# FBI Vault, Dominick Trinchera file, viewer pp. 3-6 (February 1981)

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/fbi-vault-trinchera-pp3-6-preliminary-investigation-1981/

A Newark memorandum of February 11, 1981 authorizing a preliminary racketeering-enterprise investigation of Dominick Trinchera, citing "Trinchera's position as Capo, Bonanno Family," and a background memorandum in which New York sources report he "has been made the Bronx, NY Bonanno Family Captain."

The first pages of the FBI Vault's file on Dominick Trinchera, a Newark office file (NR 183A-1902). Page 3 is a memorandum of February 11, 1981 from Supervisor David G. Binney: "On 2/11/81, I authorized, in accordance with the Attorney General's Guidelines on Criminal Investigations of Individuals and Organizations, a (General Crimes) (Preliminary) (Racketeering Enterprise) investigation based upon the facts and circumstances contained in the file reflecting Trinchera's position as Capo, Bonanno Family, and his involvement in shylocking, extortion and drugs." That passage is quoted from the page image.

Pages 4 to 6 are the background memorandum that opened the file. As far as the OCR can be read, it reports that "reliable NYO sources have reported that Bonanno Family 'member', Dominick Trinchera, has been made the Bronx, NY Bonanno Family Captain," that he was directing crews and "is also financing a number of large scale narcotic deals." The memorandum traces the New York office's notice of him to a 1966 case. It also lists his descriptive data, Social Security number, relatives and home addresses. None of that is reproduced here.

"Capo" and "captain" are what the FBI's sources reported in early 1981, not a finding. The court record of his place in the family is the [en banc opinion in the Commission case](/items/courtlistener-us-v-indelicato-865-f2d-1370/).

## Sources

- FBI Records: The Vault: https://vault.fbi.gov/dominick-trinchera/dominick-trinchera-final/view