‘It’s a circus’: Daughter of slain crime figure targeted in arson attack on beauty salon

A beauty salon owned by the daughter of a slain underworld figure and romantic partner of a rival criminal family has been hit in a failed firebombing.

About 4am on Friday would-be arsonists attempted to set fire to Brows By M, an Essendon salon owned by Sabrine Maghnie, the daughter of Nabil Maghnie, an underworld enforcer who was gunned down in Epping in 2020.

“Emergency services were called to a business on Pascoe Vale Road, Essendon about 4am on 8 May after reports of an attempted arson,” Victoria Police said in a statement. “Offenders attempted to set a fire, but fortunately, it did not take hold. An investigation into the incident is underway.”

The attack came just hours before a jury convicted two men of the attempted murder of Maghnie’s brother Abbas, who was shot by a hit team executing gangland figure Gavin Preston as the pair dined at a Keilor cafe in 2023.

Documents filed with the corporate regulator reveal Maghnie, 27, has served as director and secretary of the salon, which offers eyebrow, skin and teeth treatments, since April 2024.

An underworld source, who would not be identified, said there were two likely explanations for the attack on the Essendon salon.

Maghnie could have been targeted because of her relationship with Jesse Marrogi, whose now jailed older brother George was head of the Notorious Crime Family and embroiled in a long-running feud with tobacco boss Kaz Hamad.

“But it could also be someone else settling an old score with the Maghnie family and using the firebombings [of Melbourne hospitality venues] as cover,” the underworld source said.

“It’s an opportunistic circus out there at the moment.”

More than 30 firebombings, shootings, home invasions and kidnappings have been linked to attacks on Melbourne’s nightlife industry over the past three months.

Maghnie’s star-crossed lovers relationship with Jesse Marrogi was the cause of drama in the underworld because her father and Marrogi’s brother were bitter rivals who had tried to kill each other. It is unclear if Sabrine and Jesse are still romantically involved.

But the Brows by M salon honours “The Legacy of Meshilin”, a reference to Meshilin Marrogi, the late sister of Jesse and George and first owner of the business.

Marrogi founded the salon and its sister company Skin By M “before she left this life for something greater”, the salon said on Instagram.

“Mesh, we love you and know you’re always watching over us, guiding us in the right direction,” the salon said.

Meshilin Marrogi’s grave was desecrated by rivals of the Notorious Crime Family in 2023, who were attempting to steal her body to torment her jailed brother.

The Marrogi family have also previously been targeted by tobacco kingpin Kazem “Kaz” Hamad’s crew.

Despite her familial and romantic relationships with serious, convicted criminals, Mahgnie has only come to the attention of police once before, when she escaped conviction for driving offences and possessing a drug of dependence.

Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court heard in 2020 that she was caught driving 144km/h in a 100km/h zone, telling police she hadn’t noticed how fast she was driving as she had been crying after breaking up with her boyfriend. Over the following months she was caught driving three times while her licence was suspended.

Maghnie’s lawyer told the court at the time that she had lived “10 years of horrific traumas” because of the sustained attacks on her father.

Her beauty businesses are popular and boast more than 100,000 followers across their two Instagram accounts.