who was the lawyer for the bonanno family in the 1980s

by Prof. Maxie Erdman Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago 10 min read

The charges against Massino himself included ordering the 1981 murder of Napolitano. Massino was denied bail, and Vincent Basciano took over as acting boss in his absence. Massino hired David Breitbart, an attorney he had originally wanted to represent him in his 1987 trial, for his defense.

Who was the first member of the Bonanno crime family?

He was inducted into the Bonanno crime family in mid-1977 by Carmine Galante in Brooklyn. It is noted that he was initiated alongside John Palazzolo, however Cesare Bonventre and Baldo Amato were initiated during the same night. In 1978, he survived a car bombing.

Who is Bill Bonanno?

Salvatore Vincent "Bill" Bonanno (November 5, 1932 – January 1, 2008) was the son of Cosa Nostra boss Joseph Bonanno.

What happened to Joseph Bonanno's father?

In October 1964, Joseph was kidnapped off the streets of New York. During his father's two-year absence, Bonanno mobster Gaspar DiGregorio took advantage of family discontent over Bonanno's role to claim family leadership.

Was Bonanno crime family capo Joe Valet hit with 87-month sentence?

"Bonanno crime family capo 'Joe Valet' hit with 87-month sentence; had role in illegal dumping at LNG tank site". SILive.com. Retrieved October 20, 2019.

Who is the consigliere of the Bonanno crime family?

The Bonanno Family: After Claiming Ethnic Profiling, 2 Accused of Being Mobsters Are Acquitted. The jury did not agree with the charges that Joseph Cammarano Jr. and John Zancocchio are the acting boss and consigliere of the Bonanno crime family.

Is Joseph Massino still alive?

In 1991, while Massino was in prison for a 1986 labor racketeering conviction, Rastelli died and Massino succeeded him....Joseph MassinoPredecessorPhilip RastelliSuccessorVincent BascianoCriminal statusSentence reduced to time served and supervised release for life in 201312 more rows

Who were the bosses of the 5 families in the 80s?

The Commission consisted of seven family bosses: the leaders of New York's Five Families: Charlie "Lucky" Luciano, Vincent Mangano, Tommy Gagliano, Joseph Bonanno, and Joe Profaci; Chicago Outfit boss Al Capone; and Buffalo family boss Stefano Magaddino.

Where is Tommy Pitera now?

As of April 2017, Pitera is serving a life sentence at the United States Penitentiary, McCreary near Pine Knot, Kentucky. Pitera's inmate number is 29465-053.

Is Joe Massino out of jail?

Ex-Bonanno crime boss Joseph Massino released from prison and one old-time street guy says RICO ended 'the life' He says it's all over.

Is Joe Massino in the witness protection program?

The pear-shaped Massino will walk out of a secret federal prison in 60 days — having served 10½ years for eight gangland murders — and into the witness protection program, where he will be relocated and given a new identity, according to lawyer Edward McDonald.

Who was the most feared gangster of all time?

Here are ten of the most violent, prominent and feared mob bosses in history.Al Capone (1899-1947) ... Albert Anastasia (1902 – 1957) ... 'Lucky' Luciano (1897 – 1962) ... Frank Costello (1891 – 1973) ... Carlo Gambino (1902 – 1976) ... Paul Castellano (1915 – 1985) ... Pablo Escobar (1949 – 1993) ... John Gotti (1940 – 2002)More items...•

Does the 5 families still exist?

The legendary “five families” still exist, experts said, and still operate in the same realms of organized crime: extortion, loan-sharking, racketeering, gambling.

Who runs the five families today?

Original and current Five Families bossesOriginal family nameFounded byCurrent bossMaranzanoSalvatore MaranzanoMichael "The Nose" MancusoProfaciJoe ProfaciUnknownManganoVincent ManganoDomenico CefalùLucianoLucky LucianoLiborio Salvatore "Barney" Bellomo1 more row

Is Anthony Senter still alive?

In 1989, both Senter and Testa were found guilty of racketeering and 10 counts of murder, and each was sentenced to life in federal prison....Early life.Anthony SenterCriminal statusimprisonedChildrendaughterAllegianceGambino crime family - DeMeo crew Lucchese crime family7 more rows

Is Genovese crime family still active?

While many mobsters from across the country have testified against their crime families since the 1980s, the Genovese family has had eleven members and associates turn state's evidence in its history....Genovese crime family.Vito Genovese, boss from 1957 to 1969Foundedc. 1890sYears activec. 1890s–present9 more rows

Overview

Salvatore Vincent "Bill" Bonanno (November 5, 1932 – January 1, 2008) was an American mobster who served as consigliere of the Bonanno crime family, and son of crime boss Joseph Bonanno. Later in life, he became a writer and produced films for television about his family.

Early life

Bonanno was the first child of Joseph and Fay (née Labruzzo) Bonanno, born on November 5, 1932, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. His father had come from Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, Italy, along with his mother Catherine and father Salvatore. His father became boss of the Bonanno crime family a year before he was born. In 1938, after his father purchased property in Hempstead, Long Island, he next attended school there after the family relocated. At the age of …

Involvement with organized crime begins

Shortly after leaving university, Bonanno was inducted as a "made man" into the Bonanno family, and was eventually appointed as consigliere by his father. However, many family members felt that Bonanno lacked experience and was too intellectual to lead effectively. These tensions only worsened when Bonanno advised his father against involving the family in the illegal narcotics trade.

Banana War

During his father's two-year absence, Bonanno mobster Gaspar DiGregorio took advantage of family discontent over Bonanno's role to claim family leadership. The Mafia Commission named DiGregorio as Bonanno family boss, and the DiGregorio revolt led to four years of strife in the Bonanno family, labeled by the media as the "Banana War". This led to a divide in the family between loyalists to Bonanno and loyalists to DiGregorio.

Later career in California and Arizona

On March 9, 1970, Bonanno was convicted of 52 counts of mail fraud, and sentenced to four years in prison. On December 18, 1971, Bonanno and his brother Joe Jr. were convicted of extortion and conspiracy. In the late 1970s, Bonanno and his brother, Joe Jr., brought high heat in Northern California after getting involved with Lou Peters, a Cadillac-Oldsmobile dealer, in the San Jose, Lodi and Stockton, California areas. The Bonannos were looking to buy him out for $2 million. Peters, …

Author and producer

Bonanno worked occasionally as a television producer (primarily on mini-series and films related to his family's criminal past), and collaborated with author Gay Talese on the 1971 book Honor Thy Father, a history of the Bonanno crime family. He also co-wrote the novel "The Good Guys" (2005) with former undercover FBI agent Joseph Pistone and scriptwriter David Fisher. He later co-wrote his final book The Last Testament of Bill Bonanno: The Final Secrets of a Life in the Mafia (2011…

Death

Bonanno died of a heart attack on the morning of January 1, 2008. He was interred in Holy Hope Cemetery in Tucson.

In popular culture

Bonanno was the main character in the 1971 non-fiction book Honor Thy Father. In the television miniseries based on the book, Bonanno was portrayed by actor Joseph Bologna. Actor Tony Nardi depicted the adult Joseph Bonanno in Bonanno: A Godfather's Story; Eric Roberts portrayed him in the 1993 made-for-TV movie, "Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage".