Moran's brother 'shot dead' in Melbourne

By LARISSA HAM and MEX COOPER - The Age

Desmond 'Tuppence' Moran, member of a notorious Melbourne underworld family, has been shot dead - the fourth member of the clan to suffer a violent death.

Mr Moran, 60, the brother of slain gangland figure Lewis Moran and uncle of Jason and Mark, was shot at the Ascot Pasta & Deli Cafe on the busy Union Road shopping strip in Ascot Vale about midday.

He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head, an ambulance spokesman said.

Homicide Detective Inspector Steve Clark said Mr Moran had been confronted by two men wearing dark clothing and balaclavas. Both are believed to have shot at the 60-year-old, who was inside the cafe at the time.

"Two men fled the scene on foot, they were seen getting in a dark blue or green vehicle,'' Detective Inspector Clark said.

The men drove north down Union Road and are yet to found.

Detective Inspector Clark said spent cases had been recovered at the crime scene and it was believed both men had shot at the victim.

He said police were undertaking a formal identification process before confirming the victim.

The Homicide Squad is investigating the murder, and Purana detectives would be called on if needed. Ballistics experts are also at the scene.

Shots rang out

A nearby worker who heard the shots fired just a few shops away, said people were shocked after the shooting.

"People were just shocked and standing. . . it was freaky," she told AAP.

"I don't think they knew what it was, but I knew what it was, because I'm American."

Maurice Moschini, from Maddison real estate agency, said he heard about six shots fired around noon.

"I thought it was gunfire – at least half a dozen shots," he said.

He said five minutes later three police cars and an ambulance had arrived, with the street being cordoned off.

"The thing that's most shocked me was that the street was full of young families out shopping – there are a lot of shaken people walking around," he said.

Several doors down, Union Deli and Cafe owner Anne Boland said the first she knew of the shooting was when a customer ran in.

She said someone had been shot and within minutes people knew it was Des Moran.

"Everybody knew Dessy," Ms Boland said.

"He was just one of our locals. He would have coffee outside that deli every day.

"We knew his name, we knew his family history, but he was just one of our locals."

Ms Boland said Mr Moran had been liked on the Union Road shopping strip, "because nothing ever happened, he was just one of the locals".

This was the first time there had been any problems on Union Road, she said.

Mr Moran is the brother of Lewis Moran and uncle of Jason and Mark Moran who were killed in Melbourne's underworld war.

Matriarch 'ran off screaming'

Judy Moran, the widow of Lewis and mother of Jason and Mark, was at the scene of the shooting in Ascot Vale.

Mrs Moran screamed and raced to Union Road when she heard the news about Mr Moran's murder.

A female family member who answered the door at Mrs Moran's Moonee Ponds home said: "Is that what happened? She just screamed and ran off'' when told by The Age of the shooting.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the murder was being investigated by Crime Department detectives.

Members from the gangland taskforce Purana had not yet been sent to the scene.

Police would not confirm the victim's identity.

The location of the shooting is in the vicinity of an attack earlier this year on Mr Moran as he sat in a car in the driveway of his Ascot Vale home.

Mr Moran was shot at last March while sitting in his Mercedes-Benz in the driveway of his Langs Road house when a masked gunman ambushed his car.

The driver, Mick Linsdell, was lucky to survive as the bullet hit the steering wheel.

At the time, the head of the Purana Taskforce, Detective Inspector Bernie Edwards, said: "He's an extremely lucky fellow because other than the steering wheel, I reckon he would be dead.

"A shot going through the front windscreen chest-high isn't a scare tactic - obviously, the person is trying to kill someone".

The gunman donned a dark balaclava but committed the criminal faux pas of wearing one several sizes too big, allowing much of his face to peek through the hole.

At the time of the March shooting, police said Mr Moran was well-liked and had few enemies.

His brother Lewis was shot dead in the Brunswick Club on March 31, 2004, nephew Jason at Essendon North on June 21, 2003, and Mark near Essendon on June 15, 2000.

- with John Silvester and AAP