A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno [Mass Market Paperback]

Joseph Bonanno (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 20, 2003

"Friendships, connections, family ties, trust, loyalty, obedience-this was the 'glue' that held us together."

These were the principles that the greatest Mafia "Boss if Bosses," Joseph Bonnano, lived by. Born in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, Bonnano found his future amid the whiskey-running, riotous streets of Prohibition America in 1924, when he illegally entered the United States to pursue his dreams. By the age of only twenty-six, Bonnano became a Don. He would eventually take over the New York underworld, igniting the "Castellammarese War," one of the bloodiest Family battles ever to hit New York City...

Now, in this candid and stunning memoir, Joe Bonanno-likely a model for Don Corleone in the blockbuster movie The Godfather-takes readers inside the world of the real Mafia. He reveals the inner workings of New York's Five Families-Bonanno, Gambino, Profaci, Lucchese, and Genovese-and uncovers how the Mafia not only dominated local businesses, but also influenced national politics. A fascinating glimpse into the world of crime, A Man of Honor is an unforgettable account of one of the most powerful crime figures in America's history.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (January 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312979231
• ISBN-13: 978-0312979232
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Specific Groups > Criminals
  • #39 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > True Accounts > True Crime
  • #84 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Biographies & Memoirs > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Revealing... to a point, April 3, 2002

By 

Thomas Hunt "[e-mail]" (New Milford, CT USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Man of Honor (Library Binding)

Mr. Bonanno provides an insider's view of organized crime - particularly the variety imported from Sicily - in the United States. It is a subject on which he is a unique authority as the longtime head of one of the country's major crime "families" and a Castellamarese Sicilian immigrant. He also enlightens readers somewhat with regard to what he perceives to be Sicilian traditions and the concept of "honor."

Of course, Mr. Bonanno does not illuminate much of his own involvement in illegal enterprises, which is certainly extensive. The reader is forced to assume that the criminal activities described in great detail are ones Mr. Bonanno oversaw himself. A great many recognizable names are mentioned, but the boss took care not to seriously offend anyone who was still alive and kicking at the time the book was published.

The book reaches back into the author's personal history from about the dawn of the 20th Century (some family history predates that) and the history of organized crime since the bootlegger wars of the Prohibition days. It advances into more modern times, though the recent information becomes sketchy.

As a first-hand account by a "don," this is a must-read for those deeply interested in the history of the American "Mafia." But it may disappoint more casual readers. And some may find objectionable the author's insistence that his criminal activity has been "honorable," his often sexist and racist views and his tendency to flatter himself (a tendency that was apparently passed on to his son, who also wrote a glowing autobiographical account of his work in the "family").

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Man of Tradition, June 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Man of Honor (Library Binding)

An excellent book on what a Man of Honor is really about. The clash of old world tradition and the world of new American vaules can be readily seen here. You come to appreciate the values born in Sicily to these family men. The reasons this kind of man followed those values and the way in which he managed his American Family. This is a very refreshing change from the normal MOB/Mafia books that have been published previously. A must read for those was really want to understand of the true meaning of a Man of Honor.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, this is a milestone!!!, January 11, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno (Hardcover)

Are you tired of reading books written by the FBI /or DEA? Get this autobiography written by the boss himself. Many details, many photos just great. Be careful, some information might not be correct (Joe was not stupid and wrote stuff that could have caused trouble!!!)