I read several times that Bonanno was one of the smallest families in numbers AND power. But in Selwyn Raab's The Five Families it's said that Bonanno together with Profaci had the power in the commission. "...and Profaci's death abruptly and decisevely shifted the blance of power on the Commission to the tandem of Carlo Gambino and Tommy Lucchese."
So, was Bonanno one of the most powerfull NY-bosses or not?

I guess he wasn`t, it`s true the Bonanno-Profaci partnership was very helpuful, but Lucky Luciano, in my opinion, was the most powerful boss, that`s why he was il capo di tutti capi.

But Bonanno was the boss of his family till the 60's, even after Luciano died.

Yes, but don`t forget he lost power in the commission after the Joseph Profaci`s death in 1962, the Gambino-Luchesse partnership became stronger and Joseph Bonanno needed to do something right away. Another Joseph would come over to the scene, Magliocco, the one who would help Bonanno to make a plot to give a "Goodbye, Lilo" farewell to Carlo Gambino and Thomas Lucchese, I don`t how concerned was Vito Genovese or who he was with.
Magliocco appointed a top hitman, guess who, another Joseph, just to put a different name, right?
The Joseph`s maldition!

This guy is Colombo, but they trusted the wrong person, Joseph Colombo sold the plot out and rated on Bonanno and Magliocco with the commission.

Joseph Profaci died for cancer in 1962.

Joseph Magliocco was forced to explain the plot to the commission and was told to pay a fine and retire, he died later for a heart attack.

Joseph Bonanno didn`t admit anything and went into the wind hidding for a year or two.

Joseph Colombo became the Don of the Colombo Family.

Please, no more Josephs!!!

This entire affair looks very complicated. But it helps to keep in mind that, in the Commission, power is never what it seems to be. The short answer is that Bonanno had delusions of power. A longer, more complicated, answer follows:
Charlie Luciano had assassinated two power-hungry "moustache Petes": Joe (the Boss) Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano. He had plenty of support from younger, rank-and-file Mafiosi who resented their old-fashioned ways and their demands. So, when he formed the Commission, he deliberately didn't declare himself capo di tutti capi. In fact, he appointed Al Capone as the nominal "chairman" of the Commission--and Capone and his family weren't even Mafia. He also named Joe Bonanno as "secretary" of the Commission. He handed out those titles, which were meaningless, to co-opt Capone (whose violent gang was bringing heat down on the real Mafia); and Bonanno, who showed little inclination to cooperate with other Mafia families. But despite those titles, there was no doubt that Charlie Luciano was the most powerful Mafia Don in the country.
But Luciano lost power and influence after he was deported to Italy. Bonanno resumed his independent ways. In 1957, while on "vacation" (his word) in Italy, he met secretly with Luciano and some Sicilian Mafiosi to set up a drug pipeline to America. Vito Genovese took advantage of Bonanno's absence from America to "retire" Frank Costello and to approve of the murder of Albert Anastasia to put his ally, Carlo Gambino, on the Commission. But when Genovese found out about Bonanno's drug deal, his hand was forced: he called the Apalachin meeting to gain approval for Gambino, to bless the traffic in drugs that he was organizing (to counterbalance Bonanno), and to move himself into position as the capo di tutti capi. As you know, Costello and Meyer Lansky foiled him by setting Genovese up for a drug deal, then arranging for him to be arrested and convicted.
Now for Bonanno:
With Genovese out of the picture, Bonanno thought all was well at the Commission. He and his pal, Profaci, both had seats on the Commission. Gambino and Tommy Lucchese, united by marriage of their children, formed another faction. But Bonanno's cousin, Stefano Magaddino, was the chairman. Thus, he thought he and Profaci were more powerful than Gambino/Lucchese.
But when Profaci died, Bonanno's hand was forced: now he felt he had to push Profaci's weak successor (and brother in law) Magliocco to act with him against Gambino and Lucchese. But, as DC said, their plot was betrayed by Joe Columbo, one of Magliocco's capos. And what Bonanno hadn't counted on was that his cousin, Magaddino, grew resentful of Joe's attitudes and power--and Magaddino, the chairman, sided with Gambino and Lucchese.
To net it out: Gambino took a lesson from Luciano: never show a lust for power, always remain in the shadows, let others take the risks.

That`s why Carlo was probably the best Don ever.

By the way, Turnbull, I haven`t seen a post of yours asking any questions, there is nothing you don`t know about, you know everything, you better tell me when is the end of the world, Turnbull, YOU ARE A MAESTRO,A MASTER, A TEACHER!!!(We call "maestro" to the cool people and the ones who know very well some things).

Turnbull, you must be God!

He's just a retired investor, living on a pension.

But seriously, he's a walking encyclopedia. The man is full of knowledge.


Don Cardi

Turnbull is our Mafia encyclopedia

"I came home to vote in the Presidential election. But [attention DPN!] they wouldn't let me vote for Juan Domingo Peron. So I voted for Edelmiro Farrell..."

Que Grande Turnbull!!!
But be careful about voting "De facto" presidents