Witness to Lewis Moran murder dies at 73

Bert Wrout, who was wounded when his friend and underworld figure Lewis Moran was shot dead in a Melbourne bar in 2004, has died after a long illness.

The Herald Sun reports Mr Wrout had battled obstructive cardio-pulmonary disease and died in hospital on Sunday at the age of 73.

He was with gangland identity Lewis Moran when two gunmen burst into the front bar of the Brunswick Club 11 years ago, shooting Moran dead and seriously wounding Mr Wrout in the arm and chest.

Drug kingpin Carl Williams commissioned Lewis Moran's murder, which was carried out by gunmen Evangelos Goussis and Noel Faure.

All three faced life sentences with substantial minimum terms.

Williams had pleaded guilty to the murders of Lewis Moran, his son Jason and a third man, Mark Mallia, in separate instances.

Williams himself was murdered by fellow inmate Matthew Johnson, who bashed him to death with part of an exercise bike in their Barwon Prison cell in 2010.