A gold coffin covered in flowers containing the body of Carl Williams has arrived at the Melbourne church where the slain gangland figure is being farewelled today.
About 100 people arrived under grey skies to mourn Williams, who was a key figure in Melbourne's gangland wars.
Tina Turner's Simply the Best was played during the service as mourners watched a slideshow of photos of Williams' life, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
A heavy police presence was evident at St Therese's Catholic Church, with armed officers stationed around the building.
In her eulogy, Roberta Williams said of her late husband: "You gave me self-belief and confidence when it had been ripped away years before."
Their daughter Dhakota also paid tribute to him, along with her two half-sisters.
Williams was bashed to death with the stem of an exercise bike in the day room of his maximum-security unit at Barwon Prison, near Geelong, last week.
A police unit will monitor the funeral and manage traffic, but more officers will be on standby if required, a police spokeswoman said.
Williams will be buried at Keilor Cemetery, not far from the graves of his mother and his former henchman, Andrew "Benji" Veniamin.
- AAP, NZHERALD STAFF
Gangland killer Williams buried in gold coffin
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