Joseph Bonanno immunized testimony?

[thekiduknow]

In the National Archives, I found this list of talking points for the Commission Trial. It lists "proofs used in case", and one of them is "Immunized testimony of LCN Boss Joseph Bonanno".

Bonanno Testimony.png

Has anyone else come across this? The way it reads to me is he actually gave testimony to the government. I first assumed they meant his book, but Giuliani was pretty vocal about using the book from what I recall.

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/118568050

Here's the actual file, the "proofs" is on page 13.

[eboli]

If I'm not completely mistaken, this refers to his rejection to testify. They used his rejection as evidence during the trials. In 1985, they gave Bonanno immunity to testify in the commission trial. Not directly against anybody, just to explain the inner workings of the Cosa Nostra commission. This was after his heart attacks, and the feds wanted to send people to Arizona and videotape his testimony, so he didn't have to fly to NYC. Bonanno refused to comply and was imprisoned for a year.

[thekiduknow]

If I'm not completely mistaken, this refers to his rejection to testify. They used his rejection as evidence during the trials. In 1985, they gave Bonanno immunity to testify in the commission trial. Not directly against anybody, just to explain the inner workings of the Cosa Nostra commission. This was after his heart attacks, and the feds wanted to send people to Arizona and videotape his testimony, so he didn't have to fly to NYC. Bonanno refused to comply and was imprisoned for a year.

Ah, ok that makes sense. I knew he had some legal issues in the 80s but didn't know it was due to refusing to testify. Thanks for clearing that up.

[B.]

What I'm interested in is an interview he did with the FBI while he was hospitalized. He apparently spoke to the agent for hours. This was around the time his book came out so curious how open he was.

[davidf1989]

If I'm not completely mistaken, this refers to his rejection to testify. They used his rejection as evidence during the trials. In 1985, they gave Bonanno immunity to testify in the commission trial. Not directly against anybody, just to explain the inner workings of the Cosa Nostra commission. This was after his heart attacks, and the feds wanted to send people to Arizona and videotape his testimony, so he didn't have to fly to NYC. Bonanno refused to comply and was imprisoned for a year.

Ah, ok that makes sense. I knew he had some legal issues in the 80s but didn't know it was due to refusing to testify. Thanks for clearing that up.

He was held in contempt of court for refusing to testify about the Commission according to the article below.

https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/06/us/b ... tness.html

[thekiduknow]

What I'm interested in is an interview he did with the FBI while he was hospitalized. He apparently spoke to the agent for hours. This was around the time his book came out so curious how open he was.

Found the interview, at least in part(and not in the best condition):





Seems to align with what he said in his book, and in the notes the FBI got from his house. There might be more to the interview, as I've seen other 302s break up one interview into several based on topic I think.

[B.]

Great job. So he basically flipped if he was telling the FBI about the Commission and bosses like that.

Really interesting too he used the "tradition" and "Father" terms in this conversation. He was consistent about that.

[Boatdrinks]

It is a bit of a stretch to allege that Joe Bonanno flipped. He was a very old man, when he refused to testify, and so got sent down. The idea, that Joe Bonanno, who had spent his life being loyal to the Mafia, and propagandizing for the Mafia, would then flip, is not believable.
Quite simply, if he was in prison, he did not flip!
Are we to imagine, that after Joe Bonanno's life-time of loyalty to the Mafia, an FBI Agent turn up at the prison, and breaks Bonanno in an interview? The young agent, makes old Bonanno see the error of his ways, and in the twilight of his life, he completely change his outlook on life? This is not believable!
What is the supposed deal that Bonanno went for? Spill the beans, renounce your whole life, and then stay in jail!
Not much of a deal!
We do not even have any proof that Joe Bonanno took part in an interview. Most of the information that was mentioned was already in his book. It looks like a cut and paste job. Any agent worth his salt, who was asked to interview Bonanno, surely would have been familiar with the contents of his book. If Bonanno said nothing, the agent could just pen something from the book and claim it came from the mouth of Bonanno.
Even if Joe Bonanno, in casual conversation, or even in an official interview, stated again what he said in his book was true, or just affirmed that it was if asked by an agent, this is not really flipping.
If Bonanno was asked about his book, he had three choices. He could say nothing, which is what he essentially did, and was why he was in prison. He could just admit what he said in the book was true. He could say his book was false and made up. This is not a viable option. The book was already out. The information was already out. There was nothing more to keep secret. He did not break omerta.
I do not go along with the theory that Joe Bonanno broke the code. It flies in the face of the evidence and reality. I find the theory boring!

What I find interesting, is the statement attributed to Joe Bonanno, that Mafia was an idea, not a thing. This is of course pure Bonanno! This has always been his line. This is the image he has aways presented of his 'Tradition'. It goes back to the old days of denying the existence of the Mafia. There is no Mafia. It is just an attitude to life, a culture, an ethos. This is what some people used to say.
I say, that "this Sicilian thing", was an atitude and an idea, but it also became a thing too!