NEW ROCHELLE, NY — James Vincent “Little Jimmy” Bonanno, 36, a custodian at Webster Elementary School in New Rochelle was arrested earlier this week by New Rochelle Police after he was reportedly found passed out in a vehicle with a hypodermic needle stuck in his arm.
Bonanno, wearing a black t-shirt and checkered shorts, was arrested by an NRPD Officer on traffic duty at 867 Weaver Street, Bonanno’s home address.
It is the second arrest of a school district employee on heroin charges this summer. On June 21st, Mike Umbro was arrested when New Rochelle police found 50 packets of heroin shoved down his pants following a traffic stop on Fifth Avenue near City Park. He resigned soon after. Umbro, 55, a longtime employee of the New Rochelle Board of Education, worked most recently as Plant Operations Supervisor at Albert Leonard Middle School.
Bonanno was arraigned in New Rochelle City Court yesterday. He was charged with Operating Motor Vehicle Impaired by Drugs First Offense, a Class U Misdemeanor, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, a Class U Misdemeanor, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, a Class A Misdemeanor, and Possession of a Hypodermic Instrument, a Class A Misdemeanor.
Bonanno was released on his own recognizance. He is due back in court on September 7th.
He was previously arrested in May, 2016 after allegedly purchasing heroin near the corner of Main Street and Harrison Street in New Rochelle. Bonanno was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance.
Bonanno is a long-time employee of the City School District of New Rochelle where he works as a Motor Equipment Operator.
Bonanno has a long history of drug involvement and has been arrested in the past.
In March 2012, Bonanno was videotaped driving school district van E-74 while on personal business (visiting a methadone clinic) and reporting to work an hour late, time for which he was later paid.
Little Jimmy and his father, James Bonanno filed a lawsuit for defamation against Robert Cox, the Managing Editor of Talk of the Sound and Hudson-Westchester Radio, owners of WVOX-AM 1460. Cox filed a counter-claim. Cox was totally vindicated when the Bonannos dropped their lawsuit after their law firm declined to continue to represent them and paid Cox $2,000 to settle his counter-claim against them.
See 2016 article, Little Jimmy Bonanno Arrested (again), for related articles.
http://www.newrochelletalk.com/content/little-jimmy-bonanno-arrested-again