Police warned Melbourne mafia not to murder lawyer Joseph Acquaro: report

Former gangland lawyer Joseph Acquaro was warned of a $200,000 underworld murder contract placed on his head almost a year before he was gunned down, according to reports.

This morning a garbage collector found the body of the café owner and former lawyer on the footpath of a Brunswick East street in Melbourne.

Police believe Mr Acquaro was shot by a single gunman in a drive-by attack when walking to his car after closing his gelato business about 12.40am.

The Age reports that Mr Acquaro had been warned in June last year about the $200,000 contract on his life.

Police also went to the workplace of a Calabrian mafia figure with a simple message: "If anything happens to Joe Acquaro, we'll know where to start looking", the newspaper reports.

A former criminal lawyer, Mr Acquaro had represented several Melbourne mafia figures in the past.

He later reportedly fell out with his former clients and distanced himself from the mafia world.

Police are now investigating whether 2014 leaks about the mafia to The Age, rumoured to be from Mr Acquaro, could have motivated his murder.

His café, Gelobar, was damaged by a suspicious fire in January, with the blaze destroying part of the upper level of the building.

Detective Inspector Michael Hughes said Mr Acquaro appeared to have been killed in a "targeted attack".

"We have an early report that a witness has heard a car travelling down that street away from Lygon at reasonably high speed," he told 9NEWS.

Det Insp Hughes would not say how many gunshot wounds the man suffered or what type of gun was used in the murder.

He said it was "always a concern when someone meets their death like this in a public place".

Fellow business owner George Mirabella paid tribute to his highly regarded friend.

“I've virtually known him my whole life since childhood, and my heart goes out to the family, a family that has a heart as big as gold,” he said.

Customers of the cafe remembered the victim's kind manner.

“I never saw him upset, he’s nice and friendly and happy,” one customer said.

“He always had time for everybody, that’s the sort of bloke he was,” another said.

Anyone with information in relation to the death is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.