Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia
First edition cover
|
|
| Author | Joseph D. Pistone |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | True crime |
|
Publication date
|
1988 (Dutton Books) 1997 (Signet) |
| Pages | 416 |
| ISBN | |
Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia (Hodder & Stoughton. ) is a 1988 autobiographical crime book written by Joseph D. Pistone (assisted by Richard Woodley) about his story as an FBI agent going undercover and infiltrating the Mafia. In 1997, the book was made into a feature film titled Donnie Brasco, starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino. Louis DiGiaimo, a casting director who worked on The Godfather and a childhood friend of Pistone, consulted on the book and film. The book was re-released in a second edition the same year the film was released.
Pistone becomes an FBI agent after spending time working for Naval Intelligence. He first goes undercover to infiltrate a theft ring. The operation pays off when the FBI arrests one of the largest and most profitable theft rings in history.
After the success of the operation, the FBI and Pistone consider going undercover and infiltrating truck hijacking gangs and the Mafia. After months of preparation, the FBI erases Pistone's personal history and he goes undercover as Donald Brasco, an expert jewel thief from Miami, Florida. Hanging out at known crime spots, such as bars and social clubs, he eventually befriends a bartender and joins a crime gang.
He moves on to Jilly Greca's crew, who are associates in the Colombo crime family. The crew are involved in truck hijacking and selling stolen merchandise. Brasco meets Anthony Mirra and the two begin hanging out. Mirra is a soldier in the Bonanno crime family and is a lot better connected, respected and feared than Greca's crew. Brasco decides it would be a better choice for the operation to go with Mirra, so he starts hanging out more with Mirra.
...
Wikipedia