Bonanno family estimates pre-1968

[B.]

Captains

- On the Frank LaBruzzo tapes during the time he was acting boss (mid-1964), LaBruzzo says he wants 17 to 20 captains to appear at a meeting he's holding. The nature of the comment suggests there were 20 captains and he wanted at least 17 to show up.

- When Bill Bonanno cooperated with the FBI during the same period, he told them the Bonanno family had between 15 to 20 captains through the time his father was in charge. He later reiterated this estimate in his book, adding that some captains have the honorary title but no decina under them.

Their accounts are close, with LaBruzzo favoring the higher end. Given LaBruzzo and Bonanno's ranks and closeness to Joe Bonanno, I have to believe the family was in this range during the first half of the 1960s.

One contributing factor would be the splitting up of the Galante crew, i.e. Notaro, Cotroni, DeFilippo, and possibly other Galante crew members becoming captains of separate crews. There are some accounts of Galante keeping his captain title in prison so by late 1964 there may have been up to 5 captains stemming from this original crew. The Galante crew was very large, with still around twenty members reporting to Notaro after the other captains broke off.

Membership

- Joe Bonanno claimed his family had 300 members while he was boss. His word has immense weight, but it's been difficult to substantiate this claim. However, we do have some different accounts to compare/contrast with.

- In October 1964, Ray Patriarca was recorded telling a member that he had just returned from NYC the previous day where he met with the Commission and said he believed the Bonanno family had between 200 - 400 members. Pretty large range there and obviously a guess, but interesting claim in light of Patriarca's recent NYC trip where he no doubt discussed the Bonanno affair.

- In November 1964, Sam DeCavalcante was recorded telling underboss Joe LaSelva that 60 Bonanno members had turned themselves into the Commission and "about 200" remained with Bonanno, for a total of roughly 260 members. DeCavalcante was intimately involved in the Bonanno affair, so this gives his estimate some credence.

- On a January 1965 recording where Stefano Magaddino asks for an estimate of the Bonanno family's size, senior Bonanno member "Bill Loffa" (ph) says around 100, while Paul Sciacca quickly follows this up with 182. Was Sciacca correcting "Loffa's" estimate, or was he adding onto it, i.e. they were describing different two factions, therefore when combined the Bonanno family would be around ~282.

- As Kiduknow shared in the Angelo Caruso files, a June 1967 informant said the family had 175 members. This informant broke this total into three different factions under different leading Bonanno members. If Paul Sciacca's 1965 comment was meant to include the total membership, this estimate would fit well with that.

In the decades after the Bonanno conflict, the family appears to peak between 160-170 members. It's been theorized that the Bonanno family may have had up to 300 members in the Joe Bonanno era, but many members became shelved/inactive during the conflict and were never replaced. This doesn't really add up to me, but it's one possible explanation for the range of estimates we've seen.

[thekiduknow]

I believe that the actual size of the Bonannos was probably closer to 180 than 300 pre-split. I don't think Joseph or Bill were lying necessarily, just believing their own hype so to speak. DeCavalcante maybe assumed they were closer in size to the Gambino or Genovese family when saying that "200 remained with Bonanno".

I haven't found any proof, but I wouldn't be surprised that the June 1967 three-way split numbers between Bill Bonanno, Sciacca and Zicarelli was given by Bill Bonanno. He would be in a good position to know how roughly how many members there were to split and who had how many. That the numbers added up to roughly 175, when Sciacca had the family at 182 two years prior, it's hard to believe an informant heard that on the street and told the FBI.

The Bonanno 1963 chart that CC/HairyKnucles put together has about 168 names, both confirmed and possible members. On LCNBios 1979 chart, I counted 118 confirmed members, 153 if I included possible and Arizona members. About 25 members died (not including murders if they cannot be replaced) from 1970-1976. I'm not sure about how many confirmed Bonanno members died in the late 50s through 60s but off the top of my head LaBruzzo, Notaro, Tartamella, and I'm sure there are more than a few. So their known numbers seem consistent from the early 60s to late 70s.

I could be wrong don't believe that more than 100 members could have passed undetected in the early and mid 60s, especially with the special attention the Bonannos got from the Feds.

[B.]

I'm with you 100%.

I suspect their cap was around 200, which would make sense with 182 members in 1965 if they came close to maxing out in 1957 when the books were closed. However, the Bonannos inducted members when the books were closed, too, including close to ten (on top of the existing ten) in Canada and a couple of guys like Peter Notaro and Patty DeFilippo are believed to have been made then, too. I doubt JB made members in droves during that period, but worth considering that ~20 extra members were made between 1957-1964.

Sciacca was aware of the extra Canadian members and possibly others, as he says as much on the Magaddino tapes, but he may not have included them in his 182 estimate given these inductions were done without Commission approval.

[motorfab]

I didn't know that a third faction had formed during the Banana War. This faction would have been led by Zicarelli ? Do we have more info on that ? Zicarelli didn't have sanctions when the war ended ?

[thekiduknow]

I didn't know that a third faction had formed during the Banana War. This faction would have been led by Zicarelli ? Do we have more info on that ? Zicarelli didn't have sanctions when the war ended ?

Faction may not be the right word, but Zicarelli seems to have been in the running to replace DiGregorio when he stepped down in early 1967. Even in 1966 there was talk about replacing Zicarelli with DiGregorio, so he had to have some kind of following within the family. For example I believe that there was a report that Armond Pollastrino would follow Zicarelli to whichever side he chooses.

My guess is that Zicarelli was probably seen as the “safe” choice at the time, between Bonanno loyalists headed by Bill and the DiGregorio/Commission side headed by Sciacca. Ultimately, Sciacca was chosen in late June and officially boss, I believe, by October.

There was a mention in one of the books that Johnny Morale might broken away from the Bonanno group and headed a third faction in the family, so the family was definitely fractured into multiple groups, with most members probably falling somewhere in the middle.

[motorfab]

I didn't know that a third faction had formed during the Banana War. This faction would have been led by Zicarelli ? Do we have more info on that ? Zicarelli didn't have sanctions when the war ended ?

Faction may not be the right word, but Zicarelli seems to have been in the running to replace DiGregorio when he stepped down in early 1967. Even in 1966 there was talk about replacing Zicarelli with DiGregorio, so he had to have some kind of following within the family. For example I believe that there was a report that Armond Pollastrino would follow Zicarelli to whichever side he chooses.

My guess is that Zicarelli was probably seen as the “safe” choice at the time, between Bonanno loyalists headed by Bill and the DiGregorio/Commission side headed by Sciacca. Ultimately, Sciacca was chosen in late June and officially boss, I believe, by October.

There was a mention in one of the books that Johnny Morale might broken away from the Bonanno group and headed a third faction in the family, so the family was definitely fractured into multiple groups, with most members probably falling somewhere in the middle.

Yes I think the Morale thing is told in Honor Thy Father. Anyway, it doesn't really matter where it comes from, what you say makes sense on all points Thank you kid

[thekiduknow]

I'm with you 100%.

I suspect their cap was around 200, which would make sense with 182 members in 1965 if they came close to maxing out in 1957 when the books were closed. However, the Bonannos inducted members when the books were closed, too, including close to ten (on top of the existing ten) in Canada and a couple of guys like Peter Notaro and Patty DeFilippo are believed to have been made then, too. I doubt JB made members in droves during that period, but worth considering that ~20 extra members were made between 1957-1964.

Sciacca was aware of the extra Canadian members and possibly others, as he says as much on the Magaddino tapes, but he may not have included them in his 182 estimate given these inductions were done without Commission approval.

200 definitely makes sense, and if they get a spot taken away from each murdered member it could definitely fall to around 180.

I'd love to try and figure out who the extra members were, at least in New York. I always thought that Hank Perrone was probably made, whether when the books were closed or in the 60s like DeFilippo or Notaro. He was super close to Bill, so much so that he's mentioned by name in Rosalie's book.

[thekiduknow]

I didn't know that a third faction had formed during the Banana War. This faction would have been led by Zicarelli ? Do we have more info on that ? Zicarelli didn't have sanctions when the war ended ?

Faction may not be the right word, but Zicarelli seems to have been in the running to replace DiGregorio when he stepped down in early 1967. Even in 1966 there was talk about replacing Zicarelli with DiGregorio, so he had to have some kind of following within the family. For example I believe that there was a report that Armond Pollastrino would follow Zicarelli to whichever side he chooses.

My guess is that Zicarelli was probably seen as the “safe” choice at the time, between Bonanno loyalists headed by Bill and the DiGregorio/Commission side headed by Sciacca. Ultimately, Sciacca was chosen in late June and officially boss, I believe, by October.

There was a mention in one of the books that Johnny Morale might broken away from the Bonanno group and headed a third faction in the family, so the family was definitely fractured into multiple groups, with most members probably falling somewhere in the middle.

Yes I think the Morale thing is told in Honor Thy Father. Anyway, it doesn't really matter where it comes from, what you say makes sense on all points Thank you kid

Right, it was in Honor Thy Father. All the Bonanno books have "honor" in them its hard to keep track sometimes lol. Glad it made sense! You're welcome motorfab, I never get tired of talking about the Bonanno split lol.

[Pogo The Clown]

I'm pretty sure the Morale faction thing was in Bound by Honor. Speaking of Bound by Honor, Bill claims the family had 350 members


Pogo

[Wiseguy]

I'm pretty sure the Morale faction thing was in Bound by Honor. Speaking of Bound by Honor, Bill claims the family had 350 members


Pogo

Sounds like another one of his exaggerations.

[thekiduknow]

I'm pretty sure the Morale faction thing was in Bound by Honor. Speaking of Bound by Honor, Bill claims the family had 350 members


Pogo

I went through both books real quick and found that its in both, but depicted in slightly different ways.

In Honor Thy Father, it’s mentioned that by April 1968, when Bill and Morale were both being grand juried, Bill believed that Morale had left the Bonanno group, possibly going to a “third force that was rumored to have splintered off of the DiGregorio and Bonanno units”. Bill had previously started to think, and had told Joe that he believed that Morale had withdrawn his support in November 1966, when they were both serving those 30 days jail time for contempt.

Bill, however, in Bound by Honor says that Joseph had told Bill that Morale had “split off and formed yet another splinter group within the Family around the same time, April 1968. However, in his book Bill writes it as if it was a huge shock that Morale had left Bonanno, rather than in Honor Thy Father where he suspected that Morale had left in November 1966.

In Last Testament, Bill says that Joe gave Morale permission to splinter off in 1968, seemingly the remaining members of the loyalists.

My hunch is that Honor Thy Father is more correct, that Morales had split off in late 1966 and joined the middle between Bonanno and Sciacca when DiGregorio was stepping down.

[thekiduknow]

- On a January 1965 recording where Stefano Magaddino asks for an estimate of the Bonanno family's size, senior Bonanno member "Bill Loffa" (ph) says around 100, while Paul Sciacca quickly follows this up with 182. Was Sciacca correcting "Loffa's" estimate, or was he adding onto it, i.e. they were describing different two factions, therefore when combined the Bonanno family would be around ~282.

Any idea who "Loffa" is? I just briefly looked through the transcript and it doesn't seem he was NY member, with him either being from Tucson or Montreal(two very different places lol), at least on my cursory look.

[B.]

- On a January 1965 recording where Stefano Magaddino asks for an estimate of the Bonanno family's size, senior Bonanno member "Bill Loffa" (ph) says around 100, while Paul Sciacca quickly follows this up with 182. Was Sciacca correcting "Loffa's" estimate, or was he adding onto it, i.e. they were describing different two factions, therefore when combined the Bonanno family would be around ~282.

Any idea who "Loffa" is? I just briefly looked through the transcript and it doesn't seem he was NY member, with him either being from Tucson or Montreal(two very different places lol), at least on my cursory look.

It's the FBI's summary that suggests "Loffa" (ph) was non-NYC but their summaries sometimes miss context or details. In the transcript, "Loffa" appears to be an elderly NYC Bonanno member with extensive knowledge of their history and interests. I guess his knowledge of Canada and the West Coast confused the agents, but he makes comments that suggest he was involved with the Bonanno family in NYC since the 1920s or early 1930s.

I've always believed it's Nick Alfano. It's not clear if "Bill Loffa" (ph) is a butchered phonetic mishearing of a name (i.e. Asaro becoming "Uase") or if it was even meant as a name at all. The reason the FBI went with "Bill Loffa" (ph) is because he says it a couple of times early on when greeting everyone, but there is no clear sign he is saying a name. It may have been an Italian phrase, etc.

There is one report from around this time that claims Alfano, Sciacca, and DiGregorio were on a three man panel right before DiGregorio was nominated for boss. Beyond the tangents and history lessons from Magaddino, the point of the meeting was for the two Bonanno leaders to get Magaddino's advice and support for nominating DiGregorio. It would make sense the two other panel members would be the ones to contact a top Commission member like Magaddino.

At one point "Loffa" says he'll take the boss position if DiGregorio or nobody else is willing to take it. He's definitely not from the pro-Bonanno faction and we know from the DeCavalcante tapes the pro-Bonanno members didn't trust senior members Angelo Caruso and Nick Alfano. He's not Angelo Caruso, as the three men discuss him on the transcript.

So yeah, my money has always been on Alfano.

[thekiduknow]

- On a January 1965 recording where Stefano Magaddino asks for an estimate of the Bonanno family's size, senior Bonanno member "Bill Loffa" (ph) says around 100, while Paul Sciacca quickly follows this up with 182. Was Sciacca correcting "Loffa's" estimate, or was he adding onto it, i.e. they were describing different two factions, therefore when combined the Bonanno family would be around ~282.

Any idea who "Loffa" is? I just briefly looked through the transcript and it doesn't seem he was NY member, with him either being from Tucson or Montreal(two very different places lol), at least on my cursory look.

It's the FBI's summary that suggests "Loffa" (ph) was non-NYC but their summaries sometimes miss context or details. In the transcript, "Loffa" appears to be an elderly NYC Bonanno member with extensive knowledge of their history and interests. I guess his knowledge of Canada and the West Coast confused the agents, but he makes comments that suggest he was involved with the Bonanno family in NYC since the 1920s or early 1930s.

I've always believed it's Nick Alfano. It's not clear if "Bill Loffa" (ph) is a butchered phonetic mishearing of a name (i.e. Asaro becoming "Uase") or if it was even meant as a name at all. The reason the FBI went with "Bill Loffa" (ph) is because he says it a couple of times early on when greeting everyone, but there is no clear sign he is saying a name. It may have been an Italian phrase, etc.

There is one report from around this time that claims Alfano, Sciacca, and DiGregorio were on a three man panel right before DiGregorio was nominated for boss. Beyond the tangents and history lessons from Magaddino, the point of the meeting was for the two Bonanno leaders to get Magaddino's advice and support for nominating DiGregorio. It would make sense the two other panel members would be the ones to contact a top Commission member like Magaddino.

At one point "Loffa" says he'll take the boss position if DiGregorio or nobody else is willing to take it. He's definitely not from the pro-Bonanno faction and we know from the DeCavalcante tapes the pro-Bonanno members didn't trust senior members Angelo Caruso and Nick Alfano. He's not Angelo Caruso, as the three men discuss him on the transcript.

So yeah, my money has always been on Alfano.

Ah, Alfano makes a lot of sense, it probably is him. Good analysis. I know he and Nick Buttafucco visited Montreal in the early 70s, so he must have known members out there. It would make sense he would go with Sciacca to visit Magaddino.

[B.]

One of the strongest reasons to believe it's him, is on 1/20/65, Ontario Buffalo member Calogero Bordonaro placed a telephone call to Nick Alfano. Bordonaro and Alfano both came from Racalmuto, Agrigento.

The following day, 1/21/65, is when "Bill Loffa" (ph) and Sciacca met with Magaddino. Sounds to me like Bordonaro called his paesan Alfano the day before the meeting to finalize arrangements or otherwise to discuss the business with Magaddino.