Charles Hegyalji (6 August 1956 – 22 November 1998) also known as Mad Charlie was a Hungarian born gangland criminal in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia. Hegyalji was a key figure in the amphetamine trade. He was charged with attempted murder in 1997 after a gun battle with another criminal associate and subsequently kept in custody for twelve months. Charges were dropped after witnesses refused to testify. Hegyalji was murdered within months of his release. He was one of a large number of criminals murdered by other criminals that were killed during the

Melbourne gangland killings The Melbourne gangland killings were the murders of 36 underworld figures in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, between January 1998 and August 2010. The murders were retributive killings involving underworld groups. The deaths caused a power vacu ...

.John Silvester and Andrew Rule (2005), ''Underbelly. The Gangland War'', Floradale and Sly Ink, Sydney, pp.124-131. A major suspect in Hegyali's murder was fellow criminal

Dino Dibra Dino Dibra (18 April 1975 – 14 October 2000), also known as The Sunshine Boy, was an Australian suspected murderer and a victim of the Melbourne gangland killings. Imprisonments Dibra was born to Albanian parents. Between the ages of 15 and ...

. Hegyalji was best friend of celebrity criminal and convicted standover man

Mark "Chopper" Read Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read (17 November 1954 – 9 October 2013) was an Australian convicted criminal, gang member and author. Read wrote a series of semi-autobiographical fictional crime novels and children's books. The 2000 film '' Chop ...

, whom he had contacted several days before his murder. Hegyalji is buried in

Springvale Botanical Cemetery The Springvale Botanical Cemetery is the largest crematorium and memorial park in Victoria, Australia. It is located in Springvale, in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. History Originally known as The Necropolis Springvale, the cemetery co ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hegyalji, Charles 1956 births 1998 deaths Australian people of Hungarian descent Criminals from Melbourne Australian gangsters Australian murder victims Victims of the Melbourne gangland killings People charged with attempted murder