Funeral set for Vic gangland lawyer

A Melbourne gangland lawyer gunned down outside his cafe will be farewelled by family and friends at a funeral service on Wednesday.

The execution-style hit on Joseph "Pino" Acquaro in Brunswick East in the early hours of Tuesday is being investigated by Victoria Police's Purana Taskforce, set up in 2003 in response to the city's underworld war.

A requiem mass will be held at St Mary's Star of the Sea Catholic Church in West Melbourne at 10.30am on Wednesday and will be followed by a burial in Yarraville.