Student Showcase

Organized Crime Families of WNY

If you were to do a random survey on any street in the United States and asked the question, “Where do most Organized Crime families live, and what are their lifestyles like?” Most likely the answer you will get is New York City, Chicago, or Las Vegas, and you would probably hear about the extravagant lifestyle the John Gotti family lived. Now let’s then say you go to Buffalo or Niagara Falls, New York, and asked the same questions, there is a chance you will receive a different answer. You may hear about Joseph Bonanno who led an unassuming life right here in Western New York. Behind the scenes at legitimate business, Bonanno ran a multitude of illegal activities. Despite all of his crimes, Bonanno spent just over two years in prison. He eventually passed away at the age of 97 in 2002 in Tucson, Arizona. This display will show you just a little bit of the life of Joseph Bonanno lived here in Western New York.

Our model shows what a typical organized crime family home would look like. The exterior of the home shows landscaping and a sidewalk which leads to the main door. Upon entry, there is a living area with books, furniture, and family photos. To the average person, this type of home would not indicate any sort of criminal enterprise. However, like many other crime filled households, this model includes a secret entrance. Behind closed doors, there is a bar and multiple slot machines. This area of the home would be where many organized crime members would engage in criminal activities such as gambling, bootlegging, and extortion.