Notorious Mafia boss dies

Bonanno ran one of New York's big five Mafia families

Notorious Mafia gangster Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno has died in the US state of Arizona, aged 97.

Bonanno reportedly detested his "Joe Bananas" nickname

He died of heart failure after retiring to the state following a variety of health problems, his lawyer told the Associated Press news agency.

At the height of his career Bonanno ran one of New York's five largest crime families, and was a member of "The Commission", which acted as a de facto crime board of directors in New York and other major American cities.

Born in Sicily in 1905, he entered the US illegally through Cuba and was arrested numerous times on various charges, including transporting guns for infamous mob boss Al Capone.

'Banana war'

Perhaps the most famous moment during his career was the so-called "Banana War" from 1964-1969, which was sparked by his alleged attempts to assassinate fellow crime bosses Carlo Gambino and Thomas Lucchese.

(The Mafia) refers to a process, a special set of relationships among men

Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno

He was then kidnapped - supposedly by a rival - shortly before he was due to testify before a grand jury and disappeared for six weeks, re-emerging only briefly before fleeing to Arizona for more than a year.

He later surrendered to a federal judge, and some accused him of orchestrating the kidnapping to avoid having to testify.

During his absence war broke out between his supporters and dissidents, leading to the deaths of at least 13 people.

However in the late 1960s his power began to wane and he retired permanently to Arizona.

Prison time

But US federal authorities managed in 1980 to successfully pin an obstruction of justice charge on him after he tried to prevent a grand jury from investigating his two sons, and he served eight months in prison in 1984.

He served a further 14 months in prison for contempt of court after refusing to answer prosecutors' questions regarding the trial of reputed leaders of New York's organised crime families.

He also co-wrote a book, "A Man of Honour, the Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno", in which he denied that the Mafia even existed.

"(The Mafia) refers to a process, a special set of relationships among men," he wrote.

"I stay away from the term because it creates more confusion than it is worth."

He described himself in the book as a "venture capitalist" invited into companies because of his connections.