Joseph Bonanno
Named by Valachi in 1963 as the boss "in the other part of Brooklyn." The government's 1987 civil RICO complaint alleged that he founded the Bonanno family and remained its boss until October 21, 1964.
- Aliases
- Joe Bananas
- Family
- Bonanno family, as the 1987 civil complaint names it (charge)
- Role
- Boss "in the other part of Brooklyn" (testimony, 1963); boss "until October 21, 1964" (charge, civil complaint, 1987)
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state.
On the record
- 14 November 1957 — United States v. Bufalino (1960) names four men apprehended in the fields behind Barbara's house: "John Montana, Antonio Magaddino, Joseph Bonanno and Giovanni Bonventre." Court's account of the evidence.
- 1 October 1963 — Asked to name Castellammarese in New York, Valachi answered "Joseph Profaci, Joe Bonanno" (printed p. 166). Testimony.
- 8 October 1963 — Valachi (printed p. 246): "In the other part of Brooklyn, it is Joe Bonanno." Elsewhere he calls him "Joe Bananas." Testimony.
- 14 April 1966 — Indictment in United States v. Joseph Bonanno, 66 Cr. 377 (S.D.N.Y.; NARA 7570225): from on or about October 21, 1964 he obstructed justice "by wilfully failing to appear before a Federal Grand Jury on October 21, 1964," and by "wilfully and knowingly concealing himself to prevent his appearance before said Grand Jury." Charge; the outcome is not recorded in the page read.
- 1979 — Part 01 of his FBI file is largely Phoenix Division material on a RICO investigation and a Title III application concerning him and associates in Arizona. FBI file.
- 13 October 1982 — FBI Director Webster's Georgetown lecture (NARA 118567890): "In 1981, after years and years of investigation by law enforcement, Joe Bonanno, Sr., the former 'boss' of the New York-based Bonanno family, was sentenced to five years in prison following his conviction on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice," on evidence gathered with the help of Lou Peters, a California Cadillac dealer. FBI Director's lecture; no court record of the 1981 case is filed here.
- 26 February 1985 — The FBI's briefing outline on the Commission indictment (NARA 118568050) lists among the proofs "Immunized testimony of LCN Boss Joseph Bonanno," with the note "This information should not be made public." FBI document.
- 24 March 1988 — United States v. Bonanno Organized Crime Family, 683 F. Supp. 1411: the amended complaint alleged that "defendant Joseph Bonanno was the founder of the Bonanno Family, remained its boss until October 21, 1964" and remained a member. The court dismissed the complaint as to him. Charge, in a civil complaint.
No opened record gives his birth or death. The role line is Valachi’s testimony; the complaint’s allegation is recorded in the events and was dismissed as to him.
Records
itemUnited States v. Joseph Bonanno, S.D.N.Y. criminal case file 66 Cr. 377The case file of the 1966 Southern District of New York prosecution of Joseph Bonanno. The indictment, filed April 14, 1966, charges that from about October 21, 1964 he obstructed justice "by wilfully failing to appear before a Federal Grand Jury" and by "wilfully and knowingly concealing himself to prevent his appearance."itemWilliam H. Webster, Thomas F. Ryan Lecture, Georgetown University Law Center, October 13, 1982FBI Director Webster's lecture "The Informant, Electronic Surveillance, and the Undercover Agent," in a White House Counsel folder at the Reagan Library. Without naming him, he describes the agent who "assumed his role six years ago. In his undercover role, he was known as 'Donnie Brasco.'"
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)."
itemOrganized Crime and Illicit Traffic in Narcotics, Part 1 (September 25 to October 9, 1963)The first printed volume of the 1963 Senate hearings: Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy's opening testimony, Joseph Valachi's public testimony, New York police witnesses, Exhibit 8 and Charts A to E.itemUnited States v. Bonanno Organized Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra, 683 F. Supp. 1411 (E.D.N.Y. 1988)Ruling of March 24, 1988 on motions to dismiss the government's civil RICO suit against the Bonanno family, its alleged officers and Teamsters Local 814. It summarizes what the amended complaint alleged about each defendant's position.itemUnited States v. Bonanno Organized Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra, 879 F.2d 20 (2d Cir. 1989)Second Circuit opinion of June 23, 1989 holding that the United States may not sue for treble damages under civil RICO, in the government's suit against the Bonanno family.itemUnited States v. Bufalino, 285 F.2d 408 (2d Cir. 1960)Second Circuit opinion reversing the convictions of Russell Bufalino and nineteen others for obstructing justice and perjury after the 14 November 1957 gathering at Apalachin, New York. The court says the government offered no evidence of the meeting's purpose.
itemFBI Vault: Joseph Bonanno, Part 01Part 01 of the FBI's Joseph Bonanno file, largely 1979 Phoenix Division material on a RICO investigation and an application for electronic surveillance in Arizona. The deleted-page sheet lists 111 pages withheld.
itemExhibit No. 8: "Masseria-Maranzano War and Evolution of Gang Control—1930 to Present"Staff fold-out chart presented on October 1, 1963: the 1930 to 1931 war in three key-coded groups and the lines of succession drawn from it to five 1963 bosses. Several name boxes are illegible in the scan.
itemHearing of October 1, 1963, pp. 166–168: "All the Castellemarese were sentenced to death"; the Morello and Pinzolo killings as Valachi told themValachi testified that Masseria had condemned "all the Castellemarese" to death, that Peter Morello was killed "by the Maranzano group," and that the Maranzano and Gagliano sides then joined forces. Counsel put the dates of August 15 and September 9, 1930 from police records. Testimony, much of it hearsay.itemNew York teletype on the FBI interview of Salvatore Vincent ("Bill") Bonanno, Tucson, December 31, 1964: "Organization of Joseph Bonanno" and the death of MaranzanoAn urgent FBI teletype reporting agents' interview of Bill Bonanno after his father's reported abduction in October 1964. On its fifth page the son said his father had been "the boss" since about 1930 or 1931; when agents put to him the date of the death of Salvatore Maranzano, "who was boss prior to Joseph Bonanno's taking over," he said it "must have been around that time." His statement as the FBI recorded it.itemSAC Phoenix airtel to the FBI Director, March 22, 1979: summary of Joseph Bonanno's handwritten notes seized at Tucson, which include his account of the "Castellammarese War"An FBI airtel forwarding hundreds of handwritten notes found in Joseph Bonanno's house during a federal search in 1979. The agent judged them drafts of a memoir and reported that Bonanno "writes at great length concerning the Castellammarese War." Filed as a record of seized evidence; nothing in the notes is used here as a fact.