Was John Stanfa in on the Bruno assassination?

[SirWalnuts89]

I’m of the opinion that he may have been involved, but I’m not sure what he would’ve gained from it, as I think with his connections he would’ve been a big name regardless, but I’ve always pondered his role in it. He was wounded by shrapnel or the buckshot from the shotgun the night Bruno was murdered in front of his home. Stanfa was the driver, in all accounts it says Stanfa was hit in the arm and quickly managed to flee the car and run, escaping the scene. Bruno’s vehicle was a 1979 model Chevy Caprice Classic,anyone on the forum familiar with the vehicle? With Stanfa being the driver it’s often speculated if he’s the one who lowered the window, and if he did so under Bruno’s orders or if the window had already been down.

If I recall correctly, Stanfa testified that he had no knowledge of the murder outside of knowing Bruno was killed he testified to having no part when he was called to speak on the murder and actually showed up that time, and told the cops the night of that he knew nothing about it. The Grand jury didn’t believe him and he was sent to prison for lying basically. Anastasia writes in “The Goodfella Tapes”, that Stanfa was spotted traveling to Newark & New York with the three guys responsible for planning the murder. Surveillance photos shown during the Grand Jury deposition into Bruno’s murder, were of Stanfa & Frank Sindone inside Sindones vehicle, another indication of Stanfa’s relationship with those leading the “coup” attempt. Another showed Stanfa & Sindone outside of Caponigros 311 Club with Tony Bananas himself. Authorities also witnessed the three meeting with Genovese men in Manhattan. And his own admission of meeting with Johnny Keys & Sindone in the hospital, and the officer who was guarding Stanfa also admitted to the visit and the three being huddled up and speaking in Italian.

So with all this to take under consideration, I’ve always been of the opinion that Stanfa was in on the plot, at the very least knowing what was going to transpire that night, thus oddly, making himself apparently the only one whom was able to ride Bruno home that night.

[Extortion]

Yeah I’m of the ilk that if he was involved what did he really gain since he was not a higher up member and didn’t appear to immediately gain anything however caponigro What is eliminated soon after so maybe we will never know what he could’ve gained

[Hired_Goonz]

I seriously doubt it. Same reason I never bought into any theories that Suge Knight masterminded the 2Pac murder: nobody is gonna either plan or agree to go along with a murder plot that involves them sitting in a car right next to the intended victim. With a shotgun no less! Obviously Stanfa's run as boss of the family proves he wasn't exactly a genius but I don't think he was completely retarded to the level required to sit in a car and wait for it to get shot up.

I think the meetings with Sindone and Caponigro were probably to reassure Stanfa that he wasn't a target and that he won't have any problems with the new regime. Similar to the meeting Frank Lino had with Dellacroce after the 3 captains murder. After all Stanfa was probably seen as a guy who was close to Bruno. As for his perjury conviction I believe he denied ever meeting those guys up in Newark to the grand jury and those pictures you mentioned are what fucked him.

[Pogo The Clown]

From all accounts Stanfa ended up as the driver by pure chance. Bruno's regular driver (Long John Martorano, who was likely in on the plot) backed out and Bruno asked Stanfa to drive him home. Also it is written in Blood Oath that the car didn't have power windows and that Bruno lowered it himself to let the smoke out.


Pogo

[Ryan98366]

I don’t believe Stanfa was in on this killing. It was just chance that night…

The killer was waiting at Bruno’s house. It didn’t matter who drove him Bruno was going to end up at the same place that night.

Also, give me a break about “lowering the window.” A shotgun blast doesn’t require the window down. It would kill with the window up or down.

[Wiseguy]

From all accounts Stanfa ended up as the driver by pure chance. Bruno's regular driver (Long John Martorano, who was likely in on the plot) backed out and Bruno asked Stanfa to drive him home. Also it is written in Blood Oath that the car didn't have power windows and that Bruno lowered it himself to let the smoke out.


Pogo

Yeah, Freselone said Bruno also had a habit of lowering the window a few inches and hooking his fingers over the hood of the car.

And, as others have pointed out, who the hell is just going to sit in the driver's seat, roll down the window, and just wait for the shotgun blast that's coming in your direction? If I remember right, Stanfa got hit with some of it.

[B.]

Never seen convincing evidence that Stanfa was involved. He was the driver and a surviving firsthand witness so he would naturally be looked at as a suspect but nothing has ever come out except for circumstance.

People have assumed that Stanfa was complicit because the Commission and other Philly leaders met him after the murder. Never understood that -- they would want his account whether he was a suspect or not. Of course he'd meet with the people investigating the murder.

People would be saying the same thing about Tommy Billotti if he survived the Castellano hit and the conspirators never cooperated.

Stanfa got hit with buckshot, abandoned his own car at the scene, and ran straight to his own house, none of which are consistent with someone who deliberately set Angelo Bruno up that night. He was an outsider to most of the family and Angelo Bruno was one of his closest friends in the organization. Phil Leonetti said Bruno had a reputation for favoring Sicilians. I don't see what Stanfa's incentive would be to participate unless he was explicitly told the Commission ordered it.

[Pmac2]

Maybe stanfa seen the shooter. Thats why they went to visit him in the hospital to tell him he didnt see who did it and that he wasnt a intended target

[davidf1989]

there has been no evidence to suggest Stanfa was one of the conspirators with the hit on Bruno. what would he have to gain? I think that it it is against Commission Rules to kill your own boss. Gigante, Tieri and the Genovese family had Caponigro killed and would have done the same thing to Stanfa if he was involved.

[dack2001]

He was one of the conspirators. I'm convinced. I'm sold much more by who he was seen with immediately afterwards, multiple times. If he wasn't in on the conspiracy, he took seven years in prison for perjury and one year working in a pizza parlor on the lam for nothing. Besides all of the people he met with after the killing, it was certainly the administrations prevailing opinion that he was involved with the hit. John Gotti doesn't reach out to ask for a pass if there wasn't knowledge that Stanfa was destined for the hit parade due to his involvement in Bruno's murder. Leonnetti had no doubt that Stanfa was involved.

[mpl0215]

Yeah the fact that he went to NY after and was with the barracuda makes me believe he had to be in on it

[joeycigars]

Of course Stanfa was in on it , Stanfa was driving a Boss it was no just by chance , Long john set this part up at Cous little Italy ,Stanfa could have fucked up the whole hit if he wasnt in on it , No one is taking that chance on a boss when Stanfa would most likely go along , 100% Stanfa was all in according to occam's razor,

This is my reasoning ...You take the driver out 1st always in a hit in a car common sense , Then they cant get away , These guys where known to use crash cars ,backup shooters , Backup guns , Why leave a driver able to speed away ?

[joeycigars]

[

[B.]

Speaking of Stanfa, Frank Martines appealed for release from his life sentence citing COVID concerns and his success with rehabilitation but it was rejected this last February.

[SirWalnuts89]

there has been no evidence to suggest Stanfa was one of the conspirators with the hit on Bruno. what would he have to gain? I think that it it is against Commission Rules to kill your own boss. Gigante, Tieri and the Genovese family had Caponigro killed and would have done the same thing to Stanfa if he was involved.

There’s a lot of it actually. Though it’s all circumstantial, who he associated himself with before and after Bruno’s death. The fact that he was in NY with the main two guys behind the plot in Caponigro & Sindone meeting with the Genovese says a lot, for a minor lowly ranked soldier, that’s some honor. He was subpoenaed to answer questions in relation to the Bruno murder, where he stated he knew nothing about it and described himself as a working man. They asked him about him being paid by Frank Sindone, one has to wonder what the basis was for that question, but he answered basically saying “how could he give me money when I’m so broke”, not those exact words. Sindone being one of the prime targets for the authorities and the investigation on Bruno’s murder, Stanfa was specifically asked what the reasons were behind him, Sindone & Caponigro taking trips between Newark & NY in the following days of Bruno’s murder. And this was the perjury charge he was convicted on. All of this information is put forth by George Anastasia & The Goodfella tapes.