[3] On July 9, 1903, his father immigrated to the United States,[5] settling in Pittston, Pennsylvania, working as a coal miner.

Family and clan ties were important to Sicilian-American criminals; they created a strong, secretive support system that outsiders or law enforcement could not infiltrate.

In the early 1950s, the Immigration and Naturalization Service tried to have Bufalino deported several times, failed because the Italian government would not accept him back into the country.

[15][16] On November 14, 1957, powerful Mafiosi from the United States and Italy convened at Barbara's estate in Apalachin, New York.

[17][18] Cuba was one of the Apalachin topics of discussion, particularly the gambling and narcotics smuggling interests of La Cosa Nostra on the island.

[21] A check of Galante by the troopers found that he was driving without a license and that he had an extensive criminal record in New York City.

[23] When the state police found many luxury cars parked at Barbara's home they took down license plate numbers.

[13] In 1972, after singer Al Martino had the role of Johnny Fontane in The Godfather stripped from him and given to Vic Damone, he went to Bufalino, his godfather, who then orchestrated the publication of various news articles that claimed director Francis Ford Coppola was unaware of producer Albert S. Ruddy's having given Martino the part.

[29][30] On April 20, 1973, Bufalino was arrested in a Scranton nightclub in an FBI raid, charged with interference with interstate commerce, obstruction of justice, gambling and transporting stolen property, but later released on $50,000 bail.

The main prosecution witness, Jimmy Fratianno, said that he and Michael Rizzitello had been asked by Bufalino to kill Napoli in 1976.

[34] The Quiet Don: The True Story of Mafia Kingpin Russell Bufalino by Matt Birkbeck was published in October 2014 by Berkley Books.