Joseph Bonanno > Quotes

“All men have eyes, Machiavelli says, but few have the gift of penetration.”
― Joseph Bonanno, A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno

“I have learned that true power comes from self-control. I have learned that true strength comes from a clear conscience. I have learned that true wealth comes from a good family and good friends.”
― Joseph Bonanno, A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno

“After I was born, on January 18, 1905,”
― Joseph Bonanno, A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno

“It takes many steppingstones, you know, for a man to rise. None can do it unaided.”
― Joseph Bonanno, A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno

“I went more than the respectable way, i went the honorable way.”
― Joseph Bonanno

“Everybody makes himself inconspicuous when the captain asks for volunteers for night patrol. But one man, the pure warrior, has already rubbed burnt cork on his face. He believes winning the war is his personal responsibility.”
― Joseph Bonanno, A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno

“Sometimes, in the affairs of man, you try to control by force, and if that does not succeed, then you have to control by being a brute.”
― Joseph Bonanno

“Once you fight, to survive and to protect your life, make sure that you succeed.”
― Joseph Bonanno

“Mussolini was a cowardly man pretending to be a tough guy. I’ve seen a few tough guys in my day, and I think I have a measure of expertise on the subject. When I say tough guy, I mean it in a complimentary sense: a forceful man who sticks to his principles. A true tough guy, whether you agree with him or not, knows he is superior to most men. The phony tough guy lacks this sense of security; he has to bully people so he can hear them say he is superior. Mussolini was a bully—a phony tough guy.”
― Joseph Bonanno, A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno