Dominick Trinchera
Killed in May 1981 with Alphonse Indelicato and Philip Giaccone. The en banc Second Circuit names him among the Bonanno soldiers through whom the Commission planned the 1979 Galante killing, and says he was later "promoted to the rank of capo."
- Aliases
- Big Trin, Trin
- Family
- Bonanno family, in the Second Circuit's account of the Commission-case evidence (1989)
- Role
- Soldier, then "promoted to the rank of capo" (Second Circuit en banc, 1989, the evidence viewed for the government); one of three "captains" in the 1982 indictment (charge, as summarized in 1985)
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state. Personal identifiers printed in the FBI file are not reproduced.
On the record
- 1979 — United States v. Indelicato, 865 F.2d 1370: the Commission worked through "several soldiers in the Bonanno family including Indelicato, Dominic Trinchera, and Cesare Bonventre"; "in May or June 1979, Trinchera introduced Indelicato to one Louis Giongetti"; afterward "He, Trinchera, and Bonventre were promoted to the rank of capo." Court opinion, in its account of the evidence viewed for the government.
- 26 June 1980 — An FBI surveillance report (Trinchera file, p. 126): agents saw Joseph "J.B." Indelicato talking with "Dominick 'Big Trin' Trinchera" near Grand and Elizabeth Streets, Manhattan, after which the two entered "Indelicato's Social Club on Elizabeth Street between Grand and Hester (exact address unknown)." FBI report.
- 11 February 1981 — A Newark memorandum (Trinchera file, p. 3) authorizes a preliminary racketeering-enterprise investigation "based upon the facts and circumstances contained in the file reflecting Trinchera's position as Capo, Bonanno Family." FBI memo.
- 5 May 1981 — FBI teletypes of May and June 1981 report him killed with Alphonse Indelicato and Philip Giaccone "on or about May 5, 1981," and on June 1 that "the other two are still missing." A Newark memorandum of March 9, 1982 says "It is doubtful at this time that the bodies of Trinchera and Giaione will ever be recovered" (as typed). FBI records.
- 7 July 1982 — United States v. Ruggiero, 754 F.2d 927: the New York indictment charged his murder, describing him as one of three "captains" of the family. Charge, as the court summarizes it.
The FBI file prints his date of birth (in two versions), Social Security number, relatives and home addresses. None of them is reproduced here. No court record filed here gives a date of death. The 1981 FBI labels “Capo” and “Captain” agree with the court’s account but come from sources, and nothing here fills a seat on the Bonanno family chart.
Records
itemUnited States v. Indelicato, 865 F.2d 1370 (2d Cir. 1989) (en banc)The en banc Second Circuit holds that Anthony Indelicato's part in three murders committed in a single transaction could form a RICO pattern. Its account of the evidence begins: "In 1979, the boss of the Bonanno family was Carmine Galante."itemUnited States v. Ruggiero, 754 F.2d 927 (11th Cir. 1985)The Eleventh Circuit rejects Benjamin Ruggiero's and John Cerasani's double-jeopardy challenge to a 1983 Florida RICO indictment. It summarizes the 1982 New York case, in which Ruggiero was convicted of RICO conspiracy and sentenced to fifteen years, and says "Ruggiero was a member of the 'crew' captained by Napolitano."
itemFBI Vault, Dominick Trinchera file, viewer pp. 3-6 (February 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."
itemFBI Vault, Dominick Trinchera file, viewer pp. 102-103 (February 27, 1981)A Brooklyn-Queens memorandum headed "Bonanno LCN Family" reporting a confidential source's account of a meeting on February 23, 1981. It lists those present with an FBI label for each, among them Philip Giaccone and Dominick Trinchera as "Capo."
itemFBI Vault, Dominick Trinchera file, viewer p. 123 (March 9, 1982)A Newark memorandum recommending that the Trinchera file be closed: "NY investigation reveals subject Trinchera was murdered along with Alphonse 'Sonny Red' Indelicato and Phil 'Lucky' Giacone on 5/5/81." It doubts the two missing bodies will ever be recovered.
itemFBI Vault, Dominick Trinchera file, viewer p. 126 (June 26, 1980)An FBI report of a surveillance on June 26, 1980 at Grand and Elizabeth Streets, Manhattan. Agents saw Joseph "J.B." Indelicato talking with Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera; the two then entered "Indelicato's Social Club on Elizabeth Street between Grand and Hester (exact address unknown)."
itemFBI Vault, Operation Donnie Brasco, Part 01, viewer pp. 97-98 (June 1, 1981)A Brooklyn-Queens teletype of June 1, 1981: "the Bonanno LCN family is presently undergoing a power struggle that has resulted in the deaths of three family capos," Sonny Red Indelicato, Phillip Giaccone and Dominick Trinchera. It says Benjamin Ruggiero would travel to Canada.
itemFBI Vault, Operation Donnie Brasco, Part 01, viewer pp. 133-136 (May-June 1981)New York teletypes of May and June 1981. The first reports a source's information that Alphonse Indelicato, Philip Giaccone and Dominic Trinchera were killed on or about May 5, 1981, and that Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato was hiding with a contract on his life. The second records the surveillance of Ruggiero's flight to Montreal.
itemFBI Vault, Operation Donnie Brasco, Part 01, viewer pp. 148-154 (June 1981): the GENUS casesA two-section New York teletype of June 1981: "The GENUS code name encompasses several major cases targeted against various factions of the Bonanno LCN family." It lists the undercover operation, the Catalano investigation and the file opened on the May 1981 murders.
itemFBI announcement and briefing outline, "LCN Commission Indictment," February 26, 1985The FBI's announcement of the Commission indictment, forwarded to John Roberts at the White House, lists "Philip Rastelli, Boss, Bonnano Family." Its briefing outline says the Commission "authorized the murders of" Galante, Coppola, Alphonse Indelicato, Trinchera, Giaccone and "Anthony Indelicato, solider," and lists "Testimony of UCAs (Pistone)."
itemFBI Vault, Dominick Trinchera file, viewer pp. 3-6 (February 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."itemFBI Vault, Dominick Trinchera file, viewer pp. 102-103 (February 27, 1981)A Brooklyn-Queens memorandum headed "Bonanno LCN Family" reporting a confidential source's account of a meeting on February 23, 1981. It lists those present with an FBI label for each, among them Philip Giaccone and Dominick Trinchera as "Capo."itemFBI Vault, Dominick Trinchera file, viewer p. 123 (March 9, 1982)A Newark memorandum recommending that the Trinchera file be closed: "NY investigation reveals subject Trinchera was murdered along with Alphonse 'Sonny Red' Indelicato and Phil 'Lucky' Giacone on 5/5/81." It doubts the two missing bodies will ever be recovered.itemFBI Vault, Dominick Trinchera file, viewer p. 126 (June 26, 1980)An FBI report of a surveillance on June 26, 1980 at Grand and Elizabeth Streets, Manhattan. Agents saw Joseph "J.B." Indelicato talking with Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera; the two then entered "Indelicato's Social Club on Elizabeth Street between Grand and Hester (exact address unknown)."itemFBI Vault, Operation Donnie Brasco, Part 01, viewer pp. 97-98 (June 1, 1981)A Brooklyn-Queens teletype of June 1, 1981: "the Bonanno LCN family is presently undergoing a power struggle that has resulted in the deaths of three family capos," Sonny Red Indelicato, Phillip Giaccone and Dominick Trinchera. It says Benjamin Ruggiero would travel to Canada.itemFBI Vault, Operation Donnie Brasco, Part 01, viewer pp. 133-136 (May-June 1981)New York teletypes of May and June 1981. The first reports a source's information that Alphonse Indelicato, Philip Giaccone and Dominic Trinchera were killed on or about May 5, 1981, and that Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato was hiding with a contract on his life. The second records the surveillance of Ruggiero's flight to Montreal.itemFBI Vault, Operation Donnie Brasco, Part 01, viewer pp. 148-154 (June 1981): the GENUS casesA two-section New York teletype of June 1981: "The GENUS code name encompasses several major cases targeted against various factions of the Bonanno LCN family." It lists the undercover operation, the Catalano investigation and the file opened on the May 1981 murders.itemFBI announcement and briefing outline, "LCN Commission Indictment," February 26, 1985The FBI's announcement of the Commission indictment, forwarded to John Roberts at the White House, lists "Philip Rastelli, Boss, Bonnano Family." Its briefing outline says the Commission "authorized the murders of" Galante, Coppola, Alphonse Indelicato, Trinchera, Giaccone and "Anthony Indelicato, solider," and lists "Testimony of UCAs (Pistone)."