Michael “Mikey Nose” Mancuso the reputed boss of the Bonanno crime family has been trying to stifle a potentially bloody dispute for control of the family developing within its ranks.
Mancuso is running the family while serving what remains of a 15-year sentence in federal prison according to the feds, not slated for release until 2019. It seems a crew of rebellious Bonanno members are at the heart of the dispute which according to court documents is still in a diplomatic stage as Mancuso tries to maintain control.
Mancuso has been dispatching messages through Frank “Frankie Boy” Salerno his nephew and a reputed newly made soldier in the Bonanno family according to court papers. These messages were being routed through alleged street boss John Palazzolo who was hand picked by Mancuso to run things on the streets until his prison release in an attempt to thwart the potential uprising. The NY Organized Crime Intelligence Division tipped off probation officials to the new role Salerno was playing as the Mancuso and Palazzolo go between leading to Palazzolo’s arrest on parole violations.
Salerno was seen meeting with Palazzolo and a crew of mobsters at a Bayside Queens eatery just hours after leaving Danbury federal prison where Mancuso is being held. Others attending the restaurant session included Pasquale “Patty Boy” Maiorino and John “Johnny Mulberry” Sciremammano both reputed Bonanno members and part of an organized crime figure list Palazzolo was ordered to avoid having contact with. Prosecutors claim along with meeting these members of the “do not associate” list Palazzolo was also seen meeting with former Bonanno family consigliere Anthony “Fat Anthony” Rabito.
According to mob sources, the Bonanno family has made up to a dozen new members in recent months in an attempt to replenish its ranks. Included in this new batch of Bonanno made men were believed to have been Salerno if for nothing else to legitimize his position as Mancuso’s new go-between with members of the family. Whether or not the arrest of Palazzolo who is now being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center has put the brakes on the internal beef within the Bonanno family is unknown. Although it would be mafia news to have a bloody street war break out inside one of the New York mafia families today, it seems unlikely.
