Originally posted by MistaMista Tom Hagen:
Turnbull, Im surprised you relegate Massino's importance to merely a "trasition figure."
I got the impression that Massino actually took control of a fairly unstable and violent organization and slowly but surely turned it into a quiet, powerful, money-making empire.
It seemed as though the only thing that brought his reign to an end was the fact that his brother in law flipped on him, which then in turn put pressure on him, and he then flipped.
Massino took control of a family in total chaos--not through force of personality but because John Gotti made him a protege. He was in prison at the time, serving a 10-year sentence for RICO and other violations. When he got out, in 1992, law enforcement was on him day and night, watching his every move, listening to his every conversation, leaning on his every associate (especially his brother in law). The Bonannos improved somewhat with him at the helm, but they were just treading water.
You can liken the Bonanno family to a comatose patient before Massino. Under him, the patient opened his eyes. But he never got out of bed.
