KUALA LUMPUR – A quiet person who kept to himself but tipped really well.
This was the personality of alleged Israeli hitman Shalom Avitan, who had been dining regularly at the famed Italian pizza joint Luce Osteria Contemporanea before his arrest on March 27.
Famous for its pizzas, the critically acclaimed diner in Old Malaya, Jalan Raja Chulan, is listed among the top 10 best pizzerias in Asia.
The restaurant was listed in the Top 10 Asia 2020 category, according to the Italy-based 50 Top Pizza 2020 awards.
It was previously reported that Avitan, who has a French passport, was found with six guns, including a Glock, Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, and Stoeger, as well as hundreds of bullets, when he was arrested at a hotel on Jalan Ampang.
Investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department and Special Branch found that the man entered the country on March 12 with a French passport via a flight from the United Arab Emirates.
Foreign media claimed that the 38-year-old was supposedly an associate of the Musli brothers’ crime family, a notorious Jewish mob syndicate, and was said to have been en route to assassinate the head of a rival gang.
The founder of Luce Osteria, Roberto Guiati, shared with Scoop his and his staff’s close encounter with the Margarita pizza-loving secret operative.
“The Margarita pizza was his favourite dish. He’d also order a pasta and usually a seafood main,” said Guiati.
Being a non-halal or non-kosher restaurant probably explained why Avitan went for “safe” choices like seafood and vegetarian dishes.
Although, according to one staff member, he once downed six pegs of whisky in one sitting.
Investigations reveal he was staying at a five-star hotel in Bukit Bintang.
“We also delivered food to his hotel a couple of times,” Guiati added.
“He would spend a couple of hours at our restaurant, dining alone and engrossed in phone conversations we couldn’t understand. We respect privacy and don’t eavesdrop on customers’ conversations.
“Our staff would try to be friendly with him like they are with every other customer, but he preferred not to converse much. He was a quiet person, but he tipped very well.
He said his staff was always happy to see Avitan, who always paid in cash and carried big wads of it around.
“He was a good customer and would tip them about RM50-RM100 per sitting,” Guiati said.
Gleaning from the menu, the Israeli would have spent about RM300 per sitting.
“He never inquired from any of my staff about nice places to visit in Kuala Lumpur or any other eateries he could go to,” Guiati added.
Usually dressed in slacks and polo shirts, Avitan had a driver who would sometimes pick up his orders.
At the same time, Guiati said he never felt anything suspicious during the Israeli’s visits to his restaurant and was surprised when he learned of his real identity from the police.
“I was very surprised when I learned of his identity, but I didn’t know the scale of the situation because I found out a couple of days earlier before it became news.
“My staff informed me that officers were coming over and wanted to see our CCTV cameras for their investigations. But I had no idea they were looking for an operative,” he said, adding that police officers came at different hours and for a few days.
“But they were always very respectful of our operational hours and our business; there was no interference.
“The police questioned me and a few of my other staff, and we also made sure we could help them with everything needed for the investigation. They were very professional and conducted the investigation with courtesy,” Guiati added.
Previously, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain told Scoop that even though the main suspect had been charged, the investigation continues as authorities have yet to determine Avitan’s true motive.
On April 12, Avitan was charged under Section 8(a) of the Arms Act 1960 for possession of ammunition and a second charge under Section 7(1) of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 for trafficking firearms. – May 6, 2024