Bonanno crime family

The Bonanno family is one of "Five Families" said to be in control of organized crime (Mafia activities) in New York City. It is named for its founder Joseph Bonanno.

Bananna War: 1962-1969

The Bonanno family main sources of income had come from running numbers, bookmaking, and loansharking however in early 1962 Bonanno Underboss Carmine Galante was arrested and convicted of narcotics. While Bonanno had long denied involvement in narcotics after Galante's conviction it was revealed the Bonanno family was a major supplier of New York's drug trade. After Profaci's death in 1962, Bonanno had begun to suspect several rival families, specifically Carlo Gambino, Tommy Lucchese, and Stefano Magadino, of conspiring against him to take over the Bonanno families lucrative operations. Bonanno then planned to murder the three crime family leaders as well as several others. Allied with Profaci family successor and brother-in-law, Joseph Magliocco, the two planned the deaths of Gambino and Lucchese sending hitman Joe Colombo. Colombo however informed the other crime family leaders and both Bonanno and Magliocco were called before the Commission to explain their actions. While the elderly Magliocco appeared before the Commission and, due to poor health, was allowed to retire the refusal of Bonanno to appear would be seen by the Mafia Commission, and the rest of the crime families, as an attempt to become "Capo de tutti Capi" or "Boss of Bosses" over the Italian Mafia. Disappearing from New York, Bonanno concentrated on expanding the organization in Arizona as well as Canada and other areas. During this time Bonanno had begun preparing his son Salvatore "Bill" Bonanno as his successor; however, this caused protests and resentment from many in the family who saw Salvatore as incapable and inexperienced to effectively run the organization. Many were also disillusioned with Bonanno's continued expansion away from its main Brooklyn operations. During this time the Commission had removed Bonanno as head of the Bonanno family renaming Gaspar DiGregorio as leader of the family. This caused a major split within the family as many members sided with DiGregorio while the rest stayed under Salvatore Bonanno, although Bonanno still led the organization. In October 1964 Joe Bonanno was kidnapped and, while its unclear whether this was by rival families or was planned by Bonanno who was scheduled to testify to a federal grand jury, Salvatore was left alone to face the Commission supported DiGreggorio faction in what would become known as the "Bannana War".

Related Topics:
Carmine Galante - Carlo Gambino - Tommy Lucchese - Stefano Magadino - Joseph Magliocco - Joe Colombo - Salvatore "Bill" Bonanno

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In January 1966 Salvatore was lured by DiGreggorio on the pretext of a peace negotiations where he and several members were ambushed by DiGreggorio's forces and while an estimated 100 shots were fired no one was killed. With DiGregorio's failure to eliminate the Salvatore Bonanno faction the Commission replaced DiGregorio with Gambino associate Paul Sciacca. Joe Bonanno's unexpected return in May 1966 would see a Bonanno return to power of the organization, having been held by Magaddino for 19 months, despite a previous agreement to retire from the crime family in exchange for his release by the Commission. Bonanno continued to dominate the war against the Sciacca faction until a heart attack in 1968 forced Bonanno to eventually retire to Arizona. After Bonanno's retirment the Bananna War slowly came to an end by 1969 as Bonanno's Brooklyn territory came under Sciacca's control and Bonanno retained his western operations.

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