Bonanno: A Godfather's Story
The Complete Saga
Starting with Joseph Bonanno's childhood in Sicily, in the early 1900s, and spanning almost 100 years, Bonanno: A Godfather's Story tells the true story of a man who rose from being a penniless immigrant to become one of the most powerful Mafia dons in North America.
Member Reviews
A marathon-length release , very thorough, visually outstanding - Porkchop
Bonanno, A Godfather's Story (1999 - TV), is a
marathon-length release on 2 DVD's telling the story of one
of the several organizations that took root in the
Prohibition era, first selling Canadian and spirits from
underground distilleries, and then, earning revenue from
lotteries, gambling / bookie ops, and protection rackets.
Also, there are exceptional performances here, in terms of
presence, credibility and charisma from various actors.
A criticism isn presenting Bonanno as a brand name even
before the man reached Ellis Island, in Sicily, like Coca
Cola, IBM or Ford Motor - the red carpet treatment afforded.
A questionable aspect, is the time spent on the conspiracy surrounding the JFK and Bobby K assassinations,
The idealistic, utopic, sanitized, apologetic tone given,
is perhaps condoning this state of affairs.
At stated, the realism of the sets - automobiles,
buildings, clothes, furniture and office spaces -
absolutely exploding with realism, and charm.
The film suggests that faced with millions of newly
arriving immigrants, filled with talent, experience, skills
to the USA, and that only money and power is what counts in
the new world, Bonnano choses to go underground.
The work is educational, as it stresses the natural
tendency of immigrants from Sicily to stick to their Old
World norms, traditions, mores, values, behaviors to guide
them in the New World of the USA, as they do business
together.
Valuable is the detailing of the inner workings, such as
the elevation from made man, to man of honor, secret
ceremonies, and the changing of the times, such as the 1962
Valachi hearings, the Apalachian godfathe, wiretaps, sharpshooters,
going to the mattresses, rubouts, brutality, rivalries,
power struggles, the Commission, betrayals, marriages to
unify rivals by blood, to ensure trust and loyalty, etc.
Member Reviews
Read All...
A marathon-length release , very thorough, visually outstanding - Porkchop
Bonanno, A Godfather's Story (1999 - TV), is a
marathon-length release on 2 DVD's telling the story of one
of the several organizations that took root in the
Prohibition era, first selling Canadian and spirits from
underground distilleries, and ...