The Notorious History of the Leadership in the Bonanno Crime Family

The Bonnano Crime Family was established in the early 1900s. Most members of the origins of the family came from the Castallammarese War between the Masseria and Maranzano faction. The Bonanno family came from the Maranzano faction, and it was originally founded by Sebastiano DiGaetano. The origins of the family date back to Italy. The exact location is the town of Castellammare del Golfo a province of Trapani, Sicily.

Di Gaetano was born in Sicily in 1862 and by 1898 he was in New York City. Around 1909 or 1910 it is believed the Di Gaetano had become boss of a family out of Brooklyn called the Williamsburg-centered mafia. Di Gaetano eventually gained the temporary title of capo dei capi (boss of bosses). In 1912 a new boss of bosses was selected and Di Gaetano stepped down as boss of the Williamsburg family. It is not known what happened to De Gaetano. However, he was replaced by Nicolo Schiro.

Shiro was a Sicilian born gangster. In 1897 Schiro emigrated to the United States and moved into the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. Not much is known about Schiro rose to power in the Williamsburg Syndicate. Schiro was a boss that kept a very low profile, he preferred to conduct business with other Sicilian mobsters. Schiro avoided local police and mobsters that were born in the United States. Schiro had close relationships with local politicians. In 1914 he became a naturalized US citizen, and this can be attributed to his political friends. Schiro kept such a low…