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Part 3: Gene Borrello on Joining Bonannos Over Gambinos After Car Shot 8 Times in Drive-By
Part 1: Gene Borrello on His Father Shooting a Man for Telling Him He Was Good Looking
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Former mobster Gene Borrello discusses the inner workings of the Bonanno crime family and its intense focus on violent enforcement measures over financial gains. In 2003, the boss of the Bonannos, Joseph Massino, was arrested on RICO charges, and by 2004 he was found guilty. Facing the death penalty, he cooperated, becoming the first major Mafia boss to do so, wearing a wire against acting boss Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano.
Borrello explains the dire consequences Massino's actions had on the family, making them a laughing stock in the Mafia world. Members were resentful of Massino's heavy-handed approach that favored deadly enforcement over business acumen. He narrates how the Bonanno family fell into disrepute, with other Mafia families refusing to sit with them. This period marked a significant setback for the Bonannos, crippling their influence and delay in re-establishing an official boss until 2011.
