Joe Bonanno WAS a very greedy guy. This fact I know personally. He was greedy in the sense that he kept his men down. Even his best and closest skippers. Boyhood friends. He made them skippers, but largely kept them "barefoot and pregnant" all their lives as the saying goes.

Unless they themselves were sharp and earned separately, he gave them zero!

That said. The "Castellammarese Clan" was probably the most secretive and blood bonded of all the five borgatas. Starting with Maranzano they were an extremely close-knit, "closed" group in many ways. Especially those Sicilians from Trapani region. The other four groups were often kept in the dark and at arms length. The Castellammarese generally dealt amongst themselves for decades.

Something that should be acknowledged is Bonanno did curate alot of his own income. He was a big earner (for himself obviously). And I agree with NYM about him not " putting money on the streets" as they say.

When it comes to the Family itself. I look at it like cereal. You got 5 types (Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, French Toast Crunch, Fruit Loops and Raisin Brand), inevitably, one is gonna get left on the shelf more often then not. There was so much competition in NY. The crews had stiff competition in Brooklyn and Manhattan from the other Families.

Njein,
1) No, Tartamella only became efficient Consigliere after seeing where others had failed, he still made minor mistakes as a Consigliere his first few years, but it was trial and learn from him. So by the mid 1940s he was ready as he could be. He was well respect and liked cause he kept the gripes professionally, many members were getting fed up with Joe Bonanno taking most of the money from scores or from their rackets.

2) Galante's crew would not have been split into two if he stayed on the street, nor would one of the split crews split again into four groups or crews. One faction would have still split from the crew, but Mike Sabella and a few other members that went on the sidelines would have joined Joe Bonanno as that was where Carmine loyalty was. Frank Mari, Mike Consolo, and many others would have not joined up with Gaspare Digregorio. Carmine would be the number one target for Digregorio shooters, that was one guy you did not want on the street. Also Joe Bonanno would have likely named Carmine Galante his successor in the early 1960s.

3) Profaci, Mangano, and Anastasia had the 25 dollar a month tax. Tommy Lucchese and Joe Bonanno had the 10 dollar a month tax for those in the Garment industry, but there is not a lot of info for the other activities in the family or even if Joe Bonanno placed a tax like that on all members. Only the 10 dollar a month tax in the garment industry is a fact.

Dob_Peppino,
1) Mostly money, also Morale would not pay what he owed, but would make other soldiers and capos pay what they owed. It was ok for Morale to be broke and not pay, but the other members had to go to the streets and make money not a few hours, but a full day or longer. Those loyal to Morale and his brother were given cushy business ventures, while other were chasing the same dime and nickel.

2) Vincent Depasquale was big in the garment business and a capo. Ignazio and Natale were also members Vincent and Ignazio both died in the 1970s while Natale died in the 1990s. Vincent Depasquale was demoted during the war, but was still with Joe Bonanno. After Mike Adamo was killed in 1969, Phil Rastelli named him as a replacement for his crew when Rastelli was upped. Instead of Vincent getting his old crew back he gets Rastellis. Him and Phil Lucky did not get along. Vincent died before 1975. 1975 till 1977 no Ideal who ran Rastelli old crew before Phil Giaccone took over. Jimmy and Joseph were both powerhouses in the garment business for the family. Joseph had a fearsome reputation, while Vincent had a well respect reputation, hence while Rastelli who went against Joe Bonanno picked a Bonanno loyalist to skipper his old crew.

3) Michelangelo Vitale is an enigma wrapped inside an Enigma. He was a big narcotics dealer who I believe was a Bonanno members who traveled across the states, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri, and California, and all over Sicily, Palermo, Trapani, Agrigento. He was killed in Sicily, Frank Mari is credited on getting a team to get him in Sicily, but in all likely Hood he was killed by the new powers to be over there and not part of the Bonanno war.

Michelangelo Vitale was related to iconic Castellammarese boss Vito Vitale, a very powerful guy back in Trapani Province. That's where MVs power emanated from. And I'm 99.999% sure that any trafficking he did in America was at the behest and prodding of his relative.

He was not a Bonanno per se, but was closely tied to them because of this smuggling and supply chain the Trapanese cosca ran.

When it comes to Tartamella, I found a book called the Journymen Barber from the 1930s. It was a union book that outlined the associates across the country. The were some recognizable names coming out of Brooklyn (Di Gregorio, Oddo and other relatives I'd assume). John Tartamella went on to become Vice President of the International Barbers union. I wonder what kind of rackets/money was there.

This group did have some Garmet industry influence in the 40s-50s but Lucchese and Gambino put a stop to that. Which is interesting seeing as to Paul Sciacca association to them was from that space.

There was a member named Joseph Spadaro. He was a in-law to Frank Labruzzo (also in Garmet). He owned a coat and suit factory. Bonanno used him as his accountant and he was tasked with collection extortion fees in the garmet district.

Can I get some clarification on Rusty Rastelli's rep and role during the Bananas wars? As well as the Asaros, The Fiordillinos and Nick ",The battler" DiStefano?

What were the thoughts of some of the old timers (Peter Licata, Tony Riela, Nick Alfano, Vincenzo Morsellino, Angelo Caruso)

How was some of the associates (Lefty Guns Ruggiero, Joe Massino, Sonny Red) involved during that time?

At that point in time, the 1930s-1960s, the barbers union was very strong. Italian barbers were prominent so the industry was thriving. John half-created that union. He later merged it with another separate barbers union that only expanded and strengthened it. By the 1960s, it was renamed the Barbers & Beauty Culturist Union (Independent). As John aged, by the 1950s he had brought his son Sereno, more commonly called Bobby, in as a union official. "Bobby T" later headed that union local. It think it may have been Local #1771, but don't quote me on that.

In later years the Barbers Union lost strength and members. But back in the day they were very powerful.

@NYMafia & Dob_Peppino

Wasn’t Angelo Caruso the underboss to Salvatore Maranzano?

Yes, Angelo Caruso was the official Underboss to Maranzano. He represented the members who weren't Castellamarese. Caruso wasn't ambitious and became a Caporegime. He had a social club in Brooklyn called the Shoreview. I am not aware of his operations or crew members

This is partly why Bonanno is thought to haven been involved in the Maranzano hit. People don't understand the truth behind how he was elevated. He provideds a plausible explanation in the book on why he wasn't.

Yes, for a time I believe so. Real old timer who later resided in No. Jersey I believe. He was not Castellammarese though like Maranzano. they sometimes do that to "balance" the membership

Who is interesting to me is Giovanni (Johnny) Aquaro. Very little out on him. He's exactly the type of guy I like to do.

@NyMafia & Dob_Peppino

What’s mind-boggling; Angelo Caruso died in 1991…. He was born in 1895….

Guy had seen it all..

What was his relationship like with Joe Bonanno?

Aquaro, as well as, "Skinny Pete" Crociata, Giuseppe Grimaldi, Joe DiMaria Peter Licata and Frank Labruzzo were all capos officially or under the rebel faction but there is little info on them as well. The Bonannos for what its worth (even with informers) were a shadowy group.

Yes. Of them all, Pietro Licata we learned the most about and I think that was because of his killing.

Not much is known but he obviously got along with JB because he served in a hierarchy post for years right?

Angelo also lived a long life similar to JB, who I believe died at age 97 correct?

Aquaro was also the mentor to Phil Giaccone (one of the three capos involved in the plot to overthrow Rusty).

I saw in one source that Santo Sorge was affiliated with Bonanno. I know Sorge worked with Luciano, he's one of the great mob enigmas. Any info on him GV or NYM

During his time as Donnie Brasco, did Pistone ever bring up Joe Bonanno's name in front of Mirra, Lefty or Sonny Black? If so, how did they react?

What reason would he have had to bring up Joe Bonanno? He was long removed from the New York Mafia scene.

As long as Carmine Galante was around, Joe Bonanno was involved in some kind of way.... the feds were checking his trash. It's plausible that Pistone was made to pry information. I've always been curious what the words on the streets within the NY Bonannos about Joe during the 70s. I know generally it was bad but everyone couldn't have thought he was a bad guy/Boss.

Bonanno was allegedly informed of the Galante hit. The has never been an actual connection (who) made but I have a few ideas why.....

Wasn't Patty DeFilippo in contact with Joe after he moved out west?

"unofficially" many guys were. But officially both Joe and his son Bill were outcasts and persona non grata.

(Also, I don't believe for one split second that Joe Bonanno was "consulted" either before, or after, the hit on Galante. What the fuck did they care about what Bonanno thought at that point in time?). He was old news and amounted to nothing in CN at that point for many years already. He was a non-entity by then.

I disagree NYM. In my opinion, the international drug trade is above LCN. Galante was always gonna be associated with Bonanno. Galante (and not taking anything away from the guy) gets alot of credit as far as the establishment of the Canada and the Heroin but Bonanno did alot of that himself.

I am a believer in their is "truth in each lie". There was a rumor that Carmine was sending tribute to Bonanno after he got out of jail. Now I'm in now way inferring that Joe had any power in NY but just because Tony Ducks, Big Paul, Carmine The Snake and Fat Tony didn't deal with him didn't mean Galante didn't. And Galante wasn't a nobody. That's a problem. Also I would think it came from within the Family. It could've been a simple message that his envelopes were gonna stop. Or it could've been a question of how involved he was with Galante? Which could lead to the understanding that the guy is about to "go". Maybe they wanted to get Galante's drug contacts and Bonanno played the middleman. It could've been many reasons

You cross all your T's and dot all your i's, when hitting a guy like this. Do you think if Vito Genovese was gonna get hit in 1959, Lucky Luciano wouldn't be in the loop? And you could argue how much sway either way Luciano still had at that point. I only use it as an example. Sammy the Bull said "you go to anywhere you could get possible blowback". Maybe the just wanted to feel Bonanno out and that was all. And he in turn gave them his "blessing" by saying he wasn't already/gonna get involved. Who knows but I think it happened to some extent.

Don Pep, as they say in the vernacular, "that's what make horse races! Everybody's free to pick the horse they like."

For me, I'll stay with what I said. I feel thats closer to the truth.