Francesco Mangione

Francesco Mangione is an Italian-born Australian, convicted of the 2002 murder of his 26-year-old cousin, Denis Giunta, in his Williamstown home.[1]

Francesco Mangione
Born (1957-07-23) 23 July 1957
Sicily, Italy
Occupations
  • Electrical apprentice
  • Ice cream van operator
Conviction(s)Murder
Criminal penalty22 years imprisonment, 18 years non-parole period

Early life

Mangione, of Moonee Ponds, Victoria was born 23 July 1957 in Sicily. In 1969 he came to Australia. Apprenticed to the former State Electricity Commission of Victoria, he was in 1978 named by the Industrial Training Commission of Victoria as the outstanding radio tradesman apprentice of that year.[2][3][4] He departed the SECV in 1989 and began operating an ice cream van. In 1992 Mangione was arrested and detained, but he was later released due to there being no evidence to support charges over a missing six-year-old girl found in his ice cream van.[5] In 1993 an incident occurred between his family and that of Giunta, also an ice cream van operator, escalating a turf war which included a violent fight between Mangione and Giunta.

Criminal history

On 5 February 2002 Giunta returned home from work. After showering he stepped naked into the bedroom where his wife lay sleeping and Mangione lay in wait. Mangione then attacked Giunta slashing, stabbing, and hacking at him with a homemade sword. Giunta's wife, Laura, awakened by her husband's screams, escaped via the bedroom's balcony leading to the outside garage roof where she leaped to the ground, breaking her leg, requiring further hospitalization for 21 days and in need of a wheelchair and crutches upon her release. Giunta died at the scene from massive injuries. Mangione fled the scene dropping the weapon as he did. His DNA was later found on the handle of the sword and tools were found in his home which were forensically linked to the making of the weapon.[6]

Trial

The trial lasted for ten days. On 13 February 2004 Mangione was found guilty by a jury. He was sentenced by Harper J to 22 years imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 18 years.[2] On 21 February 2006 the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal dismissed Mangione's appeal against the severity of his sentence.[6] Mangione continues to maintain his innocence. In 2010 it was reported that Mangione was imprisoned in Barwon Prison.[7]

References
  1. "22 years for ice cream vendor who hacked rival to death". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 April 2004.
  2. R v Mangione [2004] VSC 135 (22 April 2004), Supreme Court (Vic, Australia).
  3. Some cookin', good lookin'. The Herald, 31 July 1978. Mangione in a photo but not named. (State Library of Victoria). Apprentice cook of the year was congratulated by five SEC apprentices who had been judged the top of their respective trades.
  4. Well done for an apprentice cook. The Age, 1 August 1978. Mangione not in photo but named. (State Library of Victoria). The SEC scooped the pool. It employs the other five award winners. They are - ,- , Frank Mangione (radio), -, -.
  5. Icecream man goes free. Herald Sun, 6 June 1992, article+photo. (State Library of Victoria). Article summary: Police search for a six-year-old girl reported missing. The girl found in Mangione's ice cream van when he was arrested was not distressed. Mangione spent Easter in custody. He believed he had the approval of her parents. He should never have been charged with any offense said the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Bernard Bongiorno QC. Charges were withdrawn and police ordered to pay costs.
  6. R v Mangione [2006] VSCA 34 (21 February 2006), Court of Appeal (Vic, Australia).
  7. Ansley, Greg (24 April 2010). "Aussie gang boss' death points to inside job". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
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