Has anybody here read Joe Bonanno's autibiography, "A Man of Honor"?

If you have, what did you think of the book? I thought that the information on the Castellamarese War and some of the stuff on the Commision of mafia families was interesting, but I wonder how much of it was true and how much was false?

Im in the middle of reading it right now. I think Bill Bonanno glorifies his family too much. He also thinks that his father was the model for Don Corleone and he was the model for Michael. They do have some simaliarties but I think everyone knows that Don Corleone was based on Gambino (I think). He also makes fun of the other family leaders calling Gambino "a squirrel" and made him sound weak. But it is interesting and a good read.

Actually Don Corleone is a mixture of 3 real life Mobsters.

Foe Profaci, Frank Costello, and one of the bonnano bosses

I've read it! Well I read the back blurb and decided against reading it. It said:

i joined :p a intanet board and day didnot like me so i went .... n i piss off dem an it was soooooo funneeee and LOOK!!!! DAY FART AT EACH OTHER! AHA AHA!!! den anyway dey not like me so i was lik 'har har im da kin of da cassel and u da dirdy raskill!" hard! and so i bet them and that aassshole don fellaa he is like ****d me off but i wil not let it go coz i wochh dem al ta time n it was weal funnee and i bekame king of da bords wit my posts coz i was CAPO!!! I WAS NEARLY UNDERBOOSS! I POSTED 11,000 TIMES A DY! haa ahhahs aahha
rad mi book

-Penguin

Joe Bonnano was one of the sources of Mario Puzo regarding the Mafia's, before writing The Godfather . . .

GoodFella

i just bought the book and have started it.

I read "A Man of Honor." It's a good read. It's more self-serving than most autobiographies. Bonanno never admits to so much as jaywalking (much less murder and drugs). But it's good on Mafia lore. Very good account of the Castellemmarese War. He's also very good about his early years, and the formality of Sicilian courtship. But don't expect to be very enlightened by it. Also, Bonanno's collaborator did most of the writing, since Joe never spoke English very well.
Bill Bonanno would like to think of himself as Michael Corleone, and of his father as Vito, but neither came close. Michael never would have done anything as stupid as using an associate's overdrawn credit card (and thus landing himself a multi-year stretch for mail fraud in Federal prison). And Vito would not have dealt drugs (a main Bonanno business) or have taken it on the lam for more than a year while his son struggled with a rebellion.

I am thinking of buying this (somewhow). How much do you folks recommend it? Turnbull, could you please elaborate on "But don't expect to be very enlightened by it" please? With regard to what?

Thanks, Mick

PS> Can anyone tell me what is meant by mail fraud please?

Bonanno gives good detail about his life through the end of the Castellemmarese War (1930-31). Thereafter, he generally tries to portray himself as a legitimate businessman, and only generalizes about the Mafia. Never admits to being involved in criminal enterprises. He also claims that his cousin, Stefano Magaddino, the Don of Buffalo, NY, kidnapped him and held him for over a year, out of jealousy. Others have speculated that Joe himself took it on the lam to avoid prosecution on a variety of racketeering charges. So, he doesn't really shed any enlightenment on most of the years of his Donship.
Mick: the US has a crazy-quilt of laws and jurisdictions--local, state and Federal (nationwide) law. The later includes all crimes that might be construed as being of an "interstate" or nationwide nature. Let's say you're a con man in Chicago, trying to sell nonexistent real estate plots in the state of Illinois. I live in another state, New Jersey. If you try to con me by sending me a solicitation via US mail that contains a phony brochure and asks for money, Federal agents can prosecute you for "using the mails to defraud," or "mail fraud" for short. If you used the telephone from one state to try to con me in another state, you'd also could be prosecuted for "wire fraud." Usually the Federal government lets the states file charges under their own laws that prevent fraud. But if the Feds have it in for someone, they can act on their own. In Bill Bonanno's case, he fraudulently used a credit card belonging to another person in his mob. Technically, the state in which he tried to use the card could have prosecuted him for fraud. But the Feds wanted him really badly, so they concluded that he had committed "mail fraud" or "wire fraud" because the credit card was issued in New York but the attempted use was in Arizona, and the authorization attempt was made via phone lines.

For another account of the Bonanno family's activities, try HONOR THY FATHER, by former NY Times reporter Gay Talese.

I read it a long time ago, so I can't give you a review, but I remember enjoying it.

read it , thought it was great. It has a lot of detail about the 20's.

I'm going to go the opposite way and say I didn't enjoy it. I thought it was kinda boring, and like Turnbull said, he admits to nothing, so what's the point?

This was the first OC book I ever read. There is alot of good info, as was posted before, about the early years. Joe Bonanno controled the commission, along with Mangano, Profaci, Gagliano and Magadinno, from the late 30's to the late 50's. He was very well respected among bosses from around the country, and represented Colorado, and San Jose at commision meetings. He had territories in Montreal, NYC, California, and Arizona. The book dwells on his victories, but not his defeats. He also maintains that he never dealt drugs, which is hard to believe, as his underboss Lilo Galante was heavily involved in heroin, as well as other capos. He also claims to have been kidnapped by his cousin, but it is beielved that he faked that in order to avoid the grand juries looking for him. His dissapearing act also confused his own family and made the other bosses nervous.

Overall it is a good book to read.

One thing to remember, all mafia books, whether about the boss or an associate, have the same theme. The subject was always smarter than those around him and was more powerful and respected. In addtition they mostly try to appear to have done more than they have, and to have been involved with the most important events that occoured.

There are plenty of great books about OC out on the market. It depends on what type of reading your looking for. Turnbull is correct (as always)on the content of "A Man of Honor".

I for one enjoy the more grisly bloody work of the hitmen in the mafia. Others enjoy the start and present structure of the mafia in a business sense. It's all about preference of what your looking for.

If you want the dirty work of the hitmen may I highly suggest "Murder Machine" by Gene Mustain I couldn't put that book down from the moment I opened the cover.

You have absolutely no right to say that.

But, if Bananas wants to change his name, I'll do it. Bananas - email me what you'd like to use.

Update: Joe Bananas is now Mike's Bodyguard

Thanks. Now Mr. Bonanno what is your take on the book if I am so off. Obviously you are interested in Bonann,o so tell us what he was all about.

I've tried looking at past posts but yours do not show up, how about telling me what's up as i cannot find any old posts.

Yep, they are both pretty grat alright.

Actually Joe I read some of your posts, the recent ones from your profile, and disregard any questions I may have had for you. I couldn't find one that is even somewhat comprehnsible. Good luck to you.

Those posts were deleted when you were banned - remember. We wanted to get rid of every little trace of you.

Are you the real Joe Bonnano? :rolleyes:


Seriously, since we can't see your old posts Joe, tell us.

Hey Joe Bonanno here is some Bonanno trivia for you. What is bonano's mothers maiden name?

What school did Bonanno get kicked out of and why?

Who bailed him out of jail wen he arrived in america and who did that guy work for?


What was the name of the FBI man that tried to start a gang war in Arizona?

Let's see if you are worthy of the name Bonanno.

By the way my dad met John Unitas once, maybe should call myself Unitas.


PS you're the dork who spelled great "grat" look at your posts genius

Cool.

OK since Bonanno failed to take the trivia challenge and prove huw much he doesn't know, I'll answer the questions.

Bonanno's mothers maiden name was Bonventre

The school Bonanno was kicked out of was The Joeni Trabia Nautical Institute, in Palermo.

He was kicked out for refusing to wear a black shirt in honor of Mussolini.

The man who bailed him out of jail in florida was Willie Moretti. He was under Stephano Magaddino.


The FBI agent who tried to start a gang war, by Bombing various houses belonging to Bonanno, and Giancana's daughter as well as others was David Hale.

Bonanno's grade F

I bought it awhile ago, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I have a stack of books that I need to read and I take my time in doing so. I heard it wasn't that good, but I mean how could you write a good autobiography without breaking omerta? So you figure that in.

Bonanno--and the Mob--paid a heavy price for his breaking omerta. Rudy Giuliani, when he was the US Attorney for the Southern District of NY (the Federal Government's top cop in NYC) used the book's references to the Commission as evidence of a "criminal conspiracy" as defined under the RICO law. It was the basis of his successful prosecution of the NYC Dons--the so-called "Commission" case. That case dealt the Mafia in NYC a blow from which it never really recovered. Bonanno went to jail for contempt of court after he refused to testify in that case.

Hey,dude,you called me "dork".
I dont need to talk to people who call me that way [/b][/quote] DORK OFFENDS YOU?!

Yeah, they must be insulting his "race"


Joe, how can "dork" be offensive to you...and how can that joke about "Juan & Amal" be offensive as well? Your thoughts, please.