Bound by Honor: A Mafioso's Story

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Binding: Mass Market Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 364.1092 EAN: 9780312971472 ISBN: 0312971478 Label: St. Martin's Paperbacks Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 326 Publication Date: 2000-06-15 Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks Studio: St. Martin's Paperbacks
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Editorial Reviews: A young mafioso being groomed for leadership spends his nights at the Stork Club in New York City, rubbing elbows with the likes of Tony Bennett, Marilyn Monroe, and Mickey Mantle...Two proud men, one named Bonanno, the other named Kennedy, dream of their sons taking over their dynasties-each taking a different, but equally powerful pat...A sudden spray of bullets rips through the salon in Manhattan's Park Sheraton Hotel; moments later, a major figure on the organized crime scene-slumped over in midshave-lies dead in his barber chair... These are stories not from Mafia movies, but from real life...a way of life which may be gone, but is long from forgotten. Bill Bonanno is the authentic article-born into a powerful mob Family and married into another, he has seen it all. Widely reputed to be the model for Michael Corleone in The Godfather, Bonanno tells the astounding story which only he can tell in Bound By Honor: of the Five Families and their stormy infighting for control over organized crime; of his father's close friendship with Joe Kennedy and the truth about JFK's assassination; and of a world born of respect and loyalty...and etched in violence and blood.
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: An ok mafia story Comment: This is a sort of watered down story of a mafiosa. The author does not disclose or detail some of the slimy backhanded sneaky criminal things that he surely committed an the book borders on a made for LIFETIME movie vibe. Customer Rating: Summary: Interesting Read Comment: This is a well written, interesting read. If you are looking for the typical "mafia" book full of violence and the stereotypical, almost mythical, portrayal of mob leaders, this book is probably not for you. This book provides one man's insight (a man who writes from an insider perspective) into many important events in our recent history, including the JFK assassination. One of the other reviewers mentioned that a true "man of honor" is one "who goes to work everyday" and that Bonanno was not a man of honor. In response to that I would only say that there are many lawful jobs that are not honorable. Is it honorable to work for a big corporation that exploits men and women for cheap labor? The second point is that the Italians (along with other immigrants) suffered discrimination when they arrived to the U.S. and had to provide sustenance for their families in any way they could. Furthermore, they certainly did not have a monopoly on organized crime as other immigrant groups were also forced into that lifestyle in order to survive economically. Overall, I would say this is a very interesting read and is one of the more well written books on the subject of the mafia in general and the Bonanno family in particular. It would be naive to assume that Bonanno does not present events in a light that is favorable to his family, but everyone engages in this sort of thing. Moreover, anti-mafia books have also engaged in this sort of hyperbole, presenting mobsters as demons who are not even human and enjoy violence for its own sake. I'm sure the truth lies somewhere in the middle. One thing is certain, the mafia cannot be understood outside of the historical and cultural context that spawned it. Customer Rating: Summary: B.S. Comment: I'll keep it simple. The Bonnanos are the worst liars I've ever seen. Bill and Joe are trying to rewrite history, and it's getting pretty pathetic. Customer Rating: Summary: Bag of Wind Comment: I have read nearly every book written about the Mafia, both good and bad. Let me say this: Bill Bonanno's book goes beyond bad. It's absolutely awful. The title itself, "Bound by Honor", is soaked in irony. Where is the honor in breaking the law, going to prison, living a lifestyle that includes trampling on the rights and lifestyles of other people? My own father truly was a Man of Honor. He got up everyday and went to work and made an honest living. He may not have gotten rich, but he never served a day in prison or lied to save his own skin. But Bonanno has done both. Where is the honor in that? As I read one of the book's passages about a gunfight that Bonnano was in, it struck me that his vision of that shootout was rooted more in stupidity than in danger. While Mafia books do interest me, the lifestyle itself disgusts me and makes me glad that I live a clean life. My biggest regret concerning Bonanno's book is that I spent money on it- even if it was on sale. It was a waste of money written by a blowhard who wasted a college education and probably put a good wife through hell. Some Man of Honor, that Bill Bonanno. So the bottom line is this: don't waste your money. His story isn't worth reading, he isn't worth respecting, and there isn't one scintilla of honor to be found in the activities of his family. Customer Rating: Summary: Legend of his own mind Comment: The book as such is an easy read and has some amusing stories, it is, however, filled with appearent contradictions and self promoting spins on most of the events. The writer is clearly unable to put is own life into perspective and believes he has done no wrong........but that the government is at fault for hunting down organised crime, mostly himself and his father (who is depicted as the role model mobster). The book is worth reading if the subject itself is of interest to you. For most readers it will become clear that the writer is a complete and total loser. More Reviews