Gay Talese's efforts to catch up with the children of Bill Bonanno, son of Mafia boss Joseph Bonanno,brought the author to Arizona.
Talese's 1971 book "Honor Thy Father" focused on the Bonanno crime family but his latest essay, now appearing in Newsweek, seeks to find out how the children have dealt with their notoriety. Talese met with the children recently at Bill and his wife, Rosalie's, home in Tucson, according to a release promoting the article. Here's what he found:
* Son Joseph became a doctor, who says he's overcome the Bonnano surname, but hasn't escaped it, having to win acceptance in his profession. He attended the University of Arizona and interned in pediatrics at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical in Phoenix.
* Charles Bonanno is an interstate truck driver, a job he took after working in an auto-repair shop in Phoenix for 10 years. He told Talese about a trip across the Canadian border when he was questioned about his name. "Are you in any way related to either Joseph Bonanno or Bill Bonanno?" the guard asked. "They're my grandfather and father," Charles answered, and the response was: 'Well, then you're on the nonentry list.'"
* Salvatore Bonanno graduated from the University of Arizona and is a computer-systems executive with his own firm in Phoenix. However, he tells of quitting a previous job for a company installing casino security systems when he was shifted to another assignment because of the family name.
* Felippa Bonanno, who raised 10 children, is expecting another, and operates a day care center, says she has not experienced difficulty with the name.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Guilty Pleas on Eve of Family Secrets Mob Trial
Friends of ours: Nicholas Ferriola, Frank Calabrese Sr., Joseph Venezia, Michael Marcello, James Marcello, Frank "The German" Schweihs
Two men accused of working with the Chicago mob pleaded guilty on the eve of the city's biggest organized crime trial in years.
The guilty pleas leave five defendants in the racketeering conspiracy case, scheduled to go to trial on Tuesday. The case is based on an FBI investigation of 18 long unsolved murders that federal prosecutors tie to the Chicago Outfit, the city's organized crime family. Neither man was among the most prominent defendants.
Nicholas Ferriola, 32, pleaded guilty to racketeering, bookmaking and squeezing extortion payments from a Chicago restaurant. He admitted he was part of the mob's South Side or Chinatown crew and that he worked with Frank Calabrese Sr., a defendant and reputed to be one of the city's top mob bosses.
Joseph Venezia, 64, pleaded guilty to running a gambling business and hiding the proceeds from the Internal Revenue Service.
No sentencing date was set. The men are to return to court Aug. 10.
The federal indictment presents a panoramic picture of the Outfit, which it says consists of six "street crews," each with a franchise over organized crime in its respective sector of the city and suburbs. The indictment details murder, gambling, pornography, extortion and loan sharking among the Outfit's activities.
The number of defendants has dwindled steadily as the date for jury selection has drawn closer.
Last week, Michael Marcello — brother of James Marcello, described by federal prosecutors as one of the top leaders of the Outfit — and two other men pleaded guilty to racketeering and other charges.
U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel also tentatively dropped reputed mob extortionist Frank "The German" Schweihs from the trial last week for health reasons.
Two men accused of working with the Chicago mob pleaded guilty on the eve of the city's biggest organized crime trial in years.
The guilty pleas leave five defendants in the racketeering conspiracy case, scheduled to go to trial on Tuesday. The case is based on an FBI investigation of 18 long unsolved murders that federal prosecutors tie to the Chicago Outfit, the city's organized crime family. Neither man was among the most prominent defendants.
Nicholas Ferriola, 32, pleaded guilty to racketeering, bookmaking and squeezing extortion payments from a Chicago restaurant. He admitted he was part of the mob's South Side or Chinatown crew and that he worked with Frank Calabrese Sr., a defendant and reputed to be one of the city's top mob bosses.
Joseph Venezia, 64, pleaded guilty to running a gambling business and hiding the proceeds from the Internal Revenue Service.
No sentencing date was set. The men are to return to court Aug. 10.
The federal indictment presents a panoramic picture of the Outfit, which it says consists of six "street crews," each with a franchise over organized crime in its respective sector of the city and suburbs. The indictment details murder, gambling, pornography, extortion and loan sharking among the Outfit's activities.
The number of defendants has dwindled steadily as the date for jury selection has drawn closer.
Last week, Michael Marcello — brother of James Marcello, described by federal prosecutors as one of the top leaders of the Outfit — and two other men pleaded guilty to racketeering and other charges.
U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel also tentatively dropped reputed mob extortionist Frank "The German" Schweihs from the trial last week for health reasons.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Junior Gotti Heading South
Friends of ours: Junior Gotti
John "Junior" Gotti is selling his estate and preparing for an eventual move to the South, far from the region where his father was a notorious mob boss.
Gotti, 43, plans to place the 1.96-acre property in Oyster Bay Cove -- on Long Island about 30 miles east of the city -- on the market in two weeks, The New York Post reported in Sunday editions. "We're finishing fixing it up," Gotti told the newspaper. "I can't afford the upkeep."
Gotti spent more than $1 million defending himself in three federal trials against charges that he ordered the 1992 kidnapping of radio show host and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, said his lawyer, Charles Carnesi. The trials ended with deadlocked juries and prosecutors decided not to try again.
Prosecutors said Sliwa, who survived several gunshot wounds, was attacked in retribution for his on-air rants against Gotti's father. Former Gambino family boss John Gotti was sent to prison for life in 1992 after he was convicted of racketeering. He died in prison in 2002.
The family will stay on Long Island long enough for his son to finish his senior year of high school, then move to Florida or South Carolina, Gotti said.
The Oyster Bay Cove property includes a four-bedroom mansion, a guest house, an in-ground pool, a wine cellar and a horse barn.
John "Junior" Gotti is selling his estate and preparing for an eventual move to the South, far from the region where his father was a notorious mob boss.
Gotti, 43, plans to place the 1.96-acre property in Oyster Bay Cove -- on Long Island about 30 miles east of the city -- on the market in two weeks, The New York Post reported in Sunday editions. "We're finishing fixing it up," Gotti told the newspaper. "I can't afford the upkeep."Gotti spent more than $1 million defending himself in three federal trials against charges that he ordered the 1992 kidnapping of radio show host and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, said his lawyer, Charles Carnesi. The trials ended with deadlocked juries and prosecutors decided not to try again.
Prosecutors said Sliwa, who survived several gunshot wounds, was attacked in retribution for his on-air rants against Gotti's father. Former Gambino family boss John Gotti was sent to prison for life in 1992 after he was convicted of racketeering. He died in prison in 2002.
The family will stay on Long Island long enough for his son to finish his senior year of high school, then move to Florida or South Carolina, Gotti said.
The Oyster Bay Cove property includes a four-bedroom mansion, a guest house, an in-ground pool, a wine cellar and a horse barn.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
