Melbourne underworld matriarch Kath Pettingill dies after dementia battle

Melbourne underworld matriarch Kath Pettingill has died aged 91.

Pettingill, nicknamed “Granny Evil”, passed away this week at a nursing home in Venus Bay after living with dementia.

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While Pettingill’s own criminal convictions were relatively limited, her name became synonymous with Melbourne’s underworld through her family. 

She had 10 children, several of whom became key figures in organised crime and major police investigations spanning decades.

Her eldest son, Dennis Allen – nicknamed “Mr Death” – was linked by police to numerous drug-related killings, though he was never convicted of murder. He died from heart failure in hospital in 1987 while in custody.

Two other sons, Trevor Pettingill and Victor Pierce, stood trial over the 1988 Walsh Street shootings of Victoria Police officers Steven Tynan and Damien Eyre. 

Both men were acquitted by a jury. Pierce was later shot dead in 2002 during Melbourne’s gangland war.

In 1978, Pettingill lost an eye after being shot through the door of her Collingwood flat during a dispute over a $300 debt. 

She wore a glass eye for the rest of her life, and police code-named their investigation Operation Cyclops.

A former sex worker, Pettingill ran brothels while raising her family and went on to write an autobiography.

Her family’s story loosely inspired the 2010 crime film Animal Kingdom, earning Jacki Weaver an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of a character based on Pettingill.