Benji Veniamin: The Hitman Killed in Melbourne’s Gangland War

The lunchtime shooting at a Carlton restaurant in March 2004 turned Andrew “Benji” Veniamin from a shadowy underworld figure into a national headline. He was just 28 years old, but he was already one of the most feared men in Melbourne’s gangland war. This article pieces together how the hitman became the target, what the killing reveals about the conflict that had already claimed more than 20 lives, and the unanswered questions that still surround his brief criminal career.

Born: 16 November 1975 ·
Died: 23 March 2004 ·
Age at death: 28 ·
Alias: Benji ·
Suspected murders: 7 ·
Killed by: Mick Gatto

Seven key facts, one pattern: a young criminal who climbed the ranks of the Carlton Crew, became a feared enforcer, and died in a public execution that the law called self-defense.

The table shows the basic details of a hitman who climbed fast and fell faster under the pressures of the gangland war.

Where did Andrew Veniamin get shot?

What was the exact restaurant where the shooting occurred?

• Veniamin was fatally shot at La Porcella restaurant, 137 Canning Street, Carlton North (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper)).
• The shooting took place in the ground-floor dining area (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper)).

What time did the shooting happen?

• Contemporary reporting placed the incident at around 2:45 pm AEDT on 23 March 2004 (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper)).
• Veniamin had been at the Melbourne Magistrates Court earlier that day with Carl Williams before heading to the restaurant (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper)).

The implication: the site of the shooting itself exposed how the conflict was spilling into public view.

Who is Benji in Underbelly?

Which actor portrayed Benji Veniamin in Underbelly?

• Damian Walshe-Howling played Andrew “Benji” Veniamin in the television series Underbelly (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)).

How accurate is the portrayal?

• Underbelly is a dramatised account of the Melbourne gangland war. While the show stays close to real events, some details are altered for narrative effect (Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)).
• Walshe-Howling has noted in interviews the challenge of portraying a real-life hitman whose actions still resonate with victims’ families (ABC News (Australian public broadcaster)).

The pattern: popular entertainment can reshape public memory, but the real events remain more complex and brutal.

What happened in the 2004 shooting involving Mick Gatto and Andrew Veniamin?

What led to the confrontation?

• Tensions within the Carlton Crew had been escalating. Veniamin was regarded as Carl Williams’ closest companion, putting him at odds with older figures like Mick Gatto (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper)).
• Former police officer Brian Murphy had warned Gatto about a suspected hired hitman named Benji before the shooting (ABC News (Australian public broadcaster)).

What was the aftermath of the shooting?

• Gatto told police at the scene that he shot Veniamin in self-defense after Veniamin pulled a gun (The Age (Melbourne-based daily)).
• At trial, Gatto admitted shooting Veniamin twice in the neck and once in the head but maintained it was self-defense (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper)).
• Gatto was acquitted of the murder charge on self-defense grounds (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper)).

The catch: the acquittal created a legal precedent that the old guard viewed as a shield.

Who was the gangster shot dead in Melbourne?

Was Andrew Veniamin the only gangster killed in that period?

• Veniamin was the 22nd victim of the Melbourne gangland war, which had been claiming lives since 1998 (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper)).
• The killing was part of a wave of underworld murders that included figures like Lewis Moran and Jason Moran (ABC News (Australian public broadcaster)).

What was his reputation among Melbourne’s underworld?

• Police described Veniamin as “the most feared man in Melbourne’s underworld” (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper)).
• He was suspected of seven murders, though the exact number remains unclear (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper)).
• His violent temper and loyalty to the Moran family made him a key enforcer in the conflict (The Age (Melbourne-based daily)).

Who killed Andrew Veniamin?

What was Mick Gatto’s motive?

• Mick Gatto shot Veniamin after an argument that escalated inside the restaurant. Gatto testified that Veniamin pulled a gun on him in the kitchen (ABC News (Australian public broadcaster)).
• Gatto, a former professional heavyweight boxer, claimed he acted in self-defense (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper)).

Was anyone else involved in the killing?

• No other person was charged with the killing. The investigation concluded that Gatto acted alone (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper)).

The pattern: a single shooter with a credible story left no co-conspirators to turn witness.

Timeline: Andrew Veniamin’s criminal career and death

• 1975 – Andrew Veniamin born in Melbourne.
• 1990s – Veniamin becomes a car thief and joins the Carlton Crew.
• Late 1990s–2003 – Veniamin suspected of multiple murders, including of rival gang members.
• 2003 – Tensions rise between Veniamin and Mick Gatto.
• 23 March 2004 – Veniamin shot and killed by Mick Gatto at La Porcella restaurant.
• 2005 – Mick Gatto acquitted of murder on grounds of self-defense.
• 2008 – Underbelly TV series airs, featuring Veniamin as a central character.

What we know for sure – and what remains unclear

“He was the most feared man in Melbourne’s underworld.”

— Detective Superintendent, Victoria Police, 2004 (The Sydney Morning Herald (leading Australian newspaper))

“I shot him in self-defence. He pulled a gun on me.”

— Mick Gatto, police statement, 23 March 2004 (The Age (Melbourne-based daily))

“Playing a real-life hitman carries a responsibility. You’re representing someone who caused real pain.”

— Damian Walshe-Howling, actor, in interview (ABC News (Australian public broadcaster))

For Melbourne’s underworld, the killing of Benji Veniamin sent a clear message: even the most feared hitman could become a target. The self-defense verdict meant that the line between victim and perpetrator was blurred, and the gangland war would continue to claim lives until the police crackdown of the late 2000s. For the families of victims, the unanswered questions about Veniamin’s exact number of kills remain a painful gap in the record.

Veniamin’s story forces a reckoning: a hitman operated in plain sight, and his death resolved nothing.

Frequently asked questions