Alphonse “Sonny Red” Indelicato was a powerful capo in New York’s Bonanno crime family. For years, he had influence, connections, and a reputation inside the Mafia. But in 1981, Indelicato became involved in a dangerous internal power struggle that would ultimately cost him his life.
On May 5, 1981, Sonny Red and fellow Bonanno capos Dominick “Big Trin” Trinchera and Philip Giaccone were lured into a Brooklyn nightclub under the impression that they were attending a meeting to settle a dispute. Instead, they walked into an assassination plot.
Who Was Sonny Red?
Alphonse Indelicato was born on February 25, 1927, in New York City. His family had roots in Sciacca, Sicily, before settling in the United States. Within the Bonanno organization, Indelicato eventually rose to the position of capo, giving him authority over his own crew.
He was known by the nickname “Sonny Red.” One story connected the nickname to his fondness for custom-made red leather cowboy boots, although the exact origin of the name has never been firmly established.
Indelicato had strong family and Mafia connections. He was related to heroin trafficker Salvatore Falcone and became connected by marriage to members and associates of the Bonanno family. His son, Anthony “Bruno” Indelicato, would later become involved in the same criminal world.
In 1972, Indelicato was indicted during an investigation connected to the murder of Joe Gallo. He was released after posting $15,000 bail.
A Power Struggle Inside the Bonanno Family
The situation inside the Bonanno family became increasingly unstable after the 1979 murder of longtime boss Carmine Galante.
Philip Rastelli remained the official boss, but he was largely absent from day-to-day operations because of legal and health problems. While Rastelli loyalists such as Joseph Massino and Dominick “Sonny Black” Napolitano worked to maintain control, another faction began moving in the opposite direction.
That group included three influential capos: Sonny Red Indelicato, Dominick Trinchera, and Philip Giaccone.
According to investigators and later testimony, the three men were considering removing Rastelli and taking control of the family themselves.
The conflict eventually became serious enough that the Mafia’s ruling Commission became involved. Massino reportedly received information that the three capos were acquiring automatic weapons and preparing to eliminate Rastelli’s supporters.
Massino sought advice from other powerful Mafia figures, including Colombo boss Carmine Persico and Gambino boss Paul Castellano. Their message was essentially that waiting could be dangerous.
Massino decided to strike first.
The Meeting That Was Actually a Trap
On May 5, 1981, Massino arranged what appeared to be a peace meeting at the 20/20 Night Club in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.
Indelicato, Trinchera, and Giaccone were invited under the impression that they were going to discuss a way to settle the growing conflict.
They had no idea that the meeting had already been turned into an execution plan.
Several gunmen were positioned inside a storage room. Among them was Salvatore Vitale, along with other Bonanno associates. Montreal-based mobster Vito Rizzuto had also traveled to New York to assist Massino.
The plan was carefully prepared. Drop cloths and ropes had reportedly been brought in because the killers already knew they would need to move the bodies afterward.
When the three capos arrived, Massino and other Bonanno members escorted them toward the storage area.
Once everyone was inside, a prearranged signal was given.
The gunmen suddenly emerged.
The three capos were unarmed, following the Mafia practice of not carrying weapons into what was supposed to be a peace meeting.
The attack was quick. Giaccone attempted to escape but was stopped, and the gunmen opened fire. Indelicato and Trinchera were then killed as well.
Within moments, three of the Bonanno family’s most powerful capos were dead.
The Bodies Were Hidden
After the murders, the bodies were transported to a secluded area in Lindenwood, Queens, a location that had reportedly been used as a Mafia burial ground.
The area became known as “The Hole.”
Gambino capo John Gotti reportedly arranged for the bodies to be buried there as a favor to Massino.
For several weeks, the murders remained hidden.
Then, on May 28, authorities discovered Sonny Red Indelicato’s body.
But the other two victims remained buried for decades.
In October 2004, after reports that children had discovered what appeared to be human remains in the same area, FBI agents returned to the property and excavated it.
They eventually uncovered the remains of Dominick Trinchera and Philip Giaccone.
Among the belongings recovered from the site was a Piaget watch that had belonged to Giaccone’s wife. The remains were officially identified in December 2004.
The Case Finally Reached Court
The truth about what happened inside the nightclub eventually came from the Mafia itself.
Joseph Massino, who had become one of the most powerful figures in the Bonanno family, was later facing enormous legal pressure. In 2005, he pleaded guilty to numerous crimes, including the murders of Giaccone, Trinchera, and Indelicato.
Massino eventually became a government witness in an effort to avoid the death penalty and received two life sentences.
Vito Rizzuto, who had participated in the killings, later pleaded guilty to reduced charges connected to the murders. He was sentenced to ten years in state prison.
Sonny Red’s Son Became a Target
The murder of Sonny Red did not end the conflict.
His son, Anthony “Bruno” Indelicato, had also been considered a target.
Anthony had been expected to attend the meeting where his father was killed, but he did not show up. His absence may have saved his life.
Afterward, he reportedly went into hiding in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Massino wanted him eliminated as well, and Bonanno associate Donnie Brasco was reportedly assigned to kill him.
But there was a major problem.
“Donnie Brasco” wasn’t actually a Mafia associate.
He was Joseph Pistone, an undercover FBI agent who had infiltrated the Bonanno crime family.
Pistone’s undercover operation had already provided investigators with valuable information about the Mafia from inside the organization. Once the Bonanno family learned that Brasco was an undercover agent, his assignment was terminated and the FBI pulled him out.
The discovery of the infiltration became a major embarrassment for the Mafia and helped bring an end to one of the most famous undercover operations in American organized-crime history.
The Murder Changed the Bonanno Family
The killing of Sonny Red Indelicato, Dominick Trinchera, and Philip Giaccone was more than just a Mafia execution.
It represented a decisive victory for the faction supporting Philip Rastelli and Joseph Massino.
The three capos had believed they were powerful enough to challenge the existing leadership. Instead, they walked into a carefully arranged trap and were eliminated by members of their own organization.
Their deaths demonstrated how dangerous internal Mafia politics could become when competing factions fought for control.
Sonny Red had spent decades building influence within the Bonanno family. But in the end, his own position inside the organization became the reason he was targeted.
On May 5, 1981, he entered a Brooklyn nightclub expecting a meeting.
He never walked out.
And the story of what happened afterward would continue unfolding for decades—through hidden graves, informants, FBI investigations, and eventually testimony from the very people who had helped carry out the killings.
This story is based on publicly available information and reported facts. It has been independently written and presented for informational purposes. Images, if any, belong to their respective owners.