Mafia-International


Joseph Pistone - AKA Donnie Brasco Interview Joseph Pistone the FBI agent on whom the movie Donnie Brasco was Based kindly offered to be interviewed by the readers of the RealDeal Mafia forum. The questions below were put to him by some of the board members. The RealDeal forum thanks Mr Pistone for his honesty and frankness in replying to our questions. - Kenny Torro. Q. In interviews, Pistone claims he doesn't feel bad about what happened to Sonny Black and Lefty because he didn't make up LCN rules. So I would like to ask him, once and for all, if he did or did not feel bad about what happened to Sonny Black and Lefty. - Jeff Pistone. No. The movie made it out to be more than it was. That was Hollywood. They did it in for dramatic purposes. I never forgot what my job was -- to get as close to these wiseguys as possible. Q. I would like to know if he while undercover enjoyed the company of Lefty and Sonny Black? Also how did he feel when Lefty passed away? - Rob Pistone - I didn't want anyone getting killed because of my undercover work. We tried to capture and detain these men before it could happen. But they live by a different set of rules. Q. What reasons would a cop like a murderer? - Lou Pistone - To do my job I had to spend a lot of time with them. I couldn't hate them and be able to do my job deep undercover. I had to know my place and get them to talk. I wasn't a made guy so I had to put up with their shit more. All had qualities that made the work possible. Some were funny; others told great stories. I had to spend 15 - 16 hours a day with these guys just sitting around waiting or driving around for orders so I had to learn to like them - to survive. Q. What did Pistone find the hardest part of his job: the tension of playing such a dangerous game, or the pressure on his family life? - Thom L. Jones Pistone - Married life is very hard for all undercover agents regardless of their field. I got to see my wife and kids like one or two days every few months. It takes a special relationship and an understanding spouse to make it through six months or deep undercover, let alone six years. It is hard watching your kids grow up while you are not around and knowing your wife has to handle everything. Of course, the hardest part, is knowing that if you slip up, you'll be dead and gone and they might never find your remains. Q. I for one would like to know? how many Men died and how many made witness protection and how many went to prison do to his involvment.and what impact has this had on his life and do his family support the chioces He has made - BAWBAG Pistone - Today wiseguys talk much easier than the old school guys - so more break the code of silence. My new book talks about old wiseguys and new wiseguys. My family does support my choices. My efforts have incarcerated more than 120 members of organized crime. My job has made me an expert for both law enforcement and the entertainment industry. Q. My question that I would like to ask him would be, considering the amount of time and energy it took to become "Donnie Brasco", would he do it all over again knowing the impact it had on his personal & family life. Maybe another good question would be how hard was it to rid himself of the "wiseguy" persona &/or attitude that he developed as an undercover agent in the world of the Cosa Nostra. - Greekman A. Well the weird thing is some people who know Donnie Brasco by the movie think that I really was a wiseguy. Even some wiseguys when they were arrested wanted to know why I turned over and gave them up to the Feds. They couldn't understand that I was a Fed first. No, I wouldn't change what I did. It was the most successful FBI undercover operation ever. Q. Did he work with Bennie Hussick in Tampa? Did he talk with Vincent LoScalzo when him and Sonny Black met Trafficante at Pappas Restaurant in Tarpon Srpings - Scott Deitche Pistone - Yes, as I recall he was running part or all of Santo Trafficante's gambling operations. Yes, I do remember speaking with LoScalzo but don't remember where that meeting took place. Q. How did he train for the job? Was he previously around "the life" enough to know EXACTLY how to act. Obviously he knew a thing or two about the life, and how nervous was he when starting the operation? Or was he calm and confident? - Sharpie Pistone - I grew up around wiseguys on the streets of Paterson, New Jersey, but I never got involved with them. I always worked all kinds of blue-collar jobs: in construction, in bars, driving tractor trailers so before I went to college, I saw a lot of things and learned a lot. My first government job was with the Office of Naval Intelligence, investigating drug, theft, and espionage cases. I passed the FBI's entrance exams and became a special agent in 1969. Because of my background and training it became clear that my specialty was undercover. Q. I would like to know if he still has the same thoughts about there being a contract out on his head. Because Jerry Capeci wrote in several of his columns that he wondered why such a hero needed to come up with such a bullshit story to add legend to an already legendary story. (since this is a second question, you may disregard this one but if you can still answer: Is Capeci wrong?) - David Pistone - There was intelligence information that supported those claims. Intelligence is what it is. A lot of the old mobsters are either dead or in jail, so I don't know if anyone still wants to kill me. If some young guy came up trying to make a big name for himself, I doubt there would be money there to pay him with the mob's current state of affairs. But I still protect myself. To this day, I don't travel under my own name and do not let fans take my photograph. I still report in to the agency when I am traveling. My own publisher does not have my home address. HOME WEBMASTER DISCLAIMER

Joseph Pistone - AKA Donnie Brasco

Interview

[Joseph Pistone] Joseph Pistone the FBI agent on whom the movie Donnie Brasco was Based kindly offered to be interviewed by the readers of the RealDeal Mafia forum. The questions below were put to him by some of the board members. The RealDeal forum thanks Mr Pistone for his honesty and frankness in replying to our questions. - Kenny Torro.

Q. In interviews, Pistone claims he doesn't feel bad about what happened to Sonny Black and Lefty because he didn't make up LCN rules. So I would like to ask him, once and for all, if he did or did not feel bad about what happened to Sonny Black and Lefty. - Jeff
Pistone. No. The movie made it out to be more than it was. That was Hollywood. They did it in for dramatic purposes. I never forgot what my job was -- to get as close to these wiseguys as possible.

Q. I would like to know if he while undercover enjoyed the company of Lefty and Sonny Black? Also how did he feel when Lefty passed away? - Rob
Pistone - I didn't want anyone getting killed because of my undercover work. We tried to capture and detain these men before it could happen. But they live by a different set of rules.

Q. What reasons would a cop like a murderer? - Lou
Pistone - To do my job I had to spend a lot of time with them. I couldn't hate them and be able to do my job deep undercover. I had to know my place and get them to talk. I wasn't a made guy so I had to put up with their shit more. All had qualities that made the work possible. Some were funny; others told great stories. I had to spend 15 - 16 hours a day with these guys just sitting around waiting or driving around for orders so I had to learn to like them - to survive.

Q. What did Pistone find the hardest part of his job: the tension of playing such a dangerous game, or the pressure on his family life? - Thom L. Jones
Pistone - Married life is very hard for all undercover agents regardless of their field. I got to see my wife and kids like one or two days every few months. It takes a special relationship and an understanding spouse to make it through six months or deep undercover, let alone six years. It is hard watching your kids grow up while you are not around and knowing your wife has to handle everything. Of course, the hardest part, is knowing that if you slip up, you'll be dead and gone and they might never find your remains.

Q. I for one would like to know? how many Men died and how many made witness protection and how many went to prison do to his involvment.and what impact has this had on his life and do his family support the chioces He has made - BAWBAG
Pistone - Today wiseguys talk much easier than the old school guys - so more break the code of silence. My new book talks about old wiseguys and new wiseguys. My family does support my choices. My efforts have incarcerated more than 120 members of organized crime. My job has made me an expert for both law enforcement and the entertainment industry.

Q. My question that I would like to ask him would be, considering the amount of time and energy it took to become "Donnie Brasco", would he do it all over again knowing the impact it had on his personal & family life. Maybe another good question would be how hard was it to rid himself of the "wiseguy" persona &/or attitude that he developed as an undercover agent in the world of the Cosa Nostra. - Greekman
A. Well the weird thing is some people who know Donnie Brasco by the movie think that I really was a wiseguy. Even some wiseguys when they were arrested wanted to know why I turned over and gave them up to the Feds. They couldn't understand that I was a Fed first. No, I wouldn't change what I did. It was the most successful FBI undercover operation ever.

Q. Did he work with Bennie Hussick in Tampa? Did he talk with Vincent LoScalzo when him and Sonny Black met Trafficante at Pappas Restaurant in Tarpon Srpings - Scott Deitche
Pistone - Yes, as I recall he was running part or all of Santo Trafficante's gambling operations. Yes, I do remember speaking with LoScalzo but don't remember where that meeting took place.

Q. How did he train for the job? Was he previously around "the life" enough to know EXACTLY how to act. Obviously he knew a thing or two about the life, and how nervous was he when starting the operation? Or was he calm and confident? - Sharpie
Pistone - I grew up around wiseguys on the streets of Paterson, New Jersey, but I never got involved with them. I always worked all kinds of blue-collar jobs: in construction, in bars, driving tractor trailers so before I went to college, I saw a lot of things and learned a lot. My first government job was with the Office of Naval Intelligence, investigating drug, theft, and espionage cases. I passed the FBI's entrance exams and became a special agent in 1969. Because of my background and training it became clear that my specialty was undercover.

Q. I would like to know if he still has the same thoughts about there being a contract out on his head. Because Jerry Capeci wrote in several of his columns that he wondered why such a hero needed to come up with such a bullshit story to add legend to an already legendary story. (since this is a second question, you may disregard this one but if you can still answer: Is Capeci wrong?) - David
Pistone - There was intelligence information that supported those claims. Intelligence is what it is. A lot of the old mobsters are either dead or in jail, so I don't know if anyone still wants to kill me. If some young guy came up trying to make a big name for himself, I doubt there would be money there to pay him with the mob's current state of affairs. But I still protect myself. To this day, I don't travel under my own name and do not let fans take my photograph. I still report in to the agency when I am traveling. My own publisher does not have my home address.

HOME WEBMASTER DISCLAIMER