Ex-gangster turned breathwork coach vows to rebuild after business torched

A former gangster turned healing coach says he is “way past revenge” after his breathwork studio in Melbourne’s west was gutted by fire overnight.

Garry “Gaz” Wright’s Melton studio Hope Cartel, which runs “9D breathwork” sessions aimed at healing trauma, went up in flames in the early hours of the morning.

The former Melbourne crime figure, who now refers to himself as a “professional hope dealer”, took to social media to address the suspected firebombing.

“So as you can see, the factory got burned down last night,” he said.

“I’ll be honest, you know it’s hard, of course it’s hard, but you know like light will always conquer dark.”

Wright has vowed to rebuild the business.

“This isn’t going to stop us, you know the team are here now, everybody’s here, we live and breathe this shit, we are so passionate about what we do,” he said.

“This is a place of healing, it’s a place of love you know, it’s a place of peace.

“So many people are not in the right frame of mind when they come in this place and they leave with some clarity and some closure with where they are in life.

“It sucks that we lost everything, but in saying that, I’m a big believer [that] your challenges are your darkest days, but on the other side of that is growth.”

Addressing those responsible for the suspected arson attack, Wright said he was “way past revenge”, instead suggesting the universe would punish them for their actions.

“When karma serves them, whether it’s tomorrow or 10 years from now, i’ll probably have a good night’s sleep. Until then, we rebuild and we keep breathing people man,” Wright said.

Hope Cartel describes itself as a “community dedicated to personal growth and recovery”.

“Inspired by Garry Wright’s journey, we offer tools and support to help you overcome challenges and find hope,” the business’ website reads.

Wright spent decades wrapped up Melbourne’s underworld as a drug dealer and gangster.

The 45-year-old, who says he has turned his back on crime, has amassed 128,000 followers on Instagram and more than 300,000 followers on TikTok for his drug recovery and trauma healing content.