Re-reading Joe Bonanno’s self-serving (but interesting) autobiography, “A Man of Honor” [sic], I wondered again how he managed to become Don of Salvatore Maranzano’s family at the tender age of 26. He claims the 300-plus members of the family “elected” him Don following Maranzano’s assassination by Charlie Luciano.

Bonanno says he was totally surprised by Maranzano's murder. And while he claimed to be close to Maranzano, he hadn't described himself as a member of the family's hierarchy--hardly surprising for such a youngster. He'd like you to believe that it was his “inner qualities” and “forcefulness” that led to his "election" as Don.

Not long after his "election," says Bonanno, Luciano paid him a courtesy call. Lucky confirmed that the reason he whacked Maranzano was that Maranzano was planning to have him killed. Then Luciano offered Bonanno a piece of the Garment District action, which Bonanno refused. As they parted, Bonanno said, "I have no quarrel with you."

I doubt it happened that way. I think Luciano and Bonanno conspired to have Maranzano whacked. Luciano was a careful, forward-thinking man. He'd never have had the capo di tutti capi killed without assuring that his successor wouldn’t come after him seeking vengeance. Luciano also was looking for allies for the Commission he had formed—he had removed Frank Scalise as Don of the former Mineo family, and replaced him with Vincent Mangano, because Scalise had been too close to Maranzano. And he named Bonanno as “secretary” of the Commission.

Also, I don't think that the family would ever have "elected" a 26-year-old as Don. I think Bonanno presented them with a fait accompli, backed by Charlie Luciano in his new role as the founder and de facto boss of the Commission.

In his book, Bonanno damns Luciano with faint praise. Although Luciano was “courteous,” he says he didn’t speak Sicilian fluently, and was “not a man of my Tradition” because he associated with non-Italians like Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel, and was involved with drugs. Yeah, sure. Bonanno (as we now know) met secretly with Luciano in Sicily in 1957 to set up a major heroin pipeline to the US. So much for “Tradition.”

This is something that definitely caught my eye (Bonnano's age) when I was just searching through the initial names that were named by Maranzano at the meeting following Joe "The Boss's" execution. Luciano wasn't exactly old either at the time either.

I read it years ago, TB. Your mention of it inspired a trip to Borders yesterday. To my surprise, it's not only still in print (the paperback), they had it in stock. Anyway, I'm giving it the old reread myself. I'll let you know.

Please do. Your review will be appreciated!

Well, I finally got around to starting it last night, TB. I only read Part One, which culminates in JB coming to America with his cousin and being greeted by none other than Willie Moretti.

When he's not babbling about his "Tradition" (which is tough to stomach), he actually comes across as having been a grandfatherly, almost kind old man, with a better memory than a 30 year old!

Like I said before, I read it way back in the '80s when it first came out, so it's reading pretty fresh right now. I'll keep you posted.

Yes, your reviews will be appreciated.

As you know if you've seen any interviews with Bonanno, his command of English was never all that good. But he had an excellent collaborator for the autobio in Sergio Lalli, who helped him to express himself in the old-fashioned Sicilian courtliness typical of his time. It's one of the things that makes the early chapters such a good read. Almost makes you forget that he was a dope-peddling scumbag.

Well thats the thing about gangsters. They can sometimes charm the pants off of you to make you forget such things.

I remember readin about the leader of an asian outfit who almost had his investogator duped until he saw him snarl at some girl witha camera

*really needs to read his books again*.

I think its all about contradiction - a mobster likes to be in the shadows, but can't help showing a little ego, because it separates him from the "ordinary people", he feels he has to let them know.

It's hard to not brag about some of the things you do. I mean come on, you put in all this planning, do a flawless execution and make huge gains off of something and then you have no never ever say a word about it?

Like hell, I've got a story to tell!

I think that may be the rational.

Although I found the book to be an aria in self pity (even more so this time, than when I read it in the '80s), it did bring to mind some of those classic tales of New York mobdom. JB's version of his kidnapping/disappearance in 1964 actually needs to be read to be disbelieved.

Here's a what if, TB.

What if Joe Magliocco didn't do everyone involved a favor by dropping dead of a heart attack?

Were Magliocco and Bonanno wily enough to do battle against Lucchese, Gambino and Magaddino?

had Columbo actually thought it was a good idea, he probably could have knocked off at least one of the Don's, maybe all of them.

Columbo was the key to the whole thing getting exposed.

That's a big what-if, PB:
Bonnano and Profaci were closest allies. The tie continued with Magliocco (who I believe was godfather to one of Bonanno's children). But Magliocco was weak.
The big-picture struggle ca. 1960 was between the "traditionalists" (Bonanno and Profaci), and the (for want of a better word) "new wave" led by Gambino. Bonanno says the latter were into alliances with non-Italians and the drug trade (as if he wasn't). Gambino, through the Commission, had asked Profaci to step down. He refused, supported by Bonanno. After he died, it is reasonably sure that Gambino was stirring dissent within his family, which is how Columbo came to be the informer and how he was rewarded.

What sticks in my craw is: I doubt that Bonanno was powerful enough or influential enough in the Commission to have gotten away with whacking Lucchese and Gambino. And if he did, who would he have put in their place? Gambino, at least, had a plan: he wanted Columbo and knew that once Columbo was in place, he'd have a protege in the Commission. But I can't envision Bonanno, with his pomp and emphasis on "tradition," allying himself with anyone in the other families. I think he pursued the plot against Lucchese and Gambino as a way of stiffening Magliocco's spine. But I never read anywhere that he and Mag actually made plans for the assassinations--and the aftermath.

I tend to agree, TB. Magliocco probably lacked the balls at that point in his life, and as you infer, Bonanno was just too full of himself to form a true alliance with anyone.

The Genovese Family, who were in a state of flux at the time (with Frank Costello having already been put out to pasture, and Vito Genovese already jailed for the remainder of his life), may have been the "wild card" in the whole thing, had it come to that.