37 Facts About Joseph Bonanno

Joseph Bonanno was born in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, where his father was involved in organized crime.

At the age of three, Joseph Bonanno emigrated to New York City with his family, where he lived for about 10 years before he moved back to Italy.

Joseph Bonanno later slipped back into the United States in 1924, by stowing away on a Cuban fishing boat bound for Tampa, Florida.

At age 26, Joseph Bonanno became one of the youngest-ever bosses of a crime family.

The Commission spared Magliocco's life but forced him into retirement, while Joseph Bonanno fled to Canada.

The "Banana War" ensued and lasted until 1968, when Joseph Bonanno retired to Arizona.

Joseph Bonanno was born on January 18,1905, in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, to Salvatore Joseph Bonanno and Catherine Bonventre.

When Joseph Bonanno was three years old, his family moved to the United States and settled in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for about 10 years before returning to Italy.

Joseph Bonanno's father had returned to Sicily in 1911, and died of a heart attack in 1915.

Joseph Bonanno slipped back into the United States in 1924, by stowing away on a Cuban fishing boat bound for Tampa, Florida with Peter Magaddino.

Joseph Bonanno was welcomed by Willie Moretti and an unidentified man.

Joseph Bonanno first worked at a bakery owned by his uncle and later took up acting classes near Union Square, Manhattan.

Joseph Bonanno had become active in the Mafia during his youth in Italy, and he fled to the United States after Benito Mussolini initiated a crackdown.

Joseph Bonanno himself claimed years later that he fled because he was ardently anti-Fascist.

Joseph Bonanno operated a distillery located inside an apartment building basement with Gaspar DiGregorio and Giovanni Romano, who was later killed in the distillery due to an accidental explosion.

At the age of 26, Joseph Bonanno became one of the youngest-ever bosses of a crime family.

Years later, Joseph Bonanno wrote in his autobiography that he did not know about Luciano's plans; he claimed to have only learned about them from Magaddino.

In 1931, two months after Maranzano was murdered, Joseph Bonanno was married to Fay Labruzzo.

Joseph Bonanno had property in Hempstead, New York, and later Middletown, New York.

Joseph Bonanno had several legitimate businesses, including three coat manufacturing companies, laundries, cheese suppliers, funeral homes, and a trucking company.

The funeral parlor Joseph Bonanno owned in Brooklyn was suspected to be used as a front for disposing of bodies, building double-decker coffins to fit more than one body so that both would be buried in one grave.

Joseph Bonanno allegedly attended the Grand Hotel et des Palmes Mafia meeting in Palermo in October 1957.

Joseph Bonanno claimed he had skipped the meeting, but the attending capo Gaspar DiGregorio was carrying Joseph Bonanno's recently renewed driver's license.

In mid 1964, Joseph Bonanno fled to Montreal, leaving Magliocco to deal with the Commission.

Joseph Bonanno was detained for nearly 90 days at Bordeaux Prison until he was forced to leave Canada.

In October 1964, he returned to Manhattan, but on October 21,1964, the day before Joseph Bonanno was scheduled to testify to a grand jury inquiry, his lawyers said that after having dinner with them, Joseph Bonanno was kidnapped, allegedly by Magaddino's men, as he entered the apartment house where one of his lawyers lived on Park Avenue and East 36th Street.

In 1968, after a heart attack, Joseph Bonanno ended the family warfare by agreeing to retire as boss and move to Arizona.

Joseph Bonanno was initially infuriated by the book and refused to speak to Bill for a year.

Joseph Bonanno justified his decision to write A Man of Honor on the grounds that omerta represented a lifestyle and tradition greater than or beyond just the code of silence it is generally understood to be: as he had not been compelled to reveal his secrets by becoming an informant or government witness, Joseph Bonanno reasoned, he did not violate his code of honor.

Joseph Bonanno died on May 11,2002, of heart failure at the age of 97.

Joseph Bonanno is buried at Holy Hope Cemetery and Mausoleum in Tucson.

In 2009, Joe's cousin, Thomas Joseph Bonanno, participated as a Mafia expert in the filming of Deadliest Warrior: "Mafia vs Yakuza", demonstrating his skills and marksmanship with a Thompson submachine gun as well as talking about "true" Sicilian Mafia philosophy and culture.

In 2014, "Eldorado", the series finale of Boardwalk Empire, Joe Joseph Bonanno, played by Amadeo Fusca, has a non-speaking cameo role.

Joseph Bonanno is seen sitting at the table as Lucky Luciano gathers the country's most powerful crime bosses and forms The Commission.

Joseph Bonanno is portrayed by Chazz Palminteri in the 2019 TV series Godfather of Harlem.

Joseph Bonanno is portrayed by Sal Landi on the 2022 TV series The Offer.

Joseph Bonanno is portrayed by Louis Mustillo in the 2025 film The Alto Knights.