Brunswick Pizza Rivalry Explodes into Violent Confrontation
A bitter business rivalry between two pizza establishments on Sydney Road in Brunswick has erupted into physical violence, resulting in one man being rushed to hospital with significant head injuries and another being interviewed by police for ninety minutes. The dramatic incident unfolded both inside and outside the newly opened Daje Pizza restaurant last Friday night, casting a shadow over the trendy Melbourne suburb.
CCTV Footage Reveals Escalating Violence
Closed-circuit television footage from the scene shows Andrea Caroli, owner of Daje Pizza, and his friend conversing with two men outside the restaurant. The situation rapidly deteriorated when Caroli's friend produced a fire extinguisher and sprayed one of the men directly in the face. The confrontation then moved inside the premises, where the violence intensified.
The man sprayed with the extinguisher was identified as Lance, proprietor of Leon's Pizzeria, which has operated successfully for nine years just a few doors away on the same street. Additional CCTV footage from inside Daje Pizza captured Caroli's friend wielding a crowbar against Lance after the fire extinguisher was thrown back at him. Lance responded with a series of blows to the man's head, leaving him bloodied before emergency services transported him to Royal Melbourne Hospital's intensive care unit.
Conflicting Accounts of the Incident
Andrea Caroli appeared on Nine News the following evening, alleging that Lance and his son had been attempting to drive him out of business through intimidation. "All this because we are competition," Caroli stated. "They're scared that they're going to lose their business." He maintained that his friend intervened solely to protect him from aggression, describing the scene as "horrible" and "a nightmare."
In contrast, Lance provided a completely different narrative to Daily Mail, insisting he acted entirely in self-defence. He claimed the confrontation began when Caroli's friend approached him with a fire extinguisher concealed behind his back and proceeded to verbally abuse him before discharging the extinguisher in his face. "Where is he going with all these weapons?" Lance questioned. "What do you expect will happen when you spray someone in the face three times with a fire extinguisher?"
Business Fallout and Community Backlash
The aftermath has been severe for Lance's establishments. Both Leon's Pizzeria and his nearby Brunswick fish and chip shop, Flakes on Sydney Road, have been inundated with negative online reviews as local residents pledged to boycott the businesses. Lance reported that his wife and employees have faced verbal harassment since the incident became public.
Lance, who migrated to Australia from Albania two decades ago, expressed frustration that edited CCTV footage broadcast on local news portrayed him as the aggressor. "I didn't have a weapon on me," he emphasised. "I went to have a general conversation but his friend walks out with a fire extinguisher and a crowbar." Despite sustaining a painful hand injury from the crowbar strike, Lance stated he would not pursue charges against his alleged assailant.
Roots of the Rivalry
The conflict appears to have deeper origins than the immediate confrontation. Lance revealed he had previously expressed concerns to Caroli about opening another pizza shop in such close proximity to his established business. He claimed Caroli initially indicated he would operate a bakery that would close before Leon's Pizzeria even opened for the evening.
"I said, 'That's fine. You can stay open until midnight, but bring different foods', then we will all be happy," Lance recounted. However, he alleged Caroli misled him and began selling pizzas directly competing with his own. According to Lance, Caroli responded to his concerns by stating, "Oh, it's a free country. I can do whatever the f*** I want."
Lance also mentioned a separate incident involving his twenty-year-old son, who works at the pizzeria, giving Caroli "the finger" during what he described as a petty squabble. Lance claimed he had attempted to mediate between the parties, urging both businesses to operate independently without interference. "Stay away from him and he'll stay away from you," Lance said he advised. "You mind your business and we'll mind our business and that's the end of the story."
Police Involvement and Uncertain Future
Police interviewed Lance for ninety minutes following the incident before releasing him without charge. Lance quoted officers as telling him, "Thank you for being honest with your statement. Go home," adding, "We saw the video. Just go home."
Caroli dismissed Lance's version of events when contacted by Daily Mail, calling it "bulls***" and alleging that Lance's son had been threatening him for months. "His son was trying to fight me every time he saw me," Caroli claimed. "I don't want to talk about this. Sorry. Police are getting involved so I'm sick of this stuff."
As the community fallout continues, Lance contemplates an uncertain future for his businesses and reputation. "The damage is done," he lamented, reflecting on how a local commercial rivalry escalated into violence with lasting consequences for all involved parties.
