EXCLUSIVE: Bachelor star Thomas Malucelli gets caught up in gangland shooting as ‘Australia’s Tony Soprano’ is shot dead on his wife’s 51st birthday
Bachelor star Thomas Malucelli found himself inadvertently caught up in the aftermath of a shocking gangland shooting in Sydney‘s east early Tuesday morning.
Malucelli, 35, was photographed looking dazed as he walked past the crime scene where notorious cocaine Kingpin Alen Moradian, known as ‘Australia’s Tony Soprano,’ was shot dead.
The shooting occurred in an underground car park in Bondi Junction, a mere few streets away from where the reality TV star resides.
While he wasn’t directly caught up in the incident, Malucelli was outside for his morning meditation session when he heard the gunshots ring out.
‘I usually go for a walk around that time but this morning I had a coaching call so stayed in. Super lucky,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
Bachelor star Thomas Malucelli has found himself inadvertently caught up in the aftermath of a shocking gangland shooting in Sydney’s east early Tuesday morning
Malucelli, 35, was photographed looking dazed as he walked past the crime scene where notorious cocaine Kingpin Alen Moradian, known as ‘Australia’s Tony Soprano,’ was shot dead
‘I was outside meditating in the sun when I heard the shot, and then [saw] all the cars, [and] sirens happened…’
The shooting took place in an underground car park in Bondi Junction, where Moradian was found dead in his car around 8:30 am.
The Sydney crime figure was shot dead in a brazen daylight ambush next door to Bondi Junction’s Holiday Inn hotel on Spring Street.
A local resident of Bondi Junction, Malucelli, popular for his stint on Ten’s doomed dating show The Bachelors, was seen walking past the scene later that morning.
Malucelli was outside for his morning meditation session when he heard the gunshots ring out
Known for his connections to the Comanchero bikie gang and his significant role in the city’s cocaine network, Moradian had reportedly been targeted by up to two hitmen.
Police sources stated Moradian had a ‘big target on his back’ due to his extensive criminal involvements.
Moradian had recently launched a gemstone business and had escalated security measures at his wife’s rural property just a week before his death, which tragically coincided with his wife’s 51st birthday.
His murder marks a chilling escalation in the ongoing turf war amongst Sydney’s criminal factions.
In an eerie coincidence, one of the assailants managed to set a getaway car on fire after the shooting, adding a macabre twist to an already grim situation.
The Sydney police force has launched a full-scale investigation into the incident.
‘I usually go for a walk around that time but this morning I had a coaching call so stayed in. Super lucky,’ he told Daily Mail Australia