Philip Rastelli
Encyclopedia
Phillip "Rusty" Rastelli (January 31, 1918 Maspeth, Queens
- July 24, 1991) was a New York mobster and former boss
of the Bonanno crime family
.
and was heavily involved in loansharking, extortion
and drug trafficking activities before joining the Bonanno crime family. Rastelli also had a lunch wagon
business. After moving to Greenpoint, Brooklyn
where he lived until his incarceration, he met and became close friends with Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano, Carmine Galante
, Joseph Bonanno
and Joseph Massino.
. Rastelli was named official boss of the Bonanno family in early 1974, but by 1975 he was indicted and in jail on charges of extortion and violating an anti-trust law. He was convicted of the anti-trust and extortion on August 27, 1976 and given 1 year on the anti-trust violation and three concurrent ten-year sentences on the extortion.
Carmine Galante effectively took over the crime family following his release from prison in 1974, but Rastelli remained the official boss while in prison. He ordered Dominic "Sonny Black" Napolitano to kill Galante in 1979 and Napolitano was promoted to caporegime
for his efforts. Rastelli was once again the undisputed boss, controlling things from behind bars through the use of acting bosses such as longtime Bonanno crime family member Salvatore "Sally Fruits" Ferrugia.
There was a dispute within the Bonanno crime family about whether Rastelli should be the boss, which led to an internal war in 1981. This resulted in the murders of several people including opposition leader Bonanno caporegime Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato, who was one of those who opposed Rastelli remaining the boss. This power struggle and its bloody results were witnessed by FBI agent Joseph "Donnie Brasco" Pistone
, who was working undercover.
Over the years there has been a belief that the American Mafia was not directly involved in the drug trade as some bosses ordered their men not to get involved with drugs, but many disobeyed, and for the Bonanno family the drug trade became one of its most lucrative rackets as the Montreal branch was heavily involved in the drug trade, importing narcotics into Canada and transporting it to America, where the Bonanno family's Zip
or Sicilian faction, along with the other crime families controlled the wholesale distribution of the drugs to other crime groups across the country.
Rastelli was indicted in the famous Mafia Commission Trial
of 1985, but severed from the trial as prosecutors were in favor of pursuing extortion charges concerning Rastelli and his underboss Joseph Massino. Getting kicked out of the Mafia Commission
because of the Donnie Brasco infiltration, actually prevented the Bonanno family from getting caught up in the Commission Trial, which sentenced many Mafia bosses and members to prison.
at age 73. He is buried in Saint John Cemetery in Queens. Joseph Massino took the leadership of the Bonanno crime family after Rastelli's death.
Maspeth, Queens
Maspeth is a small community in the borough of Queens in New York City. Neighborhoods sharing borders with Maspeth are Woodside and Sunnyside to the north, Long Island City to the northwest, Greenpoint to the west, East Williamsburg to the southwest, Fresh Pond and Ridgewood to the south, and...
- July 24, 1991) was a New York mobster and former boss
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
of the Bonanno crime family
Bonanno crime family
The Bonanno crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
.
Biography
Rastelli was born and raised in Maspeth, QueensMaspeth, Queens
Maspeth is a small community in the borough of Queens in New York City. Neighborhoods sharing borders with Maspeth are Woodside and Sunnyside to the north, Long Island City to the northwest, Greenpoint to the west, East Williamsburg to the southwest, Fresh Pond and Ridgewood to the south, and...
and was heavily involved in loansharking, extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
and drug trafficking activities before joining the Bonanno crime family. Rastelli also had a lunch wagon
Food truck
A food truck, mobile kitchen, mobile canteen, or catering truck is a mobile venue that sells food. Some, including ice cream trucks, sell mostly frozen or prepackaged food; others are more like restaurants-on-wheels...
business. After moving to Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Greenpoint is the northernmost neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bordered on the southwest by Williamsburg at the Bushwick inlet, on the southeast by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and East Williamsburg, on the north by Newtown Creek and Long Island City, Queens at the...
where he lived until his incarceration, he met and became close friends with Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano, Carmine Galante
Carmine Galante
Carmine Galante, also known as "Lilo" and "Cigar" was a mobster and acting boss of the Bonanno crime family...
, Joseph Bonanno
Joseph Bonanno
Joseph Charles Bonanno, Sr. was a Sicilian-born American mafioso who became the boss of the Bonanno crime family. He was nicknamed "Joe Bananas," a name he despised.-Early life:...
and Joseph Massino.
Boss of Bonanno family
He took over the Bonanno family in 1973 as acting boss after the death of Natale "Joe Diamonds" EvolaNatale Evola
Natale "Joe Diamond" Evola was a New York mobster who briefly became boss of the Bonanno crime family.Born in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn to parents Filippo and Francesca, who was natives of Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily. He was the brother of Paul, Joseph and Anna...
. Rastelli was named official boss of the Bonanno family in early 1974, but by 1975 he was indicted and in jail on charges of extortion and violating an anti-trust law. He was convicted of the anti-trust and extortion on August 27, 1976 and given 1 year on the anti-trust violation and three concurrent ten-year sentences on the extortion.
Carmine Galante effectively took over the crime family following his release from prison in 1974, but Rastelli remained the official boss while in prison. He ordered Dominic "Sonny Black" Napolitano to kill Galante in 1979 and Napolitano was promoted to caporegime
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
for his efforts. Rastelli was once again the undisputed boss, controlling things from behind bars through the use of acting bosses such as longtime Bonanno crime family member Salvatore "Sally Fruits" Ferrugia.
There was a dispute within the Bonanno crime family about whether Rastelli should be the boss, which led to an internal war in 1981. This resulted in the murders of several people including opposition leader Bonanno caporegime Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato, who was one of those who opposed Rastelli remaining the boss. This power struggle and its bloody results were witnessed by FBI agent Joseph "Donnie Brasco" Pistone
Joseph D. Pistone
Joseph Dominick Pistone, alias Donnie Brasco, , is a former FBI agent who worked undercover for six years infiltrating the Bonanno crime family and to a lesser extent the Colombo crime family, two of the Five Families of the Mafia in New York City...
, who was working undercover.
Operation Donnie Brasco
Rastelli was paroled from prison in late 1983 and quickly began an attempt to restore order, unity and respect to his crime family which had been greatly damaged and diminished from underworld power and influence due to the crime families second insurrection in 1981 and the Donnie Brasco incident, which caused the Bonanno crime family leadership and its members to lose face within the American Mafia.Over the years there has been a belief that the American Mafia was not directly involved in the drug trade as some bosses ordered their men not to get involved with drugs, but many disobeyed, and for the Bonanno family the drug trade became one of its most lucrative rackets as the Montreal branch was heavily involved in the drug trade, importing narcotics into Canada and transporting it to America, where the Bonanno family's Zip
Zips
Zips is a slang term often used as a derogatory slur by Italian American and Sicilian American mobsters in reference to newer immigrant Sicilian and Italian mafiosi...
or Sicilian faction, along with the other crime families controlled the wholesale distribution of the drugs to other crime groups across the country.
Rastelli was indicted in the famous Mafia Commission Trial
Mafia Commission Trial
The Mafia Commission Trial was a criminal trial in New York City, USA. Using evidence obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, eleven organized crime figures, including the heads of New York's so-called "Five Families," were indicted by United States Attorney Rudolph Giuliani under the...
of 1985, but severed from the trial as prosecutors were in favor of pursuing extortion charges concerning Rastelli and his underboss Joseph Massino. Getting kicked out of the Mafia Commission
The Commission (mafia)
The Commission is the governing body of the American Mafia. Formed in 1931, the Commission replaced the "Boss of all Bosses" title, with a ruling committee, consisting of the New York Five Families bosses and the boss of the Chicago Outfit...
because of the Donnie Brasco infiltration, actually prevented the Bonanno family from getting caught up in the Commission Trial, which sentenced many Mafia bosses and members to prison.
Death
Rastelli received a 12-year prison sentence in 1987, removing the 69-year-old boss from the streets and preventing him from leading his crime family in freedom. On July 21, 1991, Rastelli was released from prison once again on humanitarian grounds. He died in a Queens hospital three days later on July 24, 1991 of liver cancerHepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitide infection or cirrhosis .Compared to other cancers, HCC is quite a rare tumor in the United States...
at age 73. He is buried in Saint John Cemetery in Queens. Joseph Massino took the leadership of the Bonanno crime family after Rastelli's death.
External links
- Mafia Who's Who
- Philip "Rusty" Rastelli at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...