Sonny Black Napolitano
Encyclopedia
Dominick Napolitano also known as Sonny Black, was an American
Mafia
caporegime
in the Bonanno crime family
. He is well known for allowing FBI agent Joseph "Donnie Brasco" Pistone to become an associate in his crew and nearly getting him made
.
, Italy
. Napolitano was born with blond hair, but by his forties it had turned a gunmetal white-silver color. To hide the color, he dyed it black, earning him the nickname "Sonny Black". He was a close friend of future Bonanno crime family boss Joseph Massino; incarcerated boss Phillip Rastelli knew Napolitano before he went to prison. He was close to Carmine Napolitano (May 30, 1943 - February 15, 1999), a cousin and fellow Bonanno mobster. Sons Peter Napolitano (November 17, 1957-June 29, 1994), Aniello Napolitano and Rocco Napolitano were born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
.
B
Napolitano was a sturdy 5'7" man who weighed about 170 pounds, with powerfully developed chest and arms. On his right forearm was a tattoo of a black panther. He was swarthy, with hair dyed jet black. His face was fleshy, with rings under his brown eyes that made him look (depending on the mood) either tired or menacing. He was not a heavy drinker and only indulged at times with fine French
liquor. He had dead straight hair, a square jaw and a Roman nose. Napolitano controlled Greenpoint, Brooklyn
and from 1979–80, he operated in Pasco County, Florida
and out of Holiday, Florida
after negotiating control of the territory with Santo Trafficante Jr.. At that time, Napolitano set his sights on operating a major bookmaking operation in Orlando
.
Napolitano was an avid homing pigeon enthusiast. He kept his pigeon's on the rooftop of his apartment building and social club The Motion Lounge
. The brilliantly colored pigeons had pedigree bloodlines that descended from prize pigeons in France
, Germany
and Russia
. Napolitano would win as much as $3000 racing his pigeons. Pistone said that Napolitano loved going to his pigeon coop to think: "Sometimes when we were up on the roof with the pigeons, Sonny would lean on the railing and look out over the rooftops of the neighborhood where he had lived all his life. I wondered what he was thinking about."
Napolitano would say to Pistone, "The whole thing is how strong you are and how much power you got and how fucking mean you are—that's what makes you rise in the mob. Every day's a fucking struggle, because you don't know who's looking to knock you off, especially when you become a captain or boss. Every day, somebody's looking to dispose of you and take your position. You always got to be on your toes. Every fucking day is a scam day to keep your power and position." Napolitano would repeat this theme over and over again to Pistone in conversations up on the roof with his pigeons.
and was promoted to capo, replacing his mentor after the gangland execution of the powerful rival capo Carmine "The Cigar" Galante
. Sabella was demoted and Napolitano took over the crew. He became a trusted confidante of the imprisoned mobster Phillip "Rusty" Rastelli who took over leadership permanently again. But when Rastelli took over, it caused the Bonannos to split into two factions, one loyal to Rastelli, the other attempting to overthrow him in favor of the Sicilian
-faction, led by Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato.
Napolitano and Joseph Massino, who were loyal to Rastelli, were chiefly responsible for helping to end the struggle by killing three capos opposed to Rastelli; Alphonse Indelicato, Dominick Trinchera
and Philip Giaccone
. Napolitano owned the Wither's Italian-American War Veterans Club at 415 Graham Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
and also The Motion Lounge
at 420 Graham Avenue. He later ran an illegal casino in Pasco County, Florida
and owned a tennis club and night club called The King's Court Bottle Club in Holiday, Florida
.
When in Holiday, Florida, Napolitano took up the sport of tennis with Joseph Pistone and was a doubles partner of Bonanno mobster John Cersani. Although he was a lousy tennis player, he enjoyed playing at King's Court. Pistone would later say, "On the court he would run around and yell, 'I'm going to kill you' between strokes". Napolitano would arm wrestle Pistone, but always lost. Napolitano, who was a weight lifter
, constantly challenged Pistone, who was the only guy that Napolitano could not beat. Napolitano was once able to beat Pistone by spitting in his face to surprise him, showing his competitive nature.
Napolitano's headquarters were in the heart of Williamsburg's Italian neighborhood. His crew, involved in burglary, extortion
, robbery, bank robbery, loansharking, hijacking
, bookmaking, casino operations and drug trafficking, were one of the most successful crews in the Bonanno family. Napolitano's crew included Bonanno street soldiers Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero
, Nicholas Santora
, Louis Attanasio, John Cersani, Jerome Asaro, Sandro Asaro, John Faraci, Daniel Mangelli, Robert Lino, Frank Lino
, Richard Riccardi, Joseph Grimaldi, Nicholas Accardi, Peter Rosa, Patrick DeFillipo, Michael Mancuso, Vito Grimaldi, Anthony Urso, James Tartaglione, Joseph Cammarano, John Zancocchio
, Edward Barberra, Frankie Fish, Bobby Badheart, Bobby Smash and his previous capo Michael Sabella, Joseph Puma, Steven Maruca, Salvatore Farrugia, Anthony Pesiri, Antonio Tomasulo
, Anthony Rabito, Raymond Wean
, Frank DiStefano, Salvatore D'Ottavio, James Episcopa and Donnie Brasco.
and had a watchful eye. In mob circles, he had an excellent reputation for personal loyalty to his sidewalk soldiers. He would kill you in a minute if you crossed him." Napolitano was a fine marksman with small-caliber pistols, which made him an efficient killer.
In restaurants or in public, he was a gentleman and never flamboyant or brazen. He always carried his own suitcases when traveling, which was not traditionally done by other capos. Pistone said that Napolitano was not a 24-hour gangster, meaning that you could talk to him about other things besides the Mafia, unlike other mobsters who only wanted to talk about illegal activities and Mafia business. When working, Napolitano was respected and feared, but when hanging out with Pistone, they would go out to dinner, have coffee and just "shoot the breeze" like two friends.
Pistone's undercover operation ended after six years, when Napolitano ordered Pistone to murder another mobster, originally Phillip Giaccone, while he was in Miami, Florida
. When the decision was made to kill Giaccone at the same time as Indelicato and Trinchera, Pistone was given the task of killing Indelicato's son, Bruno
. Two days later, FBI agents came to the Motion Lounge to inform Napolitano that his trusted friend and associate of six years was an agent. In the hours after the shocking disclosure of Donnie Brasco, Napolitano went to his pigeon coop to think. FBI surveillance photos showed a very worried-looking man.
. Knowing he would be killed, Napolitano gave his jewelry to his favorite bartender who worked below his apartment at the Motion Lounge, along with the keys to his apartment, so his pet pigeons could be cared for. Bonanno capo Frank Lino
and Steven Cannone drove Napolitano to the house of Filocomo and Frank Coppa
, who was also present. Napolitano was pushed down the staircase in Filocomo's basement and shot to death by Filocomo and Lino with .38 caliber revolvers. When the first shot misfired, Napolitano told them, "Hit me one more time and make it good".
Napolitano's girlfriend Judy later contacted Pistone and told him that shortly before his death, Napolitano told her that he bore no ill will towards Pistone, knowing that Pistone was only doing his job, and that if anyone was responsible for taking him down, he was glad it was Pistone. She said that Napolitano really loved Pistone and was broken up when he found out he was an agent. Napolitano could not believe that Pistone was an agent because of the "things we had done together, the conversations we'd had, the feelings we'd had."
In August, FBI surveillance noticed workmen dismantling Napolitano's pigeon coops atop the Motion Lounge. On August 12, 1982, a body was found at South Avenue and Bridge Street in Arlington, Staten Island, New York; the corpse's hands were severed and the face was so badly decomposed that dental records were required to verify the identity. The FBI announced that it had found the corpse of Dominick Napolitano; however, in 2000, they publicly revealed doubts about whether the corpse was correctly identified.
In 2003, Bonanno boss Joseph Massino was arrested and charged with a variety of crimes, with the case centering around the murder of Napolitano. At Massino's trial, prosecutors claimed that Napolitano was killed by his associates for allowing his crew to be compromised, and that his hands had been removed as a warning to other mobsters to follow the rule about proper introductions (the association of shaking hands when being introduced to someone). Massino was convicted in 2004.
In 2006, Frank Lino and Frank Coppa turned state's evidence, providing authorities with the details of Napolitano's murder. Although the FBI were reasonably sure that the body found in Staten Island was Napolitano, one discrepancy existed: Lino claimed that he and Filocomo shot Napolitano with .38 caliber revolvers, and that he himself fired more than once, but the corpse only had one bullet wound, apparently made by a .45 caliber pistol. Coppa later said that Napolitano "died like a man". Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano was buried in Calvary Cemetery, Queens
.
features "Sonny Black", played by Michael Madsen
. Many of Sonny Black's character traits, and relationship with Pistone, were combined with other Bonanno mobsters like Anthony Mirra
and Benjamin Ruggiero
, who in the film is played by Al Pacino
. A notable parallel occurs when Ruggiero is summoned to what he knows will be his execution for allowing Pistone into the Mafia (in reality, Ruggiero was arrested by the FBI). He leaves behind his personal effects, echoing Napolitano's final actions shortly before he was murdered. Ruggiero's sentiments of how if it was going to be anyone that sunk him, he was glad it was Pistone, is a direct paraphrase of Napolitano's last words.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
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...
in 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 ....
. He is well known for allowing FBI agent Joseph "Donnie Brasco" Pistone to become an associate in his crew and nearly getting him made
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
.
Biography
Napolitano's grandparents were immigrants from NaplesNaples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Napolitano was born with blond hair, but by his forties it had turned a gunmetal white-silver color. To hide the color, he dyed it black, earning him the nickname "Sonny Black". He was a close friend of future Bonanno crime family boss Joseph Massino; incarcerated boss Phillip Rastelli knew Napolitano before he went to prison. He was close to Carmine Napolitano (May 30, 1943 - February 15, 1999), a cousin and fellow Bonanno mobster. Sons Peter Napolitano (November 17, 1957-June 29, 1994), Aniello Napolitano and Rocco Napolitano were born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
.
B
Napolitano was a sturdy 5'7" man who weighed about 170 pounds, with powerfully developed chest and arms. On his right forearm was a tattoo of a black panther. He was swarthy, with hair dyed jet black. His face was fleshy, with rings under his brown eyes that made him look (depending on the mood) either tired or menacing. He was not a heavy drinker and only indulged at times with fine French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
liquor. He had dead straight hair, a square jaw and a Roman nose. Napolitano controlled 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...
and from 1979–80, he operated in Pasco County, Florida
Pasco County, Florida
Pasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344,765. The July 1, 2007 census estimate according to the U.S. Census Bureau for the county is 462,715. Its county seat is Dade City, Florida which is in the northeast part of the county - somewhat...
and out of Holiday, Florida
Holiday, Florida
Holiday , is a census-designated place in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 21,904 at the 2000 census.The name Holiday, like the names of many towns, comes from a spark...
after negotiating control of the territory with Santo Trafficante Jr.. At that time, Napolitano set his sights on operating a major bookmaking operation in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
Napolitano was an avid homing pigeon enthusiast. He kept his pigeon's on the rooftop of his apartment building and social club The Motion Lounge
The Motion Lounge
The Motion Lounge was a Williamsburg, Brooklyn, nightclub owned by Bonanno crime family caporegime Dominick Napolitano which also was the capo's apartment away from his home. The lounge was located at 420 Graham Avenue, across the street from the Wither's Italian-American War Veterans Club. It was...
. The brilliantly colored pigeons had pedigree bloodlines that descended from prize pigeons in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Napolitano would win as much as $3000 racing his pigeons. Pistone said that Napolitano loved going to his pigeon coop to think: "Sometimes when we were up on the roof with the pigeons, Sonny would lean on the railing and look out over the rooftops of the neighborhood where he had lived all his life. I wondered what he was thinking about."
Napolitano would say to Pistone, "The whole thing is how strong you are and how much power you got and how fucking mean you are—that's what makes you rise in the mob. Every day's a fucking struggle, because you don't know who's looking to knock you off, especially when you become a captain or boss. Every day, somebody's looking to dispose of you and take your position. You always got to be on your toes. Every fucking day is a scam day to keep your power and position." Napolitano would repeat this theme over and over again to Pistone in conversations up on the roof with his pigeons.
Caporegime
Napolitano rose to prominence in 1973 as a soldier for Michael SabellaMichael Sabella
Michael "Mimi" Sabella was a caporegime in the Bonanno crime family and a relative of Philadelphia crime family mob boss Salvatore Sabella.-Early years:...
and was promoted to capo, replacing his mentor after the gangland execution of the powerful rival capo Carmine "The Cigar" Galante
Carmine Galante
Carmine Galante, also known as "Lilo" and "Cigar" was a mobster and acting boss of the Bonanno crime family...
. Sabella was demoted and Napolitano took over the crew. He became a trusted confidante of the imprisoned mobster Phillip "Rusty" Rastelli who took over leadership permanently again. But when Rastelli took over, it caused the Bonannos to split into two factions, one loyal to Rastelli, the other attempting to overthrow him in favor of the Sicilian
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...
-faction, led by Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato.
Napolitano and Joseph Massino, who were loyal to Rastelli, were chiefly responsible for helping to end the struggle by killing three capos opposed to Rastelli; Alphonse Indelicato, Dominick Trinchera
Dominick Trinchera
Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera was a Bonanno crime family capo who was murdered with Alphonse Indelicato and Phillip Giaccone for planning the overthrow of aspiring Bonanno boss Phillip Rastelli.-Biography:Born in Rockland, New York, Trinchera was the son of an immigrant from Rome, Italy and an...
and Philip Giaccone
Philip Giaccone
Phillip Giaccone also known as "Philly Lucky" and "The Priest" was a Bonanno crime family member.-The three capos murder:...
. Napolitano owned the Wither's Italian-American War Veterans Club at 415 Graham Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
and also The Motion Lounge
The Motion Lounge
The Motion Lounge was a Williamsburg, Brooklyn, nightclub owned by Bonanno crime family caporegime Dominick Napolitano which also was the capo's apartment away from his home. The lounge was located at 420 Graham Avenue, across the street from the Wither's Italian-American War Veterans Club. It was...
at 420 Graham Avenue. He later ran an illegal casino in Pasco County, Florida
Pasco County, Florida
Pasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344,765. The July 1, 2007 census estimate according to the U.S. Census Bureau for the county is 462,715. Its county seat is Dade City, Florida which is in the northeast part of the county - somewhat...
and owned a tennis club and night club called The King's Court Bottle Club in Holiday, Florida
Holiday, Florida
Holiday , is a census-designated place in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 21,904 at the 2000 census.The name Holiday, like the names of many towns, comes from a spark...
.
When in Holiday, Florida, Napolitano took up the sport of tennis with Joseph Pistone and was a doubles partner of Bonanno mobster John Cersani. Although he was a lousy tennis player, he enjoyed playing at King's Court. Pistone would later say, "On the court he would run around and yell, 'I'm going to kill you' between strokes". Napolitano would arm wrestle Pistone, but always lost. Napolitano, who was a weight lifter
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
, constantly challenged Pistone, who was the only guy that Napolitano could not beat. Napolitano was once able to beat Pistone by spitting in his face to surprise him, showing his competitive nature.
Napolitano's headquarters were in the heart of Williamsburg's Italian neighborhood. His crew, involved in burglary, 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...
, robbery, bank robbery, loansharking, hijacking
Truck hijacking
Truck hijacking is the taking of a truck: normally for the consignment being carried, by force, or the threat of force to the driver....
, bookmaking, casino operations and drug trafficking, were one of the most successful crews in the Bonanno family. Napolitano's crew included Bonanno street soldiers Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero
Benjamin Ruggiero
Benjamin Ruggiero, also known as "Lefty," "Lefty Guns," "Lefty Two Guns" , was a soldier in the Bonanno crime family. He is well known for his friendship and mentorship of FBI undercover agent Joseph "Donnie Brasco" Pistone. Ruggiero was an old school Cosa Nostra mobster who knew how Mafia...
, Nicholas Santora
Nicholas Santora
Nicholas Angelo "Nicky Mouth" Santora is the reputed underboss of the Bonanno crime family.-Biography:Nicholas Santora was born on June 21, 1942, and became known in his teens as a tough mobster from New York City...
, Louis Attanasio, John Cersani, Jerome Asaro, Sandro Asaro, John Faraci, Daniel Mangelli, Robert Lino, Frank Lino
Frank Lino
Frank "Curly" Lino is a Sicilian-American caporegime in the Bonanno crime family who later became an informant.-Biography:...
, Richard Riccardi, Joseph Grimaldi, Nicholas Accardi, Peter Rosa, Patrick DeFillipo, Michael Mancuso, Vito Grimaldi, Anthony Urso, James Tartaglione, Joseph Cammarano, John Zancocchio
John Zancocchio
John "Porky" Zancocchio is a New York mobster with the Bonanno crime family mobster who is a loanshark and a bookmaker. One of Zancocchio gaming clients was U.S Major League Baseball player Peter Rose.-Biography:...
, Edward Barberra, Frankie Fish, Bobby Badheart, Bobby Smash and his previous capo Michael Sabella, Joseph Puma, Steven Maruca, Salvatore Farrugia, Anthony Pesiri, Antonio Tomasulo
Antonio Tomasulo
Antonio Tomasulo, also known as "Bootsie" , was an Italian-American mobster who served in the New York Bonanno crime family running a highly lucrative illegal slot machine gambling operation.-Biography:...
, Anthony Rabito, Raymond Wean
Raymond Wean
Raymond J. Wean a.k.a. "Big Ray" was a Bonanno crime family associate who worked under capo Joe Massino and Dominick Napolitano.-Biography:...
, Frank DiStefano, Salvatore D'Ottavio, James Episcopa and Donnie Brasco.
Reputation
Napolitano was unusually tough and savvy, even for a Mafia capo. Although he was a stone-cold gangster, he ran his crew in a laid-back style. Pistone would say, "Dominick was more observant and disciplined than his old capo Michael SabellaMichael Sabella
Michael "Mimi" Sabella was a caporegime in the Bonanno crime family and a relative of Philadelphia crime family mob boss Salvatore Sabella.-Early years:...
and had a watchful eye. In mob circles, he had an excellent reputation for personal loyalty to his sidewalk soldiers. He would kill you in a minute if you crossed him." Napolitano was a fine marksman with small-caliber pistols, which made him an efficient killer.
In restaurants or in public, he was a gentleman and never flamboyant or brazen. He always carried his own suitcases when traveling, which was not traditionally done by other capos. Pistone said that Napolitano was not a 24-hour gangster, meaning that you could talk to him about other things besides the Mafia, unlike other mobsters who only wanted to talk about illegal activities and Mafia business. When working, Napolitano was respected and feared, but when hanging out with Pistone, they would go out to dinner, have coffee and just "shoot the breeze" like two friends.
Operation Donnie Brasco
When Joseph Pistone infiltrated the Mafia, he became attached to Napolitano's crew and the two developed a close relationship. Pistone was one of the few people that Napolitano trusted and relied upon; Pistone even spent nights sleeping over at Napolitano's apartment. He regarded Pistone so highly that he planned to nominate him to be "made" (inducted into the Mafia) and began to use the formal introduction "a friend of ours" (code for a made man) when introducing Pistone to other mafiosi. By becoming Napolitano's right-hand man, Pistone gained respect in the Bonanno family.Pistone's undercover operation ended after six years, when Napolitano ordered Pistone to murder another mobster, originally Phillip Giaccone, while he was in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. When the decision was made to kill Giaccone at the same time as Indelicato and Trinchera, Pistone was given the task of killing Indelicato's son, Bruno
Anthony Indelicato
Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato , also known as "Bruno", "Whack-Whack" and "Anthony Indelligado" is a capo with the Bonanno crime family in New York City,-Biography:...
. Two days later, FBI agents came to the Motion Lounge to inform Napolitano that his trusted friend and associate of six years was an agent. In the hours after the shocking disclosure of Donnie Brasco, Napolitano went to his pigeon coop to think. FBI surveillance photos showed a very worried-looking man.
Death
The order came down to kill Napolitano for allowing such a breach in Mafia security. On August 17, 1981, he was asked to come to a meeting in the basement of Bonanno associate Ron Filocomo's home in Flatlands, BrooklynFlatlands, Brooklyn
Flatlands is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 18.One of the original five Dutch towns on Long Island , this neighborhood was originally known as Nieuw Amersfoort, after the Dutch city of Amersfoort, but the name was changed to...
. Knowing he would be killed, Napolitano gave his jewelry to his favorite bartender who worked below his apartment at the Motion Lounge, along with the keys to his apartment, so his pet pigeons could be cared for. Bonanno capo Frank Lino
Frank Lino
Frank "Curly" Lino is a Sicilian-American caporegime in the Bonanno crime family who later became an informant.-Biography:...
and Steven Cannone drove Napolitano to the house of Filocomo and Frank Coppa
Frank Coppa
Frank Coppa Sr. is a Sicilian-American gangster in the Bonanno crime family who was a close friend of Joseph Massino and Frank Lino.-Further reading:...
, who was also present. Napolitano was pushed down the staircase in Filocomo's basement and shot to death by Filocomo and Lino with .38 caliber revolvers. When the first shot misfired, Napolitano told them, "Hit me one more time and make it good".
Napolitano's girlfriend Judy later contacted Pistone and told him that shortly before his death, Napolitano told her that he bore no ill will towards Pistone, knowing that Pistone was only doing his job, and that if anyone was responsible for taking him down, he was glad it was Pistone. She said that Napolitano really loved Pistone and was broken up when he found out he was an agent. Napolitano could not believe that Pistone was an agent because of the "things we had done together, the conversations we'd had, the feelings we'd had."
In August, FBI surveillance noticed workmen dismantling Napolitano's pigeon coops atop the Motion Lounge. On August 12, 1982, a body was found at South Avenue and Bridge Street in Arlington, Staten Island, New York; the corpse's hands were severed and the face was so badly decomposed that dental records were required to verify the identity. The FBI announced that it had found the corpse of Dominick Napolitano; however, in 2000, they publicly revealed doubts about whether the corpse was correctly identified.
In 2003, Bonanno boss Joseph Massino was arrested and charged with a variety of crimes, with the case centering around the murder of Napolitano. At Massino's trial, prosecutors claimed that Napolitano was killed by his associates for allowing his crew to be compromised, and that his hands had been removed as a warning to other mobsters to follow the rule about proper introductions (the association of shaking hands when being introduced to someone). Massino was convicted in 2004.
In 2006, Frank Lino and Frank Coppa turned state's evidence, providing authorities with the details of Napolitano's murder. Although the FBI were reasonably sure that the body found in Staten Island was Napolitano, one discrepancy existed: Lino claimed that he and Filocomo shot Napolitano with .38 caliber revolvers, and that he himself fired more than once, but the corpse only had one bullet wound, apparently made by a .45 caliber pistol. Coppa later said that Napolitano "died like a man". Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano was buried in Calvary Cemetery, Queens
Calvary Cemetery, Queens
The Roman Catholic Calvary Cemetery in Queens has the largest number of interments of any cemetery in the United States.The offices of Calvary Cemetery are located at 49-02 Laurel Hill Blvd. in Woodside in the New York City borough of Queens, New York. The cemetery is managed by the Trustees of...
.
Popular culture
The 1997 film Donnie BrascoDonnie Brasco (film)
Donnie Brasco is a 1997 crime drama film directed by Mike Newell, starring Al Pacino, Johnny Depp and Michael Madsen. It is loosely based on the real-life events of Joseph D. Pistone, an FBI agent who infiltrated the Bonanno crime family, one of the Mafia's Five Families based in New York City...
features "Sonny Black", played by Michael Madsen
Michael Madsen
Michael Søren Madsen is an American actor, poet, and photographer. He has appeared in more than 150 films, most of them small independent films, though he has starred in central roles in such films as Reservoir Dogs, Free Willy, Donnie Brasco, and Kill Bill, in addition to a supporting role in Sin...
. Many of Sonny Black's character traits, and relationship with Pistone, were combined with other Bonanno mobsters like Anthony Mirra
Anthony Mirra
Anthony "Tony" Mirra was an Italian-American mobster and soldier for the Bonanno crime family...
and Benjamin Ruggiero
Benjamin Ruggiero
Benjamin Ruggiero, also known as "Lefty," "Lefty Guns," "Lefty Two Guns" , was a soldier in the Bonanno crime family. He is well known for his friendship and mentorship of FBI undercover agent Joseph "Donnie Brasco" Pistone. Ruggiero was an old school Cosa Nostra mobster who knew how Mafia...
, who in the film is played by Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
. A notable parallel occurs when Ruggiero is summoned to what he knows will be his execution for allowing Pistone into the Mafia (in reality, Ruggiero was arrested by the FBI). He leaves behind his personal effects, echoing Napolitano's final actions shortly before he was murdered. Ruggiero's sentiments of how if it was going to be anyone that sunk him, he was glad it was Pistone, is a direct paraphrase of Napolitano's last words.
External links
- An Archetypal Mob Trial: It's Just Like in the Movies, The New York Times, May 23, 2004.
- Dominick (Sonny Black) Napolitano 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:...