Graham Kinniburgh
Encyclopedia
Graham 'The Munster' Allen Kinniburgh (1943 – 13 December 2003) was an Australian organised crime figure from Kew
, a suburb of Melbourne
, Australia
. In the drama series Underbelly
he was portrayed by actor Gerard Kennedy
.
while working on Melbourne's waterside
. A former member of the Painters and Dockers, Kinniburgh was considered Melbourne's "Mr Big" and one of the most influential gangsters in Australia. Kinniburgh garnered notoriety for his role in the Melbourne gangland killings
. On 13 December 2003, Kinniburgh himself was murdered outside his home in Kew on Belmont Avenue.
. On 16 January 1998, Kinniburgh had been drinking with associate, Lou Cozzo, at the Laurel Hotel in Ascot Vale before driving to the home of Alphonse Gangitano
.
Kinniburgh left the house shortly after 11pm to purchase cigarettes from a local store. Upon his return 30 minutes later, Kinniburgh found Gangitano had been shot several times to the head. Gangitano's de-facto wife, Virginia, was with the body of her husband who had died in the laundry. Kinniburgh adopted a code of silence
, frustrating police investigating the murder. Evidence was presented at an inquest that showed both Kinniburgh and Jason Moran
were at the home of Gangitano on the night of his murder. Both were exempted from giving evidence at the inquest on the grounds their evidence may incriminate them. Kinniburgh's blood was discovered at the murder scene and a witness had seen Moran leaving Gangitano's house.
Kew, Victoria
Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516....
, a suburb of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In the drama series Underbelly
Underbelly (series)
Underbelly is an Australian television true crime-drama which originally broadcast on the Nine Network. Each series contains 13 episodes and is based on real-life events including the Melbourne gangland killings between 1995-2004, the Griffith drug trade between 1976-1987, and the Kings Cross scene...
he was portrayed by actor Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Kennedy (actor)
Gerard Kennedy is an Australian actor and two-time Gold Logie winner. He played six different characters in guest appearances in Homicide, all in 1966...
.
Early life
Kinniburgh's criminal record consisted of charges of wounding with intent to cause murder, escaping legal custody, dishonesty, racketeering, extortion, bribery, possession of firearms, escape, resisting arrest and assaulting police. Kinniburgh met with members of the Moran familyMoran family
The Moran family is an infamous Melbourne-based criminal family, notable for their involvement in the Melbourne gangland killings. Family matriarch Judy Moran lost two sons, Jason and Mark, estranged husband Lewis, and brother-in-law Des to an underworld feud that resulted in the deaths of over 30...
while working on Melbourne's waterside
Port of Melbourne
The Port of Melbourne is Australia's busiest port for containerised and general cargo. It is located in Melbourne, Victoria and covers an area at the mouth of the Yarra River, downstream of Bolte Bridge, which is at the head of Port Phillip, as well as several piers on the bay itself...
. A former member of the Painters and Dockers, Kinniburgh was considered Melbourne's "Mr Big" and one of the most influential gangsters in Australia. Kinniburgh garnered notoriety for his role in the Melbourne gangland killings
Melbourne gangland killings
The Melbourne gangland killings were the murders in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia of 36 criminal figures or partners between 16 January 1998 and 13 August 2010. The murders were in a series of retributional murders involving various underworld groups. The deaths caused a sustained power vacuum...
. On 13 December 2003, Kinniburgh himself was murdered outside his home in Kew on Belmont Avenue.
Alphonse Gangitano murder
Kinniburgh was a long-term associate of Alphonse GangitanoAlphonse Gangitano
Alphonse John Gangitano was an Italian Australian criminal from Templestowe, a suburb of Melbourne. Nicknamed the "Black Prince of Lygon Street", Gangitano was the face of an organisation known as the Carlton Crew, and a close associate of convicted criminals Graham Kinniburgh, Mick Gatto and...
. On 16 January 1998, Kinniburgh had been drinking with associate, Lou Cozzo, at the Laurel Hotel in Ascot Vale before driving to the home of Alphonse Gangitano
Alphonse Gangitano
Alphonse John Gangitano was an Italian Australian criminal from Templestowe, a suburb of Melbourne. Nicknamed the "Black Prince of Lygon Street", Gangitano was the face of an organisation known as the Carlton Crew, and a close associate of convicted criminals Graham Kinniburgh, Mick Gatto and...
.
Kinniburgh left the house shortly after 11pm to purchase cigarettes from a local store. Upon his return 30 minutes later, Kinniburgh found Gangitano had been shot several times to the head. Gangitano's de-facto wife, Virginia, was with the body of her husband who had died in the laundry. Kinniburgh adopted a code of silence
Code of silence
A code of silence is a condition in effect when a person opts to withhold what is believed to be vital or important information voluntarily or involuntarily....
, frustrating police investigating the murder. Evidence was presented at an inquest that showed both Kinniburgh and Jason Moran
Jason Moran
Jason Matthew Patrick Moran was an Australian criminal from Melbourne, Victoria, and one of the leaders of the Moran crime family, notable for its involvement in the Melbourne gangland killings. He sported a 12 cm scar on the side of his face.-Early life:Moran was the son of Lewis Moran and...
were at the home of Gangitano on the night of his murder. Both were exempted from giving evidence at the inquest on the grounds their evidence may incriminate them. Kinniburgh's blood was discovered at the murder scene and a witness had seen Moran leaving Gangitano's house.
External links
- The Bulletin - Mobsters Inc: How Melbourne became No.1 with a bullet
- Modest mobster who kept the peace, John Silvester, The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, 14 December 2003 - From the Sacred Heart a plea to end the violence, Jamie Berry, The Age, 20 December 2003