Joseph Dominick Pistone, also known by his undercover alias Donnie Brasco, is an American former FBI agent who worked undercover between September 1976 and July 1981, as part of an infiltration primarily into the Bonanno crime family, and to a lesser extent the Colombo crime family, two of the Five Families of the Mafia in New York City. Pistone was an FBI agent for 17 years, from 1969 until he resigned in 1986. The evidence collected by Pistone led to over 200 indictments and over 100 convictions of Mafia members—and some responsible for his infiltration were also killed by other mobsters. Pistone was a pioneer in long-term undercover work. The FBI's former director, J. Edgar Hoover, who died in 1972, did not want FBI agents to work undercover because of the danger of agents becoming corrupted; Pistone's work later helped convince the FBI that using undercover agents in lieu of relying exclusively on informants was a crucial tool in law enforcement.
| 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 |
About Donnie Brasco
Based on a true story, the film follows an FBI agent, Joseph D. Pistone, who goes undercover to break up the mafia but he soon realizes that his new friend, Lefty, will certainly die once the job is complete. The film takes place in New York City during the 1970s.
Achievement of Donnie Brasco
Donnie Brasco, a.k.a. "The Jewel Man" was Joseph D. Pistone's alias while undercover. The film grossed over $124 million worldwide and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Donnie Brasco
People of the Office of Naval Intelligence.. Non-fiction writers about organized crime in the United States.. Organized crime memoirists.. William Paterson University alumni.. Bonanno crime family.
Latest information about Donnie Brasco updated on July 28 2021.
