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Bonanno Family
Sal Maranzano's (right) gang from the days of the Castellammarese War would later become the Bonanno Family. After Maranzano's death at the orders of Charles "Lucky" Luciano after the Castellammarese War, his Family needed a boss. Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno was elected. He also played a part in creating the Commission. For the next 30 years, Bonanno's Family made a lot of money in labor racketeering, gambling, and drug trafficking.
In 1957, a strong ally of Bonanno's, Albert Anastasia (below right), was killed and replaced by Carlo Gambino. This led to a decline in Bonanno's power. In 1962, his other major ally, Joe Profaci, boss of what would later become known as the Colombo Family, died also.
In a desperate attempt to regain power, Bonanno (left) and Joe Magliocco, Profaci's underboss, plotted to kill Gambino and his supporters. This plot was discovered, and the Commission demanded that Bonanno explain himself.
Eventually, Magliocco died, leaving Bonanno alone. The Commission, with the team of Gambino, Lucchese, and Genovese as heads of the three most powerful Families, voted to replace Joe Bananas as boss. Bonanno then staged a pathetic attempt to regain power. He challenged the Commission's right to replace him, then when that was unsuccessful, he faked his own kidnapping and hid out.
This backfired on him, and caused more Bonanno Family members to support the new boss. Eventually, Bonanno reappeared and the Bonanno War broke out. In 1968, Bonanno acquiesced and retired to Arizona.
In 1975, Carmine Galante (left), former underboss to Bonanno, became boss. He had served a long prison term for a heroin conspiracy, and when freed, picked up where he left off. Galante's riches grew and this, coupled with his aggressiveness and his recruiting a number of Sicilian soldiers, worried the other bosses. In 1979, Galante was gunned down in a Commission approved hit.
The Family continued to be in turmoil until the shotgunning of three more capos ended the disputes. Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano came out on top, however he had let undercover F.B.I. agent Joe Pistone get close to him. This is the subject of the book and subsequent movie Donnie Brasco. Due to this situation, Napolitano was killed on Commission orders.
In the meantime, Bonanno resurfaced. He had published his autobiography Joe Bonanno, Man of Honor, describing the history of the Commission.
This led to federal investigation into La Cosa Nostra and 100 year prison centers for several Commission members.
In 1985, one year before Commission trials, John Gotti (right), took control of the Gambino Family. Gotti wanted an ally to take charge of the Bonanno Family, so he supported a Bonanno capo named Joseph Massino (left), who was in charge until his arrest in 2003.
After Massino's arrest, Vincent Basciano (Vinny Gorgeous), owner of the former Hello Gorgeous beauty salon in NYC, took over as acting boss.
Not wanting to make the same mistakes as the flamboyant Gotti, the Bonanno Family continues to be very quiet about its business. The Family's seat on the Commission has been suspended for many years, due to its long history of drug dealing, which is looked down upon by La Cosa Nostra.
