King of the Godfathers:: Jopseh Massino and the Fall of the Bonanno Crime Family

by Anthony M. DeStefano

The Last Of The Old-World Mob Bosses--And The Ultimate Betrayal

For more than twenty years, Joseph "Big Joey" Massino ran what was called the largest criminal network in the U.S., employing over two hundred and fifty made men and untold numbers of associates. The Bonanno family was responsible for over thirty murders, even killing a dozen of its own members to enforce discipline and settle scores. He would be brought down by Salvatore "Good Looking Sal" Vitale, the underboss who was not only Massino's closest and most trusted friend, but also his brother-in-law. In the end, facing the death penalty and the prospect of leaving his family penniless, Massino started talking to the FBI--the first Mafia Godfather to break the sacred code of omerta, and the end of a centuries-old tradition.

Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Anthony DeStefano, who interviewed Massino's family and friends as well as law enforcement officials and confidential sources, King of the Godfathers is the story of the brutal mob war that made Massino head of the Bonanno family and the most powerful gangster in America.

"The best and last word on the subject." --Jerry Capeci, Gangland News.com and bestselling co-author of Murder Machine

With 16 Pages of Revealing Photos!

Anthony Destefano was part of the team of New York Newsday reporters who won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the August 1991 subway crash in Manhattan. He covers organized crime for Newsday and was the lead reporter on several major criminal trials, including that of subway gunman Bernhard Goetz. He lives in New Jersey.

Genres: True Crime, Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Autobiography, Ebooks

398 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2005

About the author

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for the past twenty years for Newsday in New York City, specializing in criminal justice and legal affairs. He is the author of The Last Godfather, King of the Godfathers, Mob Killer,The War on Human Trafficking, and Gangland New York, among others. He has appeared on Biography Channel programs as an expert on organized crime and he also speaks at academic conferences about crime and human trafficking.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Derrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my continuing studies (obsession) of organized crime, I decided to read about Big Joey Massino. I thought the book was well researched. The author did a really good job at setting the scene and creating a clear picture in my mind of the world of organized crime. I thought it was cool getting more in depth details of the whole "Donnie Brasco" situation. These stories always start out so high and end on such a low. I felt like it was really tragic how the tradition of loyalty, honor, and respect was replaced with greed and selfishness. Overall I really enjoyed reading this. There were things I hadn't read or heard about before which was nice to see. I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest in organized crime.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Joseph "Big Joey" Massino, a member of the Bonanno crime family. Massino really began his career under Rusty Rastelli as a truck hijacker. He arranged several murders, including three captains who were in rebellion and his rival. He was brought in on a RICO case, where his brother in law turned on him and testified for the State. Massino himself became the first boss of one of the New York organized crime families to turn witness for the government as well. Another interesting fact is that Massino and his subordinates were the ones who accepted Donnie Brasco into their gang, though he turned out to be Joseph Pistone, an FBI agent. I never realized until I read this book. I picked it up on Audible with my credits, simply because I like a mafia book and I did not own this one. It was really interesting learning about some of these figures whose names were not quite as familiar to me as some of the others. I know the least about the Bonanno crime family figures, so it was worth the credit I spent.

[Jason Hillenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

DeStefano's King ot the Godfathers is the definitive, thus far, account of Massino's trial and eventual cooperation with Federal prosecutors. It rates high, as well, as an overview of the Bonnano Crime Family's history over the last half-century. He writes with journalistic clarity throughout the entirety of Godfathers, eschewing novelistic flourishes in favor of concrete detail, and the wealth of research supplying the book's facts reflects his dedication as an author. The "narrative" isn't linear and the jumble of events, rendered out of sequence sometimes, squanders the book's potential in some respects. I understand why he adopted this approach, but DeStefano's talents are great enough to accommodate a different slant.

[James Michels · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book documents the rise and fall of Joseph "Big Joe" Massino, former head of the Bonanno crime family. This was one of the first true crime books I've ever read about the Mafia, and what an incredible read it was. What I like is that the book does mention the history of the Mafia's origins, but it focuses solely on the history of the Bonanno family, allowing the reader to focus on this single borgata. From Joe Bonanno to Donnie Brasco to Big Joe, this book covers the entire sordid history of one of the most insidious crime families to exist in society.

[Troy Sonnenfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don't read it, you're a MOOP!

DeStefano's King of the Godfathers is the definitive, raw account of Massino's trial and eventual cooperation with Federal prosecutors. It rates high, as well, as an overview of the Bonnano Crime Family's history over the last half-century. He writes with journalistic clarity throughout the entirety of Godfathers, eschewing novelistic flourishes in favor of concrete detail, and the wealth of research supplying the book's facts reflects his dedication as an author. The narrative isn't linear and the jumble of events, rendered out of sequence sometimes, squanders the book's potential in some respects. I understand why he adopted this approach, but DeStefano's talents are great enough to accommodate a different slant.

[Evocati · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe there wasn’t much there either way, but I was expecting a mob BOSS’s take on gangland activities, with him being a witness and all- what made money, what didn’t, what you had to look out for, but no, this was just a narration of major events in his mob life, and the subsequent trial wherein the same events are corroborated (written out in detail again (multiple times)) by people testifying against him.

I got more inner working info from the Valachi Papers, and Valachi was a soldier.

[LG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heavy emphasis on reporting rather than providing context and analysis. I realize that we tend to think of dates and names as objective, but I would have appreciated some interpretation of events. I spent a lot of the book wondering how made men spent so much time unable to trust their closest associates. Always walking into a space thinking that someone could kill you.

[Ryan Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well done mob book. DeStefano is my goto for these types of novels. Mainly because his last chapter cites his sources and he often will disclaim what might be braggadocio from gangsters versus what is on the record and confirmed by multiple sources.

[Hugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

quite in depth account of Massino's criminal career including his trials and eventual collaboration with the government.

[Cathy Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Journalist writing about the mob.

[Zane Sterling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

An amazing book, written in a way that takes you down the dark, and unnerving path of the true Mafia. Mr. DeStefano truly wrote a must-read book. Highly Recommended!

[David Stockard · Rating 3 out of 5]

5:22:05

100 pages- 1:32:30
200 pages- 3:08:15
300 pages- 4:48:28

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Cory Pickett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall pretty interesting. It had a few slower chapters that seemed like filler to me. The book also did not tell what happened to Joe after his trial so I had to look it up.

[Georgiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minus one star for weight shaming....

[Chaz Chiclana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mafia history always intrigues me but it def got redundant after a while

[Justa Guy]

This read as though it was written by a lawyer. Dry and devoid of any personality. Fell asleep twice.

[Heather Dickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting read, especially the accounts of the trials in 03, 04 and 05. But the writer tended to really give the impression he was part of this story, one of the wiseguys.. got carried away with his emotions a bit in the writing. Found myself rolling my eyes a couple times but otherwise, made for a very interesting read.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book to read, long but interesting all the way through. I wasn't disappointed at all. The author puts down a great timeline of Massino's life. Massino turned and started talking to the FBI to save himself from the death penalty after being arrested. I recommend this book to read if you like mobsters of the good ol' days.

[Max Burgel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of details. When reading mob-books it's fun to read the "stories" and this had some of that but it was split with a lot of time stamped details that zoned me out a little, although; better to have them than not I suppose.

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very detailed book and I can see where the writers of The Sopranos got their ideas from. I expected more out of the book as it was about the last Mafia boss but it was written from accounts from other people and not from the point of view of the subject of the book. Not for me.

[TJ Shelby · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was mafia, so I enjoyed it but it read slower than a history book at times.

[Dorothy Pierce · Rating 2 out of 5]

not for me...

[Jonno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another interesting read on the lives of the New York Mafia. Quite in depth and informative.

[Luke]

Good account of the Mafia in New York, specifically the Joseph Messino family; lots of murders.