One note written in wobbly scrawl read: “Sisto, you are truly a Melbourne icon. Our hearts are broken.”

The attack, which is being treated by the police as an act of terrorism, was deeply shocking to Melbourne on a number of levels. It leaves the city grappling with the loss of two lives — that of Mr. Malaspina and his attacker — which between them encapsulated all of Australia’s greatest hopes and fears around immigrants and what they bring to our shores.

But the death of Mr. Malaspina is especially cruel and his life is worth contemplating.

A few years ago, after more than two decades living in the United States, I set out to write a loving tribute to my hometown of Melbourne. The resulting story was big and unwieldy and full of longing. Its central question was: what is it about Melbourne that is so magical?

The answer to that question might well be: Pellegrini’s.

In my ode to Melbourne, I told the story of the place. It was the city’s original espresso bar and when it opened in 1954, it paved the way for the incredible cafe culture for which the city (and this country) is now known. I quoted my father, who remembers the cafe’s opening as being “the beginning of Melbourne becoming what it is.”