Guns and Monte go together because he is a private investigator and he was paying for a private dining room at Kable's to announce plans for a case-and-tell biography. There will be details of assignments such as finding the remains of missing US heir Michael Rockefeller in Irian Jaya, working as a bodyguard for Aristotle Onassis, recruiting mercenaries for the Sheikh of Dubai and exposing the Holiday Magic cosmetic rip-off in the early 70's.

There will be tidbits about a few local scandals, too. He mentions former NSW premier Sir Robert Askin and Junie Morosi, one-time secretary-associate of Whitlam government minister Dr Jim Cairns. However, Monte is aiming his book at the US market and thinks such parochial material will be of limited international interest. Which could have a few people hoping that they don't rate an expose.

Mode magazine feature writer Rosalind Reines quit her job to work on the biography. Monte is also looking at selling film rights.

The Egyptian-born Monte (Francois Ferdinand Montenari on his birth certificate) has put on weight and the problem was responsible for his realising there might be some money in his reminiscences.

While he was at a fat farm in California, he met some screenwriters. "I talked about my experiences and suddenly they were buying me drinks and meals," Monte says.

"I noticed they also were taking notes. They said it was fantastic for a film. That made me stop talking. Why should they get the money?