New Video

A brief history of one-time Bonanno Capo Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano. Napolitano was the capo who allowed FBI Special Agent Joseph "Donnie Brasco" Pistone to infiltrate the mob and almost become a made man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TP_2DjTwVQ

Nice background story and video EXCEPT for Sonny Black being killed because of Donnie Brasco. Joey Massino testified in Federal court and it was reported by Jerry Capeci on Ganglandnews.com that that was not true. He was killed because Saonny Black was making moves to control the family. Nothing to do with Pistone.

Nice video- Thanks for sharing. Massino seemed to think everyone was trying to take over. so maybe that is a better theory.

Blatent Falsehood. If SB was in a powerstruggle for control of the family why would he remove his personals and go by himself to a 'meeting' (certain death). Its non-sensical.

Massino has stated the hit on Mirra had nothing to do with JP but because he was an informant. JM appears to be distancing himself from the hits caused by JP's infiltration into the family.

There is no evidence (and Mirra spent most of his adult life in Prision, so HIGHLY unlikely) that Mirra was an informant and its a nonsense that SB was hit in a powerplay.

Keep in mind Lefty was marked for death as well. What, was he an informant as well??? Please. Its either a MASSIVE coincidence that Mirra, Lefty and SB were hit (or marked) for completely irrelevant reasons than they were all responsible for bringing in an FBI agent to the family.

Logically, which one do you think it is.

Here is the Capeci's article in Gangland about Massino's testimony on Pistone....is Week In Gang Land April 14, 2011
By Jerry Capeci
Massino: As Mafia Boss I Had The Power Of Life & Death

Siskel and Ebert gave Donnie Brasco “two thumbs up.” But when a prosecutor asked Joseph Massino for his take on the classic gangster movie, he grimaced and held his hand in front of his face. Then he wiggled his fingers back and forth in that shaky motion that most closely translates as “Mezza-mezza.” Or perhaps, “Eh.”
“Objection!” thundered the defense attorney. “Sustained,” said the judge, ending Joe Massino’s career as movie reviewer.
Jurors were instructed to ignore this part of Massino’s historic appearance as the first official New York Mafia boss to testify for the government – in this case, against a fellow former Bonanno crime family big, onetime acting boss Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous)Basciano.
Thankfully, Gang Land is not required to adhere to the trial judge’s admonitions. For that matter, it’s hard to fathom how jurors will get it out of their heads since Brooklyn Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis was forced to repeat the shaky hand motion when he ruled it off-limits. At any rate, let it be officially recorded here that the first movie review by an ex-mob chieftain delivered from the witness stand was “No Stars!”
Not that the 68-year-old Massino lacked for insight about the inner-workings of the Bonanno family of that era. In fact, he is presumably better-equipped than anyone to pass judgment on the accuracy of the big-screen portrayal of FBI agent Joe Pistone’s undercover work against the crime family from 1976-to-1981.
In any event, once his movie review was over, the burly ex-Mafia boss proceeded to deliver several new revelations, each of which partially explained why he might think the movie version of the Brasco affair was no great shakes.
First, he debunked a long-held theory that a pair of mob murders of that era stemmed from anger at mobsters who were hoodwinked by the FBI agent. Under questioning by assistant U.S. attorney Taryn Merkl, Massino said that he was “made” on June 14, 1977 – a year after Pistone began his undercover role – and learned about the agent’s work soon after the FBI disclosed it in the summer of 1981 to Dominick (Sonny Black) Napolitano, the wiseguy who wanted to sponsor Pistone for induction.
Contrary to what prosecutors alleged at Massino’s 2004 trial – and what was implied in the 1997 movie – Sonny Black’s murder in August of 1981, a month after the feds pulled the plug on Pistone’s sting operation, was not payback for Napolitano’s role in vouching for Donnie Brasco, the jewel thief that Pistone pretended to be for five years.
Massino said that Sonny Black had told him that three FBI agents had alerted Napolitano that the “knock-around guy” he had known for several years as “Donnie Brasco” was really an FBI agent. Napolitano said the agents warned him that “if anything happens to [Brasco], we’re going to have a lot of trouble,” said Massino, adding that Napolitano’s sudden problems were unrelated to the Brasco fiasco.
“Sonny Black threatened to make a move on the family,” said Massino, recalling that he took part in the slaying and was part of a three-capo panel that was running the crime family for then-imprisoned boss Philip (Rusty) Rastelli that authorized the rubout. (Sonny Black looks into the camera as he and "Donnie Brasco" catch some rays at a Florida pool in 1980.)
Massino also dismissed reports that the demise of Bonanno wiseguy Anthony Mirra, whose February 1982 murder was long linked to his own Donnie Brasco dealings, was related to Pistone’s undercover work. Instead, Massino testified, that slaying stemmed from a belief that Mirra, a longtime drug dealer had become a secret “cooperator for the DEA.”
Massino, who is expected to face stiff cross-examination today about his assertion that Basciano ordered the 2004 murder of mob associate Randolph Pizzolo, stressed during his direct testimony that he was an all-powerful crime boss who had the power of life and death over wiseguys years before he took over the crime family in 1991.
He also explained the rationale behind another mob rubout: Disrespect. While he was on the lam in 1984 – ducking trial for the murders of three capos in 1981 – Massino said he learned from Rastelli’s brother and his own brother-in-law Salvatore Vitale, who was then a capo, that Rastelli was planning to whack Cesare Bonventre, a member of the family’s Sicilian faction who had extorted about $600,000 from a drug dealer who was close to Rastelli.
When Bonventre was called on the carpet about it by Rastelli, (right) not only did he deny the allegation, “he got insulted” by the inquiry and “got up and walked away,’ without so much as a polite good bye to his already steaming Mafia boss.
“You can’t do that with bosses,” said Massino. “That’s why he died.”
Rastelli also wanted to whack Bonventre’s long time buddy and partner in the crime and the insult, Baldo Amato – the duo played key roles in the 1979 rubout of wannabe Bonanno boss Carmine (Lilo) Galante – but Massino thought that was a bad idea, he testified.
“I saved him,” he said. “I sent word to the old man. I said, ‘Listen, he’s listening to his captain. We can’t just keep going on killing and killing and killing. He’s following orders just like I follow orders.’ He said, ‘You’re right,’ and he gave him a pass.”
Yesterday, prosecutors played tape recordings of jailhouse talks that Massino had with Vinny Gorgeous in January of 2005 – which Gang Land first disclosed thatSeptember – in which Basciano admits ordering a close associate to whack Pizzolo.
In his opening remarks to the jury, defense lawyer George Goltzer conceded that Basciano admitted ordering Pizzolo’s slaying while he was behind bars but insisted that his client was lying to his all powerful boss in order to save the life of Dominick Cicale, a close associate who had whacked Pizzolo on his own.
Goltzer conceded that Basciano was a powerful mobster who had committed numerous crimes, but insisted that he had nothing to do with ordering the December 1, 2004 murder of Pizzolo. His purpose in telling his mob boss he ordered the slaying was solely to protect Cicale from retaliation from Massino for having acted without prior approval.
The defense lawyer implored jurors to listen to the tapes “as many times as you want” during deliberations, assuring them that when all the evidence is in, “the only fair inference is that Vincent Basciano is saying what he has to say to save DominickCicale.”
It’s hard to determine what the jury will ultimately decide, but one irony of the defense lawyer’s words is that if Vinny Gorgeous was indeed trying to save Cicale from Masssino, his old pal hasn’t expressed much gratitude. He has already testified against him twice, and is slated to follow Massino to the stand.
A second irony is that no matter what the outcome of the trial, Vinny Gorgeous, who is serving life without parole for one mob murder, will leave prison in a body bag some time in the future.

Keep in mind that Massino had a motivation to provide alternate reasoning for the hits on Mirra and SB.

Admission that the hits were carried out in response to Federal incursion would hardly enamor him to his handlers, or the sentencing judge. Providing alternate justification 'powerplay, rat etc' is much more in his interest.

So Massino had motivation to lie. Coupled with it nonsense reasoning.

And oh, Lefty. JM give a bullshit reason why he was marked as well?

Its a poor case why SB, Mirra were hit and 'somewhat' of a coincidence Lefty was marked as well.

All in all, its bullshit self-serving. Coming from a rat. Which, in reminder, is the definition of self-interest. This, is simply further crap from a guy who at this stage was doing everything to get his fat diabetic ass a light at the end of the tunnel.

Keep in mind Capeci isnt agreeing with JM. He's just reporting what the bloated turncoat testified.

Is he related to Janet "I'm so diesel, and stone-butch I wear comfortable shoes" Napolitano?

I doubt it. Napolitano is a VERY common Italian name in America.

Massino testified for the FBI. His testimony contradicted everything that Pistone has claimed in the past regarding the demise of Sonny Black and Mirra. Why would the FBI use him against Basciano if they thought he was lying or making those stories up. Pistone is loved in the FBI. This wasn't a witness for the defense he was the Governments star witness. The Feds had to know this and agreed that Massino was telling the truth. They reward him with an amazing sentence. He is out as a free man!

As for Sonny Black's jewelry and personal items, maybe he knew that Massino had found out about his power play and that his days were numbered. And as for Lefty, he served his time in prison and no one beat him up, shanked him or nothing while he did his time. He did his time as a man. and when he got out nobody wacked him He died of cancer a few years later as a free but sick man. Sonny and Lefty made money for themselves and for the bosses with Donnie Brasco. If he infiltrated them so what. What is the difference of the guy who first introduced Velachi, Sammy the Bull, Phill Leonetti, Tommy Delgiorno, Petey Crumbs Caprio, Nicky Caramandi, Mikey Scars, Al D'arco, Greg Scarpa, Ralph Natale, Joey D'angelo, Ron Previte, John Veasey and on and on to any made man? It is what it is. Associates comprise of all walks of life, some make it, some don't.Pistone made money for them and if he was an Agent or was "bad" so be it!

Does it mean the person is from Naples originally?

Usually, but not always. I have Calabrese cousins with that last name.

The difference between the guys you mentioned and Pistone is that Pistone was an FBI agent from the start. He didn't "go bad".
All of the other guys were mob guys from the get go. You might get some flack for sponsoring a guy who turns rat years later,but if you bring a cop into the Mob, you are dead.

Then why didn't they kill Lefty? After all he was the one who introduced Pistone around after Pistone got to know him.

Capeci needs to convince Massino to collaborate on a book with him.

Beanshooter,
I do enjoy your posts mate, my thanks for your contributions. I do have to disagree though.



Firstly, Massino was rewarded for the convictions made and the incentive of having a boss roll. Not on any 'truth' he testified. To put it another way, if the FBI believed Massino wasnt telling the truth on why Mirra or SB was hit, do you think they wouldve prevented him testifying against VB?
I dont think so.

And MOST importantly, who would you belive? An FBI agent, or a rat looking to save himself? Or should I say an FBI agent, or a rat with a vested interest?



Again, what is more likely. That SB willingly went to his death amidst a family powerplay? Or for his infraction of proposing an FBI agent into the family?



It is an uncontested fact that lefty was advised by the FBI that he was a marked man.
Should we put this into the coincidence box with Mirra and SB as all unrelated hits? Or should we view these as hits made by all three allowing (a first at the time) an FBI AGENT into the family?
I think the answer is clear.




There is a CLEAR difference and a PRECEDENT between an OC made guy or associate rolling VS allowing (in the late 70's early 80') an FBI agent into the family. You are comparing apples with oranges.

If you think that there would be no repercussions from doing so in that age, you are very mistaken.

Because Lefty had the big casino and was on his way out anyway.

Mobsters needs to start doing new episodes again miss that series

Lefty lucked out.
He had been summoned to a meeting at which,(according to Pistone),he was to have been executed. The FBI picked him up,thereby saving his life.
He had 2 things in his favor:

1) He did 12 years without opening his mouth.Supposedly,this helped save his life.
2) By the time he got out,he was eaten up with cancer. I don't think he even lived a year.

When the Brasco movie was being made,the producers approached Lefty with an offer of a million bucks to do some promo clips.Reportedly he threatened to spit in their faces.
Between the embarrassment of the Pistone debacle,and his total adherence to the old school traditions,Lefty remained a true stand up guy to his last breath,never betraying Omerta.

I honestly believe,that up to the day he died,if he had the chance,he would have killed Pistone.Nothing was more important to Lefty than his reputation,and he would have sacrificed everything to avenge the loss of respect that he suffered because of "Donnie Brasco".

I have to LOL at that theory. One month after it comes out that Sonny Black wanted to make an FBI agent into the mafia and he's making a power play to overthrow the boss? I'm sure he would have had lots of support from the other capos and commission. LMAO

Yea I agree that I think Massino is lying about "why" Sonny Black and Mirra were killed and why Left would have been as well had the FBI (supposedly) not picked him up.

For me I think Massino claims otherwise to try and show up the government up, to make the others think Pistone DIDN'T infiltrate the family. This was the only way he could testify and try to still show up the feds. That way he can try to spit in the face of the feds and show them up in court while still getting off.

Where is CARMINE GALANTE'S episode they got an episode on DEMEO , he was no comparison to GALANTE c,mon

yaeh I think massino held back but sal vitale would have told the truth before massino flipped why cut off sonnys hands.thats a diifint message but maybe to keep the cops from idying him. was his head cut off to? i read the judge in lefty case held him without bail and lefty kept fighting to get bail and probably would have died. Howie winter says in a book lefy was a real gangster thought people were beneth him, it almost got him hurt in Leavenworth but bufalino smoothed it out.

I still don't get it why didn't the reconstruction of the Sonny Black hit match the body recovered: wrong weapon caliber, wrong number of shots. Does it mean the body wasn't Sonny's or did the informants lie about having participated in the murder? Was Massino ever questioned about what exactly was his role? Does he admit or deny that he organized it?

I just saw this YouTube for the first time. Sounds about right but the moderator of the video should get whacked for having such an annoying voice.

Was Pistone in the movie Donnie Brasco when they opened the club in Florida he was running one of the gambling tables right?

Pistone was the guy on the boat (The Left Hand) wearing the safari hat.

Oh god know I have to watch the movie again

Then why didn't de palmas guys kill whoever introduced that fed jack garcia to them? Don't tell me these are different times. You said so yourself, bring a cop around and you're dead

The guy who introduced Jack Garcia to Greg DePalma is living out in the open in Connecticut. What does he have to fear? Greg's dead. Craig's dead. No one gives a fuck. Times have changed.

Besides, the Gambino administration had no one to blame for that fiasco but Greg himself.

The biggest reason that the Mafia doesn't go after rats or infiltrators is that the Mafia,as we knew it,no longer exists.

Gone are the days when Omerta was taken seriously,when secrecy and low profiles were more than just words.When Valachi and Reles were so extraordinary because it was so rare for a guy to turn rat. When the Family's honor,both to itself and to the other Families demanded that vengeance be taken on those who betrayed their blood oaths.
The degeneration of the Mafia from old school traditions and values to a selfish,greedy street gang is reflected in all aspects of Cosa Nostra,just as it is in society at large.

There's not much to fear from a bunch of 30 something,drug dealing,phone card scamming,pump and dump stock swindling,sports bookmaking mooks who would rather do a few lines,grab their flashily dressed girlfriends,jump in their Mercedes,and drop a couple grand in a nightclub rather than sit in an alley somewhere waiting to hit yet another guy who snitched,so they could save the "Family's Honor".

You don't think things changed between the 1970's to early 2000's? The mob is a shell of its former self. They were a national power running casinos, every major union, all the east coast ports from Boston to Mobile.