Who was Donnie Brasco?

Donnie Brasco was an FBI agent who worked undercover for six years, infiltrating the Bonanno crime family and the Colombo crime family, two of the Five Families of the Mafia in New York.

Brasco, real name Joseph Pistone worked as an FBI agent for 17 years, joining in 1969.

His ability to drive 18-wheel trucks and bulldozers led to him being chosen for what would be his first undercover operation, infiltrating a gang stealing heavy vehicles and equipment, which led to the arrest of dozens in 1976 – at the time described as one of the largest and most profitable theft rings ever broken in the US.

Following this work, in 1976 he was selected to be an undercover agent because of his Sicilian heritage, his ability to speak Italian fluently and prior knowledge of the mob from growing up in New Jersey.

He became an associated in Jilly Greca’s crew from the Colombo family, which was mostly involved in truck hijacking and selling stolen merchandise.

He later moved in on the Bonanno family, developing a close relationship with Anthony Mirra and Dominick ‘Sonny Black’ Napolitano, as well as Benjamin ‘Lefty Guns’ Ruggiero, who provided much evidence to Pistone.

His operation ended after six years undercover when Napolitano and Ruggiero were informed by the FBI that Brasco was an agent. Brasco reportedly wanted to continue until he got “made” but the FBI decided the operation was getting too dangerous.

Napolitano was murdered shortly after for having allowed an FBI agent to infiltrate the family, while Mirra was also killed. Ruggiero was to be killed too but was arrested by the FBI on his way to a meeting.

The evidence collected by Brasco led to more than 200 indictments and more than 100 convictions of mafia members. Joseph Massino, the Bonanno boss, was convicted in 2004 of ordering Napolitano to be killed for allowing Brasco into the family.

Brasco still travels disguised, under assumed names. He continues to act as a consultant to law enforcement agencies around the world.

He detailed his experience in the 1987 book Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, which was turned into a 1997 film Donnie Brasco, starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

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