Description:

Bonanno Joe

 Mobster Joseph Bonanno signed check, PSA/DNA slabbed MINT 9

 

Signed check, 6" x 2.75" on decorative paper showing the Arizona landscape embellished with a stunning stamp of an Indian "incon" in native dress. Drawn from The Arizona Bank at Tucson, AZ. Signed and dated by Joseph Bonanno "Feb 19, 1974,""Joe Bonanno," and made out to "Pima County Assessor"  for the amount of "One Hundred Three and 60/100."  PSA/DNA slabbed and graded MINT 9.

 

A wonderful signed check by Joseph Bonanno, AKA Joe Bananas, who led one of the top New York crime families in New York from the 1930's to the 1960's. Bonanno eventually went to work for Salvatore Maranzano as an enforcer. Maranzano’s operations included bootlegging and bookmaking rackets among other criminal pursuits. Taking the young Bonanno under his wing, Maranzano served an underworld mentor to the up-and-coming mobster. Bonanno also provided Maranzano with invaluable advice and support during his clash with fellow Sicilian crime figure Joseph Masseria—(in what has been called the Castellammarese War). The war ended with Masseria’s death in April 1931.

 

Maranzano’s victory was short-lived, however. He was killed the following September by men hired by Lucky Luciano and Vito Genovese. After Maranzano’s murder, Bonanno became the head of the Maranzano crime family (later referred to as the Bonanno crime family) at the young age of twenty-six. It was one of the five ruling crime families of the New York area. 

 

Bonanno and his son subsequently moved to Arizona, where he was at one time sent to federal prison to serve time for various offenses during his previous stay in that state. Despite an arrest record dating back to the 1920s, Bonanno was never convicted of a serious crime. By the late 1970s, however, Bonanno's attitude had changed; he had become interested in writing an autobiography to offer his own take on his life. Bonanno's book was published in 1983 as A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno. The government seized the opportunity and questioned him about the Commission, hoping to prove its existence given that he spoke about it in his book. Technically, Bonanno kept the vow of omerta and answered no questions in government hearings. Other New York Mafia leaders were nevertheless outraged by his revelations, and considered it a flagrant violation of omertà. They were all caught on tape expressing their horror that Bonanno discussed the existence of the Commission, with Avellino complaining "What is he trying to prove, that he's a man of honor? [... [He actually admitted [... that he was the boss of a family!

 

And such was the life of a mobster! This signed check was from Bonanno's period of pseudo-enlightenment, and is in excellent condition.  PSA/DNA slabbed and graded MINT 9.


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