Joseph D. Pistone

Joseph D. Pistone (born 1939), alias Donnie Brasco, was an FBI agent who worked undercover for years to infiltrate the Bonanno family, a branch of the Mafia in New York City. He was tutored in the way of the Mafia by Bonanno mobster Benjamin Ruggiero. The evidence collected by Pistone led to over 200 indictments and over 100 convictions.

Related Topics:
1939 - FBI - Undercover - Bonanno family - Mafia - New York City - Benjamin Ruggiero

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Following his extraction from the mafia, Pistone entered the Witness Protection Program and assumed a new identity. An open contract for $500,000 remains for his death. Bonanno boss Joe Massino was convicted in 2004 of ordering capo Sonny Black Napolitano killed for allowing Brasco into the family.

Related Topics:
Witness Protection Program - Joe Massino - 2004 - Sonny Black Napolitano

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Pistone detailed his undercover experience in his 1987 book Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia. He revisited his experiences as Donnie Brasco in his 2004 book The Way of the Wiseguy.

Related Topics:
1987 - 2004 - The Way of the Wiseguy

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Donnie Brasco is also the name of a 1997 film starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino, based on his book.

Related Topics:
Donnie Brasco - 1997 - Johnny Depp - Al Pacino

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Pistone continues to be active as an author and consultant to law-enforcement agencies worldwide.

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