Two former Bonanno crime family leaders turned government witnesses Joseph Massino and Salvatore “Good Looking Sal” Vitale may have once again helped the feds take down key crime family members. In the latest indictments against the Bonanno family the feds mention the help of four cooperating witnesses labeled “Cw-1,CW-2,CW-3,CW-4” which were key in their case. Included in the indictment were charges against alleged Bonanno capo Vincent Asaro for his part in the historic Lufthansa Heist and separate charges against alleged Bonanno family underboss Thomas DiFiore, Jack Bonventre, John Ragano, and Jerome Asaro. Prior information about previous Bonanno family turncoats can seemingly be used to identify two of the cooperating witnesses listed by the feds as key informants in the indictment.
Based on records filled with the federal court in Brooklyn “CW-2” is listed as being the boss of the Bonanno family in the 1990’s which would be Massino. It also list “CW-2” as someone previously convicted of racketeering murder that plead guilty to murder in aid of racketeering but was re sentenced for later cooperating with the feds to approx 12 years all of which match with what happened to Massino. The former Bonanno boss is also believed to have received some of the jewelry taken in the Lufthansa Heist as tribute. He may have also known about certain aspects of the robbery and supplied the feds with this information that involved Asaro. With all of the pieces laid out it seems that cooperating witness two in the case almost has to be that of Joseph Massino.
Court records also identifies “CW-3” as a former high ranking member of the Bonanno family that previously plead guilty to racketeering charges and was later re sentenced to approx seven years after agreeing to cooperate. The records also indicate that “CW-3” told feds and testified that he ordered Jerome Asaro the son of Vincent Asaro to get rid of a car that was used in murder of Gerlando Sciascia in 1999. These pieces all linked together point to “CW-3” being that of Sal Vitale. The two other cooperating witnesses “CW-1 and CW-4” seem to be lower ranking members of the New York mafia that turned rat and are still unidentified. This indictment may have led to more charges in the Lufthansa Heist but most of the other involved are now dead many due to a murderous rampage by Jimmy Burke years ago the mastermind of the heist.
