Rating: 
Summary: bound by honor
Review: This book is on the low end of any of the mob book I have read. The real take home story is the Bill Bonannano would not have been in that "family" if he wasn't Joe's son. He really has an outsiders few. He grew up in Arizona on a country club?
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Miss the Point
Review: This book isn't about crime; it's about a broken heart. Like Michael Corleone, what Bonanno did to preserve his family destroyed it; like Corleone, once he got involved, he couldn't get out. This explains his fatalistic feeling that his role in life was preordained at birth.Contrary to other reviews here, Bonanno DOES give new details, like why Bugsy Seigal was killed and who the second shooter was in Dallas. His explanation of who killed the Kennedys and why is worth the price of the book. He shouldn't be expected to give details about his own capers, not only because this would be self-incriminating, but because he was a strategist, not a soldier or capo. He's a policy wonk of crime. He says the U.S. Government is the biggest mob around. If true, this not only justifies why Sicilians are as they are, but burdens the rest of us with a warning. Even if false, it indavertently supports his point that "the life" came to an end when those practicing it entered into a war of attrition with a foe more capable of maintaining it. Maybe greed wasn't to blame; maybe it was hubris. Even if the book is self-serving or written for profit, that it exists is omerta's epitaph. It demonstrates that action for its own sake can be as addictive as heroin and harder to shake. It restates a great truth--that whatever is taken by force must be maintained by force, and force feeds on force. It also proves that two cultures can't exist in the same place at the same time; one absorbs the other or eliminates it. A war between the Mafia and America could end in only one way. Bonanno says that his father knew this; I believe him.
Rating:
Summary: Very quick reading and lots of information.
Review: This book takes you behind the scenes of the mafia's exitence. From the initiation ceremonies to the family rankings. William Bonanno goes out of his way to make his father look good, saying he was a man of honor. Well honorable men don't order 'hits' on people. Other than that it is full of information and how the mafia members lived their day to day lives.
Rating:
Summary: Some in the mafia do have nine lives
Review: This inside story of the mafia is not just another story about killing and breaking the law but of family ties and tradition. Mr. Bonanno's account of the Kennedy assasination is one that could shed light on what really happened but could also make you understand the reasons why the true findings never went public. Whether you like the Bonanno way of life or not, this book does give you a true feel for the mafia's inner workings. Growing up in San Francisco around my grandfather and all of his Italian friends, the one thing missing in today's world is the comfort of being part of a group of people that were held together through their heritage in a bond so tight that nothing could break it. It's this bond and show of power that fascinates people and attracts them to this world. All in all, I think that you'll enjoy Mr. Bonanno's eloquent portrayal of "his life" and also be thankful that you were never a part of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Bonanno's Bound By Honor: A Mafioso's Story
Review: This is a fascinating book. At the risk of arguing with Mr. Bonanno, I should point out that anger and honor do not go together very well, no matter how just the cause may seem. According to him, the Mafia is descended from the Sicilian underground which fought for Sicilian independence when foreigners invaded, and he criticizes some of the upstarts and street toughs (especially with holdings in Cuba and the East Coast) who took over the American Mafia and moved it toward Dope and other non-Sicilian interests. However, without rage and anger, I doubt whether such things would have occurred (if they did). Bonanno also attacks the FBI's CoIntelPro (Counterintelligence program) for helping to destroy the Mafia's power, as well as the wrong decision of the upstarts to deal in dope, and claims that the Florida Mafia assassinated President Kennedy for botching the Bay of Pigs invasion. I have no idea whether these were true or not, though it is quite possible, but I again point out that anger, whether on the good side or the bad side, is one of those things that enables the overstepping of power. We need some anger to start fighting back, but we need Love and Calmness to triumph.
Rating:
Summary: This book reveals the truth about the Kennedy Assassinations
Review: This is a well written book that describes the fact that the Mafia was an alternative form of government fashioned to protect Italian imigrants from corrupt police and politicians. This is one of the reasons for the Kennedy assassinations.
Rating: 
Summary: lousy excuse for a mobster!
Review: This is probably the second worst book about the mafia I have ever read, after "man of honor" by his father Joe Bonanno. As his father did, Bill Bonanno filled his book with so much worthless information about Sicilian tradition, honor, and customs that it's insulting to american born mobsters. First of all, he was born into a mafia family. If his dad wasn't boss, this guy wouldn't have lasted ten seconds in the mob. This whole book is very vague and superficial, never really going into detail about actual crimes or murders. If he would have wrote more about experiences and the inner workings of the families this book might have been readable. As it is, it's just some fake mobster trying to glorify himself. Do not waste money on this book, and if you already have it, burn it.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing Book about the Real Mafia
Review: Those of you Soprano fans out there will enjoy getting a real dose of Mafia history. This book presents a very interesting perspective to the Italian Mafia era (1920-1980) from a uniquely qualified son of a former Godfather. Kennedy conspiracy buffs will find some interesting implications in here as well!
Rating:
Summary: Entrancing!!!
Review: Though I am about half way through it, I want people to know what a GOOD read this is! The truth about Mr. Bonnano comes through..you can tell it's no bulls--t with him. I enjoy his truthfulness and also the 'behind the scenes' look of his life and that of his family. I heartily recommend this book!!!!
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: To whom it may concern: I found this book very informative. If you want to learn about the history and the kind of life styles that were lived during the true mafia era, this is it. You will learn all about the Kennedy's and other very interesting items in history that everyone has been wondering about. You will want to read all that there is about the mafia after reading this book!
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