Andrew Veniamin
Andrew Veniamin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 November 1975 Sunshine, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 23 March 2004 (aged 28) Carlton, Victoria, Australia |
| Other names | Benji |
| Children | 1 daughter |
| Convictions | Theft, assault |
Andrew Benjamin (Benji) Veniamin (16 November 1975 – 23 March 2004) was an Australian criminal from
Early and personal life
Veniamin was born to Greek Cypriot immigrant parents, and was raised in the Western Melbourne suburb of
Veniamin worked at the West Melbourne wholesale fruit and vegetable market.[2] A few years before his death, Veniamin fathered a daughter as the result of a casual affair.[1]
Prior to his life of crime, Veniamin was an amateur boxer. Trained by Australian Olympic Boxing Coach Beau Gerring, he was to travel to the 1994 Commonwealth Games in
He was also a known associate of Dino Dibra, who was murdered at his home in October 2000,[2] and of Paul Kallipolitis, who was shot in similar circumstances two years later. Victoria Police say Veniamin was one of the most dangerous and feared men connected to Melbourne's crime scene, and by the time of his death in 2004, they had connected him with several of Melbourne's underworld murders.[2][3] The church where he was made an altar boy, and where his funeral was held, was also no more than a block away from the Sunshine West house in front of which Dibra was killed.
Veniamin met with Nik Radev on 15 April 2003, the day Radev was murdered, in Coburg.[2] Veniamin associated with an underworld group known as The Carlton Crew; after 2003 he was connected with the Williams Family, and was a close friend of Carl Williams.[4]
Relationship with Roberta Williams
He was a close friend of Carl Williams and his wife Roberta. Although Roberta had previously rejected claims she and Veniamin were intimate, in early 2009 she admitted that he was her soulmate.[1] She said that every Tuesday he would pick her daughters up and take them to religion classes, bring them home and give them a bath. He said his favourite day of the week was Tuesday and Roberta said her younger daughter, Dhakota, idolised him.[1]
Death
Veniamin died in the La Porcella restaurant in Carlton on 23 March 2004 at around 2.30pm after being shot by former associate Domenic "Mick" Gatto. Gatto was charged with his murder but acquitted on self-defence grounds.[2]
During the trial, Gatto claimed Veniamin had pulled out a
In popular culture
In the first season of drama series Underbelly, Veniamin was portrayed by actor Damian Walshe-Howling.
References
- ^ a b c d Devlyn, Darren (18 March 2009). "'Benji was my soul mate', says Roberta Williams". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Lunch appointment turns out to be a date with death". The Age. 24 March 2004. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ Silvester, John (27 March 2004). "Bad business as usual". The Age.
- ^ "The gangland war". The Age. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ a b Russell, Mark (19 June 2005). "Lawyers, guns and Gatto". The Age. Archived from the original on 3 June 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.