Gasper Valenti testimony on Sal Montagna murder (Asaro trial)

[B.]

The following was from the Asaro trial, when Valenti was being questioned on the stand about recordings he made during his cooperation. The recording took place six days after the murder of Bonanno leader Salvatore Montagna in Montreal on 11/24/2011 and shows that Asaro attended a private meeting with Jackie Bonventre concerning the murder as well as some discussion of Bonventre's father Antonino.

Key:
Jackie = Giacomo Bonventre, Bonanno acting captain
Defendant / Vinny = Vincent Asaro, Bonanno soldier
NaNa = Antonino Bonventre (father of Jack), Bonanno soldier
Witness / Valenti = Gasper Valenti, Bonanno associate (cousin of Asaro)

Testimony

Q: Line 3, the defendant says, "Gotta go by Jackie." Where are you when you made this recording?
A: In the car.
Q: And what are you going to do?
A: To go see Jackie.
Q: When the defendant says, "Tell Jackie to come across the street, I got to talk to him," what was he telling you to do?
A: To go in and let Jackie know Vinny was outside; he wanted to speak with him.
Q: When he said, "They just killed a guy in Canada, Sal Montagna, one of the bosses from New York," what did you understand him to be saying?
A: That they killed the boss.
Q: What crime family?
A: The Bonannos.

Q: During this recording, where were you?
A: In the car.
Q: With whom?
A: The defendant.
Q: He was upset with you?
A: Yes.
Q: Why?
A: Because I didn't buy myself a pair of sneakers.
Q: Why was that important for him?
A: Always be dressed. Let me clarify something. My sneakers were (sic) brand-new, and I had them for four years.

Q: Why was he upset with you?
A: Because I didn't dress the way he was dressed, he wanted me to dress.
Q: Why was that important to him?
A: Always look good so -- because people come to people that look-- that are dressed and presentable. If they have a deal, they're not going to go with somebody that looks broken down, and needs a shave, and stuff. Always look presentable.

Q: Where did you go?
A: Went to see Jackie.
Q: Where?
A: At his place of business, Sunny's.
Q: When the defendant said, "Tell him I'm around by the park, by the garages around the corner," what was he telling you?
A: That's where he was going to meet Jackie, around the side of the building.

Q: What was your understanding of why the defendant sent you in to Sunny's rather than going in himself?
A: Because he was on the list.
Q: Jackie was on probation?
A: Yes.
Q: What was your understanding of why he needed to see Jackie?
A: To find out what was going on with the killing of Sal Montagna.
Q: Who was inside the business when you got there?
A: Jackie and his father, NaNa.
Q: You previously testified about NaNa?
A: Yes.

Q: And where did Jackie say that he would meet the defendant?
A: Around the corner by the garages.

Q: During this recording, who were you and the defendant talking about?
A: NaNa.
Q: When he says-- when the defendant says, "You don't even know he's straightened out, never did a piece of work in his entire life," what did you understand him to mean?
A: Never killed anyone.
Q: "Never did nothing. He was in this life by name only. Never had to steal." What did you understand him to mean?
A: He never had to do anything at all, pertaining to that life.
Q: Then the defendant says, "My whole life I had to steal. I had to do everything. I had to do everything." What did you understand him to mean?
A: He had to steal and do whatever he had to do to survive in that life.
Q: He says, "He never cracked an egg in his life. Never did nothing illegitimate in his life, never." What did you understand him to mean?
A: He never stole. He never did anything wrong against, you know, the law.
Q: And he says, "You got him for five?" And you say, "Yeah." And he says, "At least you got him. I asked him once. He turned me down." What did you understand him to mean?
A: I borrowed 5,000 from him.
Q: Did you pay him back?
A: No.

Q: In the beginning of that recording, when the defendant was yelling at you, is that how he treated you when he was upset?
A: Yes.

Q: When did you make this recording?
A: 11/30/2011.

Notes:

- Asaro refers to Montagna as "a guy in Canada" but also "one of the bosses from New York". When asked for clarification, Valenti says Montagna was "the boss" of the Bonanno family. Are they referring to his previous position as acting boss from 2006-2009, or does this suggest he continued to be part of the administration after his deportation? Ruling panels have been used almost constantly in the Bonanno family for decades, which could explain the "one of the bosses" statement. Could he have held an official position? Hard to gauge how specific they were being in their language.

- Was Asaro's criticism of Valenti's clothes during this conversation random, or did it connect to the situation at hand? Given Asaro was using Valenti to arrange a meeting with another member concerning the murder of a Bonanno leader, did Asaro feel Valenti should have been dressed better for this occasion?

- The murder of Montagna was important enough for Asaro to arrange a secret meeting with Bonventre even though it risked Bonventre's parole. Valenti's wording suggests Asaro was going to get more information on the murder from Bonventre, who at this time outranked Asaro. Other conversations recorded by Valenti show that both Asaro and Bonventre were willing to discuss organizational matters with Valenti despite his associate status, including formal promotions and inductions in the Bonanno family, but in this case it was a "members only" meeting. Valenti was still used to facilitate this meeting but not included in the meeting itself. This could suggest deeper organizational matters were discussed in connection to Montagna, not simply general gossip about the murder.

- The aside about Bonventre's father Antonino "NaNa" is interesting. He is an obscure member and from this conversation appears to have been completely non-criminal and legitimate throughout his membership. He did issue a loan to Valenti that wasn't paid back and refused to issue a loan to Asaro. Asaro feels Bonventre was inducted because of his "name". The Bonventre name goes back many generations in the Bonanno family, which is likely what Asaro is referring to, but who exactly is Bonventre related to? Asaro's great-uncle was Vito Bonventre and Asaro refers to Antonino and Jack Bonventre as "cousins". Is the relation to these Bonventres through Vito Bonventre or is there a closer connection?

- Did Asaro and the Bonventres have a relationship to Sal Montagna? Many years ago Jerry Capeci identified Asaro as a popular figure with the Bonanno "Sicilian faction". Salvatore Montagna came up in the family's "Sicilian faction" and his father Antonino was a Sicilian man of honor. Asaro was also friends with "zips" Cesare Bonventre and Baldo Amato, the latter of which was a mentor to Sal Montagna. Asaro, the Bonventres, and Montagna all trace their heritage to Castellammare Del Golfo. Asaro's uncle Joseph was a member who spent many years living in Canada as part of the Bonanno decina there, so they both have a Montreal connection.

[Angelo Santino]

Valenti gets chastised for wearing sneakers but Tony Green can conduct meets in a Spandex bodysuit? Perks of being boss.

[B.]

Valenti gets chastised for wearing sneakers but Tony Green can conduct meets in a Spandex bodysuit? Perks of being boss.

Maybe that was the problem. Valenti wasn't wearing enough spandex.

[AntComello]

Does anyone know how involved Bonventre currently is? Being that he lives an hour and half upstate new

[AntComello]

He also put his upstate house up for sale for almost 3 mil. The place is absolutely beautiful.

[Dante]

Thanks for this, B.

I’d love to see more on that the reaction to Montagna‘s death was like inside the Bonnano’s.

[stubbs]

This raises so many questions!

Is Asaro mad that Valenti’s sneakers are old, and Valenti is claiming that they’re brand new, even though he’s had them for four years already before the date he was yelled at? Or, is Valenti saying he literally just purchased the shoes and he wore them for another four years past the date Asaro yelled at him?

[scagghiuni]

Thanks for this, B.

I’d love to see more on that the reaction to Montagna‘s death was like inside the Bonnano’s.

yeah i think they asked todaro (if not forced) to make violi a buffalo member to have allies also in ontario

[B.]

This raises so many questions!

Is Asaro mad that Valenti’s sneakers are old, and Valenti is claiming that they’re brand new, even though he’s had them for four years already before the date he was yelled at? Or, is Valenti saying he literally just purchased the shoes and he wore them for another four years past the date Asaro yelled at him?

Yeah, if I were the defense counsel I would have grilled Valenti over that.

"So you say your shoes were brand new... but they were actually four years old, is that correct?"

[SonnyBlackstein]

Great sturf B-town.

[B.]

Deceased Sicilian man of honor and father of Sal, Antonino Montagna:

[Frank]

Deceased Sicilian man of honor and father of Sal, Antonino Montagna:

When did Antonino die

[B.]

2013

[SonnyBlackstein]

Deceased Sicilian man of honor and father of Sal, Antonino Montagna:

You fuckin greaseball, yerh.



Sick find B.

[JohnnyS]

Great info.