Donnie Brasco: FBI Agent

Donnie Brasco, was an alias for a FBI agent who’s real identity was a man named Joseph D. Pinstone. He was an undercover agent that was able to penetrate his way into a New York crime family in the late 1970 to early 1980. He had the crime mob thinking that he was a jewel thief and spent a total of six years in the Bonanno crime family.

During his undercover work he was assigned to a long term operation in Tampa, Florida with the Mafia. He quickly involved himself with people that was known for stealing cars, so that he could have a cover and be introduced to the gang as a car thief. While he was involved in the new gang he was able to have enough evidence to put the entire ring in jail and recover millions of dollars of property that was

This was perfect because the reputation of the mob was that members were of Italian descent and it would make it fairly easy for him to infiltrate the gang easier. Although the FBI wanted him to change his alias, but he decided to keep using the name Donnie Brasco.

Due to Joseph Pinstone using his same alias the FBI had to create a deep and dirty background of Donnie Brasco’s activities as being a jewel their and a car thief to make it believable to the Mafia. He also took a class to study gemstones to help him with his undercover craft so that if and when confronted he could make a split decision in a matter of seconds if needed. He was able to convince them at just one glance, which gained the trust and respect of the wise guy, enough to have him vouch for him to the Mafia as a friend of his.

Donnie Brasco had to face several ethical dilemmas, like stand by and watching people get beat up, the illegal gambling, illegal drugs that was being stolen and resold, the killing of other mob members and having to participate so that he would not reveal his identity, not getting emotionally involved with gang members and the way he treated his wife while undercover so that he would not expose his