John Macris’ bodyguards scoured dumpsters for bombs in the days before he was gunned down

  Days before John Macris was gunned down in Athens, bodyguards shielding the notorious underground figure were seen scouring dumpsters outside his home, suggesting they feared a potential bomb attack.

It was not immediately clear whether the 46-year-old convicted drug dealer had received death threats ahead of his shooting late Wednesday local time, when unknown assailants ambushed Macris outside his seaside villa, shooting him multiple times in the chest, stomach and shoulder.

The assassination, as police here have billed it, took place hours before a security guard took post for a nighttime shift at Macris’ four-story home in the posh residential district of Panorama, Voula, about 13kilometres south of Athens.

John Macris (pictured right with wife Viktoria Karida), a leading Sydney underworld figure, was shot dead as he sat in his car outside his home in Greece on Wednesday night, local time

John Macris, 46, was shot multiple times before his assassin yelled: ‘I’m going to finish him off’

‘When we saw his bodyguards checking rubbish bins outside his home, we thought it was odd, but did not make much of it at the time’ said a female neighbour living along the cliff-side road where the killing took place. 

‘But now, in hindsight, it all makes sense. They [the guards] were probably looking for bombs.’

The killing has sent shock waves across the posh, tranquil and secluded neighbourhood which the Sydney gangster chose years ago, to start up a new, crime-free life with his wife and model Viktoria Karida and their two children.

‘He finished building the home in record time,’ said Gabriel Parastatides, a neighbour and among the oldest residents along the tree-lined Troias Street. 

‘We would see fancy cars parked outside, super tight security measures but we coughed it all open to another uber rich person who’s moved in the block.’

‘We were truly shocked to hear of his previous life. We had no clue we were living next door to a mobster. He never gave us that impression,’ Mr Parastatides said.

‘He was a very low profile bloke; not too friendly but always polite with all of us here.

‘He also seemed like a great dad.’

Mr Parastatides was in his home at the time of the attack.

‘No one saw anything. No one heard anything. We just walked out and saw the John’s body in a pool of blood. It was horrifying.’

After dating PR queen Roxy Jacenko, John Macris settled down with former playboy model Viktoria Karida (pictured)

Police say they have launched a massive manhunt for Mr Macris’ killer. They said investigators had yet to obtain footage from a rash of security cameras fixed along the front entrance of the Macris estate.

Still, footage obtained from other CCTV cameras along Troias Street have spotted the killer, the Athens-based Alpha television network reported.

The identity of the assailant, the report said, had not been identified but the image showed a tall man, around 180cm, dressed in dark clothes.

Police have refused to comment.

‘It is too early to make any statement,’ said Police Spokesman Theodore Chronopoulos. 

‘We are in the first steps of this investigation.’

Since the shooting, police have gone door to door, taking testimonies of neighbours. Many of them contacted on Friday refused to speak.

‘Everyone has seen something, heard something,’ said Joanna Parastratides. ‘But everyone now has clammed up because of the violent shooting.

‘Wouldn’t you?’ she quipped.

 John Macris had been alternating between living in Greece and Australia for the past seven years

Alex Macris (pictured at his wedding to ex-wife Jessica Ingham) has made a mercy dash from Sydney to Athens following the execution style shooting of his gangster older brother John

His funeral was expected to be held on Friday in Athens, but a source close to the family said they were waiting for his brother Alex to arrive before the service goes ahead.

Alex Macris, 37, was in Sydney on Thursday when he got the news his brother had been shot dead.

At the time he got the dreaded phone call Alex was visiting the young daughter he shares with his ex-wife and heiress to the chicken fortune, Jessica Ingham.

Like his brother, Alex also splits his time between both Sydney and Athens, following the breakdown of his marriage.

Alex and Jess tied the knot in an elaborate ceremony in November 2013 rumoured to have cost in excess of $500,000.

Among the guests was Jess’ close friend Roxy Jacenko, who previously dated John Macris.

Alex (right) was with the daughter he shares with ex-wife Jessica Ingham, a close friend of PR queen Roxy Jacenko (left), when he got the call telling him his brother had been gunned down

Alex Macris married Jess Ingham (right), the heiress to the Ingham chicken fortune, in an extravagant wedding in 2013. Pictured with her mother Sue Ingham and model Adam Williams

The killer had been waiting for Macris and shot him from the passenger side seat of his car, the Greek City Times reported.

Witnesses to the brutal murder say they heard the gunman shout, ‘I’m going to finish him off’ before firing a final, fatal shot, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Two of his young children were reportedly inside the house when he died.

Macris was known to both Australian and Greek authorities, and was nicknamed was ‘Australo’.

Greek authorities believe Macris had been involved in a drug deal and are hunting three gunmen.

John Macris and Karida (pictured), who stars on reality show My Style Rocks, have two kids

He was shot repeatedly while in his car, before a final, fatal shot was fired as he tried to get out