Joseph D. Pistone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph D. Pistone
|
|
|---|---|
FBI surveillance photo of Pistone as Donnie Brasco
|
|
| Born |
Joseph Dominick Pistone
September 17, 1939 Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.
|
| Other names | "Donnie Brasco" |
| Alma mater | Paterson State College |
| Occupation | FBI special agent |
| Years active | 1969–1986 |
| Known for | Undercover work infiltrating the Bonanno crime family |
|
Notable work
|
Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia |
| Spouse(s) | Maggie Pistone |
| Children | 3 |
Joseph Dominick Pistone, born in 1939, is a former FBI agent. He is famous for working undercover as Donnie Brasco for about five years, from 1976 to 1981. During this time, he secretly joined the Bonanno crime family, a powerful group within the Mafia in New York City.
Pistone was an FBI agent for 17 years. His brave undercover work helped the FBI gather important evidence. This evidence led to over 200 people being charged with crimes and more than 100 Mafia members being found guilty. Joseph Pistone was a pioneer in long-term undercover operations. His work helped show the FBI how important it was to use undercover agents. He wrote about his experiences in his 1988 book, Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia. This book later became the basis for the 1997 movie Donnie Brasco.
Contents
Early Life and Becoming an Agent
Joseph Pistone was born in 1939 in Erie, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. He went to Paterson State College, which is now William Paterson University. In 1965, he earned a degree in anthropology, which is the study of human societies and cultures.
Before joining the FBI, he worked as a teacher for a year. He also worked for the Office of Naval Intelligence for three years. On July 7, 1969, he officially became an FBI agent. His first assignment was in Jacksonville, Florida. In 1974, he moved to New York to work on cases involving truck and vehicle theft. Because he could drive large trucks and bulldozers, he was given a special undercover job. He helped break up a vehicle theft ring, which led to over 30 arrests. This success made him well-known within law enforcement.
Donnie Brasco: Undercover FBI Agent
In 1976, Joseph Pistone volunteered for a very risky mission. He wanted to go undercover to join the Bonanno crime family. He was a good choice because he spoke Italian fluently. He also understood the ways of the Mafia from his background in Paterson.
For this secret mission, the FBI created a new identity for him. He became Donald "Donnie" Brasco, a low-level jewel thief. He even took FBI courses to learn about gemology, the study of gems. This helped him act like a real jewel thief.
The operation was called "Sun-Apple." It involved two secret missions happening at the same time. One was in Miami ("Sunny Miami") and the other in New York City ("The Big Apple"). The plan was for Pistone to be undercover for about six months. However, the mission ended up lasting for several years. The FBI removed his name from their records. If anyone called asking for him, they were told he didn't work there. This was to keep his cover story safe.
Pistone first joined a crew from the Colombo family. This group was mainly involved in hijackings and robberies. After about six months, he moved to the Bonanno family. He became close with a Mafia soldier named Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero. Ruggiero taught Pistone a lot about how the Mafia worked. Pistone also had some business dealings with Frank Balistrieri from the Milwaukee crime family. After a Mafia leader was killed in 1979, Pistone started reporting to a captain named Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano.
Pistone also helped set up a successful business in Holiday, Florida. It was a club called the King's Court Bottle Club. In Florida, he worked with another undercover FBI agent named Tony Rossi. Napolitano wanted to make Pistone a "made man" in the Mafia. This meant Pistone would become a full member.
The FBI decided it was too dangerous for Pistone to continue. They ordered him to end his mission on July 26, 1981. Pistone wanted to stay longer to become a "made man." But his bosses felt the risk was too high. After Pistone left, other FBI agents told Napolitano that Donnie Brasco was actually an FBI agent. Pistone received a $500 bonus for his amazing work.
What Happened Next
Soon after, on August 17, 1981, Dominick Napolitano was killed. He was murdered because he had allowed an FBI agent to join the family. Benjamin Ruggiero was arrested by the FBI on August 29, 1981. Another Mafia member, Anthony Mirra, was also killed later. Pistone said he only wanted to put people in jail, not get them killed. In 1982, Ruggiero and others were found guilty of crimes and sent to prison for 15 years.
The Mafia put out a large reward of $500,000 for anyone who could find and harm Pistone. However, a top Mafia boss decided to cancel this reward. He thought that harming a federal agent would bring too much unwanted attention. Joseph Pistone testified publicly for the first time on August 2, 1982. The evidence he collected led to over 200 charges and more than 100 convictions of Mafia members. Even though he left the FBI in 1986, he continued to testify in court when needed.
Pistone now lives in a secret location with his wife, Maggie, and their three daughters. They use different names to stay safe. He has written books and works as a consultant for law enforcement agencies around the world. He has also advised the United States Senate on organized crime. In 2012, he testified in Montreal, Canada, as an expert on corruption.
Donnie Brasco in Media
Joseph Pistone shared his undercover story in his 1988 book, Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia. This book became the basis for the 1997 film Donnie Brasco. In the movie, Johnny Depp played Joseph Pistone, and Al Pacino played "Lefty" Ruggiero. Pistone worked as a technical adviser for the film to make sure it was as real as possible.
His story was also used for a short-lived TV show in 2000 called Falcone. Pistone also wrote other books about his experiences, like The Way of the Wiseguy (2004) and Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business (2007). He has also written fiction books and worked as a producer on Mafia-related movies. In 2008, an artist interviewed Pistone for a video called The Undercover Man. There was even a play based on Donnie Brasco.
Pistone has been featured in many TV shows and documentaries. These include Mafia's Greatest Hits and Secrets of the Dead. He was also a big part of the 2013 mini-series Inside the American Mob. In May 2020, Pistone started his own podcast called Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco.
Images for kids
-
An FBI surveillance photograph of Joseph Pistone, Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero and Tony Rossi. Original notations by Joseph D. Pistone, made during the filming of Rossella Biscotti's 2008 film The Undercover Man.
See also
In Spanish: Joseph D. Pistone para niños
