ALL muscles and imposing stature, Tony Soprano allegedly did not mince words.
“You’ve got a house, you’ve got a Harley, and you’ve got a car – what else you got? What else you got?”
His cowering victim didn’t reply – he was in fear for his life.
But this was not an episode from TV’s The Sopranos, rather allegations that have led NSW police to charge Soprano and others with kidnapping and robbery.
Police claim Soprano continued: “Look, we are going to come over with you, get the Harley, get the car and the house.”
Another man, Sam Fattal, allegedly weighed in: “Yes brother, you’re not going anywhere until we are satisfied. Get in the car.”
Soprano, from Londonderry – who changed his name by deed poll from Ali Belal – was granted bail yesterday over claims he and others forced a Greenacre man to sign over a 1999-model Pontiac Trans Am and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Soprano, Gary Bilal and Terry Bilal, from Greenacre, allegedly detained and assaulted Shakour “Jack” Namini during the incident in June this year, leaving him in fear for his life. However, lawyers for the accused men told Central Local Court the case was weak.
Barrister David Price, for the Bilal brothers, said the vehicles were in fact “payment for a civil debt”.
Solicitor Ben Archbold said Soprano and the Belal brothers vigor-ously denied the charges.
Police allege Mr Namini was picked up at his house on June 15 and taken to a laneway where he was confronted by a group of up to five men, punched in the face and lost consciousness – only to wake up in the back of a car. He saw “something that looked like a gun wrapped in a colourful tea towel” police alleged.
“The victim was scared he was going to get killed,” the court heard.
He was later taken to a laneway behind a strip of shops to meet Soprano who, with another man, ordered he hand over the property.
Police are expected to allege the dispute may involve a drug debt.
“The victim felt that if he did not do what they wanted he may be killed,” police said.
Magistrate Allan Moore granted each of the accused conditional bail on $10,000 surety.
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