Heartbroken customers reveal personal moments with restaurateur killed by Bourke Street attacker

Heartbroken Melburnians reeling in the events of the Bourke Street terror attack have shared their favourite stories about iconic restaurateur Sisto Malaspina who was killed by a man he was trying to help.

Malaspina was walking down Bourke Street, just a few hundred metres from the business he had run for more than 40 years, when he was killed by Islamic State-inspired attacker Hassan Khalif Shire Ali on Friday.

In the wake of the tragedy, mourners placed hundreds of flowers and cards on the footpath outside of Pellegrini’s restaurant – a venue that launched Melbourne’s renowned coffee culture.

In addition to the floral tributes, an emotional Reddit thread has emerged online, with dozens of locals sharing their experiences of being served a late-night coffee or spaghetti bolognese by the cheeky restaurant owner.

“Met my wife in Melbourne and we met Sisto on one of our first dates looking for a late-night coffee,” one man wrote.

“It’s heartbreaking to lose a gent such as Sisto, he was always so full of love and acceptance for all.”

Another spoke of how she walked into Pellegrini’s in tears before Sisto made it his mission to cheer her up.

“There are countless late-night spaghetti bolognese and affogatos after gigs and theatre shows but my main memory was coming in teary, puffy-eyed and broken-hearted and having Sisto feed me bread, pasta and strudel and told me that men will always be fickle but pasta will love me,” she wrote.

“Always greeted me with a smile, free granita and forced more baked goods into my bag than I could ever hope to eat in one sitting,” one man wrote.

After speaking with his family, Premier Daniel Andrews revealed that a state funeral had been offered for the Melbourne icon.

His killer Shire Ali was shot in the chest by a police officer he threatened with a knife and later died in hospital.