Tow Truck Driver Charged in Fatal Collision with 88-Year-Old Chef in Queens

Tow truck driver Filippo Bonura, with connections to organized crime, has been charged in the fatal collision with an 88-year-old chef in Middle Village, Queens. Bonura allegedly claimed to have only “tapped” the victim with his truck, stating that he was grateful for not driving at high speed. The incident occurred on July 29, around 5 a.m. Court documents reveal that Bonura remained at the scene and was charged with driving on a suspended license. The victim, identified as Shao, suffered severe injuries including a punctured lung, broken ribs, fractured pelvis, internal bleeding, and a brain bleed. He was taken to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries three weeks later. Bonura is expected to face the charges on October 31.

This is not the first encounter with the law for Bonura. In August 2019, he was arrested for possessing burglar tools while operating an unlicensed tow truck. Bonura was found at the scene of a crash attempting to solicit the driver for a tow. He had a police scanner in his truck, potentially to bypass the city’s Directed Accident Response Program. Shao’s daughter provided video evidence contradicting Bonura’s claim that her father stepped out between two cars. She holds Bonura responsible for her father’s death.

Bonura’s previous occupation as a longshoreman was revoked in 2017 by the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor due to his association with high-ranking members of the Bonanno organized crime family. He had worked at a deli owned by Giacomo “Jack” Bonventre, an acting Bonanno capo, during his teenage years. Bonura also worked as a tow truck driver for Bonventre. He was known to associate with Ronald “Ronnie G” Giallanzo, another Bonanno capo and convicted racketeer, as well as Sandro “Santo” Aiosa, a Bonanno soldier.