Mafia Marriage: My Story

by Rosalie Bonanno, Beverly Donofrio

A view of love and marriage inside the Mafia details Rosalie Profaci's marriage to childhood sweetheart Bill Bonanno, her discovery of the dark side of the Sicilian Mafia, and her struggle to cope with the realities of her marriage

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Biography Memoir

220 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Mwalsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I basically enjoyed this book, I wish the author had included more anecdotal notes about the dark underworld that her husband was involved with. Also, I found myself continually aggravated that she was so yielding towards her husband's abuse. Still worth a read.

[Shereen Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting!

[BJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was difficult reading about the verbal and physical abuse Rosalie suffered by her husband throughout the marriage along with his affairs, disappearing from the family's lives for long periods of time to handle his father's business plus spend time with his mistress and other children of his plus jail time.
I was surprised to see this book on my father's book shelf two years after he passed. He knew the co author.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love mafia books but not just about murder and deception but this showed how they lived and how they functioned in a family. It was very interesting and I would probably read it all over again. Great read. Found out some interesting things about how their home life really is. Wow!

[Sandy Ortega · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I had hoped there were more details. But I still think it’s worth reading. I don’t know how these wives put up with these men but they did. They are saints in my book. For being able to put up with all their bull 🙄 Fast read and enjoyable! Read it in a day.

[Walt · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author knows that her husband and her father were in the Mafia. Otherwise, she did not appear to know anything about the mob, its protocals, or activities.

[Tami Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Good story!

[Dianne McMahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it !
Rosalie tells what it was like for her being married to a bonified mafia kingpin & she never realized it,until it was way too late.
She married young,to a boy she had loved with all her heart,thinking he was everything,she ever wanted.
When he started being gone all the time,mostly with no explanation,she couldn't figure out why.
The first time,he slapped her in the face,she kind of got a funny feeling. (no pun.intended)

They had their first child,when he brought a little boy,home to her & said the mother didn't want him and thus motherhood for her began.
They went on to have three natural children, while his infidelitys,court battles and imprisonment became part of their lives.
A very interesting true story,about how the other half lives.

[Michelle Akers-dicken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a sleeper! Maybe it's because this was written in 1990 and I've learned everything that Mrs. Bonanno disclosed about the mob in her book. ALMOST everything. I didn't know that (at least in Bill Bonanno's family's case) when a mobster went to jail, his family wasn't taken care of. Rosalie was forced to hold down menial jobs and live on food stamps! Her sick child couldn't get the health care he needed and almost died. For obvious reasons, that was a little unsettling. I'd always thought there might be an endless supply of hidden money and even if there wasn't, the other "made men" and their families would take care of the destitute family? Who knew?

Other than that... blah.

[Rebecca Stilson]

Pathetic story of an abused woman, married to a narcissist. Not sure how this got on my to read list.

[Nadia Oceguera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though a lot is already know this was a good read that gave reflection from a wife’s point of view which we don’t often hear from.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow...to think someone lived their life with so much insecurity, infidelity, abuse and loneliness. A sad story told from the wife's view of her husband's life in the mafia. He admitted that it was number one in his life not their marriage. She was left several times while he went off to jail. She had to raise their four children alone and struggle for money. He gave her no respect and slept with other women. Yet she continued to love him until the end....I don't know how.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. I really know nothing about the mafia and nothing about Bill Bonanno which probably would have made this even more interesting. That Bill was not a good family man.
"...the three ingredients for happiness: something to love, something to do, and something to hope for."
"there is nothing worse than being forced to live in a situation you won't accept"

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the account of Rosalie Bonanno, the wife of a prominent mobster. I cannot imagine being married to someone who commits all manner of crimes and whose life is in danger from intrigues. Though, I suppose it is a lot like being married to anyone else with a dangerous job. I wonder how so many of these Mafia wives are able to handle that life. It was a good book and very insightful.

[catechism · Rating 3 out of 5]

I basically enjoyed this as... an intellectual exercise, maybe? It's a fascinating look into gender roles of the time and of the subculture, and the writing is competent enough, but in the end I guess I wish she'd been less deliberately clueless.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my hands down all time favorite mafia book ever, written by the wife of a mobster, from her viewpoint.... excellent book !!!

[Unsolved ☕︎ Mystery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I posted a review for this but Goodreads ate it.

[Lola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tales of worshipful obedience toward older men get old quickly. Interesting how often she describes her family living in financial peril. I guess RICO really worked.

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an interesting look into the life of someone married to a man in the mafia but it was a little boring to me.

[Susan O'brien · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Sopranos addict, I thought this would be interesting to read. But, as nice as Rosalie is, there was an excess of "under my thumb-ness" which made it a sad life.

[Noelle M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely an abused woman who sees no way out.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

love it.

[the lost lisbon sister · Rating 4 out of 5]

soundtracked by this is: amy winehouse, this is: the shangri-las and this is: timi yuro

[FDR · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story. I liked to read Rosalie’s perspective in Honor Thy Father and this book can be seen as the full counterpart. It covers her youth, wedding, and the many difficult decades that followed. It’s a smooth and decent book.
I can recommend it to people who’ve read Honor Thy Father or are otherwise interested in reading about this outdated and strange way of life.