Podcast appearances and mentions of joe pistone

In this episode, we delve into the intricate world of the Chicago Outfit’s informants, featuring insights from my late friend, Cam Robinson, and Paul Whitcomb, a well-respected expert on the mob. This special compilation draws from past interviews and shorts that once highlighted various informants who operated during the notorious 1980s era of organized crime in Chicago. Through a series of concise segments, we explore the lives of key players who chose to turn against the Outfit, revealing the complex motivations and consequences of their decisions. We kick things off by revisiting the tale of Paul “Peanuts” Pansko, an influential figure leading the Polish faction of the Outfit. Pansko's criminal activities, including a racetrack heist, not only placed him in dangerous territory but also set into motion a chain of events that would later link to the infamous Family Secrets trial. It's during this journey that we outline how interconnected the informants’ narratives are, showcasing how Pansko’s actions inadvertently unraveled parts of the organization.   The discussion shifts to more dramatic stories, including Mario Rainone. Rainone's infamous decision to cooperate with the authorities opened the door to significant revelations about Lenny Patrick, one of the highest-ranking Outfit members to switch sides. Rainone's tapes ultimately led to the dismantling of major sections of the Outfit’s operations, including political connections that had long shielded them from legal repercussions.   We also explore the tale of Ken “Tokyo Joe” Eto, a Japanese mobster who thrived within the Outfit’s ranks. His attempts at self-preservation after surviving an assassination effort highlighted the stark realities faced by those who navigated the perilous landscape of organized crime. As he eventually became a witness for the prosecution, Eto’s insights illuminated the internal workings of one of Chicago’s most feared organizations. The episode further examines dramatic betrayals and deadly encounters that shaped the Outfit’s legacy. From the chilling events surrounding the murders of the Spilotro brothers, orchestrated by their own associates for reasons steeped in loyalty and betrayal, to the grim fate that met informants like Al Toco and the impact of domestic discord on organized crime, each tale is a window into the bleak realities faced by both mobsters and informants alike. As we round out the episode, we reflect on the cultural dynamics surrounding informants, particularly how personal relationships and family ties heavily influenced their decisions to cooperate. It becomes clear through the interviews that while fear of retribution often compels loyalty, the specter of betrayal looms large within the mob. This multifaceted examination blends personal stories with historical context, providing a deeper understanding of the Chicago Outfit’s complexity and its operatives. Join us in this retrospective journey through the shadows of organized crime as we pay homage to those who bravely shared their stories, revealing the inner workings of a criminal empire that continues to fascinate and terrify in equal measure. Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee” Subscribe to the website for weekly notifications about updates and other Mob information. To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent ‘Brothers against Brothers’ or ‘Gangland Wire,’ the documentaries click here.  To purchase one of my books, click here. Transcript [0:00] Well, hey, guys, after listening to Bob Cooley, one of the more damaging sources and witness and informant to the Chicago Outfit outside of the Calabrese family, [0:13] Nick and his nephew, Frank Jr., I got the rest of the Chicago Outfit informants on tap here. No, not really. They’re not coming in. But I did do a story. I did a series of shorts a few years, or I don’t know, two or three years ago, maybe. [0:32] I interviewed my late friend, Cam Robinson, rest in peace, Cam. So you get to hear from him again. And Paul Whitcomb, who is a Chicago outfit expert, he’s been on this. They used to have some kind of a round table show up there. I don’t know if they still have it or not with the Seiferts. But anyhow, I got these guys to sit down with me and talk about all the different informants in Chicago during the, it was during the 80s. So this is just kind of a series of shorts that I put up before. They’re six or eight minutes long, I think, each one of them, that they talk about different informants. This kind of threw it together as another little bonus episode we’ve done. And I went to Chicago, if you notice, after Johnny Russo, which I apologize for in a way, I don’t know. I mean, the guy’s got some crazy-ass stories, doesn’t he? Who am I to say that he didn’t do it? But most people know that he didn’t do most of that stuff. Anyhow, so I threw up another Chicago right away about the guy that had the race wire that they killed, James Reagan. [1:38] Then i had this interview that i’d been doing during those last couple weeks with bob cooley who’s appeared uh out of nowhere and he’ll maybe see him on some other shows now he’s he’s wanting to do shows he tells me so after hearing bob cooley talk i thought well i’m doing do one more i want to just throw it up as an extra uh from some of my old chicago outfit stuff and that’ll finish me off on the Chicago outfit for a while. I hadn’t, I hadn’t been in Chicago, uh, doing shows about Chicago for quite a while. And, and I didn’t want to, uh, neglect you guys. You know, I get a lot of books written about New York and I’ve got all these authors that are wanting to do these books about New York. Uh, not so much about Chicago. So if you got anybody that, you know, wants to, got a book and wants to come on the show, uh, talking about the outfit, why steer them to me. So anyhow, just sit back and relax and enjoy. [2:37] My late, great friend, Cam Robinson. One more look at Cam, for those of you who remember him, and Paul Whitcomb. And we’re going to talk about famous snitches from Chicago. Thanks, guys. Well, let’s move along now to, this is kind of interesting, Paul Peanuts Panczko, who was the leader of the Polish branch of the outfield. Is that what you would call Peanuts Panczko, the leader of the Polish branch? If the Polish branch is the Panczko family, which you could easily say there were three brothers, then yeah, that wouldn’t be right. We haven’t really done a show on them. I don’t know a whole lot about them other than they were released at all. So we said non-Italian, Peckerwood, as we call them at Kansas City, professional criminals who did a lot of business with different outfit people. And he did a robbery of a racetrack. I think it’s the Balmoral Racetrack. It’s the name of it. James Duke Basile and then Panczko was in trouble for that and he convinced Basile to come in and they did some talking remember anything about that situation, you know in a lot of ways you. [3:50] Panczko could be considered one of the first dominoes that eventually led to the Family Secrets trial. Panczko, as you said, led to Dookie Bazile, who they had done robberies together. Bazile led them to Scarpelli, who was a much higher guy. I mean, there’s debate, but he was, because there was a making ceremony at this time, but Scarpelli was pretty highly ranked. I mean, he was a known killer, and he was up there. He was in the wild bunch. But Scarpelli then did tell them about a lot of the things that Frank Calabrese had done. [4:28] He wasn’t known as well as Scarpelli had brought him up to be. And a lot of those things dominoed into what would eventually lead to family secrets years later. [4:42] Scarpelli, I think, did not know so much about Nick, but he did know about Frank. And so a lot of that information sort of filled in the gaps. And even though Frank Calabrese Jr. Led them led them to Nick They A lot of seeds were planted And can be traced back to Pianus Pansico Um. [5:01] So it is kind of an interesting line. Basile, he wore a wire on Scarpelli and not even talking about a lot of these things. It’s not the FBI knew about that. They were in a car together. Right. If I remember right, he even talked about a mob graveyard. They went up there and they found two or three bodies. One of them was connected. It wasn’t anybody really important, but one of them was connected to Harry Aleman. So it was a pretty important wearing of a wire on Scarpelli, who then came at himself for a while. And that’s what led to the family secrets. He talked about Frank Calabrese. Is that what you’re saying? Yeah, that’s right. And some of those bodies in that graveyard were 10 years apart, which was interesting. I’ve got, it’s on the map that I created, but some of those bodies, there was years in between them. So it was something they were going back to and they believed that there were a lot of things there they did not find. Yeah, because they built a health care facility or something. They built some big building over where there would have been bodies. Right. Right. And the fascinating thing about this is Scarpelli, like, just like Cam said, this guy was a serious killer. He was a muscle builder. He was a terrifying guy. I mean, he had almost inhuman physical strength. Yeah. And when he flipped, he was completely debriefed by the FBI and the DOJ and then decided to try and change his mind. [6:27] But before he could do that He hung himself in the bathroom Of the Metropolitan Correctional Center With his hands behind his back And a bag over his head, Who was he in prison with? Who was he in MCC with, Paul? Was it anybody? He did happen to be in the MCC with the German at the time. He bound his hands behind his back and put a bag over his own head. He did. He did. And so the outfit continues to somehow persuade people to take their own lives rather than testify against them. [7:07] It’s a hell of a way to die by suicide it is by suicide at least they didn’t have arrows in his back, not as far as we know yeah it was terrible he cut his own head off I saw a cartoon once that the homicide guy liked to go ahead and maybe real suckle of suicide because then you could just walk away from it so there’s a dead body laying there with a bunch of arrows at his back and a homicide detective standing over him with a hand and pencil and says, hmm, suicide, huh? [7:44] Got the inside joke. It worked homicide. You see how those guys sometimes will try to make something into a suicide that probably is a homicide. On the other hand, we had one, we had a mob guy, he wasn’t really a mob associate, who had gone to Vegas. He lost a lot of money and they found his body in his car at the airport parking lot after coming back from Vegas and they found out later lost a lot of money and the car was parked up against the fence and he was shot in the head and there was no gun in the car you know found so just assume that somebody shot him in his head the car kept going and rolling up against the fence. [8:25] But this one detective, I remember Bob Pence is his name. He was dumb. And he started, he went back over and he dusted that car for prints again. And he got some more evidence out of it. And then he went back to the airport and he looked and started asking questions. And he found out later that somebody who had a pickup truck parked there had a week later, three or four days later, come back and got his truck. When he got home he found a pistol inside the bed of his truck and he called the airport or he called somebody turned it in Pinson found that pistol that was a pistol that that shot the guy so Pinson's theory was he was rolling along in his car he shot himself in the head and then he flipped that pistol out is with a reaction he flipped it out and went in the bed in that pickup and then it rolled on up against the fence and they ruled it a suicide wow damn that’s not that different than Scarpelli I mean the fbi to this day insists it was suicide yeah well, Oh, well, right. All right. Let’s move along to Mario. John, the arm. Rainone. [9:41] Is that correct, Cam? That yeah, that’s Rainone. Yeah. So tell us about that. I know we talked about this, you know, a little bit about this one. [9:50] This is kind of a funny one. He was he was sent to kill a building inspector. Raynaud was with the Grand Avenue crew and so he’s en route to kill this guy and this is one of those mob blunders and he sees a couple guys following him and it’s Rudy Fredo and Willie Messino and he recognizes him when he’s driving over there and it’s important to point out who these guys are, Cam, not to interrupt you Willie Messino, was the right hand man and bodyguard for Tony Accardo for 30 years I mean, he was serious, serious business. Rudy Frayto, you know, the chin, but Massino was serious news. If you saw Willie Massino, you knew he were in for trouble. Yeah, he wasn’t there as backup to do anything except clean up after Rainone, including Rainone. So Rainone saw the writing on the wall. He pulls up and he goes straight to the FBI. [10:54] And he informs, he talks to them and gives them his information. And later on, he sort of regrets doing so, denies that he ever did. Uh, there were, there were, uh, articles written about him. There’s a, there’s a Chicago Tribune writer, John Cass, and Ray Nolan had a back and forth with him writing letters. This is how these mob guys in Chicago operate, talking about, I’m, I ain’t no beefer. And, uh. Once he was out of prison in 2009, he was busted several more times. If you can believe it, he stayed in the criminal life. He was robbing a liquor store with another guy. And the guy he was robbing with, this is why I jump ahead a little bit, was a guy named Vincent Forliano. He claimed that he didn’t even know Fratto or Messino. These were guys he didn’t know, so he never would have informed against them. The guy he was robbing the liquor store with and he was committing other robberies with, Vincent Forliano, was Fredo’s son-in-law. [11:56] So he was committing robberies with a guy related to the guy, but he didn’t know who they were. And to say that somebody didn’t know, as Paul said, Willie Messino, is just ludicrous. Anybody in the criminal atmosphere, period, knew who Willie Messino was because you were probably paying money to it. to exist. And this is extremely important because Rainone, at the time this happened, Rainone cooperated long enough to record conversations with Lenny Patrick. That’s right. That’s right. And that set dominoes in place that would lead to the fall of the outfit. Even though he tried to take back his cooperation, to say he never cooperated, I’ve heard those tapes that were played in trials that I participated in, so I I know better. Uh, and that’s why they call him Mario flip flop Rainone because he, uh, would cooperate and uncooperate and then cooperate. But he is the one who got Lenny Patrick on the hook. Yeah. [13:00] Interesting, interesting. Let’s just continue on with this Lenny Patrick because we weren’t going to talk about him. That’s a good lead hand to talk about another, really one of the most important informants that year who testified. [13:13] Can you talk about the domino that led to the end? Rainone really, really flipped the domino that kicked over. Go ahead, Paul. Well, Lenny Patrick was the highest, and even to this day, remains the highest ranking member of the outfit to ever turn state’s evidence. The guy was a capo in all but name. He had been in charge of Rogers Park, the gambling. He was essentially the head of the Jewish arm of the mafia, kind of the Meyer Lansky figure of Chicago. And when the Lawndale neighborhood moved north to Rogers Park, he moved with them, and he had his own crew. He reported directly to Gus Alex, who was, of course, at the very top, and Sam Carlisi. And he was dealing with Marcello and Carlesi in a number of different outfit ventures, loan sharking. He personally had been staked by Carlesi with a quarter million in cash to put out on the street. And he was involved in extortions Bombings of theaters All these things directly at the command of Sam Carlisi Who was then the boss of bosses of the Chicago outfit So when Rainone got him on tape They set up what was the beginning of the end for the outfit And I think people need to understand who Gus Alex is also For people outside of Chicago Gus Alex was. [14:40] Basically, I guess you could call him the equivalent of maybe the consigliere in Chicago. When you look at Chicago, the triumvirate in the 70s, once a guy like Paul Ricca died and several major outfit leaders died in the early 70s. [14:58] Tony Accardo decided that the outfit would be led by himself, by Joy Iupa, and the political wing and all of the non-Italians and all of the grift and a lot of aspects would be led by Gus Alex. So he was essentially on the same level as Joey Iupa, and he was responsible for much more for things of greater import than Joey Iupa. I mean, controlling the political arm and all the payoffs and all of that is much, much more than the streets and the murders. So all the politics and all the anything that had to do was definitely fell under gus alex and he was part of a ruling triumvirate he was a non-italian part of a ruling triumvirate with iupa and uh acardo so he was the the leader top of the outfit and he had been for years going back to going back to the 30s and the 40s 40 he had come up under, the Murray the Camel Humphreys and had made those connections he was the most connected guy in the Chicago outfit, so for a guy like Lenny Patrick to be. [16:15] Rollover against is essentially the political leader, national political leader and political leader of Chicago. This was absolutely crippling to the outfit. That was he wiped out the entire political arm of the Chicago outfit. After Lenny Patrick brought down Gus Alex, this became a basically a street crime organization. It was that those political contacts. I mean, I think that’s a fair statement, right, Paul? Those political contacts and judges, I mean, that was all but eliminated with Gus Alex going away. You’re absolutely right, Cam. And he not only took out Gus Alex, but he took out the boss of the Italians, too. That’s right, yeah. Both of them at the same time. He wiped out the outfit, and you put it beautifully by saying it became a street crime organization. You think about the division of labor and it started with IUP and IUP and. [17:19] La Pietra, Jackie Cerone, they had all the gambling, a lot of the sports gambling, but they also had the skim from Las Vegas, and they ran all that stuff, while Gus Alex, along with Lenny Patrick, ran all that politics, and you can’t have a mob organization if you don’t have cover politically. That’s why even in Kansas City, we’re pretty clean here, but we still never had any real mob prosecutions. [17:47] And it certainly had very few, if any, little, if any mob prosecutions at Cook County. And you couldn’t even get convicted of a real crime, murder, assault, or something. It’s just a straight-out crime. You weren’t even trying to do a RICO, I think, on anybody. So it was, you know, they just operated with impunity. Well, you took out that whole gambling side. That was all the money coming in. And then shortly thereafter, you take out the political side, who then turns back and gets the new boss on the gambling side and loan sharking and all that. [18:23] I’ll tell you, by 1990, the outfit’s gone. It really is. It still exists to a degree, but Sam Carlisi was the last traditional old line boss of the outfit. you, that, in my opinion, that ever ruled. After that, it was never the same. Yeah, I think a guy like Gus Alex, you know, like you said, Gary, you had Aiuppa who was dealing with gambling, but I think that’s a lot of, there’s a lot of optics to that, you know, and you’ve got all these cities who have got characters who are not Italian, Gus Alex in Chicago, and, you know, as Paul said, Meyer Lansky, who was New York, and you had Mashie Rockman in Cleveland, and these characters not italians so they know when to step back and let and let the italians talk but that doesn’t mean that they’re not running things it’s just for the optics of city to city where the italians have to see that they’re dealing with italians they don’t walk in the room it doesn’t mean that behind the scenes they’re not pulling the levers they just because of of the uh uh criminal um. [19:34] The the criminal view of of non-italians in that world sort of sort of their own prejudices these guys don’t always walk in the room when they’re dealing with other cities gus alex is is sitting down with anybody in chicago but you go to kansas city you go to new york, you know meyer lansky would leave the room when they were when they were talking you know italian to Italian. And the same thing with Gus Alex or Mace Rockman or any of those other guys who are not Italian. It was just an optics city to city. It doesn’t mean that they weren’t pulling the levers. Is it Yehuda or Jehuda, Cam? Jehuda. I’ve always heard of Jehuda. Yeah, Jehuda. So he kind of dealed with the IRS that year. [20:23] He must have had some. The IRS was really strong working the mob in Chicago. I’ve noticed several references to IRS investigations. We did not have that in Kansas City, and the IRS did a little bit, but they were not as strong as they were up in Chicago. [20:38] Yeah, he met with an agent, Tom Moriarty, who’s been around and worked Chicago for a long time. He was a pretty well-known guy up here. But Bill Jehota worked under Ernest Rocco Infelice, who was a real powerhouse going back a long time. And out in Cicero, and his crew, a lot of these crews had their own little names, and they called the good shit Lollipop. He was a huge gambling enterprise, you know. And they bought a house up in Lake County, which is north of the city. It’s funny, this house they bought was actually the family that had lived in it. The son had murdered the family. It was a murder house before the outfit bought it. and uh they bought it used it as a as a gambling den and and after that moved out they used it for prostitution and they would park cars at a nearby motel that they ran and then then have a uh a, valet service that drove him to this this gambling house and there was also quite a few uh murders that uhJahoda witnessed i’m sure he took no part in it he just happened to be standing outside of the house when they when they these murders were committed there was a uh was it hal smith and um. [21:57] Oh i can’t remember the they killed somebody else in this home and they burnt these were guys who didn’t want to pay his tree tags, and they were gamblers who refused to give in. And he brought down this entire crew. I mean, Rocco and Felice was… There’s a famous picture of the day after the Spolatros were killed. And it was really the upper echelon of the up that you’ve got. You’ve got little Jimmy Marcello. You’ve got the boss, Sam Wings-Carlesi. You’ve got the street boss, Joe Ferriola. And you’ve got Rocco and Felice, who’s right there. These are the four top guys, basically, in the outfit as far as at this time, the Cicero crew had risen to the top. That was the powerhouse crew. And so he was involved in those discussions because he was such a powerhouse out there with Ferriola being the street boss. So he was, it really can’t be thatJahodatestimony that eventually brought down this crew was really, it really crippled that crew for a long time. Well, those people that went down in that trial have only in the last five years come out of prison. Yeah, we’ve actually had been talking to somebody. We’ve had the… [23:13] Opportunity to meet he brought down uh uh robert um to go beat um bellavia and another guy who doesn’t like to be mentioned who runs a pretty successful pizza pizza chain up in lake county and uh these guys went down for a long time the beat was down for 25 years and he just came out. [23:39] So and billJahoda have if you read his testimony it is kind of kind of odd that he was standing outside of the building and just looked in the window and they were committing a murder and he just he he places himself outside of the house witnessing a murder through the window which is convenient when you’re the one testifying against murderers it certainly is yeah. [24:03] So so that was he was involved in the gambling so that makes sense then the irs got him and millions of dollars millions of dollars a month they were bringing and he met uh, i don’t remember paul and you did he he contacted moriarty right or did moriarty reach out to him because he was under investigation i i thought Jahoda was was worried about himself so he reached out to them i can’t remember the details i think you’re right yeah i i think he was worried about his own his own safety gary and he reached out to moriarty and they met up at a hotel just outside the city on the uh up in the northwest and uh they talked about things i actually found the location and on the little map you can find where where they met each other but he they met each other in disgust and they would meet different locations and and jahuda wore a wire and some of those some of those wiretaps are they really make for that. [25:05] That those conversations come right out of the movie just i love what we’re doing out here and i love my job and and you actually where i’m going to make you trunk music i mean you really hear these things that that you see it right in the movies i mean you you can’t write the dialogue that these guys are actually using it’s it’s it’s you know it it comes straight out of a book i mean You’ve got, you’ve got, uh, this is the toughest dialogue you’ll ever hear. Interesting. How’d you buy it? Where’d you find that at? Is that, uh, it’s probably not the audio in probably anywhere. No book or something. Yeah. You can, if you look up, if you look up different, different, you know, you go on newspapers.com or you go in different, uh, I believe, uh, I’ve got, um, uh, mob textbook by, um, Howard Abedinsky. I’ve got a couple of copies of his, of his textbook, organized crime. And he’s got some clips of it. This guy who owns a pizza shop up north is talking about how he loves his job. He loves what he does. And it’s funny to hear he talk about smashing somebody and loving what you do. Really? I’ve heard a few conversations like that back at the station house. [26:25] I don’t care. It’s on both sides. Is that what you’re saying? When you live in that world. Those guys can go either direction. [26:37] Well, let’s talk about ex-Chicago cops. Speaking of cops, let’s talk about, Vince Rizza, his daughter actually appeared on that Chicago Mob Housewives, or they tried to do a show. And Frank Schweiss’ daughter was on it. And Pia Rizza, who has gotten some notoriety as a model or something, I can’t remember. And she really, she was tight. She would not talk about her dad at all. I read an interview of her. She would just talk about her dad at all. But he came in and he testified against Harry Aleman, of all people, and linked him to the murder of this bookie, Anthony Ritlinger. Remember that one? [27:22] Go ahead, Paul. No, that one I’m not very up on, Cam. I’m sorry. So, Ritlinger, I believe he didn’t want to pay his street tax, if I’m right, Gary. Yeah, you’re right. He had been warned. Rattlinger had been warned that he needs to pay, he needs to pay, and he was making a good deal of money. And Ratlinger was he was brought in just the normal course of action with the wild bunch because he was a wild bunch murder I’m a little rusty but here it comes so he was a wild bunch killing, he was brought in he was warned it was the typical Harry Ailerman and if I’m remembering correctly and people correct me if I’m not it was Butch Petruccelli they sat him down. [28:11] Usually it would be Butch and, um, uh, Borsellino who would do the talking, uh, Tony Borsellino, and they would do the talking. And then afterwards, Butch Petruccelli would just sit down and glare. So he was a pretty scary guy. And he had that, uh, uh, Malocchio, the, the evil eye, and he would just glare at people. And that would send the message and Rattlinger didn’t, didn’t listen. He was making too much money, he’s not going to pay any damn Degos, that kind of line. And so he, of course, fell victim to these guys. And I believe he may have been trunk music. I think I remember this one, Matt, but I can’t remember. Yeah, I got this one. He went to a restaurant. That’s right. That’s right. And he had already, his daughter lived with him. I’m not sure about the wife, but he had warned his family to take all kinds of extra cautious. He knew something was coming. And it was, you know, after reading that thing, it’s, It’s kind of like, well, we talked about Spilotro taking off their jewelry. Ken Eto did this similar kind of a thing and told his wife he may not be coming back. [29:22] I tell you, another guy that did the same thing was Sonny Black. That’s right. It came out about Joe Pistone, the Donnie Brasco story. He did the same thing. He went to a sit-down or a meeting, and he took off his jewelry, I believe left his billfold, when he went to the meeting. this. Ken Eto was the same way. Ken Eto, I think, thought he could talk his way out. I think all of them thought they could talk their way out of it. So Rettlinger went out by himself and sat in a prominent place in this local restaurant that was really well known up there in the north side. It’s north of downtown Chicago, and I can’t remember the name of it. [30:02] And he just sat there and pretty soon a car pulls up and two guys run in kind of like a Richard Cain kind of a deal and just start popping. And that was a Harry Aleman deal. That’s right. He did, I believe. There’s an old guy who married the girlfriend of Felix Adlericio, I believe. He and this woman are sitting out in front of their brownstone, and Aleman and some other dude pull out and get out when guys walk up to him and shoot him and kill him. [30:31] And so that was – Yeah, that was Petrocelli and Aleman walked up, And he had been, he had been dating, uh, uh, Aldericio’s, Alderico’s girlfriend. Now that’s the famous hit from beyond the grave. Because we’re going to go on the old Samuel’s just sitting in the lawn chair thinking he’d got it made. That’s right. You know, Gary, you and I did the show on the outfit, uh, a long time ago. No, I’m sorry. On the wild bunch, a long time ago. So a lot of those, and they did so much work back in the day. A lot of those run together, but yeah, you’re now, uh, now that you’re right, writing her was he was eating in a restaurant. I’m, Uh, I can’t remember the name. It may have been, been Luna’s, but he was, went out in public. He thought he’d be safe. And like you said, a lot of these guys have a six cents because they come up on the street and they know these things. And, uh, like a guy like Sammy and Reno knew it was coming. He was dodging them for a long time, but they, they know that their time is coming. Eventually they just, they stay ahead of it for a while and figure they can fight their way out or talk their way out. And yeah, they, he was blown away right in public. Like it was similar to the, I remember it being similar to the, to the Richard Cain murder. And this was in, it was right around the same time. It was, it was in the mid seventies, 75, 74, 75, 76. It might’ve been 75 that writing or happened right, right in the middle of the restaurant. [31:58] I’ve been a lot cheaper to pay the street tax, I reckon. You know, and it wasn’t, I don’t recall that they’re asking for so much, but once these murder started happening yeah i think it was it wasn’t like it was half or 75 i think they just wanted it was you know it might have been a quarter it might have just been a flat fee across the board but once that street tax was was instituted i mean we’ve talked about this before gary that was when the wild bunch was out there that was that was they really didn’t play around When Ferriola told these guys, get everybody in line, [32:31] they really cracked down and they weren’t playing at all. You pay or you die. And guys like Alem and Patrick Shelley, whether it was right in public or whatever, in the outfit in the 70s, Paul, you know this from Richard Cain and several others. They just write in public would just blow you away. and writing her was just was almost textbook just like the Richard Cain it was it was right in the right in the restaurant yeah I’ll tell you I’ll tell. [33:05] I was conflating him with Hal Smith. Okay. I’ll tell you something about those mob hits. When they kill somebody in public like that in a public way, more than likely it’s because whoever the victim is has been alerted, and they can’t get anybody to get close to them. They will already try to send somebody around to get them isolated, and when they can’t get them isolated, then they want them bad enough. They’ll just lay, as Frank Calabrese, I heard him say once, well, lay on them. And I thought, oh, that’s interesting. Well, lay on them. I read that somewhere else. They use that term when you’re following somebody and you’re trying to set them up, or yet they lay on them. Calabrese even said, you know, you’re like, get an empty refrigerator box and hide inside of it. I mean, it’s just like the kind of stuff we used to do at the intelligence unit to run surveillances on people. And so they’ll lay on them for a while until they can get you somewhat isolated. And if they can’t, then they’ll just take you out in public. It might be to send a message, but I don’t think so because it’s so risky to get somebody in public. You can have a young, all-fitty cop in there that you didn’t even notice, and he comes out blazing. And, you know, it’s just not worth it. Even if you take him out, he’s probably got to get you. [34:21] So it’s kind of a last resort. A desperation. Yeah, it’s desperation because they can’t get you isolated. [34:28] You look at some of these public murderers, guys like Richard Cain or Ridinger, like you said, who was on the watch. Sam Annarino, who was right on Cicero. [34:39] A guy like Chris Carty, who was years later. I mean, these are guys who would have been smart enough and street smart enough to be on the watch, to watch their step, to know what was going on. With the exception of a guy like Michael Cagnoni, who just happened to be difficult to get, and he probably might have had an idea that something was happening, but I think just he was a family guy, and so it was hard to isolate. They blew him up on the interstate, but I think that in general, that’s a good point, Gary. These guys, if they just run up and blow away, it’s just a last resort. That’s an excellent point. I have always been in that camp of, oh, that must be sending a message. But you, with your experience, I think you’re exactly right. One thing, guys, I think we’re mixing up Sambo Cesario with Sam Annarino. I was thinking when they – yeah, you’re right, Paul. I was thinking, though, when they blew away Sam Annarino in the parking lot with his family, though, they had been trying to get him for several months. And they finally just went after him in the parking lot, called in a robbery, and blew him away in the furniture store parking lot. That was what I meant. Yeah, Gary was referring to Sambo earlier. I just meant they had been trying to get Sam Annarino for a long time, and when they couldn’t, they just got him in the parking lot. [36:08] Well, interesting. You know, no matter how much terror these guys strike in the heart of their underlings, in the end, they still will turn once in a while. And I think people don’t really not turn because they’re afraid of getting killed so much if they don’t turn because they don’t want to have their family suffering the disgrace of them being a rat or a snitch. I think that’s more important to be a man and go out like a man in this subculture and believe me I’ve lived in a subculture where being a man and being a tough guy is more important than anything else, I think that’s the most important thing that keeps people from coming in you’re like a wimp you’re a puss, you can’t take it, can’t handle it you know what I mean you can’t handle five years I could do five years standing on my head or a tray like the dude told me so uh you know but even even with all that and still there’s a certain percentage that will end up coming in sure and usually there are people that either don’t care about their family like lenny patrick yeah or that don’t have close family so that they don’t have it so much of that pressure that you’re talking about gary because you make a really valid point that that that cultural value is so strong yeah yeah it’s it’s. [37:36] In a lot of these small towns, you see in Detroit where they’re all family tied in and everything, you don’t see informants. I think they’ve had one. Kansas City, as you said, Gary, you don’t see. But then you look at a place like Rochester where they’re all just lower tier mob guys. Everybody was informing on everybody because they really weren’t as upper echelon sort of mob guys. So I think that, like you said, once you get that culture seeped in, you’ve got those families and all, there’s a lot of factors. But if it’s a deep-rooted mob town, you really don’t see a lot of real informants. [38:11] So, guys, now we’ve got one that I did a show on. I did a couple of shows on him. I talked to the FBI agent who brought him in and dealt with him for quite a while. Ken Tokiojo Eto. He survived a murder attempt. When that didn’t happen for him with the outfit, what happened after that? [38:32] I believe his attempted assassins got killed themselves. So tell me a little bit about Tokyo Joe Eto. There’s a photograph I have from the late 50s, early 60s And it shows Joe Ferriola And a couple of other heavyweights Hanging around with a young Ken Eto, And a lot of people didn’t know who Ken Eto was But he ran the Japanese game, Gambling, Bolita And lots of money Poured into the outfit through Tokyo Joe As they called him And there was a rumor that perhaps Tokyo Joe was going to turn under a little bit of pressure. And so Jasper Campisi put three slugs in the back of his head. [39:22] Miraculously, he survived three slugs at point blank range. And if he wasn’t going to turn state’s evidence before, he certainly had a powerful incentive to do so now. He seems to insist As I’ve heard that he was not His intention was not It’s hard to say at this point But he says he had no intention Of flipping and that he’s not sure What the evidence was against him But he was not going to flip until, It was Yeah. [39:55] I’m drawing a blank, Paul. Who was it that sent? It wasn’t the saint. It was Vincent Solano. He was kind of Vincent Solano, who was a union guy and a made guy up there. He kind of had which one. [40:11] He was a capo. And which crew was it? Do you remember? He was on the north side. North side crew. North side crew. And actually, Ken went to Vince Solano and had a talk with him. Said you know what i can do this he was looking at a tray i had a dude tell me what’s that pressure and tried to get him to talk and he said uh he said what am i gonna get out of this a tray he said man i can do a tray standing on my head and i threw him right then that’s right gotta talk to me so uh and that’s all he had to do but solano for some reason uh who knows what was in his head because uh ken Eto had made him a lot of money a lot of money and he was a tough little dude he had he had survived he had been put in the uh concentration camps if you will during the internment camps yeah internment camps and then came as a young man up chicago and been around for a long time by the time this all came down he’d been with him for a long time and made him a lot of money and all kinds of different gambling operations but particularly the bolita. [41:13] So uh it just didn’t make sense i heard one thing that these guys in chicago got the idea Yeah, to keep the noise down, they were loading their own rounds with lighter loads of powder. I don’t know. They had like a hit car up there. The guys in Chicago were pretty sophisticated or tried to be. And so they used these lighter loads. And when it went into his head, it just didn’t penetrate his skull. I remember I was at the hospital once, and there was a young guy who had gotten shot in the head. And they said that the bullet was not a good bullet because it went in under his skin and then went under his scalp, along his skull, and then lodged up on his forehead. [41:56] Wow. And so Eto was kind of the same way. Those bullets were probably lodged up underneath his scalp. He pulled himself to a neighboring, I believe it was a pharmacy that was right there, a corner store. And then that guy went to help him. I think he had to dial a call of 911 or whatever. 911 was in place then. He had to call for help for himself from a phone booth. You know, he saved his own life by being smart and playing dead. Yeah, that’s right. And you look at Chicago, it’s a city of neighborhoods, and you’ve got the Mexican town, and you’ve got the different towns, and you’ve got Chinatown where there’s so much money and so much gambling. And while Haneda was Japanese and there’s obviously division between Japanese and Chinese, it would be much easier for him to go in and then some of these outfit guys and because of different things going on back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. But he could go into neighborhoods and represent the outfit in ways in different communities that the outfit wouldn’t go into or a lot of these made guys. [43:12] And that gave him entry into a lot of communities. In the Asian community, there’s a lot of gambling that he was able to tap into. He was smart enough to see that as a route that maybe the Italian guys didn’t, just like Lenny Patrick, who we’ve talked about in other episodes, had that access into the Jewish communities and other Jewish gangsters. There’s a lot of gambling there. If you can get somebody who has an in to different communities, that’s really a way to go and that’s part of why he made so much money. A game like BolEto wouldn’t normally be and that’s huge in the Hispanic communities and huge with Asians also. You know in kansas city that’s interesting that you should point that out camp we had a um large vietnamese community moved in after the the boat peoples when it started and they moved in through the same church uh. [44:09] Sacred Heart Church and Don Bosco Center that the Italians moved in, the Sicilians moved into back in the turn of the century, the same neighborhoods. And Italians are getting successful and they’re moving out the suburbs and the Vietnamese are moving in and creating the Vietnamese restaurants and Vietnamese shops. And they brought, they have a love for gambling. Like you said, they have huge love for gambling. They don’t drink so much or do so many drugs, but they do love to gamble, it seemed to me like. [44:36] And so they had their own book. he was called the king a guy a friend of mine told me a story uh there’s a mob book he got on the periphery that neighborhood’s got a joint and he he was running a sports book and he had a lot of action going in and out of his joint so this one vietnamese guy had a big debt owed to the king so he goes down and talks to this guy’s name was Larry Strada, he ends up getting killed by some other uh mobsters in a deal they thought he was going to testify but i just needed to hear are there, this young, middle-aged Vietnamese guy goes down to the Caddyshack, Larry Strada’s bar. And he starts telling him about the king. He said, man, he said, the king, you take all your business. He said, he got all business down here. He take all your business. He said, you know, you need to do something about the king. He said, you know, we’re close to the river here. And then he made a motion across his throat like he was cutting his throat. So he was trying to get out of his gambling debt to convince this Italian, La Cosa Nostra bookie to go back and kill me yeah king piano. [45:42] You know i’ve heard a lot of stories and some of them are true some are not that one had to ring a truth to it it had a definite ring of truth that that got to do that playing them against each other yeah you bet and you know another thing about tokyo joe and you know he could testify But Ben Solano had Campizé and Gattuso killed right away. Found them in the trunk of their car, I think. Maybe at the airport, even. [46:09] Chicago trunk music, but they have some saying like that. And so Solano knew that they could testify against him, and they didn’t want to go down for attempted murder, more than likely, and he just didn’t take a chance. So he had them killed, and I can’t remember if he went down behind this or not. But another thing Tokyo Joe was able to do, I mean, he certainly could expose all the inner workings of what he knew about to the FBI, which gives you a lot of tips on where to go, who to work on, and maybe where to throw up microphones or some wiretaps. But he also traveled around he came to Kansas City during the skimming trial because they’re working on the Chicago hierarchy. So they just fly him into town. They show him that picture, the last separate picture where everybody’s in the picture. And they say, now, who’s that? Oh, that’s Aiuppa. Okay, then who’s that? Oh, that’s Vince Solano. Yeah, he reports to Aiuppa. You know, and who’s that guy? I can’t remember the other people at all. So the nation said that Joe is up hard. Oh, yeah, he reports to this guy. So to show the organization of the mob in Chicago and that it is an organization that gives orders to have other people carry it to make the RICO case, that he was a storyteller for that. And he didn’t know anything about the skim at all. But he was a storyteller on getting the mob name and the organization in front of a jury. That’s huge, as you know, Paul. [47:35] Absolutely. We had a similar arrangement during the Carlesi trial about how [47:40] the Carlesi crew operated and who was who, and to tell the story. Yeah. You have to make it a story. Let’s take a look at Betty Toco, which, uh, this is pretty interesting. There was a, um, I’m not sure. Albert Toco was your husband. Remind me what his position was at the outfit at that time. So Al Toco was, there’s sort of a division on who was the leadership of, who was the central leader of Chicago Heights. There’s Dominic Tuts Palermo and Al Toco, who was really a powerhouse in Chicago Heights. And Tuts Palermo was definitely highly connected and across the pond too, also in Italy. But uh Toco was involved in the in the chop shop wars really really heavily involved and he had a lot of connections in chicago too he was involved with lombardo and a lot of these chop shops throughout chicago he had a lot of partnerships and so this was a 30 million dollar a year racket stolen cars chop shops international car rings uh car rings throughout stolen car rings throughout the country. Toco was responsible for burying the Spolatro brothers. It was very sectioned off. Each crew had a part in their murder. And then Chicago Heights was responsible for the burial. [49:02] And they were down in Enos, Indiana. They got kind of turned around a little bit. They were down a farm road. They were burying them in a freshly tilled field. And the road where they’re on, there’s a little side road that you would drive down. There’s very little down there. I’ve, I’ve seen it, but a car happened to come down middle of night and they were in a, there’s a, there were a couple of feet off of a wooded area and they see this car coming down and they sort of all panicked and before they had a chance to cover the area or really do anything, it just looked like a freshly dug, it really just looked like freshly dug mound. And so they all fled and three of Toco’s guys went one way and he went the other. They had the car in both radios. [49:46] He’s wandering around barefoot, and he calls his wife finally. She shows up, and he’s screaming and yelling. And he runs to Florida, and he’s waiting for permission to come back from Joe Ferriola. He’s worried he’s going to get killed because they find the Spallachos immediately because the farmer sees his field all messed up, freshly tilled ground, and it looks really suspicious, like somebody had been poaching deer and burying the carcass. Uh but Toco was a tyrant to his wife he was he was horrible to her he was he was when you think of what a mob guy was that was Toco you know tipping the guy who mows his lawn the kid who mows his lawn hundred bucks and wandered around town everybody knows him but he’d come home and unlike a lot of these guys he was he was a real you know a real. [50:36] Real bastard to his wife you know and for years she put up with this sort of abuse and finally after this this happened and it was in the news and all he finally pushed her too far and she began informing on him and and he was arrested later on he was in his jail cell talking about all the murders he had committed and and this and that about his wife and uh his his uh uh A cellmate repeated everything that he said to try and lessen his sentence. So really, Toco got buried by his big mouth and his terrible behavior. He initially fled to Greece before he was arrested, and they extradited him back from Greece. So this is, I mean, Toco is like deep in mob behavior. [51:22] I mean, fleeing the country and all. I mean, it doesn’t get much more mafia than Al Toco. I hesitate to use that word with Chicago, but that was, Al Toco was running deep. and that Betty Tocco’s testimony eventually led to the trial of Al Tocco. And that was really a blow to the Chicago Heights crew that nowadays, I mean, they continued on and had a few rackets, but after the eventual trial that stemmed from that, it really wasn’t, there’s not much activity now. I’m in that area and there’s just, there’s really nothing here. [51:59] Interesting. Now, so Tony and Michael Spilotro had been lured to somebody’s house on the promise that Michael was going to be made. It’s my understanding. I believe that’s what Frank Collada had reported. And some other people, not part of the Chicago Heights crew, killed him. How did that go down? And how did they pass off the body? You guys, is there anything out there about that? Wasn’t that the family secrets trial, maybe? It was. And, of course, it’s been popularly portrayed in the movie Casino. And it’s surprisingly accurate Except for the fact That where they were beaten But what happened was Little Jimmy Marcello called them. [52:41] And said Sam, meaning Sam Carlisi, the boss, wanted to see them. And they knew that that was ominous because of what was going on beyond the scope of this show. But they took off the jewelry. They left. They told their wives, if we’re not back by 930, it’s not good. They really did not suspect that it was to make Michael. That’s what Collada said. You’re absolutely right about that, Gary. But I don’t think that’s correct at all. They knew that it was bad. And they went. He took a pistol, which was against the rules. They hit him a pistol. Tony hit a pistol on his brother, which you do not do when you go to see the boss. And they were picked up by, by Marcello and taken to a house. I, uh, was it Bensonville? Yeah. Up in Bensonville. Uh, in, in the basement, they walked down the stairs and all of a sudden they looked into the eyes of Carlici and, uh, DeFranzo and everybody, the whole, all the couples were there to spread the, the, uh, liability around and they were beaten to death with, with fists and feet, uh, in, in that basement and then transported to that burial ground, which coincidentally was just maybe a couple hundred yards away from Joey Aupa’s farm. [54:00] Right. So I guess that they must have had, uh, Toco standing by, because I don’t believe he was in that basement. I like that. He must have had him standing by to go grab the bodies and take them out. Really interesting. He should have had the old Doug before he got there. You know, that’s what they always say. First you dig the hole then you go do the murder right and i don’t think he had it done before he got there yeah i don’t i really that’s a good that’s a good point gary i really don’t know and nobody’s ever come forward to say what the status of the hole was beforehand uh you know it was a deep it was a deep it was it was a pretty deep hole uh but they may have had a dug ahead of Tom, but, but, uh, cause they knew the location and it’s pretty obscure location. So they had clearly been there before. And, and, you know, everybody knew that that was, I, I hope was, I got it right. Farm. And, uh, So they may have had it dug, and they just did a shoddy job covering it up. [55:05] But I also haven’t heard the specific details about how they handed it off to Toco. I don’t recall seeing that in Calabrese’s testimony. Yeah, it was Nick Calabrese that testified about that. It brought up the light. He named the killer. So he may not have gone that far, probably having Toco and having his wife testify that he did do this. that she picked him up out there. It was just a piece of the entire prosecution on the spot, which it really never was a trial or anything on that. I don’t believe. Another odd thing is he, I believe he ranted and raved the entire car ride back. And from where he was, you would run up with, It’s now turns into Indianapolis. So it’s a good car ride from where they were to Chicago Heights. I believe he ranted and raved about the guys and his crew and the burial and everything, the entire car ride, which was not something most guys would do in front of their wives. But I really, especially when he treated like that. Right. And complained about how long it took her to get there and everything. So she was able to verify a lot of what Calabrese was saying from the final end of it. Interesting. A friend of mine was in the penitentiary, and he said, there’s a guy in there who called himself a verifier. He said, what do you mean? He said, I’m a professional verifier. What he was, he was an informant. That’s what he was, but he called himself a verifier. [56:33] A girl would come to him and say, well, I heard this, this, and this. Is that true or not? He’d say, well, that’s true. That’s not true. [56:40] I guess that’s a more preferable term. Yeah, she was a verifier. Well, that was great. I really appreciate having that on there and Paul. And I really, I still miss Cam. Every time I get ready to do a Chicago show, I think, oh, I want to get Cam or Rochester. [56:58] We did one about Rochester. We did one about Utica. I did several other shows about other families. And he was a good guy and a real great researcher and a real expert on the outfit and other mafia families. So rest in peace, Cam and Paul. I hope to talk to you again one of these days. Guys, don’t forget, I got stuff to sell out there. Just go to my website or just search on my name for Amazon. I can rent my movies about the skim in Las Vegas, about the big mob war between the Savella brothers and the Spiro brothers in Kansas City. Then one about the great 1946 ballot theft in which the mob… Rigged election, helped Harry Truman rig an election. It’s a little harder to find than mine. You need to put ballot theft and Gary Jenkins. I think you’ll find it then. The other two, Gangland Wire and Brothers Against Brothers, Sabella Spiro, were a little bit easier to find. Had to put it up a different way because Amazon changed the rules, but I got them up there. So thanks a lot, guys.

Joe Pistone is a former undercover FBI agent best known for infiltrating the Mafia as “Donnie Brasco.” He hosts the podcast “Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco,” where he breaks down his years inside organized crime and the cases that followed. Follow him on Instagram @therealdonniebrasco.IN THE NEWS: A United Methodist Church congregation in upstate New York was stunned when their senior pastor, Rev. Dr. Phil Phaneuf, came out as transgender mid-sermon, igniting fresh debate over gender identity and leadership in mainline churches. Adam then pivots to the latest Palisades fire rebuilding updates, ranting about the slow, bureaucratic recovery process and how long it's taking residents to get their homes and neighborhoods back.Get it on.Subscribe to The Adam Carolla Show on Substack: https://adamcarolla.substack.com/FOR MORE WITH JOE PISTONE:PODCAST: Deep Cover: The Real Donnie BrascoINSTAGRAM: @therealdonniebrascoFOR MORE WITH JASON “MAYHEM” MILLER: INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: @mayhemmillerWEBSITE: www.mayhemnow.comLIVE SHOWS: December 5 - Santa Barbara, CADecember 6 - Corona, CADecember 11 - Fort Lauderdale, FLDecember 12 - Miami, FL (2 shows)December 13 - Miami, FL (2 shows)December 14 - Fort Lauderdale, FLThank you for supporting our sponsors:BetOnline​​Chime.com/ADAMHydrow.com use code ADAMListen now to the Life Kit podcast from NPRoreillyauto.com/ADAMPluto.tvGo to https://OmahaSteaks.com to get 50% off sitewide during their Sizzle All the Way Sale. And use code ADAM at checkout for an extra $35 off. Minimum purchase may apply. See site for details. A big thanks to our advertiser, Omaha Steaks!SIMPLISAFE.COM/ADAMSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Behind every major shift in American law enforcement is someone willing to risk it all. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum speaks with retired FBI Special Agent Joe Pistone, better known as Donnie Brasco. His six-year infiltration of the Mafia redefined undercover work and exposed key figures within the Bonanno and Colombo families. Pistone reflects on the danger, isolation, and moral weight of living inside the mob, as well as the lasting personal cost of pursuing justice from within. Guest Bio and Links: Joe Pistone is a retired FBI Special Agent best known for his six-year undercover assignment infiltrating the Bonanno and Colombo Mafia families under the alias of Donnie Brasco. His work led to more than 200 convictions and remains one of the FBI’s most significant undercover operations. Pistone is the author of Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia and continues to lecture worldwide on organized crime, covert operations, and law-enforcement ethics. Highlights: (0:00) Sheryl welcomes retired FBI Special Agent Joe Pistone to Zone 7 (2:15) The reality of deep undercover work: seven days a week and six months before any real mob conversations (7:15) Building a believable cover as a jewel thief through gem school, lock-picking, and street “swag” pricing (13:15) The line between survival and protecting citizen inside a violent criminal world (15:15) Sonny Black knowingly walks into his own execution after leaving his money, keys, and ring at the Motion Lounge (22:15) Mapping the mob, the Commission, family hierarchy, and how crews coordinated territory (31:45) Undercover is 24/7, with trust built over coffee, hard rolls with butter, and cartoons in a Brooklyn apartment (35:15) On the verge of becoming a made man before the FBI shut down the operation (37:30) The aftermath: more than 200 convictions, 17 trials, and a $500,000 contract placed on Pistone’s life (45:15) The sit-downs with Tony Mirra: Pistone describes how Sonny Black defended his life three times and reflects on the reality of undercover work (50:45) Hollywood vs. reality: the true story behind the movie Donnie Brasco Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports our mission to educate, engage, and inspire. --- Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award-winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, forensic and crime scene expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. She is the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a national collaboration that advances techniques for solving cold cases and assists families and law enforcement with unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnappings. Social Links: Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com Twitter: @ColdCaseTips Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum Instagram: @officialzone7podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first half of part two of this two-part episode of FBI Case File Review, legendary undercover agent Joe Pistone and retired agent Donnie Brasco talk about why Joe chose the name "Donnie Brasco" for his alias, and how Joe felt when Donnie followed in his footsteps. Joe also talks about how he felt when he learned Donnie had applied to join the FBI, presented him with his agent credentials at his FBI Academy graduation, and the advice he would have given Donnie if he knew he was applying to attend the undercover certification school. Joe provides insights about what is required to be a good undercover agent and a successful true crime and crime fiction author. Donnie reviews his undercover role during the group one operation code-named "Black Eagle" during the second half of the episode.   Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles: https://jerriwilliams.com/368-donnie-brasco-and-joe-pistone-family-business-going-undercover-part-2/     Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams   Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL    Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

Send us a textThe boys are back and Z-Bird is celebrating a huge milestone—10 years sober! John even surprised him with a Cameo from undercover legend Joe Pistone, aka Donnie Brasco. From there, it's all Pittsburgh chaos: Kennywood's 21+ nights are officially canceled after too many fights, parents and kids are brawling outside Clayton Academy, a crossing guard calls in about a kid refusing school, and someone in Larimer needs the cops to kick their grass guy off the lawn.Then it's on to the wild stuff: a Polish millionaire steals a hat from a kid at a tennis match, Will Smith fakes his crowds with A.I., and Rampage Jackson's son Raja goes off-script at a wrestling show, breaking a guy's jaw. Brother in Arms brings us dating drama with 9 kids, cops apologizing for clowning on adult toys, The Rock slimming down into “The Pebble,” and a German dude who somehow kept a WWII tank in his basement. The boys wrap things up with Gear Grinders and some big “What Would Greenfield Do?” hypotheticals, like stealing autographs from kids, saving your top three items in an explosion, and bringing back a long-lost Pittsburgh bar for one more week.All that and more on this week's episode of Greenfield's Finest Podcast.Check out our upcoming events, social media, and merch sale at the link below ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/GFP Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/7viuBywVXF4e52CHUgk1i5 Produced by Lane Media ⁠https://www.lanemediapgh.com/

If you're a longtime listener, you probably remember my interview with Joe Pistone, the real Donnie Brasco. But I forgot to ask one important question: Where did the name Donnie Brasco even come from? Turns out, it wasn't made up. Donnie Brasco is a real person. He's Joe Pistone's nephew. And not just any nephew — an undercover FBI agent who followed in his uncle's footsteps. This story blew my mind, and I wouldn't have known about it if it weren't for my friend and fellow podcaster Jerri Williams, host of FBI Case File Review. Jerri interviewed both Joe Pistone and the real Donnie Brasco. Yes, both of them. This might be the FBI's worst-kept secret, and it's finally out. This is history being rewritten, and I had to share it with you. So here it is... Part 1 of JerrI's episode, re-shared with her blessing. Subscribe to FBI Case File Review: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2PG0LHyYjKH7hWTtql3Lfo?si=c55ae6e3d47a4142 Learn more: https://jerriwilliams.com/367-donnie-brasco-following-in-the-footsteps-of-uncle-joe-pistone-part-1/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In part one of this two-part episode, retired agent Donnie Brasco reviews his career navigating as an FBI agent with his infamous name and following in the footsteps of his uncle, legendary undercover agent Joe Pistone. Until now, most people were unaware of Donnie and Joe's family ties. I call it the worst-kept secret in the FBI. Joe drops in at the end of the episode to share why he chose the name "Donnie Brasco" for his alias. Donnie served in the FBI for 21 years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles:  https://jerriwilliams.com/367-donnie-brasco-following-in-the-footsteps-of-uncle-joe-pistone-part-1/ Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and to keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams   Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

Donnie Brasco is based on the true story of Joe Pistone aka Donnie Brasco, who goes undercover in a New York mafia gang but finds himself being drawn more into their world thanks to his friendship with enforcer Left Ruggerio. A two-hander between Johnny Depp and Al Pacino ensures this quiet and unassuming mobster flick deserves huge praise. But is it all too often overlooked when talking about New York mafia movies?British film critic Tim Robey joins the podcast to discuss if it is overlooked. Tim also talks about why the film is about seduction, what the relationship between Lefty and Donnie is about and how he believes it is one of Pacino's best internal performances. All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, produced and presented by Mark Searby. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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We said Happy Birthday to future third-time world war winner United States of A with our good friends/fellow patriots comedy legend Larry Charles talking about his new memoir Comedy Samurai and podcaster Will Menaker from Chapo Trap House telling us about the new Chapo comic book. We also got Sal Guagenti from Sal's Movement singing the National Anthem and it was a real treat. Support the show, watch another hour with Joe Pistone (aka Donnie Brasco aka Phil Braun), Doug's Music Detective Game and some more rock news with Foreigner with OFFICE HOURS+. Get a FREE seven-day trial at ⁠⁠patreon.com/officehourslive⁠. Get tickets to see Tim Heidecker on tour with Vic Berger IV and DJ Douggpound out west this summer at timheidecker.com/live Order Larry's memoir Comedy Samurai now! Pre-order YEAR ZERO: A CHAPO TRAP HOUSE COMICS ANTHOLOGY now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We said Happy Birthday to future third-time world war winner United States of A with our good friends/fellow patriots comedy legend Larry Charles talking about his new memoir Comedy Samurai and podcaster Will Menaker from Chapo Trap House telling us about the new Chapo comic book. We also got Sal Guagenti from Sal's Movement singing the National Anthem and it was a real treat. Support the show, watch another hour with Joe Pistone (aka Donnie Brasco aka Phil Braun), Doug's Music Detective Game and some more rock news with Foreigner with OFFICE HOURS+. Get a FREE seven-day trial at ⁠⁠patreon.com/officehourslive⁠. Get tickets to see Tim Heidecker on tour with Vic Berger IV and DJ Douggpound out west this summer at timheidecker.com/live Order Larry's memoir Comedy Samurai now! Pre-order YEAR ZERO: A CHAPO TRAP HOUSE COMICS ANTHOLOGY now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joseph D. Pistone is a retired FBI agent who, under the cover identity Donnie Brasco, infiltrated the Bonanno and Colombo crime families, leading to the conviction of over 100 mafia members. Today, he is a law enforcement consultant specializing in organized crime. Go to https://ExpressVPN.com/ROGAN to get 4 months free! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our guest is one of the most prolific true crime writers in our lifetime. He has a special knack in connecting with international drug dealers and crime kingpins, plus localized stories such the Taco Bell Strangler who murdered his coworkers!Ron Chepesiuk is an optioned screenwriter, documentary producer and the award-winning author of more than 40 books. His books include BLACK CAESAR: The Rise and Disappearance of Frank Matthews, Kingpin, SERGEANT SMACK: The Legendary Life and Times of Ike Atkinson, and his Band of Brothers, GANGSTERS OF HARLAM, BLACK GANGSTER OF CHICAGO, and NARCOS INC: The Rise and Fall of the Cali Cartel.  He is a former professor and head of the Archives at Winthrop University in South Carolina. He is a two-time Fulbright Scholar to Indonesia and Bangladesh and a former instructor in UCLA's Extension Journalism Department. His articles, which number in the thousands, have appeared in such publications as FHM, USA Today, Black Enterprise, Woman's World, Modern Maturity, New York Times Syndicate, Toronto Star, Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, among others. His documentary on Frank Matthews, legendary drug Kingpin, which he produced and directed, won the Silver Doc award at the Las Vegas International Film Festival. Four of his screenplays are currently in development for feature movies and four of his books have been optioned for movies. His script DEATH FENCES was the grand winner of the Amsterdam, Holland-based 2019 New Visions International film Festival. As an expert in crime history, he is a consultant to the Gangland TV series and has been interviewed on numerous TV programs, including Discovery, NBC Dateline, History, Biography, ID, Reelz, Black Entertainment Television, Starz, and TV 1. As a journalist, Ron has reported from more than thirty-five countries, including Cuba, Northern Ireland, Colombia, Kenya, Hong Kong, and Nepal, and his 16, 000 plus interviews include such luminaries as Gerry Adams, Yasser Arafat, John Kerry, Evander Holyfield, Jimmy Carter, Andy McDow, Abbie Hoffman, a former president of Nicaragua, and three former presidents and two vice presidents of Colombia, South America. In addition, Ron is radio host of CRIME BEAT Radio Show. The Crime Beat show has been on the air since January 2011 and has listeners in 160 plus countries. Guests have included Robert Kennedy, Jr., Henry Hill, Noam Chomsky, George Jung, Joe Pistone (aka Donnie Brasco), F. Lee Bailey and Chris Kyle, American sniper VISIT: ronchepesiuk.com/index.htm 

The Mob Wives March continues with the beautiful and feisty RaMona Rizzo, who sets the record straight about her legendary grandfather, Lefty Guns Ruggerio. RaMona talks about discovering the truth of her grandfather's life through Joe Pistone's book and confronting the differences between reality and Hollywood's portrayal in Donnie Brasco as well. She shares her story of meeting Al Pacino on set and how she's learned to rise above other family secrets, drama, and betrayal. RaMona gets into her path to Mob Wives and her excitement for her company, Spiritual Slinger.RaMona; IG | Spiritual SlingerWatch Full Episodes & More:www.dumbblondeunrated.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we welcome Scott Payne to the show. Scott, aka “Hillbilly Donnie Brasco”, is a retired FBI Special Agent who spent 28 years in law enforcement, investigating drug-trafficking organizations, human traffickers, and domestic terrorists. Much of that work was undercover work that included him infiltrating Neo Nazi/white supremacist groups (like the Ku Klux Klan and The Base) and biker gangs (like the Outlaws Motorcycle Club). He is the author of a new book “Codename: Pale Horse - How I Went Undercover to Expose America's Nazis”. In this interview, we discuss what led him to federal law enforcement, how he was recruited into undercover work, what it was like being trained by Joe Pistone (aka Donnie Brasco), how he got his introduction into infiltrating the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, the time when he thought his cover was blown and that he was going to be murdered by the gang, how he joined/infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan, the difference between old school white supremacists and “Accelerationists”, if he is worried about his safety now that he is retired from law enforcement, and much more. Let's get into it… Episode notes and links HERE. Donate to support our mission of equipping men to push back darkness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Retired Intelligence Detective Gary Jenkins brings you the best in mob history with his unique perception of the mafia. The Mafia Cops: NYPD Corruption and Murder with Michael Connell. In this explosive episode of Gangland Wire, I uncover the shocking true story of two NYPD detectives who became hitmen for the Mafia. Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa weren't just dirty cops—they were fully embedded in the Lucchese crime family, leaking intelligence, setting up murders, and betraying the very system they swore to uphold. Joining me is Michael Connell, author of a gripping account of their crimes. We break down how these officers, once respected members of law enforcement, used their badges to serve the mob. Eppolito's deep family ties to organized crime and Caracappa's access to high-level police intelligence made them the perfect duo for Gaspipe Casso and the Lucchese family. Their corruption ran so deep that they not only provided inside information but also carried out Mafia-ordered executions—including the tragic killing of an innocent man due to a case of mistaken identity. We discuss how their downfall unfolded, from a shocking whistleblower to the relentless detective work that finally exposed them. We dive into the role of Betty Heidel, a grieving mother determined to find justice for her murdered son, and Detective Tommy Dades, who helped piece together the case that brought Eppolito and Caracappa to justice. This story concerns power, betrayal, and the dark intersection between law enforcement and organized crime. Don't miss this deep dive into one of NYPD's most astonishing corruption cases. Find Michael's book Blood on the Badge at this link. Subscribe to get new gangster stories every week. Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to "buy me a cup of coffee" To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent Brothers against Brothers, the documentary, click here.  To rent Gangland Wire, the documentary, click here To buy my Kindle book, Leaving Vegas: The True Story of How FBI Wiretaps Ended Mob Domination of Las Vegas Casinos. To subscribe on iTunes click here. Please give me a review and help others find the podcast. Donate to the podcast. Click here! #TrueCrime #BostonMafia #OrganizedCrime #GanglandWire #AngiuloFamily #FBI #Surveillance #MafiaHistory Transcript [0:00] Well, hey, all you wiretappers out there. Good to be back here in Studio Gangland Wire. I have an author today, some stories about the mafia cops, the mob cops in New York City, Caracapa and Eppolito. Those two guys were bad dudes. So I have Michael Connell. Welcome, Michael. Hey, it's great to be here. Thanks. Thanks. Great to see you again. Yeah, you too. Yeah, you've been on the show before, haven't you? I have, yes. For my previous book, I guess that we were here together three or so years ago. Was it that long? Was it Abrellis? Was it Abrellis' book? It was Abrellis, right, exactly. Yeah, that guy's a character. Abrellis, also known as Kid Twist, who went out the window of a hotel in Coney Island. [0:48] Nobody knows exactly how he went out, but one thing's for sure, it wasn't voluntary. The canary could sing, but he couldn't fly, right? Exactly. So, guys, I know you all know me, but I'm retired intelligence unit detective Gary Jenkins, Kansas City Police Department. Got this show, Gangland Wire, and we deal with the mafia almost every week. So this story is blood and the bads, the mafia, two killer cops, and a scandal that shocked the nation. I know you know some of y'all will know this story about Steve Caraappa and Lou Eppilito I want to tell you what Joe Pistone who everybody knows is Donnie Brasco, said about this book "Cannell pulls back the veil to refill law enforcement's most lurid chapter an entwined tale of decorated detectives on the mafia payroll a true account of police depravity unearthed...

Through the 1970s and 1980s Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa served in the NYPD, rising through the ranks, each becoming decorated detectives. They are also responsible for what may qualify as the department's darkest chapter. For years the two cops operated not only as paid informants for the Lucchese organized crime family, but served as mob henchmen, committed a multitude of crimes and were involved in at least fifteen murders. And they came remarkably close to getting away with all of it. Michael Cannell, a former editor at the New York Times and author of the critically acclaimed A Brotherhood Betrayed, now has written the definitive account of the crooked cops' escapades and the trail of terror they left-which included the deaths and wrongful imprisonment of wholly innocent people-in BLOOD AND THE BADGE: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation (January 14, 2025; SMP). "Cannell pulls back the veil to reveal law enforcement's most lurid chapter, an entwined tale of decorated detectives on the mafia payroll - a true account of police depravity unearthed with intensive reporting." -Joe Pistone, New York Times bestselling author of Donnie Brasco "Michael Cannell's Blood and the Badge details the extraordinary 'Killer Cops' investigation, a harrowing story of corruption and murder within law enforcement itself. Cannell misses nothing."-Nicholas Pileggi, bestselling author of Wiseguy and co-writer of the Academy Award-winner Goodfellas Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

Through the 1970s and 1980s Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa served in the NYPD, rising through the ranks, each becoming decorated detectives. They are also responsible for what may qualify as the department's darkest chapter. For years the two cops operated not only as paid informants for the Lucchese organized crime family, but served as mob henchmen, committed a multitude of crimes and were involved in at least fifteen murders. And they came remarkably close to getting away with all of it. Michael Cannell, a former editor at the New York Times and author of the critically acclaimed A Brotherhood Betrayed, now has written the definitive account of the crooked cops' escapades and the trail of terror they left-which included the deaths and wrongful imprisonment of wholly innocent people-in BLOOD AND THE BADGE: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation (January 14, 2025; SMP). "Cannell pulls back the veil to reveal law enforcement's most lurid chapter, an entwined tale of decorated detectives on the mafia payroll - a true account of police depravity unearthed with intensive reporting." -Joe Pistone, New York Times bestselling author of Donnie Brasco "Michael Cannell's Blood and the Badge details the extraordinary 'Killer Cops' investigation, a harrowing story of corruption and murder within law enforcement itself. Cannell misses nothing."-Nicholas Pileggi, bestselling author of Wiseguy and co-writer of the Academy Award-winner Goodfellas Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

FBI You Know Him as Donnie Brasco. Deep Undercover Facts. Special Episode. Few names resonate as powerfully in the world of law enforcement and organized crime as Joe Pistone, the former FBI agent who infiltrated the New York Mafia under the alias Donnie Brasco. His deep cover operation, which lasted six grueling years, not only brought down significant figures in the Bonanno crime family but also reshaped the FBI's approach to tackling organized crime. Whether you're scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, or you can  listen to this interview with Joe on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, on Apple Podcast, Spotify and most major podcast platforms. Chances are you've come across Pistone's incredible story but not like this discussion. You can listen to the interview with Joe Pistone on the free podcast on the Law Enforcement Radio Show and Podcast website, on Apple, Spotify and most major podcast platforms. Check out and follow the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Newsbreak, Medium and most all social media platforms.   Who Was Donnie Brasco? Donnie Brasco was the alias Joe Pistone adopted to infiltrate the mafia, posing as a jewel thief from Vero Beach, Florida. His undercover work began in 1976 and lasted until 1981. During this time, Pistone gained the trust of key mafia members, including Lefty Ruggiero, a veteran enforcer in the Bonanno family, and Sonny Black, a rising leader. His operation was so convincing that he was set to become a made man before the FBI pulled him out to prevent bloodshed. FBI You Know Him as Donnie Brasco. You'll find  more stories about this in platforms like Medium and Newsbreak. This covert mission resulted in over 200 indictments and 100 convictions, cementing Pistone's legacy as one of the most successful undercover agents in history. However, the operation also marked the beginning of a dangerous period for Pistone, whose identity was revealed, putting him and his family at great risk. The Hollywood Adaptation The 1997 film "Donnie Brasco", starring Johnny Depp as Pistone and Al Pacino as Lefty, brought this true story to the big screen. While critically acclaimed, Pistone has often clarified that the film took creative liberties. Speaking on his Law Enforcement Today Podcast, he revealed, “I never lost my moral compass, even while working undercover.” This quote underscores the tightrope he walked, blending into a criminal underworld while upholding the law. Be sure to follow the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and podcast on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Newsbreak, Medium and most all social media platforms.   Deep Dive: Pistone's Real-Life Challenges Pistone's journey into the mafia world wasn't just about wearing the right clothes or talking the talk. It required deep psychological preparation. Growing up in Paterson, NJ, Pistone honed street smarts that later proved invaluable. He meticulously studied the jewelry trade to convincingly play his role, even spending weeks learning industry jargon. FBI You Know Him as Donnie Brasco. Deep Undercover Facts. Keep informed by following the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, MeWe, Pinterest, Newsbreak, Medium and other social media outlets. Platforms like the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, Apple Podcasts and Spotify make these stories more accessible, allowing listeners to become informed and vigilant.  His undercover work demanded immense personal sacrifices. Isolated from his family for extended periods, he often celebrated holidays alone, maintaining his cover. Despite these challenges, Pistone's moral clarity and dedication to his mission never wavered. The End of the Operation The operation culminated on July 26, 1981, when Pistone's identity as an FBI agent was revealed. This revelation sent shockwaves through the mob, leading to internal executions and reshaping the structure of organized crime in the U.S. The fallout from the operation also highlighted the dangers of such deep cover work, with Pistone facing a $500,000 contract on his life.  Stay up to date by following the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, MeWe, Pinterest, Newsbreak, Medium and other social media platforms. Post-Operation Life Since retiring from the FBI in 1986, Pistone has dedicated his life to sharing his story. His book, "Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia", became a bestseller and served as the foundation for the film. Today, Pistone remains a sought-after speaker and a prominent voice in law enforcement, hosting a top-rated podcast where he shares insights into his experiences and current trends in organized crime. FBI You Know Him as Donnie Brasco. The interview is available as a free podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show, which is available as a free podcast on their website on platforms like Apple, Spotify and most major podcast platforms.    The Legacy of Donnie Brasco The Donnie Brasco operation proved that long-term undercover assignments could yield unprecedented results. Pistone's work not only dismantled key mafia operations but also inspired a new generation of law enforcement. His story continues to captivate audiences across platforms, from LinkedIn discussions to viral threads on Pinterest and Newsbreak. The Modern Mafia While the mafia isn't what it used to be, the legacy of Pistone's deep cover work endures. Today's organized crime is less violent but remains a significant challenge for law enforcement. Pistone's insights offer a valuable perspective on how the mob has evolved and the lessons that can be drawn from his historic operation.  Whether you're revisiting the gripping details of his undercover operation or tuning into his latest podcast episode on platforms like Spotify, Joe Pistone's story as Donnie Brasco is a testament to courage, resilience, and the enduring fight for justice. For anyone curious about the world of deep cover, Pistone's life offers a masterclass in navigating danger while staying true to one's values. FBI You Know Him as Donnie Brasco. Deep Undercover Facts. The interview is available as a free podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show, which is available as a free podcast on their website on platforms like Apple, Spotify and most major podcast platforms.     Want to know more? Follow the interview with Joe Pistone on the free podcast on the Law Enforcement Radio Show and Podcast website, on Apple, Spotify and most major podcast platforms. More updates on Facebook, Instagram, or catch his podcast on your favorite streaming service to dive deeper into the world of law enforcement and the iconic tale of Donnie Brasco. Keep informed by following the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, MeWe, Pinterest, Newsbreak, Medium and other social media platforms. Get the latest news articles, without all the bias and spin, from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on the Newsbreak app, which is free. Listen to this for free in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website or most major podcast platforms. Background song Hurricane is used with permission from the band Dark Horse Flyer Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page, look for the one with the bright green logo. Be sure to check out our website. Be sure to follow us on MeWe, X, Instagram, Facebook,Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news. Learn useable tips and strategies to increase your Facebook Success with John Jay Wiley. Both free and paid content are available on this Patreon page. FBI You Know Him as Donnie Brasco. Deep Undercover Facts. Attributions NY Post Amazon FBI.gov  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Mustache Chris and Steve as we delve into the 1997 film, Donnie Brasco, featuring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. We discuss everything from the cast to the film's portrayal of real-life events. How accurate is the movie in depicting FBI Agent Joe Pistone's infiltration of the Bonanno Mafia? We compare and contrast the film's narrative with the true story, highlight significant scenes, and address various historical inaccuracies. Tune in to discover what the movie got right and where it took creative liberties.00:00 Introduction and Recap 00:13 Discussing the Film 'Donnie Brasco'01:31 Realism in Mob Movies 03:35 The Cast of 'Donnie Brasco' 06:00 Character Analysis: Lefty and Sonny08:24 Joe Pistone's Undercover Life 22:20 Historical Accuracy and Inaccuracies29:06 The Three Capos Murders38:14 Final Thoughts and Reflections Transcript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/lv8TwFrmTLjYou can learn more about Beyond the Big Screen and subscribe at all these great places: https://atozhistorypage.start.pagewww.beyondthebigscreen.comClick to Subscribe: https://www.spreaker.com/show/4926576/episodes/feedemail: steve@atozhistorypage.comwww.beyondthebigscreen.com Parthenon Podcast Network Home: parthenonpodcast.comOn Social Media: https://www.youtube.com/@atozhistoryhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/atozhistorypagehttps://facebook.com/atozhistorypagehttps://twitter.com/atozhistorypagehttps://www.instagram.com/atozhistorypage/Music Provided by:"Crossing the Chasm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Join Steve and Mustache Chris, as we delve into the extraordinary story of Joseph Pistone, famously known as Donnie Brasco. In this episode, we're breaking down the remarkable undercover operation led by FBI agent Joseph Pistone, who infiltrated the New York Mafia so deeply that he was on the verge of becoming a made man. We discuss Pistone's meticulous efforts, his relationship with infamous mobsters like Lefty Ruggiero and Sonny Black, and the immense challenges he faced. From the sophisticated setup in Florida to the eventual unraveling of the Bonanno family's inner workings, this episode covers the intricate details and lasting impact of Operation Donnie Brasco.00:00 Introduction to Donnie Brasco 01:26 The Complexity of Undercover Work01:52 Operation Donnie Brasco: The Mission04:13 Challenges of Undercover Life 05:41 Joe Pistone's Background07:55 Creating Donnie Brasco 09:05 Infiltrating the Mafia 15:16 Anthony Mira: The Worst of the Worst20:45 Lefty Ruggiero: The Mob Historian 27:02 The Tug and Pull of Identity27:12 Lefty and Donnie's Unlikely Partnership 28:47 The Three Capos Murder29:28 Carmine Galante's Downfall 33:13 Sonny Black's Rise and Fall39:11 Joe Pistone's Deep Cover46:25 The King's Court OperationTranscript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/hq8GahmAGmwYou can learn more about Beyond the Big Screen and subscribe at all these great places: https://atozhistorypage.start.pagewww.beyondthebigscreen.comClick to Subscribe: https://www.spreaker.com/show/4926576/episodes/feedemail: steve@atozhistorypage.comwww.beyondthebigscreen.com Parthenon Podcast Network Home: parthenonpodcast.comOn Social Media: https://www.youtube.com/@atozhistoryhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/atozhistorypagehttps://facebook.com/atozhistorypagehttps://twitter.com/atozhistorypagehttps://www.instagram.com/atozhistorypage/Music Provided by:"Crossing the Chasm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano was a high-ranking member of the Bonanno crime family, known for his loyalty, ambition, and involvement in the brutal power struggles within the Mafia. Rising to the rank of captain, he became a key figure during a turbulent time for the family, especially as he supported the leadership of Philip Rastelli. However, his trust in FBI agent Joe Pistone, who infiltrated the Mafia as undercover operative Donnie Brasco, led to his downfall. After orchestrating the murder of rival Sonny Red Indelicato in 1981, Napolitano unknowingly brought Pistone into the family's inner circle, resulting in the FBI's exposure of the Bonanno family's operations. Once the truth about Brasco was revealed, Napolitano was executed by the Mafia in 1981, marking one of the most significant betrayals in Mafia history and a devastating blow to the Bonanno family. His story remains a powerful example of the dangerous consequences of misplaced trust in the world of organized crime.(commercial at 7:21)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano was a high-ranking member of the Bonanno crime family, known for his loyalty, ambition, and involvement in the brutal power struggles within the Mafia. Rising to the rank of captain, he became a key figure during a turbulent time for the family, especially as he supported the leadership of Philip Rastelli. However, his trust in FBI agent Joe Pistone, who infiltrated the Mafia as undercover operative Donnie Brasco, led to his downfall. After orchestrating the murder of rival Sonny Red Indelicato in 1981, Napolitano unknowingly brought Pistone into the family's inner circle, resulting in the FBI's exposure of the Bonanno family's operations. Once the truth about Brasco was revealed, Napolitano was executed by the Mafia in 1981, marking one of the most significant betrayals in Mafia history and a devastating blow to the Bonanno family. His story remains a powerful example of the dangerous consequences of misplaced trust in the world of organized crime.(commercial at 7:21)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano was a high-ranking member of the Bonanno crime family, known for his loyalty, ambition, and involvement in the brutal power struggles within the Mafia. Rising to the rank of captain, he became a key figure during a turbulent time for the family, especially as he supported the leadership of Philip Rastelli. However, his trust in FBI agent Joe Pistone, who infiltrated the Mafia as undercover operative Donnie Brasco, led to his downfall. After orchestrating the murder of rival Sonny Red Indelicato in 1981, Napolitano unknowingly brought Pistone into the family's inner circle, resulting in the FBI's exposure of the Bonanno family's operations. Once the truth about Brasco was revealed, Napolitano was executed by the Mafia in 1981, marking one of the most significant betrayals in Mafia history and a devastating blow to the Bonanno family. His story remains a powerful example of the dangerous consequences of misplaced trust in the world of organized crime.(commercial at 7:21)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Joe Pistone, an FBI agent who went undercover as "Donnie Brasco," infiltrated the Bonanno crime family in the 1970s, an operation originally planned to last six months but stretched into six years. Pistone embedded himself in the mafia's inner circle, gaining the trust of key figures like Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero and Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano. Through his work, Pistone provided unprecedented access to the mafia's operations, witnessing murders, extortion, and organized crime at its highest levels. The operation culminated in the arrests of over 100 mafia members, including Lefty and Sonny Black, and shattered the power of the Bonanno family. Despite the mafia's ruthless code of loyalty and secrecy, Pistone's efforts crippled their influence and exposed their operations, though he remained at great personal risk with a $500,000 bounty placed on his head.After the operation, Pistone entered witness protection but continued to share his story, writing a memoir that was adapted into the film Donnie Brasco starring Johnny Depp. His undercover work remains one of the most significant operations in FBI history, reshaping how law enforcement approached organized crime. Although the mafia still exists today, it operates with far less power and secrecy, largely due to Pistone's work. His legacy is a testament to the extraordinary risks one man took to bring justice to a world of violence and betrayal.(commercial at 9:24)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

Joe Pistone, an FBI agent who went undercover as "Donnie Brasco," infiltrated the Bonanno crime family in the 1970s, an operation originally planned to last six months but stretched into six years. Pistone embedded himself in the mafia's inner circle, gaining the trust of key figures like Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero and Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano. Through his work, Pistone provided unprecedented access to the mafia's operations, witnessing murders, extortion, and organized crime at its highest levels. The operation culminated in the arrests of over 100 mafia members, including Lefty and Sonny Black, and shattered the power of the Bonanno family. Despite the mafia's ruthless code of loyalty and secrecy, Pistone's efforts crippled their influence and exposed their operations, though he remained at great personal risk with a $500,000 bounty placed on his head.After the operation, Pistone entered witness protection but continued to share his story, writing a memoir that was adapted into the film Donnie Brasco starring Johnny Depp. His undercover work remains one of the most significant operations in FBI history, reshaping how law enforcement approached organized crime. Although the mafia still exists today, it operates with far less power and secrecy, largely due to Pistone's work. His legacy is a testament to the extraordinary risks one man took to bring justice to a world of violence and betrayal.(commercial at 10:24)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

Retired Intelligence Detective Gary Jenkins brings you the best in mob history with his unique perception of the mafia. In this episode, I start with FBI agent Doug Fencl telling the story of revealing Joe Pistone's true identity as an undercover agent to Bonanno-Capo Sonny Black. This revelation set off a chain of events leading […] The post Joe Massino – Died in Witness Protection appeared first on Gangland Wire.

```htmlHey everybody, welcome to Hit Rewind. This is Michael, and Jacob's on the other side. We are discussing the films of 1997. We're finally here! Yes! Look, I know- Action, baby! We had a game plan, and I got bored. I'm sorry, I'm a little erratic. We were going to go through the 60s and 70s and pick up stuff we missed in the 80s and 90s, and I said, I can't take any more westerns and war movies! Movies and other than that it seems like it's gonna be really hard to finish off the 60s and then hopefully we can burn through the 70s but for now i think for the rest of this year until you go on hiatus again we're just gonna do 97 probably 98 i seriously doubt we'll get through 99 but let's get started everybody what's the first movie of 1997 you want to discuss, well this one i wanted to get out of the way i hadn't seen this before and i didn't even know it was sort of like a follow-up to fish called wanda fierce creatures you know what's funny is you usually miss it you're like i'm gonna get this out of the way because this thing's a piece of fucking shit no i mean you have to start someone with these lists yeah to any of them well a lot of people do a lot of people do think this is a piece of shit it was a huge flop, critics hated it it got dumped like the second week of january no one gave a flying fart about it i don't think it's that bad is it is it because fish called one is probably considered at least bare minimum on every list a top 25 comedy of all time. Do you think those expectations are what ruined Fierce Creatures? Definitely have an impact. That would be a contributing factor. Yeah. You can't rule it out. The director did switch halfway through the movie and there was some reshoots to fix the entire ending. The last 20 minutes or so were completely reshot. So when his father shows up at the zoo, he died in a completely different way so before he gets shot in the head that whole thing was re-shot so that cost a lot of money and delayed release and stuff like that so that was a little bit. A little bit part of it's like flow is a little off. I think the only thing that really hurts this movie to me is I think some of the jokes don't work and they're not, they're not as macabre as they should be. It's so dark and weird in fish called one. I feel like they're pulling their punches a little bit in this one. Yeah. Oh, but for that, Oh God, that scene at the end, she did not expect that. Yeah. I mean, yeah, you get your supporting cast, like you got like Michael Palin coming back as well. Along with Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline playing two roles, you know, basically the owner of the company trying to buy the zoo and then his son, you know, trying to show that he can run things. Yeah, you know what's funny is in the original cut, he shows up as his mother. So he played three characters. Oh, no, Kevin Kline could pull that off. It's funny, I mean, especially after Wild Wild West. Yeah. It's so funny is after he won the Oscar, It seemed like he struggled in mainstream films that he had to go do smaller, more independent-minded movies. Life is a House and, oh, there's a teacher one that he did that was really good. But it's like whenever he does a big studio film, it seems like it's a struggle. Oh, In-N-Out, right? Is that what you're talking about? Well, yeah, In-N-Out's the one that won him the, I don't think he won, but he might have got the nomination. But it just seemed like he would jump from major movie and then just, like, it wouldn't do very well. then he would go do some independent smaller stuff and then that would, you know, rock the house. Because if you remember, the first entry in this, the whole Fish Called Wanda, was an independent movie that was picked up by MGM. Oh, wow. Oh, this was produced by Danny DeVito. See, that makes me even more depressed because it should have been more demented. Oh, absolutely. I mean, come on. I mean, after, what, War of the Roses, and The Law from the Train, and then later on Death of Smoochie, yeah, no, you'd think it would be a little bit more crazy. Yeah, I'm looking... Go ahead. but yeah that scene though like near the end to like you know open keep things up going yeah that did throw me for a loop I was like holy shit I did not expect that to happen of course Michael Palin's character you know being one of the loop keepers. You know, keep his area funded, you know, always talking about like deadliest animals. They have to be. And then, bam, the little piece shooter. Like, oh, my God. Well, that's if you haven't seen this movie, what it is, is this is a takedown of Fox News. This is a Kevin Kline is playing Rupert Murdoch. He flat out is. And his whole thing is consume. And it's still going today. Consume whatever you can to make your corporation even bigger. But in order to turn a profit from what you just spent buying a thing, you have to do massive cuts. So they're they're they're firing people. They're adding tons and tons of stupid advertising, but they're also getting ready some of the animals. And Rallo, who's played by John Cleese, is in charge. He's ex-military and they think that he can be really hardcore, you know, cutting this place down to the bone to make a profit. Because it's not just a profit, though. Wasn't it 20 percent is what they had to have? Yes that's insane like especially in the beginning of owning something you kind of have to eat the the profits for a while until you get things up and running and exactly you gotta spend some money to make yeah but you saw this with rupert murdoch and stuff like that and other guys like ted turner who bought shit up and didn't really fucking care as long as it built his empire and made money so and what they just happened with disney disney buying up ironically fox but also Also, like shutting down Blue Sky, you know, trimming the fat on any independent movies, small stuff. They basically destroyed Fox Searchlight. It barely exists now. So this is nothing new. So 25, almost 30 years ago, this movie really had their finger on the pulse. Pretty much. Oh, gosh. It does make a whole lot of sense. Just like how they had to have like some of the zoo staff dressed up as animals. All these stupid little, you know, advertisement boards and posters. The fake panda. Oh god yes animatronics and all that you know i know that gorilla suit is fake but god that was convincing that was really really good make yes god i mean honestly as much as i enjoy congo yeah that looked a lot more accurate than congo yeah but yeah so he has to find ways of keeping the animals alive keeping the place open but there's this whole subplot of somehow rollo keeps getting in these like situations that make him look like the biggest swinger in all of england like the most fuckable man in the whole place and everybody's just kind of confused by it i mean jimmy curtis seems to be confused by him and also amused and turned on exactly that's why she's kind of seducing him in the end yeah and all the while like kevin klein the son when he's playing the son he's trying to get with earth they have something like no this is purely a partnership you know this is a workplace professional relationship but i think nothing intimate it works out for him because he is a fucking what do you call that sex pest yeah he's a sex pest his whole thing but they finally find a piece for his character in that you know you've, To be fair, it took him accidentally killing his father. But, you know, like, give him the zoo. Just let us run this. Or no, get him to run the corporation, whatever. Now, the whole thing about faking the death is one of the most ridiculously comical things I've ever. The whole, oh, I'm in my dark phases. I gotta go be by myself in the barn. Oh, yeah. Then the whole shtick, trying to find everything, put everything in the right place. Make sure there's no suspicion that it was actually a suicide. Yeah. Like, the space in the gun and everything. And then having to carry on and provide those lines. Yeah, I think it's a really fun movie. But, yeah, it tanked so hard. Originally meant to be $18 million. The reshoots cost another $7 million. And it only made about $8 million in America. Thankfully, it made some decent money overseas. But in comparison, this only made $40 million. Dollars fish kawada beat 198 million and it only cost half of this oh yeah that's a huge drop, all right so what is our next film this one okay this is a bit of a turn this is we're going a little we're going dramatic with this one and this is what you know mainstream audiences take johnny depp far more seriously yeah donnie brosco i'm trying to think was he he was in that nick of time movie a couple years before this that you and i both enjoyed but guess what nobody saw it was a huge flop yeah before this it's either his movies were very very small independent movies like dead man or it was him just being quirky and cute you know like benny what did bonnie and june benny and june benny and june right stuff like that you know where he played quirky eccentric this is the first one besides nick of time that people are like oh he can play a normal dude which he rarely did. And I still think Pirates of the Caribbean is the worst fucking thing that could have happened to him. I mean, at the time it seemed great, but who knew that all that money, all that excess, all those demands for him to play weirdo characters for the rest of his goddamn life until just recently would just undo him. Absolutely. That and, of course, his on-set behavior. Yeah. I'm not really going to get into it, but I just think both of them are kind of fucked up. I don't know. I'm not choosing a side. It's just sometimes you look at the parties and go, yeah, you guys should have never been together in the first place. This is just... Yeah. No, fuck both of you. Yeah. So, yeah, Donnie Brasco is actually the only dramatic one in this bunch because it's weird how I make my list. And this just happens sometimes where we get predominant copies. I think the next one is predominantly thrillers. But yeah, this one is based on a true story. Undercover officer in the 1970s who had to infiltrate the mob. And it's really interesting is having Robert De Niro or Al Pacino play mobster gangster kind of guys was nothing new at this point. Both of them had done at least three or four movies in this vein by this point. But what's interesting is Al Pacino had the guts to accept a role where he was a fucking loser. Pretty much. Yeah, I know. know he was just a wise guy street hustler you know yeah just real low level bottom never gonna be running his own crew this is the closest he's gonna get to success and he gets there with the help of donnie brasco and just just the fucking tension throughout this movie it's not like like suspense movie dread you know like where you think it's gonna be big jumps there's just this This never-ending, oh God, at some point they're going to figure it out. What is going to happen? Is Al Pacino going to sell him down the river? Is Johnny Depp going to have to kill Al Pacino? You just don't know. Exactly. And then there's supporting characters. You've got other wise guys. Michael Madsen did a great job. And in one particular scene, yeah, he kind of screws over Al Pacino. Yeah, there was a point where Michael Madsen, he was never like a big star. But he was always getting quality work and supporting parts. And then he would go off and do like little independent stuff, sometimes trash, sometimes not. And now you look the last 20 years of his career since Kill Bill has been fucking embarrassing. Because he, like Eric Roberts, have this thing where they will literally accept any role for a certain amount of pay a day. And I shit you not, I looked it up. He gets $8,000 a day. He'll do any giant piece of fucking garbage they'll shoot everything in a day or two slap his name at the top of the the post or whatever and that's it he did have a part in sin city yeah so long ago man yeah and then of course there was the the hateful eight, Yeah, if Tarantino or Rodriguez are not involved, it's going to be garbage. I don't know what it is, if he's difficult to work with or he's lazy and tired. I don't know. But it's always a shame when you see actors just do this. I know. It sucks, especially when they had such prominent careers. Yeah. And then there's James Russo, who's another one of those that guy kind of. He's like Michael Madsen's right hand man. It's one of those works filled with guys who just did lots of gangster monster movies. This kind of seems almost like not a goodbye to the whole thing because I feel like Casino was kind of saying goodbye for a while. But this is because it's based on a true story. There's something just slightly different than trying to be a Goodfellas clone. Almost somewhat, yeah. Whoa, Donnie Brasco was a massive hit. I had no fucking clue. It made $125 million worldwide. That's wild to me. Yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, this is what definitely catapulted Johnny Depp to success. And he needed it because it'd been a while since he had a hit, I think. Yeah, I mean, especially if, like, Tim Burton's name wasn't attached to it. Yeah, because Don Juan DeMarco and Benny and June were probably his biggest, but they weren't, like, you're talking like $30 million. That's not a big hit. So this is kind of that next level. And I don't know what's next that really breaks big. Sleepy Hollow, maybe? No, I'm pretty sure there was something else. Yeah. No, Blow is after Sleepy Hollow. But yeah, he's just interesting watching his career go. I wonder if the director, Mike Newell, had seen him on 21 Jump Street where he plays more of a character like this. And that's why he cast him. Because he was an undercover cop. Yeah. So I wonder if that's why he cast him. Oh, man. I will tell you one thing. Like the intensity in that Japanese restaurant. Yeah, exactly what I was going to say. But he couldn't because he had the wire there and off. He also ended up giving the group some balls yeah the uh they're disrespectful as hell it's incredibly underrated i think kind of been forgotten in his oeuvre i think the most tense scene though is the one where there's a rat in the group and they're talking about when they're arrested and and and al pacino is kind of saying it and you know oh fuck they're gonna come after him but then you also start remembering bruno kirby was pulling some side deals with selling inhaling cocaine it's funny is that yeah neither one of them ratted each other out but all of it had here's the thing is the rap part had nothing to do with anybody in the group except that one guy who was going to run the bar and forgot to pay off the cops that's it and if he had just told him like i fuck up i i forgot to pay the cops i don't think he would have been shot but he would have been kicked out of the group and probably had his ass beat and then they wouldn't have had to kill someone else oh yeah exactly yeah oh god. Especially after that big execution scene where they took out rival gangsters. Yeah, yeah. I really thought that, oh, they're going to bring him in and they're going to at least bare minimum beat the fucking shit out of him. But no, they were just setting Bruno Kirby up. So they knew about the coke deal. Yeah, it's hard when you're undercover, you're not supposed to break the law. And while he doesn't take part of the shooting, he does take part of hacking somebody up, and that's a crime. Exactly. Yeah, I know. Yeah, and again, this being based on a true story, he's been in hiding ever since because there's a big, there's like a bounty on his head. Yeah, there's apparently another movie with his character that another mission that he went on where it's called Wise Gal. I think it was a TV movie with, I think, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jason Gedrick, and James Caan. Huh, never knew about that. Yeah, I have to look it up, but I feel like his character, Joe Pistone, there's another case that got turned into a movie. What is our next one oh god sorry right one more thing about that ending though al pacino as soon as he like got that call and he was leaving telling his girlfriend you know i'll be back later if not don't wait up he knew it was going to be oh yeah everything just got revealed and he let someone into the organization who was an undercover cop that's why he left all his jewelry and everything yeah that was a really good scene because it's so quiet and he doesn't really do much besides you see the the the resignment i guess in his eyes just finishing it up going accepting his fate instead of going on the run because you know why they probably would have killed her if he ran exactly and it's like doesn't have much doesn't have much longer it's like you know that's pretty much where his life would be did you want to get any lower than where he is oh you know what i'm sorry i said i must have got confused on the way it was turned into a tv TV series with Jason Gedrick in the year 2000 called Falcone, which is just another play on it's still Joe Pistone's story is just they changed the character because it's a different mission. There is a really, really good TV show that came out the same exact time as 20 on Jump Street from the same creator. And it's called Wise Guy. It was only on for four years and really just watched the first year and it's about a guy who goes deep undercover with the mob and so every 13 episodes there's a new arc where he goes on a new mission you should watch that first season it's really fucking good yeah. What is our next for sure next will okay definitely part of a classic part of a classic franchise for Warner Brothers starring Chevy Chase called Vegas Vacation not the final entry I think a lot of people don't know that Christmas Vacation 2 even exists it was a TNT movie where it's cousin Eddie and the family and I think the very first Audrey goes with them to an island they They get kind of like, what is it, Robin Crusoe kind of thing, where they just trap the island trying to survive during Christmas. It's a comedy, but it's not very good. But for most people, this is it. And look, I know there's a lot that doesn't work in this. There's a lot of jokes that seem to kind

Aiden Gabor was still a teenager when Department of Justice agents approached him with an ultimatum: spend his life in prison for racketeering, embezzlement, extortion, and conspiracy to commit murder, or become an undercover agent. Conflicting Loyalties is a sharp, honest memoir in three parts: the bloody life of a mob soldier from outside la famiglia; the death-defying, paranoid existence of an informant bringing down corrupt politicians and police departments from the inside; and unexpectedly finding peace late in life through the Baha'i faith while coping with an ALS diagnosis. Conflicting Loyalties is a visceral tale of a man who gambles with his own life in order to save it, dodging his fate while searching for an identity, a father, and a family. It is for readers of Gianni Russo's Hollywood Godfather, Joe Pistone's classic Donnie Brasco, and anyone interested in mob life, police and political corruption, and finding peace after a life of violencehttps://conflictingloyalties.com/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551985543880https://www.instagram.com/conflictingloyaltiesbook/ https://www.tiktok.com/@conflictingloyalties https://twitter.com/GaborAidenBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/i-am-refocused-radio--2671113/support.

The Mob Wives March continues with the beautiful and feisty RaMona Rizzo, who sets the record straight about her legendary grandfather, Lefty Guns Ruggerio. RaMona talks about discovering the truth of her grandfather's life through Joe Pistone's book and confronting the differences between reality and Hollywood's portrayal in Donnie Brasco as well. She shares her story of meeting Al Pacino on set and how she's learned to rise above other family secrets, drama, and betrayal. RaMona gets into her path to Mob Wives and her excitement for her company, Spiritual Slinger.Watch Full Episodes & More:www.dumbblondeunrated.comRaMona; IG | Spiritual SlingerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today Sal & I talked about the Bonanno Crime Family Boss Joe Massino. Joe Massino worked his way up in the Bonanno Family from the bottom to the top. His mentor was Philip Rastelli who was the boss at one time and appointed Massino to be next. Joe built the family up very strong and took pride in his work. He was always one step ahead of the feds. In the end they got him to become an informant. Sal talks about his encounters with Joe Massino and what crime they did. We are also joined by Gary Jenkins from Gangland Wire podcast. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos like this. Please subscribe to Patreon for an exclusive story. Cold Case Western AustraliaThey're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Retired FBI Special Agent Joseph Pistone joins Forhad and Jo discuss his career, going undercover as Donnie Brasco and the qualities of being an effective clandestine operative. To learn more about Joe, his books or request him for a speaking engagement, visit: https://www.globalsecurityresolutions.com/joe-pistone.html Please subscribe to our podcast and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube; links are below. Send your comments and/or questions to info@integrasintel.com. We want to hear from you. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/integras-intelligence-inc. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/integrasintel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/integras_intel/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/integrasintel Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIBx0BlZB_u1qolio6LPbsA #security #integrasintelligence #duediligence #privateinvestigators #investigationinsiders #podcast #privateinvestigations #backgroundchecks #litigationsupport #employmentscreening #riskmanagement #executiveprotection#securityassessment #donniebrasco #fbi #undercover #mafia #lcn

In this episode of Gangland Wire, Gary Jenkins delves into the story of Donnie Brasco, aka Joe Pistone, and his introduction to the mob through a minor criminal named Jilly Greca. Jilly, whose real name was Angelo J. Greca, was a member of the Colombo family and owned a store in Brooklyn called Acerg that … Jilly Greca – The Man Who Cleared the Way for Donnie Brasco Read More » The post Jilly Greca – The Man Who Cleared the Way for Donnie Brasco appeared first on Gangland Wire.

In this episode we talk with Joe Pistone to relive is life going undercover to infiltrate the mafia.   Joseph Dominick Pistone is an American former FBI agent who worked undercover as Donnie Brasco 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.

Joe Pistone is a former Marine, current Law Enforcement, and a member of the cadre at Orion Training Group. When I traveled to the HTA Range Day event, Joe was one of the instructors running my class, and I had the privilege of learning from him throughout my day and half spent at the event. As someone who's been involved on the learning side and done a good amount of development in the realm of CQB both in and out of military, Joe has a lot of knowledge and insight not only around teaching, but designing a curriculum. We spend time in our conversation talking about principle based teaching, information processing, the challenge of working behind the power curve, and a lot more. I was very much looking forward to this discussion, especially coming out of the class, and getting to pick Joe's brain. This was a awesome discussion, and I'm very much looking forward to being able to have Joe back on for more!Visit our sponsors!Patreon - www.patreon.com/prepared_mindset_podCustom Night Vision - www.customnightvision.comHRT Tactical Gear - www.hrttacticalgear.comOne Hundred Concepts - www.onehundredconcepts.comLarp Labs - www.larplabs.com discount code "preparedmindset" for 10% off!

In this episode we talk with Joe Pistone to relive is life going undercover to infiltrate the mafia.   Joseph Dominick Pistone is an American former FBI agent who worked undercover as Donnie Brasco 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.

Luke is up north so we got our friend Travis from 93-94 A Music Podcast & Cinema 9 to sub in with Steve & Govier. Steve is fighting through that hurricane that rolled through the Carolinas. He's doing fine as you will hear. Travis is fascinated by the celebrity death culture commonly referenced on the show. That reminds Govier to say farewell to Paul Ruebens. Govier was out on the west side of the state of Michigan and he loved it. He met a person named Ram. A non-binary person who educated Govier & his wife. Travis doesn't want to talk about politics or Mitch McConnell staring off into space. Why do people in Kentucky continuously vote for him? Travis teaches us that expressing to others that he dodged a bullet when it comes to having kids may be offensive to some. The kid chatter leads to a discovery that Chazz Palminteri is alive, but unfortunately resembles Skeletor. Find out which movie was hands down the selection for best performance by Chazz. Govier is interested in a Monster's Ball/Hurly Burly mashup of I don't feel loved and I want to feel good. We got emails! Travis wishes he had emailed the show so he could answer his own fare. Mr. Pink emails us about his challenges with his boss along with a curiosity about the illusion of choice. Steve has an offering from a conservative figure that has the Jacobin stamp of approval! His name is Sohrab Ahmari. Steve gets exposed to Old Town Road for the first time ever and he is not pleased about it. The fellas end up talking about frontin' and Govier is immediately drawn to MC Breed's Ain't No Future In Your Frontin'. Travis tests his baseball knowledge by trying to figure out who Camilo Doval is. Get pissed Dave! Bob Barker died and we have to get on the record on this one. Travis had already mourned him apparently. Our friend Jamie's restaurant is alive and well, which is no easy task. Govier ponders what would have happened if Lawrence Tierney took on the role of Joe Pistone in Donnie Brasco. Al Pacino face to face with Lawrence Tierney. Govier stumbles into doo doo and then Doo Doo Brown is unleashed upon the world! What is Doo Doo Brown and what is a Doo Doo Brown espresso? Find out! We love you all! We are very pleased with our little world that we have formed together thanks to this show. This talk show has little substance to it without you listening and emailing us your thoughts. We close the show with The Biz by The Sea And Cake. If any of our nonsense provokes your thoughts, please share them with us at isitsafepod@gmail.com

The Bonanno crime family was one of the most feared crime syndicates within the New York City mafia scene. In 1976, a low-level jewel thief by the name of Donnie Brasco caught the attention of Lefty Ruggerio, a Bonanno family soldier. He took Donnie under his wing, taught him the Bonanno way of life, and even opened the door for him to become a "made man" for the family. Unbeknownst to the family, Donnie had a secret of his own. Former FBI Agent Joe Pistone reflects on his famous undercover work under the Donnie Brasco alias, separates fact from fiction when it comes to the mafia, and discusses the hardships associated with his line of work. Joe Pistone joined the FBI in 1969 and became a pioneer in the bureau's undercover work. Joe was recognized for his successful work within the FBI, receiving the U.S. Attorney General's J. Edgar Hoover Award, as well as the FBI Medal of Valor. Pistone wrote several books detailing his experiences with the mafia, including Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life In The Mafia, and The Way Of The Wise Guy. Joe Pistone's infiltration of the Bonanno crime family later became the basis for the 1997 film, Donnie Brasco. Follow Emily on Instagram: @realemilycompagno Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special episode of Deep Cover, Joe and Leo speak to former FBI boss, Jules Bonavolonta, who was Head of Organized Crime and Narcotics in New York during the Deep Cover investigation. Jules takes us down memory lane from the Vietnam War to his self-negotiations from the Army into the coveted federal agency. But it's really his untold stories about life-or-death moments with Joe Pistone, Lefty, Santo Trafficante, and the bureaucracy that will make you understand the severity of the undercover operation. Just how much trust and friendship played a major role in their success? You don't want to miss this one. JOIN THE MOTION LOUNGE! For the first time, we are offering a subscription plan. For just $5.99 a month you will join the Motion Lounge and get: Season Exclusives, such as the complete collection of tapes Joseph D. Pistone recorded while in deep cover with New York's most notorious crime families. AD Free Podcast Episodes (Two Days Early) Unedited Video Episodes & Behind-the-Scenes Content Member-only Bonus Episodes Member-only AMA's Family-first access and discounts to live events.  Join now by clicking THIS LINK! Have a question about this episode, a tape, or a past episode? Ask it here. Not ready to join the mob? Connect with us on social using the links below: Connect with us on social using the links below: Instagram: @deepcoverpod Facebook: @deepcoverpodcast Twitter: @deepcoverpodcast Episode Notes: [00:00] Introducing guest, ex-FBI agent, Jules Bonavolonta [02:00] The Garden State Trio: Bonavolonta, Leo and Joe. [03:10] On Anthony Imperiale, former New Jersey state senator [05:20] On using “dramatic licensing” with the truth for movies and tv  [06:50] On the reaction of family and friends after joining the FBI [09:00] Why Bonavolonta threatened to leave the military during the Vietnam War and made it in the FBI [19:20] How Bonavolonta met Joe Pisone while running the organized crime division  [21:15] What's a successful organized crime? Jules speaks on monitoring Joe in the mafia  [24:52] Joe explains to Bonavolonta what he does all day with Sunny Black and Lefty [27:10] Jules details how much Lefty trusted Joe up until his trial testimony  [29:09] Jules and Joe relive the moment the mafia gave Joe a contract to kill Bruno Indelicato [33:55] The infamous argument between Jules and Joe prior to his meeting with Santo Trafficante [41:55] When the mafia found out that Donnie Brasco is Joe Pistone– an open contract [44:04] Jules can kill you with his hands  [47:00] Outro

On this episode of Deep Cover, Leo Rossi walks Joe Pistone through a few more scenes of his Hollywood blockbuster, “Donnie Brasco.” Joe shares intimate details about real-life challenges with his wife, Maggie, while undercover, reveals the subtle brilliance of a scene between Donnie and Lefty, and other insights. He also shares some unrelated stories about the Sicilian Mafioso turned informant, Luigi Ronsisvalle, and a drug deal gone bad in Pensacola, Florida. This one's full of suspense!  JOIN THE MOTION LOUNGE! For the first time, we are offering a subscription plan. For just $5.99 a month you will join the Motion Lounge and get: Season Exclusives, such as the complete collection of tapes Joseph D. Pistone recorded while in deep cover with New York's most notorious crime families. AD Free Podcast Episodes (Two Days Early) Unedited Video Episodes & Behind-the-Scenes Content Member-only Bonus Episodes Member-only AMA's Family-first access and discounts to live events.  Join now by clicking THIS LINK! Have a question about this episode, a tape, or a past episode? Ask it here. Not ready to join the mob? Connect with us on social using the links below: Connect with us on social using the links below: Instagram: @deepcoverpod Facebook: @deepcoverpodcast Twitter: @deepcoverpodcast

On this special episode of Deep Cover, Leo Rossi and Joe Pistone are joined by ex-Colombo crime mobster turned motivational speaker Michael Franzese. He shares his personal testimony about the ways in which “the life” negatively impacted him and his family. Son to the notorious former underboss, Sonny Franzese, Michael was not only born into the life but contributed for nearly 20 years prior to incarceration which prompted his uncharacteristic exit.  Michael and Joe met in their separate endeavors along the way and detailed the extent of their relationship then and now. Tune in for a true tale about the Mafia life from one of their very own.Have a question about this episode, a tape, or a past episode? Ask it here.Connect with us on social using the links below: Instagram: @deepcoverpodFacebook: @deepcoverpodcast Twitter: @deepcoverpodcast Episode Notes:[00:47] Intro with Leo Rossi and Joe Pistone [01:07] Introduction to Michael Franzese [03:09] Franzese speaks on his meeting with Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano [05:00] Joe remembers his first time meeting Michael Franzese in “the life” [06:32] Michael Franzese breaks down how he and his family were impacted by the mob life. [09:04] Franzese shares the story of his father, Sonny Franzese, who was imprisoned until 100 years old. [11:36] What defines a leader? [12:35] Franzese, Joe, and Leo discuss the relationship between crime mob and cops [15:03] Franzese shares his relationship with Bernard “Bernie” Welsh [16:47] Sonny Black's girlfriend relays a message to Joe post-trial [18:14] Franzese gives Joe his flowers [20:09] How did Carmine “Junior” Persico run the family from prison? [23:22] Michael Franzese's dad agreed with the mob's decision to put a contract on his son's life [24:37] Nicky “Glasses” Marangello has a message for Donnie [26:52] Leo shares a story about Carlo Gambino and the new age of mobsters [29:47] The old neighborhoods just aren't the same [31:26] Michael Franzese speaks on his recent book, “Mafia Democracy” [35:02] Franzese shares the similarities between the government and the mob [38:04] Franzese went into business with an Armenian vineyard [40:00] Outro [40:26] Questions from the motion lounge

Joe Pistone and Leo Rossi continue with more behind-the-scenes insight about the Blockbuster movie based on Joe's time in the mob, “Donnie Brasco.” Accompanying clips featuring Johnny Depp, Al Pacino, and others, Pistone shares more deets about his undercover experience and offers some loving words in memory of Anne Heche, the actress who portrayed his wife Maggie Pistone on screen. He even clarifies facts from fiction regarding that infamous wife slap! More, when you tune in to Deep Cover now. JOIN THE MOTION LOUNGE ! For the first time, we are offering a subscription plan. For just $5.99 a month you will join the Motion Lounge and get: Season Exclusives, such as the complete collection of tapes Joseph D. Pistone recorded while in deep cover with New York's most notorious crime families. AD Free Podcast Episodes (Two Days Early) Unedited Video Episodes & Behind the Scenes Content Member-only Bonus Episodes Member-only AMA's Family-first access and discounts to live events.  Join now by clicking THIS LINK! Have a question about this episode, a tape, or a past episode? Ask it here. Not ready to join the mob? Connect with us on social using the links below: Connect with us on social using the links below: Instagram: @deepcoverpod Facebook: @deepcoverpodcast Twitter: @deepcoverpodcastEpisode Notes:[00:00:00] Intro with Joe Pistone and Leo Rossi Have a question about this episode, a tape, or a past episode? Ask it here.Connect with us on social using the links below: Instagram: @deepcoverpod Facebook: @deepcoverpodcast Twitter: @deepcoverpodcast Episode Notes:[00:00] Intro with Joe Pistone and Leo Rossi [01:56] Joe visited the Mob Museum in Las Vegas [03:04] Leo Rossi and Joe Pistone's one-man-show about Donnie Braso [03:27] How the movie designers recreated Sonny Black, Lefty and Nicky entering a disco nightclub [07:45] Donnie Brasco gets caught by the cops; no permit for the lion [10:29] On one-taker scenes that require precision [12:30] How the bribed cop let everyone down; gambling operation at the club gone wrong. [14:50] The arrest record of Donnie Brasco [16:10] Meet us in the Motion Lounge [17:27] The Boss, Carmine Galante, gets whacked [20:31] Sonny Black becomes a Capo and Lefty gets nervous [23:21] Paul Attansio, the screenwriter, continues to write accurate emotions for each character [25:26] How does a hit get set up? Lefty, or Al Pacino, goes off on Donnie Brasco after being “sent for.” [28:40]  The truth about the $300,000 in cash and Joe Pistone remembers Anne Heche, the actress who portrayed his wife and best friend. [29:07] Joe admits there was a time when he couldn't turn ‘off' his character, Donnie Brasco, in real life. [33:05] Through Leo's stage play, Joe's family finally realized just how lonely the job was for him. [34:50] 85% is true [35:50] Maggie and Joe's movie-stealing scenes: “Why do you hate me when I love you so much?” and “I'm not beginning like them, Maggie, I am them.” - the back story. [36:44] When Lefty got saved from being whacked. [37:50] Outro

Joe Pistone and Leo Rossi review and discuss the most popular clips from the motion picture, “Donnie Brasco” based on Joe's book about his time spent undercover in the mob.Joe clarifies a few of the most important contrasts between real life and dramatization and offers some new revelations about the infamous 1981 killing of 3 capos and a boss from the Bonanno Crime Family.We learn how Johnny Depp and others, mostly unknown actors at the time, got the role of a lifetime– including a childhood friend. And he answers a question from the Motion Lounge! Tune in. JOIN THE MOTION LOUNGE ! For the first time, we are offering a subscription plan. For just $5.99 a month you will join the Motion Lounge and get: Season Exclusives, such as the complete collection of tapes Joseph D. Pistone recorded while in deep cover with New York's most notorious crime families. AD Free Podcast Episodes (Two Days Early) Unedited Video Episodes & Behind the Scenes Content Member-only Bonus Episodes Member-only AMA's Family-first access and discounts to live events.  Join now by clicking THIS LINK! Have a question about this episode, a tape, or a past episode? Ask it here. Not ready to join the mob? Connect with us on social using the links below: Connect with us on social using the links below: Instagram: @deepcoverpod Facebook: @deepcoverpodcast Twitter: @deepcoverpodcastEpisode Notes:[00:00:00] Intro with Joe Pistone and Leo Rossi [00:01:07] Behind the scenes: “Donnie Brasco” the movie [00:02:40] Fuhgeddaboudit aka “Forget about it!” [00:07:30] The killing of the 3 Capos in the Bonanno Crime Family ("Phil Lucky," "Sonny Red" and “Big Trin”), starting with the boss, Carmine Gallente [00:10:17] Dramatic license: Joe clarifies that he was not physically present during the whackings. [00:11:31] The truth about Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera, the actor George Angelica [00:15:15] Sonny Red, Big Trin, and Phil Lucky discuss “Where is Bruno?” [00:17:45] The infamous murder scene in “Donnie Brasco” [00:20:06] On Jimmy Russo and Johnny Depp's tense dialogue in the car [00:23:09] “The meek wanna inherit the Earth…” Joe and Leo discuss the scriptwriter, Paul Attanasio. [00:25:02] Unfortunately, it was just “family business.” Joe shares how the mob could effectively compartmentalize after a killing. [00:28:35] Next time: More movie clips, Joe and Lefty Ruggerio. [00:29:13] A question from The Motion Lounge [00:30:32] Why did the mob whack so many people in restaurants? [00:32:20] Join the Motion Lounge!

The Tony Conti saga comes to an end. In this episode, Leo Rossi and Joe Pistone take us through several different tapes that meticulously details the quick, but life-threatening, downfall of Tony Conti (undercover FBI agent) following an incident with the Balistrieri family.  In Joe's attempt to cover for his partner's disappearance after being pulled from the investigation, Joe as Donnie Brasco takes a necessary and calculated trip to Milwaukee in search of the supposed wannabe wise guy. With Lefty Ruggiero hot on his trail, Donnie fabricates his findings. Then, the sobering event ends with an impromptu late-night meeting between the two and mob boss, Mike Sabella. Episode Notes: [00:00] Intro with Leo Rossi and Joe Pistone [01:08] TAPE: Where is Tony Conti? Joe dictates letter about Lefty Ruggiero and Tony's meeting for Jules Bonavolonta of the FBI (10/10/1978 at 9:30pm) [05:37] How was Conti in real life? Did he really have a relationship with three women? [07:42] Everybody's Joe [08:37] Frank Balistrieri's girlfriend was disrespected and Mike Sabella vouches for everyone [12:42] At the heart of it all is greed: Balistrieri to Trafficante [13:45] Conti beats the scam; disappears in Milwaukee [15:32] Donnie offers Lefty $500 from a “score” or bet [18:25] Lefty calls Donnie for a mysterious late night meet [20:24] TAPE: Donnie and Lefty discuss the search for Tony Conti's car in Milwaukee [24:52] Lefty talks about a $7,000 contractor for a fast food restaurant [27:17] TAPE: Donnie tells Lefty that Conti's car is impounded by the cops [30:44] Lefty Ruggiero does not play about his money [33:26] TAPE: Donnie plants the idea that Tony Conti was whacked; Lefty pushes back [38:44] TAPE: Lefty gives Donnie final search locations for Tony; tells him to make a restaurant reservation at 12am at night [42:11] Joe Pistone says that dinner would later become a vital part of the investigation [43:17] TAPE: Donnie presents Lefty with the potential car tag belonging to Tony Conti [45:45] Lefty's never asleep [46:23] Joe Pistone explains how answering difficult questions can be life or death; sign off until next time

Leo Rossi and Joe Pistone deep dive into the relationship between Donnie and Sonny Black Napolitano. At a time when Sonny was attempting to push Lefty out of the conversation, we learn about the infamous club deal Donnie helped orchestrate between Traficante, Sonny, and the Bonanno Crime Family. Plus, get the full scope of just how far and wide this FBI investigation spread across the states. All of season three we will be listening to the tapes that Joe carried undercover and were recently found and remastered. Joe Pistone, Leo Rossi, and you are hearing some of these for the first time. If you want more tapes and videos of the show, you can sign up to become a member of The Motion Lounge HERE. Thank you to our sponsor Killer Psyche Podcast! Not ready to become a friend of ours? Stay connected via social using the links below: Instagram: @deepcoverpod Facebook: @deepcoverpodcast Episode Notes: [00:50:00] Intro [00:01:26] Episode Recap [00:03:07] Rusty Rustelli [00:06:25] Donny Brasco explains stark differences between Lefty and Sonny Black [00:08:05] The Back Story & Benny: Promised Ones [00:10:55] Setting the grounds for the club: an FBI location [00:14:88] Donnie's cash money and street cred [00:17:05] “Friendship” with Sonny versus Lefty [00:19:16] Donnie and Lefty's incident with the air conditioner [00:22:23] Arm wrestling with Sonny [00:24:42] Donnie gets around, San Diego to Milwaukee [00:26:33] Sonny and Lefty's family [00:28:50] Next tape: Sonny Black starts to push Lefty out [00:33:41] John “Boobie” Cerasani [00:34:33] Is Sonny's crew still alive? [00:35:43] Joe shares more about exposing the criminal enterprise [00:37:27] Next tape: Donnie and Sonny are Ernie Borgnine in “Marty” [00:39:44] Sonny Black and Nicky picks up Donnie from the airport

In this conclusion to our two-part episode on the Lefty Tape, you will hear how Joe Pistone, as Donnie Brasco, talks his way out of a life-or-death situation with Left Ruggerio.  Listen to find out how Joe managed to not only save his skin but also kept his business running with the mob as the FBI built their case.  It all ends with a sit down to find out if Joe lives or dies.  Numerous Mafia characters are mentioned and talked about in this episode including, The Bonannos and Trafficante families, Sonny Black, Tony Mira, Ceaser Bonventre, Frank Castellano, The Zips, and Mike Sabella.  All of season three we will be listening to the tapes that Joe carried undercover and were recently found and remastered. Joe Pistone, Leo Rossi, and you are hearing some of these for the first time. If you want more tapes and video of the show, you can sign up to become a member of the The Motion Lounge HERE. Thank you to our sponsor Killer Psyche Podcast!  Not ready to become a friend of ours? Stay connected via social using the links below: Instagram: @deepcoverpod Facebook: @deepcoverpodcast Twitter: @deepcoverpodcast Key Moments: [00:00:00] - Intro with Leo Rossi [00:00:48] - Show recap [00:01:28] - Joe Pistone and Leo Rossi recap the backstory between Lefty Ruggiero and Sonny Black [00:02:49] - Lefty interrogates Donnie (Joe) about Rocky: “think like me” [00:04:57] - Joe explains why he's trying to save Rocky's life [00:07:50] - The battle for Miami with Sonny, the Bonannos and Trafficante [00:09:46] - Lefty pressures Donnie (Joe) about letting Rocky in on the deal; and there's another Tony [00:13:23]  - “America's Guest” Lefty talks money and being ambushed in Brooklyn [00:16:43] - What happened to Mike Sabella? [00:17:40] - “Do you have anything hidden, Donnie?” [00:19:05] - Leo's Resume [00:20:36] - Lefty's Mysterious Man [00:22:18] - The Demise of Cesare Bonventre [00:25:07] - Frank DeCicco sets up Frank Castellano [00:25:41] - Sonny Black's crew [00:27:24] - “I'm treating you like a friend.” Lefty blows up on Donnie Brasco [00:30:07] - Who is The Gimp (Moe The Gimp)? [00:31:31] - Tony Mirrar frustrates Lefty [00:33:17] - Lefty almost gets whacked [00:36:36] - Sonny's Deal Gone Bad [00:38:20] - The Hole in Mirrar's Case [00:40:10] - It Ends with a Sit-Down

Joe Pistone always wanted to be an FBI agent. After a stint in naval intelligence, he started as a Special Agent. His background eventually led him to become Donnie Brasco, one of the longest and most successful undercover operations in law enforcement history. Just weeks away from being inducted into the Bonnano crime family as a ‘made guy', the FBI shut it down.Join us at Patreon.com/gameofcrimes for great content you won't hear anywhere elseDonate at paypal.me/gameofcrimes or go to paypal.com and use our email: gameofcrimespodcast@gmail.comGo to GameOfCrimesPodcast.com for more info and merchFollow us on...TwitterFacebookInstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, you will hear the real life conversation between Lefty and Joe as Donnie faced a life-and-death situation as he dealt with accusations of theft from fellow mobster Tony Mirra.  Join co-hosts Leo Rossi and Joe Pistone as they dive into the first tape from Joe's collection of undercover conversations. Hear from Lefty Ruggiero's wife, as she urgently tries to contact Joe for Lefty, and then from Lefty himself as he questions Joe to find out the truth behind the accusations.  It's high drama on this episode of Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco! If you have questions about this episode or past episodes, you can ask them here by joining the Motion Lounge, where you can also listen to the full tape used in this episode. About the MOTION LOUNGE ! For the first time, we are offering a subscription plan. For just $5.99 a month you will join the Motion Lounge and get: Season Exclusives, such as the complete collection of tapes Joseph D. Pistone recorded while in deep cover with New York's most notorious crime families. AD Free Podcast Episodes (Two Days Early) Unedited Video Episodes & Behind the Scenes Content Member-only Bonus Episodes Member-only AMA's (ask me anything) Family-first access and discounts to live events.    Join now by clicking THIS LINK! Not ready to become a friend of ours? Stay connected via social using the links below: Instagram: @deepcoverpod Facebook: @deepcoverpodcast Twitter: @deepcoverpodcast  Episode notes: [00:01:30] -  Introduction to Joe's defense for his life [00:02:18] - Louise Ruggiero's (Lefty's wife) concerned call to Joe about Lefty's meeting; quick brief on Tony Mirra [00:04:34] - Lefty's call to Joe about Lefty's meeting with Tony Mirra [00:05:37] - Who is Rocky? [00:06:52] - $250,000 accusation [00:07:46] - Lefty probing for information [00:09:36] - Joe explains the story he's trying to sell [00:11:45] - Junk money, Zips [00:19:37] - Lefty continues to probe/explain, compares Tony Mirra's and Donnie's situation [00:24:59] - Sally - head of the Bonanno family [00:29:27] - Federal “Stool Pigeon” [00:35:29] - Lefty and Tony Mirra's bad blood [00:39:00] - Lefty and Joe (Donnie) are in pinch, how will this play out in the next episode?

Joe Pistone always wanted to be an FBI agent. After a stint in naval intelligence, he started as a Special Agent. His background eventually led him to become Donnie Brasco, one of the longest and most successful undercover operations in law enforcement history. Just weeks away from being inducted into the Bonnano crime family as a ‘made guy', the FBI shut it down.Join us at Patreon.com/gameofcrimes for great content you won't hear anywhere elseDonate at paypal.me/gameofcrimes or go to paypal.com and use our email: gameofcrimespodcast@gmail.comGo to GameOfCrimesPodcast.com for more info and merchFollow us on...TwitterFacebookInstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Leo Rossi and Joe Pistone are back with the third season! This season is called “Donnie's Tapes." All season, Joe and Leo will be going over the actual tapes that Joe carried while undercover for six years with the mafia as Donnie Brasco.  The tapes were recently found by Joe and then remastered by Jam Street Media. In this episode, Joe talks about how he did the actual recordings, the technology then versus today, and how others were not as lucky as him with their undercover recordings over the years.  In this first episode of the season, you will hear a few of the tapes played "before and after" style to appreciate how much better they sound now. Buckle up, 'cause this season it's all about the tapes on Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco. JOIN THE MOTION LOUNGE ! For the first time, we are offering a subscription plan. For just $5.99 a month you will join the Motion Lounge and get: Season Exclusives, such as the complete collection of tapes Joseph D. Pistone recorded while in deep cover with New York's most notorious crime families. AD Free Podcast Episodes (Two Days Early) Unedited Video Episodes & Behind the Scenes Content Member-only Bonus Episodes Member-only AMA's Family-first access and discounts to live events.                  Join now by clicking THIS LINK!  Not ready to join the mob? Connect with us on social using the links below: Instagram: @deepcoverpod Facebook: @deepcoverpodcast Twitter: @deepcoverpodcast Episode notes and links: [00:00:00] - Season 3 introduction; I am Leo Rossi[00:01:40] - Leo and Joe Pistone are back! [00:03:16] - Joe found additional tapes from his Mafia days [00:04:44] - Old school ways agents secretly recorded conversations [00:08:40] - Introduction to Jules, Joe's sounding board [00:10:20] - Speaks on the validity of two Donnie Brasco movie scenes [00:11:35] - What you will hear and subscribers will see in the forthcoming season [00:12:47] - Leo speaks on meeting Joe for the first time 25 years ago with a $500,000 hit on his life [00:13:55] - What's coming next? Meet Quinn, the next 2 episodes and a fun game. [00:15:25] - Before and after #1 -- original tape audio vs remastered audio; "a great clean-up job" [00:16:30] - Re-introducing Lefty Ruggiero [00:18:10] - Do mob wives know who is in “the life”? [00:18:39] - The backstory on Lefty and Joe's heated conversation; re-introducing Tony Mirra (re-listen to "Donnie Brasco vs. Tony Mirra" from season 1 ) ; Michael Francis Interview with Joe  [00:20:20] - Before and after #2 [00:21:50] - Joe explains “the boat” and how Lefty identified it belonging to the FBI; Abscam  [00:25:42] - Before and after #3 [00:26:30] - Explanation of audio; Lefty at the club questioning Joe on details [00:28:40] - The difference between Sonny Black and Lefty [00:29:10] - Joe compares Al Pacino as Lefty compared to real-life Lefty [00:30:30] - Join The Motion Lounge to go deeper! [00:31:40] - Season 3 overview