An escalating turf war with a rival pizza chain backed by underworld figures is believed to be behind a spate of shootings targeting the family-run Woodstock pizza franchise.

Police sources have told The Sunday Age that the Woodstock shootings are part of a campaign of intimidation being waged against famed pizza-makers the Cannata family, who have opened two new restaurants in the city’s inner north.

The revelations come as Woodstock’s brand new Essendon outlet was peppered with bullets in late night attack on February 3, which is the fourth time one of their restaurants has been shot up in recent months.

On October 30, Woodstock restaurants in Fitzroy North, Brunswick East and Essendon – which was then under construction – were sprayed with gunfire one after the other in a highly-unusual triple drive-by shooting.