A police hunt is under way for two masked gunmen who ambushed the 60-year-old in front of staff and customers in Ascot Vale, as investigators played down fears of a resurgence of the city's bloody gang war that lasted more than a decade.

Moran received multiple gunshot wounds to the head as he left the Ascot Pasta and Deli Cafe{aac} in Union Road, a busy shopping strip populated by families.

His body stayed in the doorway for hours while detectives and forensic specialists investigated the crime scene.

Considered relatively harmless and well-liked among Melbourne's criminals, Moran was a former drug dealer who was related to violent and dangerous criminals.

Moran's murder came after a near miss in March when a lone gunman fired through the windscreen of his Mercedes-Benz.

Moran's sister-in-law, Judith, was among the first at the scene yesterday, with witnesses saying she could be heard yelling,''Dessy, Dessy, Des''.

Witness accounts vary, with reports of between three and seven shots fired, before the balaclava-clad men fled from the cafe{aac}, ran along the street and sped off in a dark-coloured sedan.

The Homicide Squad is investigating Moran's death, however, the Purana gangland taskforce is expected to take over the investigation if underworld links are confirmed.

Detective Inspector Steve Clarke would not confirm the dead man's identity yesterday afternoon, nor whether police thought it was an organised hit, or how many shots were believed to be fired.

''Some time around midday a middle-aged man was walking out of a deli just down the road when he was confronted by two men wearing dark clothes and balaclavas,'' Inspector Clarke said.

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