Bonanno Family War Chest; So Many Coincidences: Christmas 2022 Update

It is December 2022, the holiday season, and some Bonanno wiseguys are pitching a fit over the mandatory monthly dues demanded by the boss for the family war chest. According to our generally reliable sources, Michael (Mikey Nose) Mancuso, 67, has been taking $200 a month from each and every Bonanno.


Michael (Mikey Nose) Mancuso
 Nose and his preternaturally bright smile. (Is he contemplating those Christmas envelopes?)


Savvy gangland watchers will recall that boss Joe Massino also collected monthly dues from members for inclusion in a legal defense fund. Wiseguy Frank Lino brought this out while on the stand, testifying that he and others each kicked in $100 a month to a family kitty that was to be used to pay legal expenses. 

Before Massino was arrested for the last time, “everyone paid $100 a month for a war chest—if someone got in trouble, it was there,” one source told us.

The Bonanno family’s legal defense fund efforts “stopped for a while, but when Nose came home, he put it back into effect.”

Mancuso not only reinstituted the monthly fee, he doubled the amount. “It is getting ridiculous,” said the source, noting that, on average, Mancuso is pocketing $30,000 a month. From members of his own family.

Of course it being December and all, members also are thinking about those Christmas envelopes.

"Everybody has to put in extra for Christmas," a source said. While one guy doing very well may hand over $2,500, someone doing not so well might hand over much less. But there is a minimum, said the source.


Anthony Seccafico
Anthony Seccafico, whacked in 2009.




"It depends on how they are doing or what the boss dictates. And it's never less than $400-$500 – which some guys can’t make in a week. Lots of broke guys out there."

Mancuso was crowned Bonanno boss in 2012-2013 while behind bars.

His last arrest was in February of 2006 after he stepped off a plane from Las Vegas. Mancuso was later sentenced to a 15-year bid for the December 1, 2004, murder of Bonanno associate Randolph Pizzolo, whose bullet-riddled body was found face down in the street in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. Mancuso had faced life in prison under the original murder indictment, but following his plea deal, Judge Nicholas Garaufis had to max out his sentence at 15 years. Mancuso also served a long stretch in the 1980s for killing his wife.

Mancuso was released from prison in March 2019 and was on three years of supervised release. Then, this past March, two days before his supervised release was to expire, Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn charged Mikey Nose with violating the terms of his supervised release by associating with members of organized crime. (He was accused of violating the terms of his release twice, in August 2020 and again in June 2021). Mancuso was released on a $500,000 bond and was given new restrictions.

On the Ravenite transcripts (which you’ll be hearing more about soon), John Gotti, wearying of his underboss, Salvatore (Sammy the Bull) Gravano, started accusing the Bull of having “green eyes”—meaning he was hoarding money and opportunity for himself.

“That’s Sammy … every fucking time I turn around there’s a new company poppin’ up. Building. Consulting. Concrete … where the hell did all these new companies come from? Where did five new companies come from?” Etc.

Being called “green eyes” may not be the kiss of death, but it certainly isn’t complimentary either.

Mancuso has been referring to Bonanno captain Anthony (Perry Como) Frascone as “the green eyed monster.” Frascone is deeply concerned. So said another source.

“After the Nose walked into a couple of things, I happened to overhear him say something about not having a lot of trust in Green Eyes these days. What will become of that I have no clue.”

Mancuso, in fact, no longer accepts money directly from Frascone. “As far as I know, (Frascone) was bringing funds to somebody who would pass them off to Michael because Michael – Michael lost his comfort zone because there were too many coincidences” with Frascone.

Mancuso started using a buffer after law enforcement seemed to show up at inopportune times.

“Nose was supposed to meet Frascone somewhere – a diner, I think—and had someone check it out beforehand, and there was heat there.”

The source also told us that Frascone did not help himself when he recently blabbed to a member of another organized crime family. Frascone “voiced some disdain (about Mancuso) to somebody in another family—a Luchese guy” with whom he lays off some bookmaking and numbers “who he thought he could trust.” The Luchese guy went back to Michael.

The source told us there has been bad blood between Mancuso and Frascone going back many years.

“They never really cared for each other.” He added that Frascone was made before Nose, who was in prison when he was initially supposed to get his button. “Even before he was made, Anthony tiptoed around him and I don’t know why.”

Frascone was the driving force behind the induction into the family of Anthony Seccafico, Cosa Nostra News has learned. Frascone has always been a "white collar" type of gangster, meaning his focus is generally on things like bookmaking versus going out and cracking heads to collect debts. Well, someone still has to go out sometimes and crack heads if certain debts are to be collected, and Frascone had guys like Seccafico around to do his dirty work. ("Then Frascone would take the credit” for the beatings, said a source.)

But then Seccafico was whacked on July 02, 2009, as he stood at a deserted Staten Island bus stop near his Arden Heights home waiting for an express bus into Manhattan.

Mancuso was part of a faction of the family that was against making Seccafico.


Anthony (Perry Como) Frascone
Anthony (Perry Como) Frascone.




“Seccafico had very bad hygiene, and Michael used to refer to him as Smelly. The Feds have been pushing hard to solve this murder,” and Michael has been wondering about Frascone.
 
Frascone was among the 20 or so Bonannos the Manhattan District Attorney hit with racketeering charges in 2002. The roundup included Salvatore (Sal The Ironworker) Montagna, the Sicilian-born acting boss who was deported to Canada and later killed for trying to take over the Rizzuto organization.

In December 2011, Homeland Security agents busted Frascone and Gambino capo Alphonse Trucchio for leading a crew that was extorting thousands of dollars a month from four strip clubs in Queens and Long Island for protection from rival gangsters and other club owners, according to a racketeering indictment filed in Manhattan Federal Court.


Made for the Holidays
Sources tell us that lists of potential recruits have been making the rounds. Each New York family is now allowed to induct two new members at Christmastime.

“They each get two to make up for the sick and jailed," said a source.

The full ceremony is used, he said, with the exceptions being inclusion of the gun and the knife.

“From what I understand, the so-called props are not brought in anymore.”


Genovese Family Doesn’t Use Actings
Said a source: “The West Side, they don’t have actings. With us, every crew has an acting – he collects dues, calls members when there is a meeting—he is more of a lieutenant.”

A Genovese wiseguy recently asked him, “Why do you guys have actings?”

But no clear answer was forthcoming, said the source, who told us, “The longer I am around, the longer I learn to keep my mouth shut.”












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