Friday 30 September 2022 06:44 AM Bikie 'muscle' Joe Versace murdered in Perth workshop would want to be ... trends now

A heavily-tattooed bikie associate known for being used as the 'muscle' at various outlaw motorcycle meetings in Western Australia would want to be remembered as a 'gangster', his heartbroken friends and family have claimed.

Joe Versace, or Joey or Jojo to his friends, was found dead inside a rural workshop in the Perth suburb of Gnangara, just after 4pm on Thursday afternoon.

The 34-year-old was shot in the stomach and the chest in a brazen daylight execution with paramedics unable to save Versace's life.

The killer remains on the run, police confirmed, with homicide detectives and forensic squads descending on the scene on Thursday night and cordoning off parts of Gnangara to investigate. 

Speaking to The West Australian, one friend said Versace would have wanted the entire truth about his 'gangster' life to be told. 

'He was a hard man but had the biggest heart for those he cared about,' the friend said. 

Versace's links to outlaw motorcycle gangs in Western Australia trace back years with the slain 34-year-old previously being involved with the Rebels and the Comancheros. 

According to The West, Versace spent the past 16 years in and out of jail, serving his first sentence when he was just 18.

Versace was charged with being a part of a joint criminal enterprise in 2015 to sell illicit drugs however the charges were dropped later that year.

There also appeared to be no love lost between Versace and the police with his Facebook profile picture from July 2021 showing him urinating on a police car. 

Other photos from Versace's various social media accounts showed the heavily-tattooed man working out and going for a walk with his dogs.

Versace also appeared to be a fan of his namesake brand, posting a photo of a thick, gold Versace chain with its iconic Medusa head logo and even getting the luxury brand's logo tattooed on his hand.