Amerigo Bonasera (born 1885) was a funeral parlour owner in New York City, New York. He was an acquaintance of Mafia boss Vito Corleone.
Biography[]
Amerigo Bonasera was born in Sicily, and he later immigrated to the United States in search of prosperity. Bonasera settled in New York City, New York, where he established his own funeral parlour. Bonasera became an acquaintance Vito Corleone, the boss of the Corleone crime family, but he refused to accept his friendship out of fear that association with the Mafia would lead him to falling into debt. Despite this, Corleone's wife Carmela became godmother to Bonasera's daughter Maria.
In August 1945, Bonasera's life took an unexpected turn when his daughter Maria was assaulted and badly beaten by her new American boyfriend Kevin Moonan and his brutish college friend Jerry Wagner, who attempted to take advantage of her. Bonasera was angered when the two boys were released on a suspended sentence, and they smiled at him as they left the courthouse. Bonasera visited Don Corleone at his daughter Connie's wedding, and he asked Corleone for justice; Bonasera wanted the two boys murdered. Corleone chastised Bonasera for not coming to him first (instead of the courts), and for asking for Corleone to murder them for money. Corleone agreed to make them suffer as she had suffered, but in exchange for Bonasera's friendship, and for a possible favor in the future. In 1948, when Corleone's son Sonny was murdered by the Barzini crime family, Bonasera's debt was called in, and he embalmed Sonny for his funeral.