What Bonanno Social Club Robbery? Our Sources Call The Claim BS

Bonanno big shots John (Johnny Joe) Spirito and Ernie Aiello, among others, were relieved of their cash in a robbery of a Bonanno family social club in the Bronx on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, as per blog and podcast reports.

Mikey Nose and his pearly whites.

We contacted our own Bonanno family-linked sources about the robbery to see what we could find out — only to hear that the robbery never happened.

“It’s a complete bullshit story,” one of the sources said, laughing. (These guys seemed to be well aware of the social club robbery story, which tells us they must keep up with online mob news, at least as much as we do.)

According to The Gangster Report, tens of thousands of dollars in tribute was stolen in the robbery, cash that had been destined for the pockets of Bonanno boss Michael (Mikey Nose) Mancuso. GR also noted that, as per three different sources, Johnny Joe’s son, John (Johnny Boy) Spirito, Jr. also was a victim of the stick-up.

Balderdash, said our sources, one of which claimed this whole story is a rumor started on the Internet by Bonanno turncoat Gene Borrello, about whom we've written many stories and who we've interviewed as well.

Another source told us, almost completely aligned with our first source, that "it's a bullshit story,  we never got robbed," adding that the rumor "is not good for business. Some of the guys who play cards (in that club in the Bronx) are legitimate guys and they want to feel safe, so I personally stopped in to make them know not to worry about playing in our game."

Johnny Joe Spirito, far right.

Sources also say that the allegation that tens of thousands of dollars in tribute was snatched by the daring thieves was so patently ridiculous, it was the tell that the tale was complete bullshit. 

"Nobody but nobody in this life would ever leave money like that around in a club. A club could get pinched at anytime. I  guess this kid wants people to think that he knows what goes on in the life."

One final but very important point: this is not ME, Ed, saying this -- I rarely, if ever, say anything; this is according to our usually very reliable sources. So don't cry to me, Argentina.