Questions for Massino that Scott could ask..

[Angelo Santino]

If it happens, let's contribute a well of questions that Scott can look to.

Note: Massino was a reluctant informant, he likely provided only what he had to and I doubt he wants to incriminate anyone more than he already did.

Note to Scott: you mentioned who you would want to interview Massino, never publicly stated so I won't go into details. But sir, would you strongly consider having a researcher interview him, someone who knows the subject? I nominate B. But again, if this happens, it's your baby and you should do it the way you want. I'm only throwing that out there.

Questions:

1) What is his knowledge on the existence of Buffalo.

2) Are ruling panels a historic thing in the Bonanno Family?

[chin_gigante]

My main questions would be about Canada. How were inductions in the Montreal decina handled, especially during his time as boss? Did they ever get around to installing a new capodecina after the Sciascia murder and was it Nicolo Rizzuto?

The panel question you bring up is particularly interesting because we know now from at least the late 1970s on the family has almost always had a panel in place. Galante put one up when he went away for his violation. A panel ran the family between the Galante murder and Catalano's installation as acting boss. A panel assisted Ferrugia when he was acting boss. A panel was left in charge on the street when Rastelli and Massino went away and ran it until Massino came home as official boss. Another panel was put in place to help Vitale service the captains during Massino's time on the street. When he was arrested, he left a panel in charge. In the tapes with Basciano in prison, he talked about how he would still prefer a panel to be in charge. There was a panel post-Massino in the mid-late 2000s. Asaro was on a panel assisting DiFiore during his time as boss. Cammarano had a panel under him. And last we heard Palazzolo was being helped by a panel when he took over after Cammarano again

[Angelo Santino]

My main questions would be about Canada. How were inductions in the Montreal decina handled, especially during his time as boss? Did they ever get around to installing a new capodecina after the Sciascia murder and was it Nicolo Rizzuto?

The panel question you bring up is particularly interesting because we know now from at least the late 1970s on the family has almost always had a panel in place. Galante put one up when he went away for his violation. A panel ran the family between the Galante murder and Catalano's installation as acting boss. A panel assisted Ferrugia when he was acting boss. A panel was left in charge on the street when Rastelli and Massino went away and ran it until Massino came home as official boss. Another panel was put in place to help Vitale service the captains during Massino's time on the street. When he was arrested, he left a panel in charge. In the tapes with Basciano in prison, he talked about how he would still prefer a panel to be in charge. There was a panel post-Massino in the mid-late 2000s. Asaro was on a panel assisting DiFiore during his time as boss. Cammarano had a panel under him. And last we heard Palazzolo was being helped by a panel when he took over after Cammarano again

So

3 How were introductions in Canada handled.

4 Another panel question, so there's two posts about Panels.

[thekiduknow]

To his knowledge, were non traditional inductions(without the gun, knife, pricking of the finger etc) done prior to the 1970s? Was this practice, from 1976 onward, known to the other families? If so, what was their reaction?

[Wiseguy]

Why didn't he consider the 2000 meeting a legitimate Commission meeting?

[OcSleeper]

I second Chin's question about the aftermath of Sciascia's murder.
How many meetings were held in Montreal afterwards, did anyone come down to NYC? The outcome of each meeting? Was Nicolo Rizzuto Sr made Capo?

Also CC, Chin's question was about inductions, not introductions.

- A list of all the Canadian members he can name?
- What does he know about the Ontario members that Bonanno supposedly inducted in the 1960s, did they continue to induct members from Ontario in the following decades?

[B.]

- Did he know who the Bonanno member was that was given the death penalty? Who told him?

- Anything about Canada would be good, but specifically how communication was handled. Since we know they included them as deceased members on proposed lists, who and how was the admin notified when a made member died in Canada? Was he aware of members in Ontario? Did he know the names of the 19 members Vitale described after Sciascia's murder?

- Why were Rochester members included by the FBI on various Bonanno lists spanning a number of years?

- What was contact with non-NYC/NJ Families like, or was there any while he was boss? How aware was he of what was going on in places like Buffalo, etc.

- Like I said in the other thread, how aware was he of the heritage of certain members like the Sicilians? Did he know the significance of Castellammare del Golfo with many of the members? His wife and bro-in-law were Castellammarese but with no mafia background, but did he know this and understand that town played into Family history?

[SonnyBlackstein]

- Anything about Canada would be good, but specifically how communication was handled. Since we know they included them as deceased members on proposed lists, who and how was the admin notified when a made member died in Canada? Was he aware of members in Ontario? Did he know the names of the 19 members Vitale described after Sciascia's murder?

- What was contact with non-NYC/NJ Families like, or was there any while he was boss? How aware was he of what was going on in places like Buffalo, etc.

- Like I said in the other thread, how aware was he of the heritage of certain members like the Sicilians?

+1

[SonnyBlackstein]

I second Chin's question about the aftermath of Sciascia's murder.
How many meetings were held in Montreal afterwards, did anyone come down to NYC? The outcome of each meeting? Was Nicolo Rizzuto Sr made Capo?
- A list of all the Canadian members he can name?
- What does he know about the Ontario members that Bonanno supposedly inducted in the 1960s, did they continue to induct members from Ontario in the following decades?

+1

[B.]

Gary Valenti said Vinny Asaro paid tribute to Massino in the form of jewelry from the Lufthansa Heist (Asaro was in Massino's decina at the time). How much did Massino know about the heist beyond Asaro's involvement and what came out publicly?

Who all was in Massino's decina when he was captain? Vitale (who wasn't made yet) didn't know much about the members under Massino at the time.

Was it his perception that most of the Families operated at or near their cap and did he feel it was difficult to find viable new recruits in the 1990s and 2000s? Obviously they made a lot of people right up until he cooperated but I wonder how he felt about the people that were available given how much attention has been given to "dwindling recruitment pools", etc.

[SonnyBlackstein]

+100

Great questions B.

[moneyman]

If it happens, let's contribute a well of questions that Scott can look to.

Note: Massino was a reluctant informant, he likely provided only what he had to and I doubt he wants to incriminate anyone more than he already did.

Note to Scott: you mentioned who you would want to interview Massino, never publicly stated so I won't go into details. But sir, would you strongly consider having a researcher interview him, someone who knows the subject? I nominate B. But again, if this happens, it's your baby and you should do it the way you want. I'm only throwing that out there.

Questions:

1) What is his knowledge on the existence of Buffalo.

2) Are ruling panels a historic thing in the Bonanno Family?

Totally agree here, if this is Massino's only interview it would be a huge waste to not have a researcher ask in depth questions. No need for basic/generic questions about LCN. Would be incredible if B could interview Massino.

[cobra]

-communication between bonanno family and castellammare family he knows about?
-when he make a holiday in italy, did he meet any mafiosi?

[SonnyBlackstein]

More details on zip faction.

[chin_gigante]

Might be worth asking him about Giuseppe Bosco. An excerpt from one of the conversations between Massino and Basciano in January 2005 about recent inductees:

MASSINO: The best one out of all them guys is I told you. Joey – ah Bosco. Giuseppe Bosco.
BASCIANO: Joe Bosco. Yeah. Yeah.
MASSINO: Baldo loves him. The rest of them…
BASCIANO: Yeah, but just because Baldo loves him too Joe that’s
MASSINO: But you go to know the one thing who knows these guys better than Baldo? And now you see what you just said, I trust your judgement.
BASCIANO: … Yeah.
MASSINO: I trust Baldo’s judgement.

Seems to have a high opinion of him. And if he is the same "Joe Bosch" that Lovaglio identified, then we could get some insight into a former acting boss we know very little about