Good point, I go into Bonanno's version in the book.

Here's the evidence for why I think Bonanno was there, and why his story falls apart. You can decide for yourself:

The New York State Archives at Albany, NY have in storage all of the individual police reports filed on November 14, 1957.

The police reports go beyond just Bonanno's NY driver's license. They record Joe Bonanno's Social Security card (which matches the Social Security Death Index file for Bonanno), and record his exact new Arizona address (NOT his New York address on his license).

Moreover, there are some huge holes in Bonanno's story. Bonanno claims: "While Stefano and I were talking in Endicott, Gaspar DiGregorio and my Uncle John Bonventre had gone hunting. They drove back on a side road that curved across the border of Barbara's property. Police had one of their roadblocks there, and assuming Gaspar and Uncle John were guests at Barbara's farm, they stopped and examined the two." Joe Bonanno, Man of Honor, p. 216.

First, the New York State Police officer who caught them states in his report that he caught John Bonventre and Joe Bonanno ("Gaspar DiGregorio") NOT at a roadblock, but rather on foot in the cornfield.

Second, the state police searched all the automobiles and trunks and found no guns, hunting or otherwise-- a major hole considering how hard they were looking for guns.

Overall, I think the evidence is stronger for him being caught running in the cornfield, than his "official" story. The Mafia is a tough area to debate because we have limited evidence. So, I just lay out the evidence, and let you decide.