia organisation from Calabria, southern Italy.
Sources believe that John Latorre (pictured) was gunned down by fly-in fly-out assassin on orders from high up in the Mafia
Sources claim the execution of the successful greengrocer outside his home (pictured) as he left for work was well planned
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‘This was smooth … cool, calm and calculating,’ a source told the Herald Sun.
‘This is a professional job. There’s not that many people able to pull that off.
‘They wouldn’t have done it without assurances. It’s a big job.’
The source added that many didn’t see Mr Latorre’s killing coming which he described as a ‘huge shock’.
He added that the possibility of retaliatory attacks was unlikely.
Another theory circulating in the underworld is that a bungled 2020 ‘black flight’ cocaine importation bound for Queensland could be a factor behind the murder.
An overloaded Cessna packed with $80million of the drug crashed after takeoff from Papua New Guinea.
Mr Latorre was suspected of playing a key role in the botched importation which left investors with heavy losses.
He was known to visit friend and international drug trafficker Frank Madafferi but did not have a major criminal record.
Mr Latorre was shot multiple times in the driveway of his Buchanan Place home around 4.30am last Tuesday.
He had been heading to work at Melbourne Market in Epping, where he ran a successful fruit and vegetable business.
Shocked friends and family rushed to the scene where John Latorre was gunned down in his Greenvale driveway last Tuesday morning
A source close to Mr Latorre said he had felt no threat on his life prior to his death.
‘There was no indication of any threats to his life,’ they said last week.
Homicide detectives are still investigating whether the shooting was linked to organised crime.
‘There’s nothing to suggest retaliation at this point in time,’ Detective Senior Sergeant Danny Travaglini told reporters last Tuesday.
‘However, you’ve also got to understand, that if there are links to organised crime, there is the potential for retaliation.’
Homicide detectives have collected CCTV and have narrowed down their investigations to a four-hour window between 2am and 6am in their hunt to track down Mr Latorre’s killer.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
John Latorre (pictured) was reportedly a discreet but influential member of the ‘Ndrangheta – a powerful mafia organisation from Calabria, southern Italy
The police manhunt to find John Latorre’s killer entered its seventh day on Monday. Pictured are forensic officers at the crime scene
