In 1971, Marion Trozzolo, a local college professor and inventor, began the River Quay Corporation to redevelop 19th century buildings in an area around the Kansas City riverfront. The area was situated next door to the City Market section, in which Nick Civella kept a headquarters. In 1972, Fred Bonadonna opened a restaurant that catered to the area�s businessmen and local political leaders. Bonadonna was the son of David Bonadonna, Sr., a long time friend and member of William Cammisano, Sr.�s gang.
By November 1974, the River Quay area was a thriving thoroughfare of almost 70 retail establishments including specialty shops, art galleries, restaurants, theatres, antique shops, and small boutiques. Fred Bonadonna was named president of the River Quay Bar and Restaurant Association and vice president of the Market Area Businessmen�s Association, a group of civic and business leaders in the River Quay neighborhood.
Meanwhile, urban renewal projects had begun in the 12th Street section of Kansas City, an area of cheap hotels, strip joints and street prostitution that had once been home to the best jazz clubs in the United States, featuring Charlie Parker and Count Basie. One of the bars in this area, owned by Joseph "JoJo" Cammisano, the brother of William, was forced to relocate. Joseph Cammisano sub-leased a warehouse in the River Quay area and divided it into four separate bars. Fred Bonadonna urged the owner of the property not to allow strippers on the premises and began a drive to oppose adult entertainment in the district.
Joseph Cammisano started a petition of his own. When Fred Bonadonna refused to sign it, a bitter argument ensued. Soon Bonadonna received a phone call from his father David, who was at the auto garage headquarters of the Cammisanos, imploring him to support the petition. Fred Bonadonna, with the help of City Councilman Robert Hernandez, was able to fight the effort of the Cammisanos to create a "combat zone" atmosphere similar to Boston�s adult entertainment section.
After threats were made against Fred Bonadonna, he proposed a plan to help out the Cammisanos. Bonadonna brought Hernandez to talk with William Cammisano. When Hernandez tried to defend Bonadonna�s actions, Cammisano became incensed and threatened to kill both men if the plans didn�t go through.
In the meantime, during 1974 and 1975 the Cammisanos were also pressuring Fred Bonadonna about the leases he had with the city for free parking in the River Quay area. During a River Quay tavern owner�s meeting, Joseph Cammisano stood up and threatened Bonadonna. Soon vandalism was reported in the lots and in March 1976 thugs broke into Bonadonna�s home and beat his teenage son with baseball bats. Later, Bonadonna was warned that unless he put a stop to Hernandez�s meddling that David Bonadonna would be killed.
In May 1976, Joseph Cammisano applied for a license for a new bar and was turned down through the efforts of Bonadonna and Hernandez. On July 22, 1976 David Bonadonna�s body was found in the trunk of his car. He had been shot five times in the head.
David Bonadonna�s death was followed by several other murders of Fred Bonadonna associates. In March 1977, Bonadonna was persuaded to enter the Witness Protection Program and was relocated. This did not end the violence as associates of Bonadonna battled back. The River Quay district turned into a real combat zone with bombs being placed by the rival groups.
William and Joseph Cammisano were indicted on June 16, 1978. Fred Bonadonna testified and both brothers received five-year prison sentences in 1979. The real losers were the businessmen who helped create the River Quay section. By 1980, the once thriving entertainment district had turned into a virtual ghost town and was described as an area of vacant, bombed out and burned out buildings.
Fred Harvey Bonadonna defied the mob and made a name for himself. However, Bonadonna paid a price for his heroism until the day he died.
In addition to the mob's murder of his father, Bonadonna had to uproot his family from their Kansas City home to enter the Witness Protection Program, relocating to Naples, Fla., in the late 1970s. In Florida Bonadonna and his wife Virginia purchased a restaurant, sold real estate, and operated a pawnshop. Their business ventures were unsuccessful and the couple was forced to live off the money Virginia made as a receptionist for a local law firm.
In April 1980 Bonadonna was called for the last time to appear before a U.S. Senate committee investigating organized crime. During his testimony Bonadonna stated, "I know why people aren�t too concerned with the Mafia. They think that it is a story and that it could never happen to them. I never thought it could happen to me. It happened to me. It could happen to you."
During the mid-1980s Bonadonna left the Witness Protection Program because he wanted more freedom to visit his mother, who lived in California. He kept his whereabouts secret, according to reporter Mark Morris of The Kansas City Star, although he occasionally made himself available to select reporters to discuss the River Quay days.
In February 2001 Bonadonna�s mother passed away. Bonadonna's handling of her estate drew criticism from other family members who responded by filing a civil suit against him. On April 8, 2002 Judge Thomas William Cain, of Santa Clara County, "issued an order that sided with" family members. The judge accused Bonadonna of "pretending" to still be in the protection program in order to help keep his mother isolated.
Responding to the "pretending" accusation, Gary Hart, chief of the FBI�s organized crime squad in Kansas City during the 1970s, stated, "Fred and his family remained in constant danger from the time he began cooperating to the day of his death. The judge did not do his homework. Just because you�re out of the program doesn�t mean you�re out of danger."
A distraught Bonadonna read the ruling Thursday morning April 11. He called David Helfrey, a former federal prosecutor from Kansas City � now a lawyer in St. Louis. Helfrey was out of town. His secretary wrote down Bonadonna�s short message.
"Please help, I am going to die," he stated.
A sobbing Bonadonna then told his wife, who had remained loyal to him through all the years, "I�ve put you through so much. I can�t do it anymore." A short time later Bonadonna � a husband, father and grandfather � ended his life with a bullet.