Bonanno Crime Family

Bonanno crime family

Mugshot of Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno, who was boss from 1931 to 1968
Founded by	(named after Joseph Bonanno)
Founding location	New York City, United States
Years active	C. 1890s-present
Territory	Various neighborhoods in New York City
Ethnicity	Made men are Italian, Italian-American. Criminals of various ethnicities are employed as "associates"
Membership (est.)	100-110 made members (2015 estimate), 500+ associates
Criminal activities	Racketeering, conspiracy, loan sharking, money laundering, murder, drug trafficking, extortion and illegal gambling, bookmaking, corruption
Allies	Gambino, Colombo, Lucchese, Genovese, Milwaukee and Rizzuto crime families
Rivals	Various gangs over NYC including their allies

The Bonanno crime family (pronounced [boˈnanno]) is one of the Five Families that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia (or Cosa Nostra).

Named after Joseph Bonanno, for over 30 years the family was one of the most powerful in the country. However, in the early 1960s, Bonanno attempted to seize the mantle of boss of bosses, but failed and was forced to retire. This touched off a period of turmoil within the family that lasted almost a quarter-century. It was the first of the New York families to be kicked off the Commission (a council of the bosses that helps to maintain order in the Mafia), due to infighting for the boss's mantle, as well as allegations the family was actively dealing heroin and that an FBI agent calling himself Donnie Brasco had infiltrated their ranks. Later, the family faced shaky leadership, with the acting boss Carmine Galante murdered in 1979 at the command of Philip Rastelli, the actual boss. The family only recovered in the 1990s under Joseph Massino, and by the dawn of the new millennium was not only back on the Commission, but also was the most powerful family in New York. However, in the early 2000s, a rash of convictions and defections culminated in Massino himself becoming a government informant in 2004.

The origins of the Bonanno crime family can be traced back to the town of Castellammare del Golfo located in the Province of Trapani, Sicily. The Bonanno Mafia clan was led by boss Giuseppe "Peppe" Bonanno and his older brother Stefano as advisor. The strongest ally of the Bonanno clan was the boss of the Magaddino Mafia clan Stefano Magaddino. During the 1900s, the Bonanno and Magaddino Mafia clans feuded with Felice Buccellato, the boss of the Buccellato Mafia clan. After the deaths of Stefano Bonanno and Giuseppe Bonanno, their younger brother, Salvatore, took revenge, killing members of the Buccellato clan. In 1903, Salvatore Bonanno married Catherine Bonventre and on January 18, 1905 she gave birth to Giuseppe. Three years later Salvatore Bonanno moved his family to New York City. While away Stefano Magaddino took over running the Bonanno-Magaddino-Bonventre Mafia clan. Salvatore Bonanno along with members of the Bonanno-Magaddino-Bonventre clan began establishing dominance and control in the Castellammarese community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. While operating in Brooklyn, the Castellammarese leaders were able to preserve the criminal organization's future. In 1911, Salvatore Bonanno returned to Sicily and died of a heart attack in 1915. Stefano Magaddino arrived in New York and became a powerful member of the Castellammarese clan. In 1921, Magaddino fled to Buffalo to avoid murder charges. The Castellammarese clan was taken over by Nicolo Schirò.