U.S. Attorney, E.D. New York: Director's Awards release (October 28, 2005)

A U.S. Attorney's release on Justice Department awards to Eastern District prosecutors and FBI agents. It states that in July 2004, after a twelve-week trial, a jury convicted Bonanno family boss Joseph Massino of racketeering, including seven murders or murder conspiracies.

Date: 2005-10-28
Kind: press-release
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York (justice.gov archive)
Retrieved: 2026-10-12
Rights: A press release of the U.S. Department of Justice. A work of the United States government, public domain under 17 U.S.C. § 105.

Release of October 28, 2005 on the Executive Office for United States Attorneys’ Director’s Awards. One award went to a prosecution team and FBI agents “for their exceptional work in convicting 35 members and associates of the Bonanno organized crime family, including Bonanno family boss JOSEPH MASSINO.”

The release states: “In July of 2004, after a twelve-week trial, the jury returned a guilty verdict convicting MASSINO of racketeering, including seven murders/murder conspiracies, attempted murder, arson, loansharking, extortion, and money laundering as predicate acts.”

The release does not mention any cooperation by Massino. It is filed for the date and scope of the 2004 verdict, which preceded the events the Second Circuit describes in United States v. Basciano. Other matters in the release concern unrelated cases and are not summarized here.

itemUnited States v. Basciano, 599 F.3d 184 (2d Cir. 2010)Second Circuit opinion of March 23, 2010 on Vincent Basciano's double-jeopardy challenge to successive Bonanno family prosecutions. It calls Joseph Massino "the then-incarcerated official boss" and refers to Basciano's January 2004 assumption of the role of acting boss.