B. wrote: ↑Sun Aug 12, 2018 10:52 pm
Info circa July 1977:
- The Arizona Narcotics Strike Force was going through Bonanno's trash for "an extended period" and obtained quite a bit of information on his activities. I believe Bonanno mentions this in his book, too.
- Joe Bonanno (Sr. unless otherwise noted) was planning to use Bill Bonanno to purchase multiple Cadillac agencies in the San Francisco area using a front man as owner and was also planning to buy land and other unspecified businesses in that area.
- The San Francisco FBI office received information that Bill Bonanno had over 30 million dollars cash from his father to invest in the businesses/transactions described above. Before this, the FBI believed that Joe Bonanno had access to between 1 to 2 million dollars "saved from prior criminal activity and earned from legitimate investments." They felt the 30 million dollars possibly indicated a new source of funds for Joe Bonanno. My own thoughts, but this may be why he was suspected of being involved in narcotics.
- Says Joe Bonanno maintains contact with "LCN associates" in New York City via telephone, including Carmine Galante. Also states he maintaisn contact with "associates in Montreal" via telephone, as well as "LCN members" in California and Colorado.
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States that that "recent information from a New York TE" (TE?) indicated that Bonanno "apparently had some input into LCN activities" through Carmine Galante.
- Joe Bonanno is said to have "departed somewhat from his normal conservative ways" by becoming "romantically involved with a woman in Tucson." Curous who Bonanno's mistress may have been and if she's still alive.
In October 1983, an FBI agent made contact with Joe Bonanno, who was at the federal prison hospital in Springfield Missouri to inform him of an apprent murder contract on his life, among other things:
- Bonanno "spoke freely" with the agent for nearly three hours and was described as "friendly".
- Bonanno spoke to the agent about his "early days in the mafia" and he discussed information from his Man of Honor book, including telling the agent that he considered the mafia a "tradition" and "idea" and "not a thing."
- He stated that his involvement with the Commission was curtailed in the early 1960s and "ceased altogether prior to 1968." He said he had no inside info on Commission activities since 1967-1968 and had very little contact with them after 1964.
- After being told about the thread on his life, Bonanno claimed he had no quarrels with anyone and couldn't think of a reason why anyone would want him killed. He felt that it could be someone wanting to make a name for themselves or someone who was upset about his book.
- Some mention was made to him of redacted names and he claims to have heard of one of them 25 to 30 years earlier but did not know the other name. Seemingly in context with this, Bonanno said that most current people (i.e. mafia members) were "second or third generation" and that the leaders he knew were all dead. He described himself as the last of the "original five bosses or 'fathers' still living." This is mentioned in context with the threat on his life, so curious if the agent mentioned certain names or active mafia leaders in connection with the threat.
- Bonanno claimed the modern mafia's only interest is in making money and that they are involved in many activities that weren't condoned when he was a boss.
- He "agreed" that the current bosses could be using their positions to "direct activities" rather than "act as arbitrators" like they did when he was on the Commission.
- Bonanno asked the agent to make sure Bill Bonanno was made aware of the threats. It is later clarified that these threats were directed only at Joe and apparently not Bill.
- He was asked by the agent if the FBI could contact him further "if anything came up that could be clarified by him."
- Shortly after this meeting, Bill Bonanno was contacted via telephone by the FBI and told about the threats on Joe Bonanno's life though he couldn't think of a reason for them either.
- Joe Bonanno was considered "agreeable to informal conversations about the mafia" but "indicated that he could provide nothing of evidentiary value" because of how long it had been since he had been in contact with Commission members and active mafia members.
This shows Joe Bonanno basically cooperated with the FBI while he was in prison. It's nothing groundbreaking given that he had already published a book with tons of details about the inner-workings of the mafia, but it was still a book/memoir and not a direct collaboration with law enforcement. On the other hand in this interview he spoke directly to an FBI agent and gave him information on the mafia that, however general it may have been, certainly counts as full-on cooperation, especially since he was willing to meet with them again if they had further questions. Not all that different in theory from what his son did as a Confidential Informant.