Just as the glamourous plastic gangsters from the Underbelly TV series fade from our small screens — with glittering AFI awards for acting — the real freaks and monsters from the bloody Melbourne gangland wars will be on trial for murder in the Victorian Supreme Court in the coming weeks.

Unlike the art which imitated the real thing, there was nothing at all glamourous about cold-blooded executions of Victor Peirce at Port Melbourne on 1 May, 2002, Michael Marshall at South Yarra on 25 October, 2003, and the double whammy of Terry and Christine Hodson at Kew on 15 May, 2004.

Victoria Police believe they know the hitmen behind the first two slayings and they suspect one of their own was responsible for organising the execution of the Hodsons — just before Terry Hodson was about to give evidence against them in court.

First up today for hearing before Justice Cummins is the trial of Faruk Orman and Vince Benvenuto for the murder of Victor Peirce. Both men have pleaded not guilty.

Of all the colourful characters the Kookas have encountered in our stroll down the dark side of the life of crime, the Pettingill-Allen-Peirce clan was easily the most menacing. They were an old working-class family that never worked, except for their day jobs with the notorious Painters and Dockers Union.

Victor Peirce wasn’t the worst of them by any means. However, he was an accomplished hitman, an armed robber, a drug dealer and standover man who was acquitted of the 1988 Walsh St police killings.

Peirce would also ride shotgun for the Benvenuto family which had been running rackets at the Victoria Markets for the Honoured Society since the 1963 mafia murders.

The boss of the family was Libero Benvenuto, who died of natural causes in 1988. Vince Benvenuto’s brother Frank inherited the family business and Peirce was his bodyguard. Unfortunately, he was not there to protect his man when Frank was shot dead in his car at Beaumaris on 8 May, 2000.

Victor Peirce was murdered as he sat in his car in Bay St, Port Melbourne, on 1 May, 2002. Prosecutors believe that notorious hitman Andrew “Benji” Veniamin was the shooter in both murders.

Unfortunately, Benji’s life ended in a Carlton restaurant on 23 March, 2004, when he had a violent disagreement with Big Mick Gatto of stockbroking fame. Gatto was acquitted of his murder on the grounds of self-defence, but is sure to be a keen observer of progress in this trial.

Next week, Fat Tony Mokbel is expected to appear in the same court for the murder of hotdog and drug salesman Michael Marshall at South Yarra on 25 October, 2003. Carl “Babyface” Williams (and two others who cannot be named) have already pleaded guilty to this murder.

The Kookas believe it is a toss-up which one of these trials goes on to become the trial of the century. We also repeat our request for the trials to be televised.