Who Is Michael 'Mikey Nose' Mancuso? The Bonanno Boss of Today
Mobsters DailyMichael "Mikey Nose" Mancuso is the official boss of the Bonanno crime family, a Bronx-raised mobster who was named to the top job while serving prison time and has held the title into the 2020s. Law enforcement has identified him as boss in successive indictments, even as acting bosses ran the street.
From butcher's apprentice to acting boss
Mancuso grew up in the Bronx and worked as a butcher's apprentice, the trade that shaped his early crew ties. He rose under Vincent Basciano's regime and became acting boss in the mid-2000s. His ascent came after the turmoil in the family chronicled alongside the Bonanno family history and its decades of disputed leadership.
A boss named from a prison cell is peak late-era Bonanno — the title travels even when the man cannot. The Tony Soprano Ugly Christmas Sweater leans into that world for the holidays — Tony in black-and-white stencil, gabagool energy, built for November and December parties.
Prison terms and a stubborn title
In 2008 Mancuso was sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty in connection with the murder of associate Randolph Pizzolo. Released in 2019, he was later jailed again on supervised-release violations. Prosecutors continued calling him the family's official boss throughout. His story illustrates the diminished modern landscape described in why the Mafia fell — real titles, far less territory.
Frequently asked questions
Why is he called Mikey Nose? The nickname dates to his youth; like many mob monikers, it stuck for life regardless of rank.
When did Mancuso become boss? He was elevated while incarcerated in the 2010s, after serving as acting boss in the mid-2000s.
Is Mancuso still boss? Federal prosecutors have continued to identify him as the Bonanno family's official boss in recent cases.
Keep reading: The Five Families · How the Commission Trial Broke the Mob · Vincent "Chin" Gigante
From the shop: Shadows of the Underworld — real mafia history, the bosses and wars behind the fiction.
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