The “BANANA WAR” of 1966-1969

The Banana War of the 1960s would splinter the Bonanno Family and turn the streets of New York City into a shooting gallery.

https://thenewyorkmafia.com/bonanno-banana-war/

Good read

Thank you.

The Shoot-Out on Troutman Street: The Mafia at War

By Thom L. Jones for Gangsters Inc.

In January 1966, a civil war broke out. Not between different people in a country, but within a family. A family of criminals that operated across the five boroughs of New York. It had been brewing for a while, and now it was time.

Between instinct and action, there is no edit function. This would cause a lot of pain and suffering before the final body fell. Unlike Sicily, where they really know how to carry out mob wars, this one would be an itty-bitty affair. However, it would occupy a lot of people over the years it rumbled along.

http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-shoot-out-on-troutman-street-the-mafia-at-war

Thanks. I haven't properly looked into the Bonanno war before so it was good to have things laid out like that.

Giuseppe (Joe Bananas) Bonanno was one of the 5 originators of what was to become the ruling hierarchy of organized crime in America. The "Board of Directors" if you will who governed big time crime and industry infiltration as had never before been seen in the United States or anywhere else for that matter.

But the very same qualities that catapulted him to the top of the mob heap, would eventually become his Achilles Heel and downfall.

His greed, ambition, and unending sense of entitlement would lead to the destruction of himself, as well as the borgata he worked so hard to build up over the course of 30 + years.

This child of Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, home to so many future top mafiosi in the United States, had the world by the balls... but he let it slip through his fingers like so many grains of sand.

But maybe in the end he got the last laugh.... Bonanno lived to the ripe old age of 97, and lived a life of comfort and mob splendor to the end. And no doubt left many untold millions to his children and grandchildren as his legacy.

On a human level, getting pushed out the mob was the best the that happened to Joe B. He out lived his main opposition Luchesse, Gambino and Magaddino. He got to watch the beneficiaries of his demise (Joe Colombo, Paul Castellano, Tony Duck Corallo and Rusty Rastelli) go out in a ball of flames.... and was still able to live, probably in the same fashion if he had retired in the first place. The only difference is that he would've still had some influence over the ongoing in Ny and the drug trade (which is what I believe everyone was trying to avoid). He would've gotten bullets with Galante or more like pulled into a R.I.C.O.
I often wonder if Di Gregorio had been promoted, could that have at least stopped him from rebelling?

I think if Gaspare would have been elevated to the underboss or consigliere post none of this would have ever happened. Or in the alternative, between Di Gregorio, Bonanno, and Magaddino closing ranks because of a solidarity (remember the DiGregorio and Magaddino were related), Gambino and Lucchese would never have pushed the way the did for Bonanno's expulsion. They would not have gained the momentum they did.

As an avid researcher I know that there is more to the story that is lost to history, but i often wonder what was the origin of Bonanno/Di Gregorio split (as far as on a personal level). It had to have happened long before 1964. If I had to guess, Gaspare must've been left out of the drug money.... I wonder what his relationship was like with Galante?

Gaspare was one of his closest friends (maybe the closest), but Bonanno had a bad habit of NOT rewarding people. I think it was more just a matter that he held everyone down. Everyone.

I am actually friends with the Di Gregorio family. And I can tell you that Gaspare was not a wealthy guy. Bonanno was a zillionaire, yes DiGregorio and many of his other top capos and men were half a brokesters. He tried to keep everyone barefoot and pregnant while he reaped all the money. This went on for decades, and THAT is the main reason why there was an insurrection.

@NYmafia
Interesting incite. Aside from Bonanno taking huge tribute, were there any huge earners in Ny specifically? (Because it always seemed to an extend, Bonanno got most of his personal wealth from his operations outside NY. And the other Families seem to have guys who made crazy money no matter what the "kick-up" was)

Do you have any info on Frank Labruzzo?

Its funny you say that because I always felt the same way about Bonanno guys. not too many big earners (that we know about anyway).

Mike Sabella was a solid earner I believe. Joe Zicarelli earned well. I'm sure others did as well. But as far a HUGE earners with multimillion businesses or rackets. I really can't name any!

I have zero info on La Bruzzo, other than what is commonly known about him already.

*** I take that back. I believe that his underboss before Galante, Francesco (Frankie Carroll) Garofalo, was indeed a very wealthy guy. But who really knows? He lived in midtown Manhattan in a big townhouse, owned some RE, and a "packing company" out in California, etc. He later retired to Sicily with his assets (supposedly).

I can most certainly tell you this, John Tartamella, Paul Sciacca, Gaspare DiGregorio, Nicholas DiStefano, Mike Adamo, among many, many others were DEF NOT wealthy. Again, I personally knew Tartamella (father and son), Sciacca, and Di Gregorio... and their families.
They each lived in a nice but modest LI home. Each had food on the table. But NO fancy cars, or extensive property holdings, or even big businesses to speak of.

Tartamella was a union official (never had businesses per se), Di Gregorio had a small dress factory (end of story), Sciacca had several dress factories and was a bit more stable.... but nothing that you'd imagine a mafioso to have (especially that each of the guys I've mentioned were top, top guys; consigliere, underboss, top skippers, etc)...and rose into the boss spot after that. WTF??

You can imagine what the average soldier had (or didn't have) if the hierarchy was that lean.

@NYmafia
Wow, this is great info. One last question and here's the kicker. Was the Family better off (financially speaking) once Bonanno was out of the picture?

I really couldn't answer that. But my guess? Probably not. Because it largely depends upon the action the borgata has to begin with. Joe B has ALL the cash. I don't know but I get the feeling that he sucked up 99% of anything good. He left his men the crumbs (a fact that many a mob boss or capo are guilty of),.

A small crew like Lucchese, smallest in NYC, was a very wealthy family pound for pound. I'd match their wealth and influence with any other crew - again man for man. Proportionately speaking, they may have been the wealthiest back in the 1950s or so. NOT TODAY of course.

But guys like Profaci, Bonanno, and many others were NOT sports. Tommy Brown was singular in that regard. His men LOVED him.

Even nowadays, Joe Massino was a cheap prick (a rat too as it turns out). Natale Evola didn't live long enough for us to find out. Rastelli was NEVER a wealthy guy. He was a boss, yet didn't know how to make four cents. Spent half his life in the jug. And I know guys who loved Rusty, but I'm calling it like I know it.

When we read these mob history books they often glamorize these guys as big spenders. But Believe when I tell ya (first hand), for every 1 guy who was a sport. 50 were tight asses. And thats whether they had wealth or didn't.

THAT is the cold hard truth. Many would find what I just said hard to believe, but it's true.

I will say this, for the guys over there that I was familiar with, Mike Sabella for me was a pretty sharp guy. And probably one of then better of that bunch. He was a classy guy too! Not a cafone.

He lived for fifty years in a moderate home in Long Beach, LI. He always made it his business to own a few businesses while he was in the street. Even before he built Ca Sa Bella Ristorante. When I was a kid Mikey owned a pizzeria along Mulberry where he later situated the Ca Sa Bella. He was so successful with that little joint that he took store after store until he was at the corner. He converted the whole thing to the upscale restaurant that it became. He also bought the entire series of buildings (which even in the early 70s was no small feat).

Sabella always dabbled in bookmaking (not himself but he had guys around him for that). Mike also had a solid shylock book....a lot of money out there. that was his thing.

He also ran a popular dice game above the bar of the restaurant (everybody knew it). He never got pinched for the game either....that's Mulberry Street for you. lol

He had a big crew. As far as I know his men really liked him He was a very fair guy.... AND a gentleman too! Good guy.

But he was a serous guy too! Don't get me wrong. Because he'd clip you in three seconds if he had too. Sabella had like 6-7 arrests in his day. Murder, heroin, extortion... he was no jerkoff.

Yet I think he beat em all. I really don't think Mikey ever served a day

@NYmafia you just keep on intriguing me (obviously by the name, you know I'm Bonanno fanatic). Whats your impression of Nicky Glasses Marangello?

Highly respected guy. Old time veteran. Served as Joe B's driver back in the 1950s if I'm not mistaken. Lived in an apartment in the Bronx all his life even though he was a downtown NY guy.

100% gangster..... but a VERY nice guy. NOT blood thirsty. But he never had big money, or should I say he may have made big money but never held onto it.

Did a couple of bits. Standup mafioso. a nice guy, but no-nonsense. Very well liked by everybody. Very unpretentious. not a braggart or pushy

He actually was in the center of everything since the 50s-60s but largely ignored by LE until the 1980s when he had a problem

@Nymafia you are very knowledgeable sir.
I find the (what I call) the "original" Bonanno Family guys (1931-1970 and of course they guys who came from that era) to be the most fascinating, simply because they are probably the least talked about or the least glamorous (as far as how people perceive mob lore). Everyone is into the other Families generally.

I agree with you. In fact I find all the old timers in all 6 NY/NJ Families as well as across the country the most interesting.

The Bonanno's in particular were always the MOST clannish and tight-knit as far as that goes. The Castellammarese in particular were closed mouthed and low key. VERY quiet dressers, and surreptitious in their associations even with other Sicilians not of Trapanese origins. My family and I are from Castellammare del Golfo. We are a very tight-knit close people, even by Italian standards.


Several direct members of my immediate family were with the Castellammarese crew dating back all the way to the 1920s forward in Sicily. So this is a subject very near and dear to me. They immigrated to America and continued here....it is a rich mafiosi history.

Since you seem very interested in the Bonanno Family, I suggest you visit my website ButtonGuys, and click into our "Friends of Ours" link. It is a series of intricate exposes I've put together about certain regimes, crews, and Families. I have created over 25 such exposes cutting a line through the U.S.

But I created a very extensive history on not only the Bonanno's, but much further back to our origins in Sicily. I tried to explain the Castellammrese mafioso mindset.

It is named the "Castellammare del Golfo Cosca"...... I think you might really enjoy this story ok.

Please visit and read what I wrote. I'd be interested for your thoughts afterwards ok my friend.

Peppino, on that note, I do not know how much you have zipped around our website but if you visit, you can also click links that run across the entire top of the homepage. They are all interesting, there is a link to in-depth biographies of each of the six NY/NJ metro families, but again there is a "Bonanno" link that provides over 30-40 profiles on many of the little known as well as the more notorious Bonanno members; Bonanno, Galante, Garofalo, Tartamella, Rastelli, etc etc..... also, Bonomo, Casale, Adamo, Genna, etc.,... names that are important if little known to the public as well. Ok

*** I also resurrected a thread/link on "The Cotroni Regime of Montreal, Canada" about the Bonanno wing operating up that way.

Hope you enjoy them and that there is some new info for you. Let me know ok

I think Rudy Giuliani helped him to have the last laugh. He read "A Man of Honor" [sic], When he was US Attorney for the Southern District of NY, and saw in Bonanno's description of the Commission a good example of a "Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization" as defined under the RICO Act. That's what launched him into the Commission case.

BTW: Was Cesare Bonventre, one of the Sicilian Bonannos, related to Joe B? He was a Bonventre on his mother's side, I believe.

Agreed. Inadvertently Guiliani stuck it in all their asses based off Bonanno's book. I'm not sure Bonanno was pleased by that. A bit embarrassing for him to say the least. He was even jailed by Giuliani on a contempt charge for not testifying about the book when hit with a subpoena.

It was the only time in Bonanno's life he was jailed. How ironic that it was after he was no longer in the life for decades already. His mouth and pen got him in trouble.

And yes about Bonventre. Although never confirmed anywhere to my knowledge, I would have to believe there was some blood connection there between the Bonventre family and Bonanno. That may very well be why Galante chose Bonventre and Amato as his "palace guards" bodyguards and disciples right off the bat.

they were cousins, and born in Castellammare. Typically the same names are bandied around that small village for centuries.

He felt they had a loyalty based on lineage....what a mistake he made huh?

@NYMafia
To piggy-back on what was said earlier in the thread, Would you say Galante was a wealthy Guy? And secondly, Do you think the Bonannos would have been more powerful under Galante if that hit never happened?

(And I've look at your site, obviously it will take awhile for me to really go through it, but I'm a fan already)

Peppino, IMO Lilo was NOT a wealthy guy. I mean wealth is in the eyes of the beholder. Did he have hundreds of thousand of dollars. I'm sure. Just being at the helm of the Bonanno's moving junk he'd have that. But did he have millions buried from previous decades? I doubt it. Had he not been clipped he most certainly would have made millions. But did he at that time? not so sure

And the answer is MOST DEFINATELY YES!.... If Lilo Galante had maintained his position atop the Bonanno clan, that family would have been one of the most powerful crews around.

Lilo was a force and a half!... TOUGH, TOUGH MFer! Fearless and deadly!

@NYMafia
I enjoy your perspective. So how would you compare the Colombos during Profaci's era with The Bonanno's under Joe B. Historically, they say Profaci was greedy also. Which crew had it worse off Financially? Secondly, which of the Families do you think had had the better earners? Whichever Families was in worse shape, was it more because of the boss's greed or the lack of ability to earn?

I'd say the Profaci Family and Bonanno Family were close in legitimate assets, wide far-flung multimillion dollar enterprises, and street rackets alike. Profaci was a master. And both Joes were "compare" ...those 2 families were so intrenched in legitimate industry its not even funny. If you read my bios on Profaci and Bonanno it'll bear out what I'm saying.

In order of $$ generated. IMO:
#1 Luciano/Genovese
#2 Gagliano/Lucchese ....Tied... Mangano/Anastasia
#3 Profaci .....Tied .... Bonanno

Note: even though Lucchese was by far the seamiest crew in NYC, it was also ALWAYS known as a money crew: political influence, connections, labor unions, heroin, policy, crap games, garment industry control, construction, shylock,...at one time they were the most cohesive and wealthiest crew (pound for pound) against anybody. TODAY? no

But overall then, as today, the Luciano/Genovese were strong! Remember that Lucky was THE MAN. and his crew (the old Masseria borgata) was nationally influential.

Thats where I'd bet my money if I were to stake a bet


In fairness, ALL the crews were in great shape. The WORST Family back then is still heads and shoulders above ANY family today. THAT WAS WHEN THEY RULED NYC WITH AN IRON FIST! .....

Did Bonanno ever use the $25 monthly "tax" that Profaci used? From what I'm reading, Bonanno's greed is what brought him down, as it did with Masseria, Maranzano, Genovese, etc., and it will do so with Galante, Castellano, Amuso, Gotti, Persico, etc.

I don't think its ever been documented, but in the old days many Families had a monthly stipend in place that their members contributed too. I think it was more common than uncommon within the various borgatas.

Profaci was not the only boss that had implemented a "tax" so to speak.

And in response to your other statement, I think "greed" is indeed why most of these leaders have fallen. Either directly or indirectly, their greed and drive helped get them to the top. But in the end spelled their doom!

The more intelligent and less greedy bosses mostly died in bed instead in a jail cell or the gutter bleeding out.

So true. One of the reasons Meyer Lansky lived into his eighties and died peacefully in bed was that he wasn't greedy--house odds were good enough for him. His biographer, Robert Lacey, also notes that Lansky was never as rich and powerful as he was described in news media and in FBI files. That's why he never incurred the jealousy and resentment of more powerful Mob figures--always fatal.

Re. Bill Bonanno: I read somewhere that he went away for a long time on "wire fraud" for using a credit card belonging to a Family member. That was a slam-dunk conviction. He was a world-class BS artist in the same league as Henry Hill. He mesmerized Gay Talese, who swallowed all the "honored society" BS in his book, "Honor thy Father."

In regards to BB I agree. He lived in his fathers shadow. Didn't know shit about the streets or the life. He got in trouble using a CC given to his by soldier Sam Perrone who was half shaking down a "Torrillo", a half-assed legit associate who was mesmerized by the idea of being close with mob guys. During the war when Bill was traveling and money was tight (another joke considering Joe B's wealth), he took the card and used it for airlines, hotels, meals, etc.

The FBI grabbed this Torrillo and turned him. He eventually testified against Bonanno. Bll got 4 years in the can for that little foray. Stupid really! His father should have been ashamed of himself for putting his kid in that position in the first place. You're a Boss. A multi, multimillionaire and you make you kid fall for shit like this?

Disgusting IMO!

On that note, HOW DARE you attempt to shove this "snot-nosed kid" down the throats of seasoned mafiosi as the "new" consigliere. This asshole didn't even deserve a button but because his dads the boss go give em one. But a boss slot? .... that as one of the main elements why they had that uprising!