Slain gangster Pasquale Barbaro's ex-wife reveals his sordid lifestyle

The estranged wife of slain gangster Pasquale Barbaro, has revealed he was fiercely religious. Photo / Facebook

Slain gangster Pasquale Barbaro's ex-wife has revealed he would read the bible to his children every night and send footage of naked escorts to his friends at night.

Melinda Barbaro has shed light on her ex-husband's devotion to God and shared how he would adorn his home with religious statues, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The details on the 35-year-old's Catholic beliefs come weeks after he was gunned down by two-hooded hitmen in an execution-style shooting in Earlwood, in Sydney's south, last month.

"Yes he loved his Versace shirts and Rolexes but he went to church to pray and was fiercely loyal and protective to me and our children," Melinda, 31, told The Daily Telegraph.

Melinda Barbaro, 31, said the underworld figure would read his children the bible every night and kept many religious statues. Photo: Facebook/Melinda Barbaro

She said he knew his days were numbered and in the days before his death he asked for $10,000 so he could be laid to rest in an opulent mahogany coffin adorned with statues of Jesus.

"There were statues of La Madonna and Jesus and archangels around the house and we'd always read the bible to the children at night," she said.

She said Barbaro was not the same man after leaving prison in 2013 over methamphetamine production, which sent him in the downward spiral to his death.

Barbaro dated a number of glamorous women, most recently dancer Chantel Baptista. Photo: Chantel Baptista/Facebook

During this period he dated a number of glamorous women, most recently dancer, Chantel Baptista, who told Daily Mail Australia she was 'grieving' over his death.

Sydney police have since carried out a wave of arrests in relation to Barbaro's death.