StarNet Webcast of Bonanno funeral
Follow the nearby link for an exclusive StarNet Webcast of the funeral service of Joseph Bonanno Sr., the former boss of one of New York City's five original Mafia families and a longtime Tucson resident.
The 97-year-old native of Sicily, who led the Brooklyn-based Bonanno Family for more than three decades before he lost power in the 1960s, died May 11 of natural causes at St. Mary's Hospital.
"He was the last survivor of an era that made history in this country, and now he's gone, too," said his son, Salvatore "Bill" Bonanno.
In 1980, Bonanno was convicted of obstruction of justice in relation to a federal grand jury's investigation of his sons. He originally was sentenced to five years in prison plus a $10,000 fine, but the prison term was reduced to a year and a day due to his complaints of ill health. Bonanno was released from prison in July 1984 after serving nearly eight months behind bars.
He was imprisoned the following year for civil contempt for refusing to testify about the existence of a commission comprising the nation's top Mafia bosses — a commission he described in his autobiography. He spent nearly 14 months in prison before his November 1986 release.
When the Arizona Daily Star carried a front-page article in 1995 about Bonanno's well-attended 90th birthday bash at a Tucson resort, it prompted more than 100 complaints from readers who thought the coverage glorified an undeserving figure.
Some will no doubt say that this Webcast of his funeral serves to
glorify a convicted criminal who is said to have led an organization
known for brutality and even murder.
The Star and StarNet are not alone in our interest in him as an
international crime figure: His death was reported
on the national television newscasts and in major newspapers around the country, and the funeral has attracted
international coverage. Bonanno was also the subject of a made-for-TV miniseries on the Showtime cable network. He was also featured on the CBS news program "60 Minutes" Sunday night.
Bonanno was one of Tucson's most famous — or infamous — residents, and he is a significant figure in Tucson's history. Because he has played a large role in how
Tucson was seen in the world, his death is worth noting.
