The former Comanchero bikie boss gunned down in a brazen daylight shooting was at war with his exiled successor and bitter rival.
Mahmoud ‘Mick’ Hawi, 37, had a ‘blow up’ with rival Mark Buddle, 32, who appointed himself president of the outlaw motorcycle club after Hawi’s murder arrest in 2009.
Buddle, 32, who fled Australia in 2010 after a security guard was fatally shot, clashed with Hawi six weeks ago, leaving tensions high between the two bikie powerbrokers.
The violent execution of Hawi on Thursday has raised fears of an all out bikie war, with police confirming he has many enemies, including Buddle.
s
The former Comanchero bikie boss gunned down in a brazen daylight shooting was at war with his exiled successor and bitter rival (pictured is Mark Buddle and partner Mel Ter Wisscha)
Mahmoud ‘Mick’ Hawi, 37, had a ‘blow up’ with rival Mark Buddle (pictured), 32, who appointed himself president of the outlaw motorcycle club after Hawi’s murder arrest in 2009
Buddle, 32, who fled Australia in 2010 after a security guard was fatally shot, clashed with Hawi (pictured) six weeks ago, leaving tensions high between the two bikie powerbrokers
Underworld sources described the clash between the pair as ‘massive’ and police confirmed they were aware of the dispute, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Infighting which broke out while Buddle was in Europe prompted the national president to text Comanchero members in September.
‘I’m the f***ing commander of the world … no one is to touch another member or set up another chapter without my permission,’ he said, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The text followed a series of violent incidents that police feared could lead to an all-out civil war within the Comanchero.
Underworld sources described the clash between the pair as ‘massive’ and police confirmed they were aware of the dispute (pictured is Mark Buddle and partner Mel Ter Wisscha)
Infighting which broke out while Buddle was in Europe prompted the national president to text Comanchero members in September (pictured are two masked assassins filmed after the shooting of Mick Hawi)
Outlaw motorcycle gang’s most notorious leaders Mick Hawi (pictured) and Mark Buddle had a monster ‘blow up’ weeks before the violent daylight shooting
‘I’m the f***ing commander of the world … no one is to touch another member or set up another chapter without my permission,’ Buddle (pictured, left, with Ali Bazzi in Europe) texted to club members in September
The text followed a series of violent incidents that police feared could lead to an all-out civil war within the Comanchero (pictured is the suspected getaway car)
‘But in reality Buddle will be just one of many people and avenues of investigation,’ a senior police officer said, as Hawi had ‘made plenty of enemies’.
Hawi was succeeded as the Comanchero national president after being arrested for his role in a fatal brawl at Sydney Airport in 2009.
The former Punchbowl High School student and married father-of-two was found guilty of murder over the killing but conviction was later overturned.
Police are hunting two masked assassins caught on CCTV after the shooting, and a suspected getaway car was engulfed in flames nearby.
Police are hunting two masked assassins caught on CCTV after the shooting, and a suspected getaway car was engulfed in flames nearby (pictured)
Mick Hawi was believed to have a heated argument with his successor as Comanchero national president Mark Buddle (pictured)
Hawi (pictured) narrowly escaped a similar death years ago when the bullet-proof car he was driving was sprayed with bullets in 2007
Ex-Comanchero bikie president Hawi was fatally shot by a spray of bullets to his face during the brazen assassination at a Sydney gym (pictured)
Hawi was shot a number of times in the face through the window of his Mercedes 4WD while leaving the Fitness First gym in Rockdale at 12.10pm on Thursday.
The 37-year-old was treated by paramedics at the scene and taken to hospital in a critical condition but died hours later.
Hawi narrowly escaped a similar death years ago when the bullet-proof car he was driving was sprayed with bullets in 2007.
Hawi, who became the national leader of the motorcycle group at 28-years-old, was released on parole in 2015.
His bail came with 22 strict conditions, one being he was not allowed to associate with bikie gang members.
Pictured is Hawi’s black Mercedes 4WD which was seen peppered with bullet holes after the brazen daylight assassination
A number of people comforted each other at the gym after the brazen daylight shooting, including a teenager claiming to be Hawi’s son (pictured, left)