Mafia car bomb murder suspect dies

MAJOR Melbourne mafia figure and car bomb murder suspect Domenico Italiano has died, only hours after being freed from jail.

Homicide squad detectives believe Italiano, who died on Saturday, was probably involved in the 1998 killing of mechanic John Furlan.

Sources said that Furlan, 48, may have had inside knowledge that Italiano rigged a children's charity raffle.

Furlan died when his Subaru Liberty exploded in a fireball near his Coburg home as he was driving to work.