Though the Bonanno family historically has been one of the smallest of the LCN groups, it has demonstrated that among the ranks of organized crime, size doesn’t necessarily matter. As recently as 2002, a number of law enforcement authorities characterized the group as the most stable LCN faction in the New York/New Jersey region. For many years, law enforcement found it difficult to penetrate this organization. Massino ran a tight ship, closing Bonanno social clubs to avoid electronic surveillance and arranging meetings in places as far away as Mexico and Italy to discuss family business. But this group, like the others, nonetheless has found that there are limits to its internal cohesiveness, and lately, the Bonannos have been plagued by defections. At least five significant ranking members have become cooperating government witnesses, causing the leadership to fall apart.

Joseph Massino has been in prison since a January 2003 federal indictment charged him with crimes spanning two decades, including the murder of Bonanno capo Dominick Napolitano in connection with the successful infiltration of the family by FBI undercover agent Joseph Pistone. In May 2003, a federal grand jury again indicted Massino for murder in the 1982 shooting of family soldier Anthony Mirra, who was gunned down in part for his role in introducing Pistone into the organization. Massino, who was scheduled to go on trial in April 2004, could face the death penalty for the murder component of the indictment, which additionally included charges of loansharking and illegal gambling. Underboss Salvatore Vitale, meanwhile, has become a cooperating witness in cases against his cohorts and, as this report was being prepared, was awaiting disposition of federal loan-sharking, racketeering, money laundering, illegal gambling and extortion charges.

 Anthony Spero, a former consigliere, acting boss and acting underboss, was sentenced to life in prison after a federal jury convicted him for his role in three murders, extortion, loan-sharking and illegal gambling. After being charged with racketeering, murder and other offenses, acting consigliere Richard P. “Shellac Head” Cantarella agreed to cooperate with federal authorities. Meanwhile, consigliere Anthony Graziano was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 19, 2002, for conspiring to murder two Colombo LCN associates and for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Graziano and several lower-ranking members and associates have been incarcerated or face trial.

When convenient, the Bonanno family has cooperated with other LCN groups in pursuit of various criminal enterprises. A prime example of this type of partnering emerged when 27 associates of the Bonanno and Lucchese families were jointly implicated in an investigation that led to the indictment in December 2002 of Bonanno capo Vincent “Vinny T.V.” Badalamenti for racketeering, narcotics trafficking, extortion, loan-sharking, illegal gambling and other offenses.

Until his selection as consigliere, Anthony Graziano headed the Bonanno family’s New Jersey operations. In July 2003, he began serving an 11-year sentence on a federal conviction for racketeering, illegal gambling, loan-sharking and operating an investment scam. On November 13, 2003, he was sentenced in the Eastern District of New York to 108 months of incarceration after pleading guilty to racketeering and tax evasion charges. The imprisonment is concurrent with the time he must serve on the earlier conviction. Graziano’s son-in-law, John C. “Porky” Zancocchio, succeeded him as acting capo in charge of the group’s New Jersey operations. Zancocchio currently is serving a 71month sentence following a recent federal conviction for income tax evasion and loan  sharking. He had previous convictions for promotion of illegal gambling, failure to file income tax returns, business fraud, forgery and a probation violation.

On October 17, 2001, the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice obtained an indictment charging Bonanno capo Joseph A. Taormina of Fairfield, N.J., Gambino family capo Louis Ricco and five Bonanno associates with racketeering, loan-sharking, and gambling. Taormina died of natural causes in 2002, and trial is pending against the others.

On December 10, 2002, a New Jersey grand jury returned indictments charging Bonanno member Ronald R. Filocomo, Sr. with leading a loan-sharking enterprise that included four Bonanno associates. Allegedly, the loan-sharking operation was run from a bagel shop in Sayreville, N.J., and another bagel shop in Manalapan was used as a meeting place. Filocomo was part of the crew run by capo Frank Lino, who is incarcerated awaiting trial for murder and illegal gambling. After Lino’s imprisonment, Filocomo answered to capo Frank P. Coppa, Sr., who faces murder and other charges and has become a cooperating witness. Filocomo was charged with the murder of Dominick Napolitano and engaging in other criminal activities on May 30, 2003.