Why did Sabella go against Bonanno? Wasn't he his favorite? Reading through Dara's revelations, during the Banana wars he was afraind for his life and tried to switch families through Vario.
@NYMafia Any info on Skinny Pete Crociata? I've only read bits about him when he was a mediator during a sitdown involving Herbie Gross.

Hi axe, You have to understand that at a certain point ALL Bonanno members were told by the full Commission that Joe Bonanno, his son, and a few others were no longer recognized in Cosa Nostra. Slowly but surely ALL swore members (and top associates also for that matter), were told they either "come in" and report, or get permanently shelved.

I had relatives who faced the same challenge. If they valued their button, they had to recognize the new leadership. Which went from DiGregorio, to Sciacca, and utilmately Evola (with several changes in between).

A lot of guys skirted the issue for awhile, but eventually the bosses put their backs to the wall and made them choose. In between all that is why certain guys get clipped.

I remember reading sometime between 1981 and 1985, the Bonannos were ordered to stop inducting new people.

Also, does anybody have insights on when the family lost its Commission seat? Don't know if it was 1964, 1968, 1979 or 1981 that they were removed from the panel, but it's known they got it back when Massino became boss in 1991.

They were told to not make anyone from 1979 to 1984

That happened to the Colombo's as well after they had their civil war. Until the early 2000s they were prohibited from inducting anyone.
It is a tool that the Commission has utilized a few times though history as they saw fit.

@NYMAFIA
After all this research on the Families, I tend to agree with you now about the quality of earning in this crew. Its alot of tough guys but not alot of hardcore earners compared to the other Families. But I'll also say they probably had the most old-timers (save the Genoveses although in their case it was merely because of the large membership) out of all. Besides the subsequent shelving of Bonanno loyalist, this is why by the mid 70s, its damn near a totally different group of guys.

Yes, Lol.... many, many old-timers and even their younger members were largely drawn from the "bloodline" of former members lineage. I have several relatives who were goodfellas with them, and this was how it was done. (I saw it firsthand).

Nowadays it's very different, but even today you still see a bit of it. But in the 2000s it's a different world for all the crews, for CN in general.

Dob Peppino, Sabella was a capo until he went away in 1955 for his involvement in a large scale narcotics operation. He also had a nice bookmaking operations, not in the millions, but hundreds of thousands of dollars from his bar, he also was a silent partner in a restaurant. 1960s, he was only a soldier until the split and Gaspare promoted him to a capo, and he fell in line, otherwise he would lose out on his operations.

@Giacomo_Vacari
Thats news to me. I didn't know Sabella was a Capo in the early 50s. I do know about this promotion/demotion period in the Bananas War.

Any info on member who was named on the 1963 Valachi charts, GEORGE "GEORGIE LEFTY" RIZZO???

Sabella was a capo from the 1930s, cant say if 1931-1933, till Giovanni Bonventre was shelved for a few years, so he took over Bonventre crew, while Carmine Galante was made and a year or so later Galante became capo of Sabella crew. When Bonventre was finally brought off the shelf and reinstated as capo, Sabella stepped down as capo to soldier in Galante crew. When Carmine Galante was sent up to Montreal, he remained capo of his crew until Joe Bonanno officially made the Vic and Joe Cotroni part of the family, along with three or four other Calabrian members up there, as Galante brought two members of his crew up there, along with two other made members from the Bonanno famiou. When that happened, Carmine Galante became Capo of Montreal, while Sabella became capo of his old crew from 1953 to 1955. In 1955, Joe Notaro became Capo, when Sabella was sentenced.

George Rizzo was one of the last members made in the Bonanno family before the books were closed, either he was made in 1956 or 1957, he also became a capo later on during Rastelli reign and retired in the 1980s before shortly passing away. Not much I have on him, stayed in the traditional rackets and suspected in narcotics during the time Carmine Galante was acting boss.

@Giacomo_Vacari
I was mistaken. I thought you were talking about MIKE SABELLA. You're talking about DOMENICO "MIMI" SABELLA? He's interesting. How well did he get along with Bonanno considering they had a beef in their younger days?

Thanks on GEORGE RIZZO. Any info on members NICK CASTELLO, ANDREW "ANDY CURLEY" BUCARO, VINCENT "JIMMY" DEPASQUALE and NICHOLAS BUTTAFUCCO?

@NYMAFIA
As we know, the other Families well ran deep. Who do you think out of the soldiers who never rose in rank, that had the capabilities (power, respect, earning) to be leaders in this Family? If any?

There are sleepers who could have been better leaders than DiGregorio or Bill Bonanno. Not sure if Anthony Riela or Nick Alfano had leadership material.

Does anyone know why Angelo Caruso stepped down after Maranzano's death?

@NYMAFIA or @Giacomo_Vacari
Any info on earlier members MICHAEL "BIG MIKE "ALLEGATO, MICHELE "MICHAEL ANGELO" ANGELINA, PASQUALE "PATSY" GIGANTI and GIOVANNI "JOHN" FIORDILLINO?

Michael Allegato was related to the Bonventres, died in 64', got his start running and operating alcohol stills, involved in construction, extortion, narcotics, auto theft which the Asaros took over one of his yards, bagman he knew which palms to grease, employed as a metal worker in an aviation company that was in the defense program. Suspected in at least 6 gangland killings. Had a sports book in Nassau county, silent partner in a grocery store, bar, and repair shop.

Two names that I've seen in passing but don't know much about BIAGO RESTIVO and PIETRO "PETER" LICATA. Any info?

Biagio (Benny) Restivo was an old timer member under Bonanno. He was the owner of a popular brand of Italian bread that he manufactured from a bakery he owned on National Avenue in Corona, Queens, back in the 1950s-1970s era. The Restivo Bakery distributed loaves of hot Italian bread (wholesale) daily to the areas delis, groceries, and latticini's, etc., throughout Queens and Brooklyn.


His son Louie later became a member under his fathers sponsorship. Louie went partners with his boss Joe Massino in the Casablanca Restaurant in Rego Park/Maspeth. I believe that Louie was the upfront owner since I don't think he had a record at that time in order to get the liquor license. Al Altadonna (another member) may have also been upfront, as Altadonna had been a restauranteur for many years. He owned Altadonna's on Woodhaven Blvd., and had another great little joint that served only Sicilian cuisine along the Horace Harding Expwy., in Fresh Meadows after he got rid of the Woodhaven location, but after a few years he wasn't doing the business he needed to and ended up closing the place. I think Altadonna moved down to So. Florida after all that shit with Massino turning rat, and all the indictments that came down.
-----

Any info on members ALFONSE DEMARINES, GUISEPPE BUCCELATO and STEFANO "STEVIE BEEFS" CANNONE during this time?

Wasn't Stevie Beefs Cannone the family consigliere between 1974 and 1984? He was present at the Ravenite the day Galante was killed, shaking hands with Sonny Red, Sonny Black, Phil Giaccone, and Neil Dellacroce.

Yes he was. I am trying to find out about his rise before and during the Bananas War

There is very little info on Cannone. He was a shadow for decades and only came to light in the Galante era of the 70s.

According to Valachi's autobiography:


Copied from: http://mafiahistory.us/a023/therealthing2.html#353

Source info:
 Valachi, Joseph, "The Real Thing
The Autobiography of Joseph Valachi
- Part 2 of 4 -," The American Mafia, mafiahistory.us, accessed Oct. 23, 2020.

Copyright © Thomas Hunt (formatting)

I have never heard this before. It seems very plausible that Maranzano knew Angelo Caruso wasn't the type to have ulterior motives. He just didn't have the ambition of other Mafioso but that decision cost him his life. The Young Turks knew Angelo Caruso and for that matter some other members wouldn't kick up a fuss. Most of the crews by then just wanted to the war to be over. With Bonanno coming into power with his family lineage and the blessing of Lucky Luciano, no one was gonna retaliate. But there was some opposition to Bonanno's ascension and the murder of Maranzano. Francesco Italiano and Fillipo Rappa were the main rivals of Bonanno. Whether or not they actually had enough power be strong then Joe himself is another story.

Don_Peppino are you indicating Bonanno wanted Maranzano dead so he could become the boss?

Not at all. I don't believe Bonanno was involved in Maranzano's death at all, although he obviously gained alot in the aftermath. Bonanno did become distant to Maranzano after he became "Boss of Bosses", simply because Maranzano had to deal with everyone not just the Castellamarese anymore.

Bonanno was brought in afterwards for a couple reasons in my opinion.
1.) He was young enough to be cooperative with Lucky Luciano
2.) He had the famalial lineage that gave him prominence over others.
3.) He had actually fought in the war
4.) All of the above, allowed him to keep a lid on the Castellamarese guys, so eveyone could get back to business.

I do agree, Luciano offered the role to Bonanno who didn't want to go against Maranzano but had no choice knowing all too well his days were numbered and that he would share his fate if he refused.

You know. I think Bonanno was approached about the Maranzano hit. You have Luciano, Genovese, Costello, Lucchese, Anastasia, and a few more higher ups in the family knowing about it before hand. The fact Joe Bonanno took over without opposition from the other families speaks volumes. Bonanno did have opposition from Italiano, Rappa to name the key players against Joe Bonanno rule. If we take in that scenario, it gives a better idea of why Lucchese began to drift away from Bonanno to Gambino, he already knew Genovese since at least the mid 1920s. This puts the time of them being bosses in a whole knew perspective, especially if it was Joe Bonanno who approached Luciano with the idea of hitting Maranzano. We known Luciano and his family were getting fed up, and Lucchese was close to Maranzano to serve as a messenger it would seem, and for him to help Luciano would indicate Lucchese knew something and sided with Luciano. I believe Joe Bonanno was approached or someone else in the family was approached and they worked out a deal before hand. Why? Cause they just got over the Castellammarese War and did not want another one.

Your perspective is plausible but I have to disagree. I think that it was Luciano's brainchild and Tommy Lucchesse was the snake in this scenario. You have to remember that, most of the younger Mafioso agreed that Maranzano would be the same as Masseria and wouldn't mind seeing him go. Especially if its already done! Bonanno was perfect replacement for the reasons I stated, add the backing of Stefano Magaddino at that time and Angelo Caruso's (and the guys he influenced) compliance, and there you go. If Bonanno had been involved, he probably would've (and should've) clipped Italiano and Rappa sooner rather then try to work with them until he couldn't anymore.