JOSEPH D. PISTONE FBI
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Joseph D. Pistone was born in 1940. Born in Erie Pennsylvania, but brought up in Paterson New Jersey he had many blue collar jobs before enrolling in Paterson State College from where he graduated in 1965 with a degree in elementary educational/social studies. Pistone worked in the Office of Naval Intelligence where he investigated drug, theft and espionage cases. He joined the FBI in 1969 where it soon became obvious to his superiors his skills and background could be invaluable working as an undercover agent. Pistone's Sicilian heritage and ability to speak the Sicilian dialect of Italian saw him being chosen to infiltrate La Cosa Nostra organized crime syndicate. He went undercover as Donnie Brasco leaning heavily on the knowledge he gleaned from living among many wisguys in his days growing up in Paterson, New Jersey.
Pistone cultivated a friendship with Bonanno family soldier Benjamin 'Lefty Guns' Ruggiero, through time he gained the trust of Ruggiero to such an existent that he introduced him to fellow crew members in the Bonanno family. Pistone became friendly with Dominick 'Sonny Black' Napolitano Lefty's Capo and superior in the crew. Lefty schooled 'Donnie' (Pistone) in the politics and traditions of the Mafia as their friendship grew, each time learning 'Donnie' a little more about how to react around these guys, the pecking order in the crew, to keep his mouth closed and his ears open always and to always kick up a hefty portion of whatever he earned on the streets to the Capo.
What Agent Joe Pistone was doing under the guise of Donnie Brasco took a tremendous amount of courage and a nerve of steel. Any slip up on his behalf, the first sign to anyone that he wasn't exactly who he said he was would mean certain death. Those same guys who he had befriended in his role as 'Donnie Brasco' would blow him away without a second thought if they ever found out his true identity of Joe Pistone FBI agent.
Pistone spent six years in total undercover, many times wearing a wire (concealed wireless transmitter) his work infiltrating the Bonanno family resulted in over 120 men being put behind bars. By the time Agent Pistone's superiors terminated the assignment Pistone was said to be close to being initiated into the Bonanno crime family organization, such was the believability of his cover. 'Sonny Black' ordered 'Donnie' and Lefty to kill Anthony Indelicato, Indelicato had already narrowly avoided being killed when he failed to show up for a meeting where the other three men attending, 'Big Trin' Trinchera, Phillip Giaconne and Alphonse Indelicato, Anthony Indelicato's father had all been gunned down. At this stage the FBI decided it was a good time to pull Pistone out.
When Dominick 'Sonny Black' Napolitano and the rest of the crew were told that 'Donnie' had been an undercover agent they wouldn't believe it. They found out soon enough that the FBI weren't kidding with arrests being made left , right and center. As Capo Napolitano was held responsible along with Lefty Ruggiero by the Bonanno family for bringing 'Donnie Brasco' around the crew. According to the evidence of mob turncoat Frank 'Curly' Lino on Aug 17 1981 Napolitano was ordered to attend a meeting in the basement of Ron Filicomo's home, Filicomo was a Bonanno associate. When Napolitano arrived he was ambushed by the two men and shot to death. His body was discovered in 1982 burned and badly decomposed both hands had been removed. In 2000 the FBI said for the first time that there was some doubt as to whether the body found was in fact that of Napolitano. The body had only one bullet hole while Lino had stated that both men had fired at Napolitano and both had hit the target. Also the caliber of the bullet in the body was different to the caliber of the gun Lino said he had used at the killing. What hasn't been disputed is that Napolitano has not been seen since Aug 17 th 1981.
Benjamin 'Lefty Guns' Ruggiero was arrested by the cops coming out of his apartment two days after the news had been broken that 'Donnie' had been FBI undercover agent Joe Pistone. Lefty was offered a deal by the FBI to cooperate, he turned the deal down flat and kept true to the Mafia code of Omerta. He spent thirteen years in prison before being released. He died three years after his release of lung cancer on Thanksgiving day 1995.
Joseph D. Pistone has since retired from the FBI. He has written various books on his exploits undercover and also co-authored a book of fiction with Bill Bonanno, son of former boss of the Bonanno family Joe Bonanno. Pistone also lectures to law enforcement agencies and works in a consultancy capacity to the movie industry.
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