Bert Wrout was shot and technically killed during the Melbourne gangland war in 2004, yet maintains a sharp wit and sardonic turn of phrase. Bert still drinks at a local pub similar to the one where he and underworld crime boss Lewis Moran were both shot. He spent more than ten years as Moran’s drinking mate, driver and confidante and 15 years as Moran’s associate before that. Bert continues to exercise his mind with a steady flow of critical emails to authorities and journalists who no doubt curse the day he accessed a personal computer.

 

Brett Quine says a murder confession by police bomber Craig Minogue – in an undercover jail interview – was possibly his best story before now. Brett had been a newspaper crime reporter for more than 20 years, and busted corrupt cops, triads, politicians and bungling spies. He regularly drank with Lewis Moran and Bert Wrout as part of his network of criminal and legal contacts. Brett was effectively dismissed for misconduct by the Herald Sun in the late 1990s, after 12 years’ service. He is a bar owner-operator in West Melbourne and recently founded outlawsbulletin.com.