The Bonanno Crime Family

The Bonanno Crime Family is one of the Five Families that dominate organized crime in New York City. It originated from the picturesque Sicilian seaside fishing village of Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily.

History

Bonanno Crime Family Header

According to mob historians, the Bonnano Family began under the leadership of Sebastiano DiGaetano. Later, a Cola Schiro would lead for a time as a weak sister until the threat of death to all the Castellammarese by (Joe the Boss) Masseria would ultimately catapult Salvatore Maranzano to leadership during the tumultuous “Castellammarese War” years and the violence that would follow in the late 1920s to early 1930s.

After the Castellammarese and their allies had defeated Masseria and subsequently with Maranzano’s own killing, the leadership of the borgata fell to Giuseppe (Joe) Bonanno who would go on to lead one of the most tight-knit, secretive, and cohesive Family memberships for the next 35 years. With little fanfare or public exposure, it allowed Joseph Bonanno to accumulate one of the greatest wealth of any mob boss of his era.

The Bonanno Family boasted a membership of approximately 200 strong with over 750 associates. Some of these members included such iconic mafiosi as feared underboss Carmine (Lilo) Galante, consiglieri Giovanni (John) Bonventre, Francesco (Frankie Carroll) Garofalo, Stefano Cannone, and Philip (Rusty) Rastelli.

With power bases in gambling, shylocking, legitimate business holdings, and international heroin smuggling through its satellite regimes in Montreal, Canada, and Sicily. the Bonannos were a very influential Family across the entire United States, with members as far away as Arizona, California, Canada, and the Trapani Province of Sicily.

But by the mid-1960s, Joe Bonanno’s heavy-handed leadership style, greed, and ambitions would be not only his personal undoing but also the undoing of the Family at large. It led to the so-called “Banana War” which tore at the very fabric of its membership – a strife-torn Family that, to this day, has never fully recovered to the prestige and power it once enjoyed!

Below is a listing of bios and snapshots on Bonanno Family members and associates. They are generally listed in alphabetical order. New and updated bios will be highlighted under the Bonanno Family Spotlight tab in the sidebar column.

carmine galante featured

Carmine Galante

Carmine Galante was one of the most powerful and feared of the Mafia bosses until he met his fate during a Bonanno power struggle.

girolamo asaro featured

Girolamo Asaro

Girolamo Asaro was heavily involved in the numbers and policy rackets for the Bonanno crime Family.

mike bonfondeo featured

Michael Bonfondeo

Michael Bonfondeo was active in loansharking and worked closely with Tony Ducks Corallo of the Lucchese Family.

sonny cannone featured

Ignazio (Sonny) Cannone

Ignazio (Sonny) Canonne was active in gambling and attended the infamous 1957 Apalachin Mafia Meeting on behalf of the Bonanno Family.

vincent cassese featured

Vincent Cassese

Vincent Cassese was a Bonnano Family member who was active in the policy rackets and controlled a large policy ring in the city's black neighborhoods.

michael consolo featured image

Michael Consolo

Michael Consolo was a “soldier” in the Carmine Galante regime of the Bonanno Family who would meet his fate as one of the last fatalities of the vicious Banana War of the late-1960s.

anthony crisci featured

Anthony Crisci

Anthony Crisci was considered to be an important narcotics importer, supplying large quantities of high-grade heroin to interstate dealers.

Bonanno Family Videos

Follow BG

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?