HONOR THY FATHER

by Gay Talese ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 4, 1971

This is the dual semi-personal history of Joseph Bonanno and his son Bill, whom Talese knew and saw on occasion for some years, one of the first of the 24 Families which according to legend, originated over there with the anguished ""ma fia"" outcry of a mother. Their story reflects a dying feudal enterprise although the recent Colombo killing, if perhaps only a flare-up, will have alerted attention. Talese's account has two primary points of dramatic interest: the ""kidnapping"" of Joseph Bonanno, the dapper father who also godfathered Joseph Valachi, which actually amounted to a 19 month disappearance before he attended the grand jury investigation in the same suit, tie and shoes he had last been seen in; and the more recent trial of Bill on the credit card fraud (he'd been using another man's) which recently sent him to jail for four years on a matter of 2400 dollars which ironically brings the ""big bananas"" down to small potatoes. Patriarchal Joseph is seen only in the mid-distance; but Bill and his Rosalie (""a marriage of fathers"") naive, demure and often unhappy Rosalie, are seen at much closer quarters and the fade-out, with Bill paying off the sins of the father he honored, is given a certain tragic stress. Throughout Talese's reportorial liveliness and decisiveness cuts through the cigar smoke which has shrouded that most secret of societies and the book seems to be assured of considerable success from its Esquire beginnings to its Literary Guild selection.

Pub Date: Oct. 4, 1971

ISBN: 0061665363

Page Count: -

Publisher: World

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1971

Categories: NONFICTION