Do the Bonannos have any real presence in NJ today?

I remember reading that Gabriele Infante lived on Broad St. in Bloomfield back in the 90's. He was killed by Massino.

Profile: Bonanno crime family capo Joseph Sammartino Sr.

Posted by Gangsters Inc. on April 8, 2016 at 8:44am

By David Amoruso

Bonanno family mobster Joseph Sammartino Sr. was born in the Marion section of Jersey City. It was a part of town that was the typical blue-collar Italian neighborhood that has always been a preferred recruiting ground for the Mafia.

Growing up in Marion section, Sammartino Sr. quickly adapted to the tough streets. As one anonymous source told newspaper The Jersey Journal, “He was pretty tough with his hands. He could handle himself. He was a street kid that came up the hard way [...]” A kid also, who continued doing things the hard way. His violent streak landed him in New York state prison where he did time for assault in 1992.

It wasn’t long before La Cosa Nostra – more specifically New York’s Bonanno crime family - recognized the up-and-coming talent and Sammartino Sr. was inducted into the family by mob boss Joseph Massino.

Back then, Massino was a street legend. He was the only active boss of the five New York Mafia families who was not behind bars. Known for his secrecy, he ran a tight ship and brought the Bonanno family back from the brink of disaster after they were infiltrated by undercover FBI agent Joseph Pistone, who posed as jewel thief Donnie Brasco.

Seen as a tough guy, the Bonannos were eager to have him join their ranks as a made guy. But there were some who saw beyond that rough exterior. Like the aforementioned anonymous source. “He was very hot tempered, but he was a wannabe tough guy,” he told the Jersey Journal.

Even if it was true, the Bonanno family leadership didn’t care about any of that. Matter of fact, boss Joseph Massino made Sammartino Sr. a captain of the family’s New Jersey faction in 2003.

Operating out of his headquarters in Bayonne, New Jersey, Sammartino Sr. continued his rise within the Bonannos as one after the other of his colleagues flipped and joined Team America to testify against former buddies. Armed with countless of turncoats, including the family’s boss Joseph Massino, authorities succeeded in rounding up and imprisoning scores of wiseguys. With plenty of space at the top, Sammartino Sr. eventually became part of a ruling panel that led the family through these difficult times.

However, in 2009, agents came looking for Sammartino Sr. as well. They charged him with extortionate collection of unlawful debt, extortionate collection of credit and conspiracy to collect unlawful debt. As captain, Sammartino Sr. had sent one of his soldiers, Anthony Sclafani, to collect a loanshark debt from another Bonanno member known as “Sal from Staten Island,” who had gotten behind on his payments.

Unbeknownst to Sammartino Sr. or Sclafani, “Sal” was already operating as an informant for the FBI and kept his handlers posted on every threat uttered against him. Luckily for the feds, there were a lot of those. In true mob style.

“You're lucky we don't saw you in half and leave you in the woods,” Sclafani told his fellow Bonanno at one point. Still, it was his status as a made guy that protected him from much worse, “If you weren't you...you'd be gone,” Sclafani said.

Sammartino Sr. wasn’t so lucky. Confronted with the mountain of evidence, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. Furthermore, the judge gave him a $50,000 fine, noting that although Sammartino Sr. hadn’t worked in seven years – he stopped working after being diagnosed with cancer - and his wife makes $60,000 a year, they have a net worth of $1 million dollars. It didn’t help things either when agents found $10,000 in cash in their home.

In 2011, Sammartino Sr. was released from prison. Whether or not we will see more information added to this page depends on what he does with his time. But even if he behaves and starts acting like a law abiding citizen there is always the chance a mob turncoat might implicate him in a decade-old crime which happens so often in cases involving the secretive Mafia.

Time will tell.

A pic of Bonanno member Joseph Sammartino. He was sponsored around 2000 by Anthony Graziano and was a member of the jersey crew of the bonnanos , eventually becoming captain . He has recently been replaced as capo by Louis Civello

Does anyone have a recent picture of Sammartino I’m pretty sure I follow one of his songs on Instagram

Nice pic Furio.

Thanks Cheech but I found it on pinterest.

Louie HaHa also lived in New Jersey.

Bayonne and Jersey City is a stronghold of theirs with associates in South Jersey as far as Bridgeton and outside Atlantic city. Louis Civello Sr. is the current Capo of the New Jersey crew which consists of 4 to 5 soldiers. Bonanno Staten Island Capo Anthony Scalfani crew also has a heavy presence there.

Sammy’s Crew is in Jersey City and Bayonne. Louie Haha lived in Toms River at the shore before he went away.

DM, Sammartino is a soldier. Louis Civello is the capo over that crew. Both are still making money for the family, but Civello Sr is good at legitimate income and money laundering for the Bonanno crime family.

You make stuff up , stop

on my last day of my tour of new jersey vacay we stoped at asbury park. what a cool town, sucked it was pouring we ate at some speakeasy sandwhich place was goooood. any activity there beside the boss . those little lakes near the boardwalk cool. a friend of mine said they use to go to raves there in 90tys. probaly some genovese guy no ones ever heard of has it locked down for them.

Jimmy’s Italian Restaurant is run by a connected guy. Place is amazing, best old school Italian in Asbury. Lots of Fags in Asbury , but they totally turned the city for the better. It used to look like an Eastern European war torn Hell Hole in the 1990s. I couldn’t even recognize it anymore when I went last summer for the first time since I was a kid....

Asbury’s nickname in the 90s was Sarajevo by the Sea

Ive heard it was a shit hole but looks like gentrafacation or what ever word is taking over. House were all nice and painted. Maybe it just that little downtown part also hipsters were everywhere reminded me of the berkshires up here in mass but you have a ocean

Let's agree to disagree on Louis Civello Sr, and Joseph Sammartino Sr ranks.
This is the New Jersey list I have.
1. Louis "Fat Louie" Civello Sr
2. Joseph "Sammy" Sammartino Sr.
3. Anthony "Jersey Joe" Palmiotto
4. Mark "Mark from New Jersey" Meleo
5. Michael "Mike the Electrician" Donofrio, might actually belongs to Anthony Sclafani crew.

Possible members
1. Louis Civello Jr
2. Frank DeRosa

They had an auto auction in Bridgeton. I was surprised they were all the way down there . But actually lots mob guys are in that part of South Jersey. Fairton Federal is right outside Bridgeton.

it's the first time i'm hearing about a bonanno crew in jersey

Most of the Jersey members were in James Tartaglione crew. He was originally in Salvatore Vitale crew, but after Gabriel Infante was killed he became capo of the crew. While he was in prison he was allowed to keep his title as capo, but his crew was split up mainly into Richard Cantarella crew, which had Anthony Palmiotto, Mark Meleo, and Joseph Taormina who passed away in 2002, and Anthony Graziano crew, which was the biggest crew at the time, which had Joseph Sammartino Sr, Louis Civello Sr, Michael Donofrio, and John Caltagirone who passed away in 2002 also. Joseph Sammartino Sr was close to Joe Massino and was proposed for membership by him. After all the defections, by 2005 Sammartino was made a capo and almost all of the New Jersey guys were placed in his crew. Two unidentified members passed away since then, one in the late 2000's and another one in the early 2010's, at least one of the members was retired.

thanks giacomo