maxiestern11 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 15, 2019 7:52 am
THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF BEING A BONANNO!
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During the “Bonanno War” years and directly thereafter - 1966-1971 - many active members and associates from New York City’s five-boro’s and outer environs (Long Island, Westchester and NJ) who were subpoenaed to testify before both the Nassau and Kings County Grand Juries probing the family’s operations, gangland murders, politics and structure found themselves buried under so-called “contempt of court”, “criminal contempt” or even “civil contempt” charges.
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Frustrated law enforcement authorities, hampered in their efforts to probe the family and stop the wanton gangland violence, had started to subpoena the Family’s membership and various associates from the other four Families in an attempt to curtail their activities, stop the war and the resultant killings.
First among equals in this effort, was Nassau County D.A. William Cahn, Nassau’s top prosecutor, a man will political aspirations, who would become a famed “mob-buster” during these years by building his reputation by harassing and cracking down on the mob.
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Following Cahn’s lead close behind was the Brooklyn D.A. Aaron E. Koota, who “jumped on the bandwagon”, wanting some of the positive publicity that the Nassau D.A. was garnering. Cracking down on the so-called Mafia was very in vogue in this era, as it would be in the coming years under prosecutors Denis Dillon, Tom Puccio and Rudy Giuliani. But this is where it started in earnest for the NYC area, under the local D.A’s in
Nassau, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
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Although the various “contempt” charges carried only a measly thirty-day sentence and paltry $250. fine..... a little used provision in the law books was “dusted off”, allowing for prosecutors to re-call witnesses before the same grand jury over and over, asking the same exact questions, and re-charging those same witnesses with another fresh contempt arrest. The subsequent result was that mob figures (and others), were repeating hauled before these grand juries and jailed with a “back to back” 30 days, resulting in some mobsters serving what amounted to draconian sentences of one, two and three years in prison. As an extreme case, in New Jersey, Genovese acting-boss Jerry Catena served approximately five years in a NJ jail, all for “refusing to answer questions”!......
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It became a catch twenty-two situation, in that if you talked (besides violating “Omertà” and possible mob retribution), mob guys often faced “perjury” counts because prosecutors did their very best to “trap” witnesses in any discrepancies in testimony. And if you didn’t talk you were automatically jailed for contempt! A “no win” situation for sure!
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Most guys chose contempt over perjury because although the thirty-day “bits” could add up if a prosecutor chose to go that route, perjury automatically carried a five year term.
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The prosecutors had a field day “braking balls”! ..... in short order, the jails were overflowing with “wiseguy’s” and their associates. A perfect example of this was the Nassau County Correctional Facility in East Meadow, LI.
At any given time, there could be upwards of 60-70 mob figures or more all housed together doing contempt bits. It was like “old home week” for the underworld. Besides the Bonanno contingent, you had many Colombo mobsters who at the time dominated Long Island gangland.
You also had a healthy share of Lucchese guys, with Paul Vario and even Carmine Tramunti leading the pack. Cahn tortured Vario with many back to back contempt citations. Altogether, Vario served several years on contempt convictions.
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Literally hundreds of mob guys disappeared from their homes and usual haunts in an often futile attempt to avoid testifying. Others “went on the lam” for extended periods of time after seeing their brethren repeatedly jailed.
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Note: [wiseguys will be wiseguys.... as a result of their extended “stay” courtesy of the government, several mob guys did their best to make good of a very bad situation. Bonanno soldier Rosario morale and Lucchese captain Paul Vario were the leading mob “point men” who befriended and bribed many prison guards to smuggle in Italian food provisions, liquor, drugs and even prostitutes to make their stay a bit more enjoyable. Eventually both were indicted along with over 24 jail guards on corruption charges. - read my profile on Morale for more info on the investigation]
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What follows here is a short list of some of the more well publicized contempt jailing of Bonanno figures. From bosses to associates, with little discretion, they were all repeatedly jailed during the Bonanno War “conflict”!
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After the famed “Troutman Street” shootout in 1966 between rival Bonanno factions, again after the triple-homicide of the D’Angelo brothers and Frank Telleri, and finally the 1969 disappearance and presumed double-murder of Frank Mari and Mike Adamo, grand juries were empaneled and their “life” repeatedly extended for six months intervals and a major mob crackdown was sustained in earnest.......hundreds were subpoenaed!
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Note: [many fought contempt sentences as “double jeopardy” and unconstitutional to no avail. Despite the constitution, the government was not about to give up their “ace in the hole”! ....As time past, applications were made before congress to increase the penalties for contempt. Eventually contempt became punishable by up to four years imprisonment, and up to the judges discretion..... thereby bolstering the weapons in LE’s arsenal against the mob]
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SCIACCA LOYALISTS:
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Paul Sciacca
Gaspare Di Gregorio
Nicholas Marangello
Sereno Tartamella
James Genna
Pietro Crociata
Frank Mari
Giacomo Musumeci
Michael Adamo
Antonio Adamo
Joseph Mastracola
Matteo Valvo
Benjamin Valvo
Thomas D’Angelo
Frank Telleri
Anthony Leone
Steven Cannone
Philip Rastelli
Rocco Matra
Peter Monteleone
Anthony Lisi
Jerry Chilli
Joseph Chilli
Peter Pomaro
Michael Casale
Vito Licata
Nichols DeStefano
Michael Sabella
Thomas Zummo
Joseph Zummo
Joseph Tegano
Pasquale Gigante
Carmine Castellano
George Guarino
Anthony Crisci
Nicolino Alfano
Anthony Cosenza
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BONANNO LOYALISTS:
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Bill Bonanno
Frank Bonomo
Peter Notaro
Philip Notaro
Steven Menna
Vincent Morsellino
Joseph Morsellino
Samuel Perrone
Vincent Pedone
Angelo Presinzano
Frank Presinzano
Michael Bonfondeo
Natale Evola
John Fiordilino
Camillo Sardegna
Frank D’Ambrosia
Bruno Capio
Guy Musillo
Joseph Messina
Pietro Magaddino
Michael Consolo
Vito DeFilippo
Patrick DeFilippo
Carlo Simari
Armando Pollastrino
Rosario Morale
John Morale
Angelo Lapi
Murad Nersissian
Dominick Colavita
Joseph Di Maria
Walter Falcetta
Julius Sirowitz
Michael Comparetti
William Gonzalez
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SITTING ON THE FENCE:
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John Petrone
Patrick Colarusso
Vincent Curatola
Ernest Montevecchi
Michael Nido
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Note: [there were many others subpoenaed and subsequently jailed, but not all the jailing’s made the newspapers. The 77 mobsters listed above is only of those so publicly named]
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