A Sydney gangster with links to the notorious Ibrahim family has been shot dead in an ambush in Greece and police are investigating possible connections to organised crime.

Key points: John Macris was described by his former lawyer as having ambitions to become a major figure in organised crime

John Macris was described by his former lawyer as having ambitions to become a major figure in organised crime Macris maintained links to underworld figures in Australia

Macris maintained links to underworld figures in Australia Was killed near his home days after another man was fatally shot

John Macris was shot four times with a 9mm handgun while exiting his car on the winding cliff-side road to his home in Voula, a suburb of Athens, on Wednesday evening local time.

The 46-year-old, who was married to a model who appeared on a Greek reality TV show, apparently left his car to take cover.

Police said he died at the scene.

As well as probing Macris's potential ties to organised crime and the drug trade, investigators are seeking camera footage for clues to the killing and were testing bullet casings to determine if the weapon had been used in other crimes.

In Athens, Macris appeared as a businessman and reportedly owned a security company, but when living in Sydney he was involved in the organised crime scene.

It is understood he maintained deep connections with the underworld in Australia but police could not comment on whether any potential Sydney link was being investigated.

Macris was killed days after another man with links to a security company was also fatally shot.

Sydney criminal lawyer Brett Galloway, who represented Macris in court about a dozen times, described him as a small-time drug dealer with aspirations to become a big-time gangster.

"If you want to be a gangster, someone takes your spot eventually," he said.

"That's how it goes."

According to Mr Galloway, Macris's life of crime did not appear to be financially successful.

"He wasn't a big criminal. He wasn't well known like some of the hoods around town," he said.

In 2012, members of the Ibrahim family were cleared of conspiring to kill Macris, who was believed by some to be linked to the shooting of Fadi Ibrahim.

ABC/Wires