Australian True Crime – The Hunt for Killer Father and Son Fugitives: The Stoccos (Re-Issue) Episode Date: April 5, 2026
Host: Michelle Laurie with guest Nino Bucci (author of The Stoccos: Like Father, Like Son)

Episode Overview

In this gripping re-issued episode, the Australian True Crime team revisits the extraordinary saga of Gino and Mark Stocco, a father-son criminal duo responsible for an eight-year crime wave across Australian states. The episode delves into the psychology, backstory, and infamous manhunt that brought these modern outlaws to justice after their murder of Rosario Simone. Host Michelle Laurie and investigative journalist Nino Bucci unpack the complex relationship at the heart of their crimes, exploring themes of family, social isolation, revenge, and the enduring power of folklore in Australian criminal history.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Stoccos' Rise to Notoriety

• Initial Discovery (01:45):
  Nino Bucci first becomes interested in October 2015, as reports emerge of Gino and Mark Stocco shooting at police near Wagga Wagga. Their prolonged evasion of law enforcement enabled a rare deep dive into their lives and history.

  "It was the rare luxury of having this extended period to look into the backstory… weaving a bit of a picture together about how these two had been on the run for so long..." — Nino Bucci (01:45)

• Public Fascination:
  Australians were captivated by the image of these outlaws outsmarting police. However, the revelation of their escalation to murder quickly darkened public opinion.

• Early Criminality:
  The Stoccos lived nomadically since the mid-2000s, performing itinerant farm work and periodic theft. Their skills made them valuable—and dangerous—employees in rural communities.

  “…renowned as just these really skilled and hard working blokes… could do the work of basically 10 men and didn’t really care about not getting paid for it. But they also had this bizarre streak of just losing it… in terms of gross acts of vandalism...”
  — Nino Bucci (03:08)

2. The Father-Son Dynamic

• Origins of Partnership:
  Mark’s relationship with Gino deepened after his parents’ divorce. Under Gino’s influence, Mark abandoned university, his girlfriend, and a "normal" life for a criminal partnership.

  • Key Transformation:
    Mark's first recorded offense was allegedly minor—failing to return a rented surfboard—but signaled a steep descent.

  “…within months, Mark had dropped out of university, he’d broken up with a girlfriend. And basically the only thing he was doing was spending time with Gino.”
  — Nino Bucci (07:03)

• Escalation of Violence:
  Gino was the more volatile instigator, but when it came to murder, Mark’s role was unexpectedly pivotal.

  “…when it came to that murder, the worst crime the two ever committed together, Gino just wanted to tie the guy up. You know, Mark’s the one who said, just shoot him.”
  — Nino Bucci (11:06)

• Psychological Manipulation:
  Gino’s influence over Mark is depicted as insidious, often leveraging manipulation and familial loyalty.

  “I think that is actually—I had to appreciate—how Gino maybe had even weaponized that separation as something to sort of draw Mark closer into him.”
  — Nino Bucci (14:56)

3. Notable Family Background

• Victimization Within Family:
  Mark even robbed his mother, Connie, during a violent supermarket attack, highlighting the family’s dysfunction and Gino’s manipulative power (13:33).

• Community Perception:
  Gino was a notorious “local pest” in his hometown of Ingham, QLD, but this reputation did not seem to affect Mark’s earlier life directly.

4. The Escalation (2007–2015)

• Years on the Run:
  After a brief prison stint for robbery (2006–2007), the pair became increasingly isolated and united. Early offenses involved property crimes; by 2011–2015, acts of arson and vengeful attacks escalated, culminating in murder.

• The Breaking Point:
  Their crimes grew bolder, including multiple vengeful arsons and retaliation against previous employers.

  “…from sort of 2011 on… things really escalated, and it’s very hard to know why… There was four big fires… and they all sort of occurred in that period. Obviously a murder occurred in that period. The shooting at police occurred in that period.”
  — Nino Bucci (18:08)

5. The Murder of Rosario Simone

• Context & Motive (20:22):
  After Gino was publicly listed as "most wanted," the Stoccos went to ground, ending up on a marijuana farm in western NSW operated by aging Calabrian mafia associates.

• Conflict and Execution:
  After disputes with Simone over farm operations, the Stoccos murdered him as he tried to leave the property.

  “…he has to come back to the house to get the key off Mark and Gino. And that’s when… Gino basically walks out and shoots him twice just on the dirt outside the property.”
  — Nino Bucci (26:46)

• Links to Organized Crime:
  Simone’s mafia ties increased the notoriety of the murder. His past included paying off a corrupt corrections minister for parole.

6. The Manhunt

• Timeline of Pursuit (29:04):
  Following the murder, a chance encounter with a police unit using number plate recognition technology triggered a frantic, multi-week chase across southeastern Australia.

  • Police Tactics:
    The duo evaded capture through bushcraft, altering vehicles, and knowledge of rural terrain.

  • Close Calls:
    The Stoccos repeatedly slipped police nets and even posed as road workers to avoid detection.

  “They managed to back into the police car… so that the police car’s disabled and then take off. And even then the police thought, no, we’ve still got them surrounded. Like, we know where they are. There’s no way out of this. But they were completely gone.”
  — Nino Bucci (35:01)

• Atmosphere of Fear:
  Their history with dozens of rural victims generated real alarm across farming communities, who feared reprisals as the Stoccos moved through the region.

7. Final Capture

• Return to Pinevale (37:55):
  The Stoccos’ undoing was returning to the property where they’d killed Simone. A park ranger’s suspicion led to a staked-out operation—police watched the house for 16 hours before arresting the pair.

• Aftermath & Prison Life:
  The Stoccos pled guilty quickly, preferring to serve their sentences together. In prison, they became model inmates, just as they’d been model workers—furthering the paradox of their personalities.

  “…they appeared to love prison and were fantastic model prisoners. You know, they were as renowned for their fantastic work inside prison as they were renowned for their incredible work on farms.”
  — Nino Bucci (41:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Australians love when police is kind of made to look like fools. And that’s what these guys were doing… for that two week period.”
  — Nino Bucci (03:08)

• “Mark’s the one who said, just shoot him.”
  — Nino Bucci (11:06)

• “You must have just been petrified that… it was going to be them. And sure enough, what they did do was go back to a property that they'd been at before, Pinevale, and that's. That was their undoing.”
  — Nino Bucci (37:11)

• “They appeared to love prison and were fantastic model prisoners… they sort of took it to cleaning up urinals without being asked. They helped, like, paint buildings.”
  — Nino Bucci (41:16)

Key Segments & Timestamps

• Introduction and Stoccos’ Discovery: 00:00–03:08
• Family Background & Dynamics: 03:08–14:56
• Criminal Escalation & Isolation: 14:56–19:51
• Rosario Simone Murder: 20:22–29:04
• National Manhunt Details: 29:04–37:11
• Capture & Prison Life: 37:55–42:10

Tone & Presentation

The tone throughout is candid, reflective, and analytical, with both host and guest taking care to explore the psychological complexity and social impact of the Stoccos' story without romanticizing their violence. The discussion is richly detailed, blending Nino Bucci’s investigative insights with Michelle Laurie’s intuitive questioning for a gripping criminal case study.

Summary

This episode is a masterclass in Australian true crime storytelling: it unpacks how the isolation of rural life, parental influence, and opportunity can foster a uniquely dangerous criminal partnership. The Stoccos’ journey from petty theft to murder, and their ultimate undoing by both chance and stubborn patterns, is presented as a cautionary and deeply human tale at the heart of Australia’s criminal folklore.