Joseph Bonanno

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Lore & Background

Joseph Bonanno was born on January 18, 1905, in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, to Salvatore Bonanno and Catherine Bonventre. His uncles, Giuseppe and Stefano Bonanno, were involved in the Sicilian Mafia. At age 3, he emigrated to New York with his family, living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for about ten years before returning to Italy. He slipped back into the United States in 1924, stowing away on a Cuban fishing boat bound for Tampa, Florida. After the Castellammarese War and the murder of Salvatore Maranzano on September 10, 1931, Bonanno reorganized most of Maranzano's crime family as the Bonanno family, becoming boss at age 26. In 1931, two months after Maranzano's murder, Bonanno married Fay Labruzzo; they had three children: Salvatore "Bill" Bonanno, Catherine, and Joseph Charles Jr.

In 1963, Bonanno made plans with Joseph Magliocco to assassinate several rivals on The Commission—Tommy Lucchese, Carlo Gambino, Stefano Magaddino, and Frank DeSimone. Magliocco gave the contract to his top hit man, Joseph Colombo, who revealed the plot to its targets. The Commission spared Magliocco's life but forced him into retirement, while Bonanno fled to Canada. In 1964, he briefly returned to New York before disappearing until 1966. The "Banana War" ensued and lasted until 1968, when Bonanno retired to Arizona. Later in life, he became a writer, publishing *A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno* in 1983. Bonanno died on May 11, 2002, in Tucson, Arizona.

Reader's Guide

Joseph Bonanno's significance lies in his long tenure as boss of the Bonanno crime family from 1931 to 1968. He became one of the youngest-ever bosses of a crime family at age 26, after the Castellammarese War and the murder of Salvatore Maranzano. In 1963, he plotted with Joseph Magliocco to assassinate Commission rivals Tommy Lucchese, Carlo Gambino, Stefano Magaddino, and Frank DeSimone. The plot was exposed when Joseph Colombo revealed it to the targets. Bonanno fled to Canada, briefly returned to New York in 1964, then disappeared until 1966. The "Banana War" lasted until 1968, when Bonanno retired to Arizona. Later in life, he wrote *A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno* (1983), though his claims—such as not knowing about Lucky Luciano's plans to kill Maranzano—have been disputed. According to mob expert Anthony Bruno, it "defies mob logic" to believe Luciano would have let Bonanno live if he still supported Maranzano. Bonanno's story illustrates the tensions between old-world Mafia traditions and the modernizing forces within the American underworld.

Did You Know?

• Bonanno slipped back into the United States in 1924 by stowing away on a Cuban fishing boat bound for Tampa, Florida.
• At age 26, Bonanno became one of the youngest-ever bosses of a crime family after the Castellammarese War.
• In 1963, Bonanno plotted to assassinate Commission rivals Tommy Lucchese, Carlo Gambino, Stefano Magaddino, and Frank DeSimone.
• Bonanno disappeared from 1964 to 1966, and the 'Banana War' lasted until 1968, when he retired to Arizona.
• Bonanno published his autobiography, *A Man of Honor*, in 1983.