Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano (16 June 1930 – 17 August 1981) was a caporegime in the Bonanno crime family. In 1981, he was whacked for allowing the undercover FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone (alias "Donnie Brasco") into his crew.
Biography[]
Dominick Napolitano was born in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York City on 16 June 1930, the grandson of immigrants from Naples. Napolitano was nicknamed "Sonny Black" for dying his silver hair black using hair dye, and he became good friends with Joseph Massino. He rose to prominence in 1973 as a soldier for Michael Sabella before being made a Capo, replacing his mentor after Carmine Galante's 1979 execution. In 1981, Napolitano took part in the murders of Al Indelicato, Dominick Trinchera, and Philip Giaccone in "the Three Capos Murder". Napolitano also became good friends with undercover FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone around this time, and Pistone would sometimes sleep on Napolitano's couch and watch cartoons with him in the morning. After the FBI informed the Bonanno crime family that Pistone was one of theirs, the Bonanno family decided to punish Napolitano for allowing Pistone into the family in the first place. On 17 August 1981, he was summoned to a meeting with Bonanno associate Ron Filocomo in the basement of his Flatlands, Brooklyn home, so Napolitano - knowing that he would die - gave his jewelry and the keys to his home to his favorite bartender, whom he tasked with taking care of his pigeons at home. Frank Lino drove Napolitano to the home, where he was thrown down a staircase before Lino and Filocomo shot him dead with .38 revolvers. His body was later found in Arlington, Staten Island; his hands were cut off.