Luxury car dealership linked to hospitality empire firebombed

A luxury car dealership run by a wealthy businessman and member of a well-known Melbourne hospitality family has been firebombed.

Police are investigating the suspicious fire after three men allegedly smashed their way into the Aston Martin dealership on Swan Street, Richmond, on Thursday night and used fuel to light a fire and flee in a getaway car.

Two cleaners were inside the dealership at the time, but escaped uninjured. The building sustained only minor damage.

Police say they are looking for the trio who have been described as short and chubby and were all wearing black jumpers, tracksuit pants, shoes and jackets.

Officers also said they will conduct further patrols of the Richmond area in coming nights.

The dealership’s website lists Bartolomeo “Bobby” Zagame as the managing director and owner. He is the managing director of the Zagame Automotive Group, which holds exclusive dealership rights over prestige brands including Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Ferrari, according to The Australian Financial Review.

An employee at the dealership said he could not comment on the firebombing when contacted by The Age on Friday morning.

Bobby is a part of the Zagame family, which runs the Zagame Corporation hospitality empire owned by his father Robert and uncle Victor Jr. It was founded by their father Victor Zagame.

The family made their fortune in pokie pubs and last year sold CBD venue The Garden State Hotel for $35 million. Zagame Corporation owns a Caulfield pub and a steakhouse, a 97-room hotel in Carlton and luxury hotel and casino in Vanuatu.

Corporate records indicate Bobby Zagame is not currently directly involved in the family’s hospitality empire, but was once a director. In an online Q&A article, Bobby said he spent time working for the family hospitality business – including as managing director – before becoming burnt out and leaving the industry to run the Zagame’s automotive interests.

It is unclear whether the firebombing of the Aston Martin dealership is linked to a wave of attacks on hospitality venues and owners across Melbourne. A police spokesperson said detectives would attend the business on Friday morning to investigate further.

The Age on Thursday revealed venue owners targeted in firebombings had begun receiving extortion demands for $10,000 a month. “Your payment of 10k per month starts today,” messages to owners read. “Hurry the f--- up.”

Threatening messages were previously sent to venues, believed to have been delivered by an Iraq-based gang known as “the Cartel”, which includes a 23-year-old who was a key member of Kazem “Kaz” Hamad’s organised crime crew. The crew were behind the tobacco wars.

The Richmond dealership on Swan Street has long been the head office of Bobby Zagame’s car retail business. In 2013, his father Robert paid about $10 million for neighbouring properties to expand his car empire and control about 9000 square metres of the major thoroughfare.

With Alexander Darling

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