Origins & Early Life

Joseph Dominick Pistone (born September 17, 1939) is an American former FBI special agent who worked undercover as Donnie Brasco between September 1976 and July 1981, as part of an infiltration primarily into the Bonanno crime family under the tutelage of Anthony Mirra and later Dominick Napolitano, and to a lesser extent the Colombo crime family, two of the Five Families of the Mafia in New York City. Pistone was an FBI agent for 17 years, from 1969 until he resigned in 1986. The evidence collected by Pistone led to over 200 indictments and over 100 convictions of Mafia members, and some responsible for his infiltration were also killed by other mobsters. Pistone was a pioneer in long-term undercover work.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The FBI's former director, J. Edgar Hoover, who died in 1972, did not want FBI agents to work undercover because of the danger of agents becoming corrupted. Pistone's work later helped convince the FBI that using undercover agents in lieu of relying exclusively on informants was a crucial tool in law enforcement. Pistone detailed his undercover experience in his 1988 book Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, the basis of the 1997 film about his life.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Adolph Zukor — Historical peer (Died in 1976) (1976): Pioneering Hungarian-American film producer, co-founder of Paramount Pictures.
• Abigail Spencer — Historical peer (Born in 1981) (1981): American actress, producer, and writer known for roles in soap operas and dramas.
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