Bonanno Crime Family

The Feds and the NYPD are busy working terrorism cases and trying to slow down the flow of drugs from the cartels. This gives the battered Bonanno crime family time to rebuild.  

The Bonannos have come back a few times after they were written off as finished.  

Plagued by internal fights, they were kicked off the Mafia Commission in New York.  Then Joey Massino consolidated power and set the family on the right track.  They were proud of the fact that no made family member had flipped.  They closed their social clubs and made all kinds of rules to avoid detection.  The FBI was busy with others, and they grew in the shadows.   Joey became known as “the last godfather” because he was the only family boss free.  He even threatened death to anyone who said his name. It all came apart when his capos and his brother-in-law underboss turned.  He went through trial and was found guilty.  He then not only made a deal but also wore a wire on the acting boss Vinny Basciano while they were locked up.  Joey Massino became the first sitting boss to flip.  

The Bonannos have had a rough couple of years with boss after boss going away.  

It seems now they are in the process of rebuilding the family.  

The new street boss was once a teamster-working foreman who had a great job on sites checking driver’s union cards for local 282. He was pulling down a cool $100k a year when he was 25 years old.  The FBI spoke to the teamsters, and he was out.  

He was supposed to take care of a wayward Genovese associate who threatened a family member but failed to find him.   

Joseph Cammarano Jr. is the new underboss/street boss of the family while the boss Mikey “Nose” Mancuso is away.   He has moved to consolidate power.  He had a number of capo meetings that were closely watched by the Feds and the NYPD.

The largest meeting took place on a Sunday inside a Staten Island Barber shop.  All the movers and shakers in the family showed up.  They called it on a Sunday because they figured the FBI would not be working.  They even tried to run counter surveillance, but to no avail.  

Its really hard when the FBI has sources in your crew.  It's a lot harder today because if 4 guys get together there is a good chance 1 or 2 has flipped and is giving intel to law enforcement.

He then called a Christmas party at Bocelli's Restaurant on Staten Island that lasted for 6 hours.

It cost him 3 capos who were still on Federal parole.  They were all picked up for associating with people on the non-association list.  A judge denied them bail.

So for now the former Naval Submariner can rest in his home on Long Island.  One thing he can be sure of - law enforcement is watching his every move!