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Honor Thy Father
"Brilliant . . . Indispensable." Los Angeles Times
Here is the story of the rise and fall of the notorious Bonanno crime family of New York as only best-selling author Gay Talese could tell it.
Here is the story of the rise and fall of the notorious Bonanno crime family of New York as only best-selling author Gay Talese could tell it.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1971
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About the author
Gay Talese
65 books564 followersGay Talese is an American author. He wrote for The New York Times in the early 1960s and helped to define literary journalism or "new nonfiction reportage", also known as New Journalism. His most famous articles are about Joe DiMaggio, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
February 14, 2017
Acabo de ver que se ha publicado el nuevo libro de Gay Talese lo que me ha traido a la memoria esta joya.Para cualquier aficionado a las películas de la mafia este libro es imprescindible. Talese descubrió en este libro los secretos de la mafia tras infiltrarse durante seis años en la familia Bonnano lo que le costó estar amenazado de muerte como le ocurriría unas décadas después a Roberto Saviano. Está escrito como si fuera una novela y una vez que empiezas no lo puedes dejar hasta que lo terminas. Este libro fue inspiración para la famosa serie de Los Soprano. Le doy "solo" 4 estrellas por la comparación con las obras maestras a las que otorgo 5 pero para mi un libro sin duda muy recomendable aunque hayan pasado 40 años desde su publicación.
September 7, 2016
What I love about Gay Talese: his purely journalistic style. Honor Thy Father (1971) told the story of Bill Bonanno, the son of Mafia boss Joe Bonanno. His "fly on the wall" approach was put to the test by the fact that during the six years Talese followed Bonanno, there were long periods when his father was in hiding and Bonanno Jr. was the target of Mafia hitmen. Mr. Talese's insight will do more to help us understand the criminal than any amount of moral recrimination.
January 31, 2017
Suelo reseñar obras que se denominan como 'no-ficción', y se refiere a todas las obras creadas por reporteros y periodistas, escritas con técnicas literarias, pero completamente basadas en hechos reales documentados y comprobables. En la época en que se publicó el grandísimo reportaje A sangre fría de Truman Capote en 1965, empezaba la investigación de este libro, que si bien no tiene nada que ver con la temática de la novela de Capote, tiene los ingredientes para ser un gran libro de culto.
Honrarás a tu padre es un reportaje, que si bien su tiempo cronológico es entre 1964 a 1971, también narra el pasado de los silicianos que inmigraron a Estados Unidos a finales del siglo XIX, que llenaron varias zonas de la ciudad de Nueva York y constituyeron barrios italianos. Toma como punto de foco una familia en particular, la familia Bonnano e inicia con la figura de su patriarca, nacido en Castellamare del Golfo, Silicia y que se convirtió en unos de los cinco Don de la mafia más importantes de la ciudad: Joseph Bonnano, llamado en la prensa como Joe Bananas.
Este libro es sobre la mafia italiana en Estados Unidos. Cómo comenzó y cómo decayó en el país, y la lucha que tuvieron que llevar los miembros de las familias para desafiar a la justicia y seguir con sus negocios. El punto de partida de la historia se centra en un hombre, uno que el gran reportero Gay Talese encontró en el momento preciso para escribir su historia y la de su familia. Salvatore Bonnano, más conocido como 'Bill' es el hijo mayor de Joseph, patriarca de la organización Bonnano, y es el punto de partida de esta historia, donde él tendrá que lidiar con el peligro y la incertidumbre del entorno de la mafia luego de la desaparición misteriosa de su padre, una noche lluviosa de 1964.
Reseña completa: http://rapsodia-literaria.blogspot.co...
Honrarás a tu padre es un reportaje, que si bien su tiempo cronológico es entre 1964 a 1971, también narra el pasado de los silicianos que inmigraron a Estados Unidos a finales del siglo XIX, que llenaron varias zonas de la ciudad de Nueva York y constituyeron barrios italianos. Toma como punto de foco una familia en particular, la familia Bonnano e inicia con la figura de su patriarca, nacido en Castellamare del Golfo, Silicia y que se convirtió en unos de los cinco Don de la mafia más importantes de la ciudad: Joseph Bonnano, llamado en la prensa como Joe Bananas.
Este libro es sobre la mafia italiana en Estados Unidos. Cómo comenzó y cómo decayó en el país, y la lucha que tuvieron que llevar los miembros de las familias para desafiar a la justicia y seguir con sus negocios. El punto de partida de la historia se centra en un hombre, uno que el gran reportero Gay Talese encontró en el momento preciso para escribir su historia y la de su familia. Salvatore Bonnano, más conocido como 'Bill' es el hijo mayor de Joseph, patriarca de la organización Bonnano, y es el punto de partida de esta historia, donde él tendrá que lidiar con el peligro y la incertidumbre del entorno de la mafia luego de la desaparición misteriosa de su padre, una noche lluviosa de 1964.
Reseña completa: http://rapsodia-literaria.blogspot.co...
March 12, 2010
"They had all come to Sicily and done what men do when away from home, and the history of Sicily was a litany of sailor's sins."
March 2, 2010
Honor Thy Father by Gay Talese is a well written and reported literary journalism novel about the Mafia. The author has evidently collected a huge amount of research about each incident and character in the novel. The book introduces readers to the tough, exciting world of the Mafia.
Aside from the chapters in the novel, Talese has included a foreword, author's note, and glossary of characters and a couple of phrases to help the reader. There is also a set of pictures to let the reader visualize the characters and a family tree showing each member of the Bonanno family, their birth dates, and death dates. The author's foreword is about how Honor Thy Father came to be and includes a bit about Talese's own life. The author's note is a detailed, interesting account of his experiences researching for the novel with information about meeting the Bonanno family.
The Bonnano family is a crime family from New York. Joseph Bonanno, a Mafia chief, was regarded as among the top American Mafia bosses. His wife, Fay Bonanno, was a sister of Frank Labruzzo, a captain of the Joseph Bonanno organization. Joseph's son Salvatore Bonanno, known as Bill Bonanno, respects Joseph. Bill's wife, Rosalie Bonanno, grew up sheltered in a convent school in upstate New York as Rosalie Profaci. These are only a few of the many characters in the novel.
The story starts off when Joseph Bonanno is kidnapped on Park Avenue near Thirty-Sixth Street. This was witnessed by William P. Maloney, his lawyer. This action packed crime scene is followed by Bill Bonanno in his apartment house with Frank Labruzzo. Bill, Frank, and others from the Joseph Bonanno organization are hiding in small buildings in New York, a concept that Talese brings up in this scene. The reason to live this cautious, suspenseful lifestyle is an internal feud between leaders of the Mafia.
Talese's quick explanations of characters in the glossary are not nearly enough to explain all his research. In each chapter, he gives detailed explanations about certain characters in between the plot. This is quite useful for readers to further understand what's going on in the story and is put in appropriate paragraphs for the most part.
Gay Talese starts off many of the chapters with a new character in a new setting. This defined separation can be useful to enhance readers' understanding of the events. Everything about the plot, setting, and characters is precise, yet most of it is interesting and captivating. He also makes good use of descriptions by placing them after quotes from dialog. Talese uses certain elements in his writing style such as suspense, flow, and irony to give the reader a sense that it is well written and interesting to read.
Honor Thy Father is not only a fascinating book, but it also teaches readers more about the Mafia lifestyle by turning the conflicts of the Bonanno family into an interesting literary journalism novel. This book is highly recommended by Newsweek, Nicholas Pileggi (author of Wiseguy), and many others.
Aside from the chapters in the novel, Talese has included a foreword, author's note, and glossary of characters and a couple of phrases to help the reader. There is also a set of pictures to let the reader visualize the characters and a family tree showing each member of the Bonanno family, their birth dates, and death dates. The author's foreword is about how Honor Thy Father came to be and includes a bit about Talese's own life. The author's note is a detailed, interesting account of his experiences researching for the novel with information about meeting the Bonanno family.
The Bonnano family is a crime family from New York. Joseph Bonanno, a Mafia chief, was regarded as among the top American Mafia bosses. His wife, Fay Bonanno, was a sister of Frank Labruzzo, a captain of the Joseph Bonanno organization. Joseph's son Salvatore Bonanno, known as Bill Bonanno, respects Joseph. Bill's wife, Rosalie Bonanno, grew up sheltered in a convent school in upstate New York as Rosalie Profaci. These are only a few of the many characters in the novel.
The story starts off when Joseph Bonanno is kidnapped on Park Avenue near Thirty-Sixth Street. This was witnessed by William P. Maloney, his lawyer. This action packed crime scene is followed by Bill Bonanno in his apartment house with Frank Labruzzo. Bill, Frank, and others from the Joseph Bonanno organization are hiding in small buildings in New York, a concept that Talese brings up in this scene. The reason to live this cautious, suspenseful lifestyle is an internal feud between leaders of the Mafia.
Talese's quick explanations of characters in the glossary are not nearly enough to explain all his research. In each chapter, he gives detailed explanations about certain characters in between the plot. This is quite useful for readers to further understand what's going on in the story and is put in appropriate paragraphs for the most part.
Gay Talese starts off many of the chapters with a new character in a new setting. This defined separation can be useful to enhance readers' understanding of the events. Everything about the plot, setting, and characters is precise, yet most of it is interesting and captivating. He also makes good use of descriptions by placing them after quotes from dialog. Talese uses certain elements in his writing style such as suspense, flow, and irony to give the reader a sense that it is well written and interesting to read.
Honor Thy Father is not only a fascinating book, but it also teaches readers more about the Mafia lifestyle by turning the conflicts of the Bonanno family into an interesting literary journalism novel. This book is highly recommended by Newsweek, Nicholas Pileggi (author of Wiseguy), and many others.
January 14, 2010
Gay Talese is a great writer, but man, he needed an editor on this book. It's far too long for a largely personal tale of the mafia. That said, Talese's insight into the Bonanno family makes you realize that the Godfather is so accurate that it's frightening. I am glad that I read this book, but I don't think I would recommend it to anyone who isn't really interested in Talese or the mob.
March 3, 2019
I read this book back in the '70s right around the time I was reading Puzo's Fortunate Pilgrim and The Godfather. Sylvester Stallone was my hero; I wore a gold horn around my neck and had Italian Regional Cooking by Alda Boni on the shelf in the kitchen.
Sure, I was probably a great big pain in the ass back then, but it hardly mattered to me because I wasn't all that self-aware, either. The '70s were a great time to be alive...
Sure, I was probably a great big pain in the ass back then, but it hardly mattered to me because I wasn't all that self-aware, either. The '70s were a great time to be alive...
September 4, 2025
entretenidisimo saber hasta lo que desayuna un mafioso
May 22, 2016
Auge y caída de una de las familias más importantes del crímen organizado. Un relato lleno de contrastes y cuestionamientos acerca de las tradiciones y la identidad de los herederos de aquellos inmigrantes que cruzaron un océano en busca de nuevas oportunidades. Ingresamos al mundo de los negocios turbios, del precio que tienen la lealtad y el secreto, lo fuerte que llega a pesar una familia y cómo un gobierno hará lo imposible por limpiar de su territorio a aquellos que infrinjan la ley.
December 17, 2008
Amazing that it's all true. How a reporter was able to get such access is simply astounding.
Read
February 10, 2010Made mobsters real, not cartoons. He makes reporting art.
May 8, 2022
One of the things that made The Sopranos such an excellent television show was depicting the banality of mafia life. Yes, there are hits and double crosses and informants and affairs but Tony Soprano was largely a negligent husband and sometime father who suffered from physical and psychological ailments, dealt with obnoxious relatives, and just tried to make it in the day-to-day.
In the 1960s, when people were still associating Italian-Americans with the mafia, Gay Talese wanted to tell this story through the eyes of Bill Bonanno, son of Five Families crime boss Joseph Bonanno. I'm listing it as "true crime" because there are crimes (the Bonannos are a crime family, no matter how much Talese tries to paint over this) but by and-large, this is a tale of a family in transition. Bill trying to follow in his father's steps but unsure of the why or if he should; Joseph growing disenchanted with the industry that made him so successful and which is proving impossible to reform; Rosalie, Bill's mafia princess wife who is paying the consequences for her family and her husband's family sheltering her from the nature of their respective jobs.
In order to tell this tale, Talese had access that had to be unparalleled in that era of mafia secrecy. There's no way men like Carlo Gambino or Chin Gigante were going to let a reporter anywhere near their respective situations. The result is a complete, frequently fascinating, occasionally tedious portrayal of a family in transition. A family that just happens to revolve around the business of crime.
This isn't loved by mob aficionados and I can see why. Talese has no interest in telling a pulpy tale of gentlemen gangster a la The Godfather. This one is far more accurate. If you can suffer Talese's lengthy descriptions of traveling, meals, and legality, you may appreciate this one.
In the 1960s, when people were still associating Italian-Americans with the mafia, Gay Talese wanted to tell this story through the eyes of Bill Bonanno, son of Five Families crime boss Joseph Bonanno. I'm listing it as "true crime" because there are crimes (the Bonannos are a crime family, no matter how much Talese tries to paint over this) but by and-large, this is a tale of a family in transition. Bill trying to follow in his father's steps but unsure of the why or if he should; Joseph growing disenchanted with the industry that made him so successful and which is proving impossible to reform; Rosalie, Bill's mafia princess wife who is paying the consequences for her family and her husband's family sheltering her from the nature of their respective jobs.
In order to tell this tale, Talese had access that had to be unparalleled in that era of mafia secrecy. There's no way men like Carlo Gambino or Chin Gigante were going to let a reporter anywhere near their respective situations. The result is a complete, frequently fascinating, occasionally tedious portrayal of a family in transition. A family that just happens to revolve around the business of crime.
This isn't loved by mob aficionados and I can see why. Talese has no interest in telling a pulpy tale of gentlemen gangster a la The Godfather. This one is far more accurate. If you can suffer Talese's lengthy descriptions of traveling, meals, and legality, you may appreciate this one.
April 4, 2023
Una historia cocinada con maestría a baja cocción que cuando entra en ebullición es un cúmulo de sorpresas. Mejora a partir de la descripción del juicio de Bill Bonanno y te enamora en el epílogo. Una historia de periodismo y de vida con la pluma de Gay Talese, que cuenta la vida de un mafioso desde dentro. Un must.
October 4, 2021
MUCHÍSIMO TEXTO
640 páginas se pudieron haber resumido en 250, hay demasiadas escenas y saltos al pasado que no aportan absolutamente nada a la historia.
640 páginas se pudieron haber resumido en 250, hay demasiadas escenas y saltos al pasado que no aportan absolutamente nada a la historia.
October 22, 2023
Gay Talese has a God-given gift that enables him to write fact as if it were fiction. This book, along with "Thy Neighbor's Wife" and "Unto the Sons" are epic masterpieces of sweeping proportions.
So far, I have read "Honor Thy Father" and the 2 other books mentioned above. Each of the 3 is absolutely 5 Stars. Gay Talese is able to observe and investigate like a reporter, but he writes like a novelist. The end product is an eye opening page turner.
5 Stars.
Next on my list by Gay Talese:
* "The Bridge," about the construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in NYC; and
* "The Kingdom and the Power," about the inner-workings of the NYT when it was the colossal Grey Lady of printed newspapers (back in the heyday of the physical, hard copy daily newspaper).
So far, I have read "Honor Thy Father" and the 2 other books mentioned above. Each of the 3 is absolutely 5 Stars. Gay Talese is able to observe and investigate like a reporter, but he writes like a novelist. The end product is an eye opening page turner.
5 Stars.
Next on my list by Gay Talese:
* "The Bridge," about the construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in NYC; and
* "The Kingdom and the Power," about the inner-workings of the NYT when it was the colossal Grey Lady of printed newspapers (back in the heyday of the physical, hard copy daily newspaper).
October 13, 2020
Esta es una excelente y detallada crónica sobre una de las familias más importantes en el crimen organizado, la familia Bonanno.
Cometí el error de iniciar la lectura de este libro a finales del año pasado en medio de una época difícil y con muchos temas pendientes por resolver. Lo hice solo para satisfacer mi curiosidad pero lamentablemente los primeros capítulos no lograron engancharme en ese momento; me gustaría pensar que vivía un tanto distraída en ese entonces.
Decidí reiniciar la lectura en tiempos de pandemia y ahí si logré ponerme al corriente de esta maravillosa historia. Gay Talese es un excelente cronista y explica cómo cultivó durante años una relación estrecha con la familia Bonanno, especialmente con Salvatore (Bill), para poder recoger los testimonios necesarios que serían la base de este libro, un libro que buscaba en primer lugar, mostrar lo que no mostraba la prensa de la época: sus dinámicas familiares, sus relaciones con amigos y vecinos, sus expectativas y sus motivaciones.
Era bastante común en los años 70s que no se supiera en detalle sobre cómo eran las familias italoamericanas que hacían parte del crímen organizado, es por esto que Talese convirtió esta obra en un best seller; principalmente porque este es un libro que no trataba una historia ficticia (como era el caso de "El Padrino" de Mario Puzo publicado en 1969), este era un material que contenía datos reales y testimonios de hechos transcurridos en territorio estadounidense con una antesala fuertemente italiana; esta historia se volvió referente para historias parecidas como "Los Soprano" y abrió la puerta a muchas otras crónicas que vendrían después.
Altamente recomendado para quienes disfrutan de historias reales llenas de detalles.
"Aunque se comportaban con la misma humildad de otros hombres del pueblo, proyectaban seguridad en sí mismos, una cierta fuerza de carácter. Eran más ambiciosos, más astutos, más osados, tal vez más escépticos frente a la vida que sus resignados paesani, que confiaban plenamente en Dios. Otros hombres solían hablar de ellos en susurros, pero nunca los llamaban mafiosi. Por lo general se referían a ellos como los amici, amigos, o les decían uomini rispettati, hombres respetables."
Cometí el error de iniciar la lectura de este libro a finales del año pasado en medio de una época difícil y con muchos temas pendientes por resolver. Lo hice solo para satisfacer mi curiosidad pero lamentablemente los primeros capítulos no lograron engancharme en ese momento; me gustaría pensar que vivía un tanto distraída en ese entonces.
Decidí reiniciar la lectura en tiempos de pandemia y ahí si logré ponerme al corriente de esta maravillosa historia. Gay Talese es un excelente cronista y explica cómo cultivó durante años una relación estrecha con la familia Bonanno, especialmente con Salvatore (Bill), para poder recoger los testimonios necesarios que serían la base de este libro, un libro que buscaba en primer lugar, mostrar lo que no mostraba la prensa de la época: sus dinámicas familiares, sus relaciones con amigos y vecinos, sus expectativas y sus motivaciones.
Era bastante común en los años 70s que no se supiera en detalle sobre cómo eran las familias italoamericanas que hacían parte del crímen organizado, es por esto que Talese convirtió esta obra en un best seller; principalmente porque este es un libro que no trataba una historia ficticia (como era el caso de "El Padrino" de Mario Puzo publicado en 1969), este era un material que contenía datos reales y testimonios de hechos transcurridos en territorio estadounidense con una antesala fuertemente italiana; esta historia se volvió referente para historias parecidas como "Los Soprano" y abrió la puerta a muchas otras crónicas que vendrían después.
Altamente recomendado para quienes disfrutan de historias reales llenas de detalles.
"Aunque se comportaban con la misma humildad de otros hombres del pueblo, proyectaban seguridad en sí mismos, una cierta fuerza de carácter. Eran más ambiciosos, más astutos, más osados, tal vez más escépticos frente a la vida que sus resignados paesani, que confiaban plenamente en Dios. Otros hombres solían hablar de ellos en susurros, pero nunca los llamaban mafiosi. Por lo general se referían a ellos como los amici, amigos, o les decían uomini rispettati, hombres respetables."
July 22, 2013
Talese, col suo stile impeccabile, ci porta nel mondo della mafia italo-americana, narrando l'ascesa e il declino della famiglia Bonanno.
La storia si apre con presunto rapimento di Joseph, nato Giuseppe e soprannominato Joe Bananas, uno dei cinque boss di New York.
Tutto il peso della famiglia ricade sulle spalle del figlio Salvatore, detto Bill, sposato a Rosalie Profaci, figlia di Salvatore Profaci e nipote di Joseph, altro importante capo-cosca.
Il giornalista del New York Times avvicina Bill durante la convocazione del gran giurì affinché spieghi la scomparsa del padre. Chiarisce che non vuole dichiarazioni, ma che vorrebbe scrivere un libro sulla sua infanzia.
Dopo parecchie telefonate e lettere all'avvocato di Bonanno, riesce ad ottenere un incontro, a cena in una steak house sulla Second Avenue. Talese è colpito dalla memoria formidabile di Bill, specie per i dettagli e per le ricostruzioni minuziose di scene, dialoghi e stati d'animo. Leggendo, mi sono chiesta spesso come avesse potuto ricostruire anche le emozioni dei protagonisti, rimanendo perplessa e sospettando un' interferenza romanzata dell'autore, smentita dalla nota dell'autore al termine del libro.
Da questo primo incontro nasce una fiducia tale da permettere al giornalista di assistere alle riunioni, di partecipare e descrivere la vita dall'interno, diventando anche una valvola di comunicazione: i membri della famiglia, abituati alla "regola del silenzio", dicevano al giornalista cose che volevano rendere note a terzi.
Gay Talese è uno dei precursori del New Journalism, dove i fatti vengono esposti in modo nuovo e molto vicino al genere narrativo, riuscendo a catturare l'attenzione del lettore.
La forte presenza di dialoghi, la presentazione dei fatti dal punto di vista dei protagonisti, con le loro emozioni e i loro pensieri, rendono avvincente la lettura. Ma la vera grandezza del giornalista, sta nel rimanere distaccato e offrire la cronaca così com'è, senza mai intaccarla col proprio giudizio, positivo o negativo che sia.
Barbara78e
http://www.pescepirata.it
http://www.pescepirata.it/aspiranti_s...
La storia si apre con presunto rapimento di Joseph, nato Giuseppe e soprannominato Joe Bananas, uno dei cinque boss di New York.
Tutto il peso della famiglia ricade sulle spalle del figlio Salvatore, detto Bill, sposato a Rosalie Profaci, figlia di Salvatore Profaci e nipote di Joseph, altro importante capo-cosca.
Il giornalista del New York Times avvicina Bill durante la convocazione del gran giurì affinché spieghi la scomparsa del padre. Chiarisce che non vuole dichiarazioni, ma che vorrebbe scrivere un libro sulla sua infanzia.
Dopo parecchie telefonate e lettere all'avvocato di Bonanno, riesce ad ottenere un incontro, a cena in una steak house sulla Second Avenue. Talese è colpito dalla memoria formidabile di Bill, specie per i dettagli e per le ricostruzioni minuziose di scene, dialoghi e stati d'animo. Leggendo, mi sono chiesta spesso come avesse potuto ricostruire anche le emozioni dei protagonisti, rimanendo perplessa e sospettando un' interferenza romanzata dell'autore, smentita dalla nota dell'autore al termine del libro.
Da questo primo incontro nasce una fiducia tale da permettere al giornalista di assistere alle riunioni, di partecipare e descrivere la vita dall'interno, diventando anche una valvola di comunicazione: i membri della famiglia, abituati alla "regola del silenzio", dicevano al giornalista cose che volevano rendere note a terzi.
Gay Talese è uno dei precursori del New Journalism, dove i fatti vengono esposti in modo nuovo e molto vicino al genere narrativo, riuscendo a catturare l'attenzione del lettore.
La forte presenza di dialoghi, la presentazione dei fatti dal punto di vista dei protagonisti, con le loro emozioni e i loro pensieri, rendono avvincente la lettura. Ma la vera grandezza del giornalista, sta nel rimanere distaccato e offrire la cronaca così com'è, senza mai intaccarla col proprio giudizio, positivo o negativo che sia.
Barbara78e
http://www.pescepirata.it
http://www.pescepirata.it/aspiranti_s...
January 22, 2014
El libro relata la historia de Salvatore Bonanno, de una manera particular, por que no es la vida del crimen, es mas bien la vida personal de este mafioso, sus relaciones con sus hijos, esposa, padres, herman@s etc. Debo de reconocer que cuando lo compre esperaba adentrarme en el mundo de la Cosa Nostra un poco y conocer a fondo sus secretos, y si eso es lo que esperas, no te recomiendo este libro, pero si estas buscando una mirada a lo que es la vida personal de un miembro y capo di tuti capo de una las 5 familias de NY, ampliar tus conocimientos de las esctructuras, la forma en que funciona la cosa nostra, como se relacionaba con la sociedad no criminal que le rodeaba, con los politicos y la policia y deseas revalidar que holywood esta completamente equivocado, entonces este es tu libro.
Esta bien documentado, e investigado, el autor recibio el testimonio de Salvatore Bonanno luego de muchas conversaciones con el, que al final lo llevaron a entablar una relacion de amistad con el capo. Que creo que influye bastante en la imagen que nos plantea el periodista sobre lo que es la personalidad y la vida de este mafiosi.
Esta bien documentado, e investigado, el autor recibio el testimonio de Salvatore Bonanno luego de muchas conversaciones con el, que al final lo llevaron a entablar una relacion de amistad con el capo. Que creo que influye bastante en la imagen que nos plantea el periodista sobre lo que es la personalidad y la vida de este mafiosi.
May 7, 2008
One of the mainstays in the genre of organized crime, it is a large book that says very little.
Author Gay Talese is talented in writting up oral histories. To this end, he explores the thoughts and emotions of Bill Bonanno as he sought to aide his father in running a Mafia family. However, from such an obviously biased source, the text carries some credibility issues.
Much of the book adds little or nothing to the autobiography of Joe Bonanno. Like "A Man od Honor," this book complains loudly of the injustices by law enforcement against the family. However, most outside observers can recognize that father and son are leaving out considerable detail regarding their lives of crime. Furthermore, it is clear that Bill Bonanno was not respected by people within his father's family. His knowledge of events in the so-called Bannana War are marginal and at parts unbelieveable.
Author Gay Talese is talented in writting up oral histories. To this end, he explores the thoughts and emotions of Bill Bonanno as he sought to aide his father in running a Mafia family. However, from such an obviously biased source, the text carries some credibility issues.
Much of the book adds little or nothing to the autobiography of Joe Bonanno. Like "A Man od Honor," this book complains loudly of the injustices by law enforcement against the family. However, most outside observers can recognize that father and son are leaving out considerable detail regarding their lives of crime. Furthermore, it is clear that Bill Bonanno was not respected by people within his father's family. His knowledge of events in the so-called Bannana War are marginal and at parts unbelieveable.
September 30, 2024
Great book! Couldn't put it down. Throughout the few days of my reading, I kept telling my wife I couldn't understand how Mr. Talese could possibly know all the fascinating details he describes in this 1971 book. Then, voila, I read the afterword he added to the book in 2009--that's how he did it! The info in the afterword is as fascinating as the original text! So glad I read this. So informative and thought provoking. Highly recommended.
June 20, 2011
Another pulpy read from long ago. Enjoyed it as I recall. Date read is a guess.
February 7, 2012
Great book, but if you come to it expecting the Godfather, you'll be disappointment. However, I did learn quite a lot about the mafia that I didn't know before.
February 14, 2012
Grandioso. Magnífico. Talese es un grande entre los grandes.
March 6, 2012
Gay Talese is an excellent writer. I like how he brought the Mafia to life. I would recommend this book to anyone that appreciates a real life story and not just a "made for movie" drama.
October 8, 2012
Changed my life in that I believe what Joe Bonanno said about complicity and how the Mafia could not exist without the government tacitly allowing it to.
January 16, 2013
"Cuando me levanto en la mañana, mi meta es vivir hasta el atardecer. Y cuando llega la noche, mi segunda meta es vivir hasta el amanecer".
July 10, 2016
Informative and compelling- a true inside look at the families historically involved in organized crime in America
March 23, 2021
A wonderful insight on the world of crime and passion amidst organised crime families...
November 7, 2019
Cuenta la historia de una familia que estaba dentro de la Mafia italiana, en EEUU en los años '60 y '70. Cómo es la vida de estos hombres y mujeres, que principios están obligados a seguir y acatar, y cuáles leyes pueden quebrar para cumplir sus propósitos.
Libro de no ficción, historia verdadera no novelada, donde le protagonista luego escribe su biografía y antes de que se editara este libro, lee el ya editado El Padrino, donde consideraba bastante creíbles a la mayoría de sus personajes.
Buena historia, con acción, suspenso y un desenlace previsible pero creíble.
Supongo que cuando a cualquier persona le preguntan sobre la Mafia y los libros, lo primero que le suele acudir al pensamiento es El Padrino, la celebérrima novela de Mario Puzo. Pero eso no significa que no haya habido otros grandes libros que giran en torno a tan apasionante temática y que resultan tanto o más apasionantes. Uno de ellos, (publicado en la misma época que El Padrino) es Honrarás a tu padre, escrito por el periodista Gay Talese.
A grandes rasgos, podríamos decir que Honrarás a tu padre es la crónica de las andanzas de una de las famosas Cinco Familias de la Mafia neoyorquina, los Bonnano, cuando esta organización —por lo demás relativamente “tranquila” según los estándares mafiosos— estaba atravesando momentos convulsos. Más concretamente, el libro se centra en torno a Joe Bonanno, primer capo y patriarca de la familia, y su hijo Salvatore “Bill” Bonanno. Pero al contrario que El Padrino —novela inspirada en hechos reales pero concebida como ficción, el libro de Talese describe personajes reales y sucesos verídicos. Curiosamente, esto no hace que el texto tenga el tono de un ensayo o de un trabajo periodístico. Más bien al contrario, Honrarás a tu padre produce en el lector la sensación de estar ante una novela (y muy entretenida) aunque todo cuanto se narre en ella sea producto de una costosa investigación periodística del autor. Gay Talese entrevistó extensivamente a varios de los miembros de la familia Bonanno que protagonizan la historia, con quienes mantuvo un estrecho contacto hasta el punto de que Talese llegó a temer que los enemigos de los Bonanno lo confundiesen con un “asociado” y pudiera terminar sufriendo las consecuencias.
En resumen, Honrarás a tu padre es una lectura exquisita y muy adictiva. Imprescindible, ni que decir tiene, para cualquier aficionado a la historia de la Mafia. También imprescindible, por descontado, para quien haya disfrutado con El Padrino o The Sopranos. Y, por qué no, absolutamente recomendable para cualquiera que —independientemente de su interés previo en la temática— quiera pasar unos muy buenos ratos enfrascado en la absorbente lectura. Se puede leer como ensayo costumbrista o como novela trepidante.
Libro de no ficción, historia verdadera no novelada, donde le protagonista luego escribe su biografía y antes de que se editara este libro, lee el ya editado El Padrino, donde consideraba bastante creíbles a la mayoría de sus personajes.
Buena historia, con acción, suspenso y un desenlace previsible pero creíble.
Supongo que cuando a cualquier persona le preguntan sobre la Mafia y los libros, lo primero que le suele acudir al pensamiento es El Padrino, la celebérrima novela de Mario Puzo. Pero eso no significa que no haya habido otros grandes libros que giran en torno a tan apasionante temática y que resultan tanto o más apasionantes. Uno de ellos, (publicado en la misma época que El Padrino) es Honrarás a tu padre, escrito por el periodista Gay Talese.
A grandes rasgos, podríamos decir que Honrarás a tu padre es la crónica de las andanzas de una de las famosas Cinco Familias de la Mafia neoyorquina, los Bonnano, cuando esta organización —por lo demás relativamente “tranquila” según los estándares mafiosos— estaba atravesando momentos convulsos. Más concretamente, el libro se centra en torno a Joe Bonanno, primer capo y patriarca de la familia, y su hijo Salvatore “Bill” Bonanno. Pero al contrario que El Padrino —novela inspirada en hechos reales pero concebida como ficción, el libro de Talese describe personajes reales y sucesos verídicos. Curiosamente, esto no hace que el texto tenga el tono de un ensayo o de un trabajo periodístico. Más bien al contrario, Honrarás a tu padre produce en el lector la sensación de estar ante una novela (y muy entretenida) aunque todo cuanto se narre en ella sea producto de una costosa investigación periodística del autor. Gay Talese entrevistó extensivamente a varios de los miembros de la familia Bonanno que protagonizan la historia, con quienes mantuvo un estrecho contacto hasta el punto de que Talese llegó a temer que los enemigos de los Bonanno lo confundiesen con un “asociado” y pudiera terminar sufriendo las consecuencias.
En resumen, Honrarás a tu padre es una lectura exquisita y muy adictiva. Imprescindible, ni que decir tiene, para cualquier aficionado a la historia de la Mafia. También imprescindible, por descontado, para quien haya disfrutado con El Padrino o The Sopranos. Y, por qué no, absolutamente recomendable para cualquiera que —independientemente de su interés previo en la temática— quiera pasar unos muy buenos ratos enfrascado en la absorbente lectura. Se puede leer como ensayo costumbrista o como novela trepidante.
October 12, 2025
“As usual, he traveled in the first-class compartment; while he might be able to save between $30 and $40 by traveling tourist-class, a saving that he might apply to an overdue milk bill or some other household expense, it would not occur to him to travel in any other way. Until he was down to his last time, he would not economize in small ways, or live in the style of ordinary people. He was not an ordinary person. He might be many things both good and bad, but he assured himself that he was not ordinary, and he would not even allow himself to appear before a planeload of strangers as a man who might be interested in saving $30 or $40.”
Sentences like this one are what make this account so fascinating. I love when books go into small details like this that clearly speak to the person’s perspective, and I found myself both repelled by and in awe of the way Gay Talese is able to write about Bill so objectively. The scene where Bill stops Rosalie from attending Josephine’s wedding had to be one of the most heart breaking moments I’ve read, and I found myself rooting so hard for Rosalie the whole time. To be controlled by someone who would choose first class tickets over the financial security of you and your children or stop you from attending your own sister’s wedding over paranoia?? I wish Rosalie had managed to escape somehow, but as the book shows, escape doesn’t mean real freedom… knocked this a point because the epilogue delves into how Talese sourced the information from this book and I once again found his dedication to remaining close to the family both sweet but also a sign this may not be the most unbiased source. But wow, if you’ve seen Goodfellas, check this one out!
Sentences like this one are what make this account so fascinating. I love when books go into small details like this that clearly speak to the person’s perspective, and I found myself both repelled by and in awe of the way Gay Talese is able to write about Bill so objectively. The scene where Bill stops Rosalie from attending Josephine’s wedding had to be one of the most heart breaking moments I’ve read, and I found myself rooting so hard for Rosalie the whole time. To be controlled by someone who would choose first class tickets over the financial security of you and your children or stop you from attending your own sister’s wedding over paranoia?? I wish Rosalie had managed to escape somehow, but as the book shows, escape doesn’t mean real freedom… knocked this a point because the epilogue delves into how Talese sourced the information from this book and I once again found his dedication to remaining close to the family both sweet but also a sign this may not be the most unbiased source. But wow, if you’ve seen Goodfellas, check this one out!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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