OFF THE WIRE
THE Finks have taken control of wounded gxxg leader Vince Focarelli's infamous Hindley St tattoo parlour, Ink Central.
A senior Finks Motorcycle gxxg member took the keys to the parlour after the locks were changed yesterday.
The timing could not be worse for Focarelli, who is at the Royal Adelaide Hospital recovering from an ambush which killed his son Giovanni, as the underworld empire he built continues to crumble around him.
The parlour has become synonymous with gang violence since Focarelli used it as a base to set up the New Boys - a gang of vicious but fiercely loyal youths from the northern suburbs.
Since then, the parlour has been the scene of numerous brawls, the stabbing of Giovanni and a shooting which left a 17-year-old tattooist a quadriplegic.
The parlour has been repainted and newspapers are stuck across the windows.
Several muscle-bound men were loitering around the parlour yesterday afternoon.
Focarelli had managed the parlour with his close friend, Michael Sfyris, and for years it was frequented by New Boys and then Comanchero members when Focarelli joined the gxxg early last year.
When Focarelli was dumped as SA president, interstate Comancheros stripped the parlour last month of any paraphernalia relating to the bikie gxxg.
Since his release from jail in 2006, there have been four attempts on his life.
He remained under police guard at the Royal Adelaide Hospital yesterday, which went into lockdown after a suspicious package addressed to Focarelli was delivered anonymously. It was reported to police just before 5pm.
The main foyer of the hospital remained closed until 6.30pm when police cleared the package.
They would not reveal what was found inside the package.
Focarelli has undergone a second round of surgery after his lawyer, Stacey Carter, confirmed he had been shot four times during the ambush at Dry Creek on Sunday night.
Mrs Carter said that despite having a bullet lodged in his skull, Focarelli remained in a stable condition. He was expected to make a full recovery.
"For any family that loses a loved one, it is a very tragic situation and they have just asked for privacy and respect," she said.
Focarelli boasted last month he was "the only man on the planet with nine lives".
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/finks-bikie-gang-take-control-of-focarellis-hindley-st-tattoo-parlour/story-e6frea6u-1226258885194