They based the Lefty character in the movie in part on the real Sonny Black. Initially, Pistone planned on spending six months inside the Mafia, but it took more than six months just to be introduced to mobsters. What is a skipper, wiseguy and connected guy? Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero is the deuteragonist of the 1997 crime film Donnie Brasco, based on the real life memoirs of undercover FBI special agent Joseph Pistone. Which some say was a set up to be killed, and was intercepted and arrested. It is an adaptation of the story of FBI Agent Joseph D. Pistone and his work as an undercover agent infiltrating the Bonanno family, one of the five most important mafia families in New York. He lived in an apartment on Monroe Street in Manhattan in the same building as his friend and Bonanno soldier Anthony Mirra. Powers / Skills The boss who led that resurgence, Joseph Massino, was convicted in 2004 of ordering Napolitano to be killed for allowing Pistone into the family. Occupation Then:Like Nelson, Paul Giamatti was also not yet that well known, and played the other FBI technician assigned to the case. Kings Court was still bringing in a healthy turnover from loan sharking and bookmaking, so despite the raid, Black told agents Robb and Pistone he would recommend their membership to the Mafia to his superiors. Agent, Dropping Disguise, Tells Court of Life Inside the Mob", "F.B.I. Sonny Black went to the meeting and as expected he was killed.It is debated whether or not Lefty was going to be killed. Pistone had hundreds of hours of wiretap recordings. First of all, I want to add that I LOVE Pacino's work. Edit, Awards It's an exit that does justice to both the actor and the role, and it leaves an ache in the movie. Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Katz's Delicatessen - 205 East Houston Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He was played by Al Pacino, who also portrayed Michael Corleone in the Godfather film series, John Milton in The Devil's Advocate, Big Boy in Dick Tracy, Tony Montana in Scarface, David Fisk in Righteous Kill, Shylock in The . In November 1982, Ruggiero was sentenced to 15 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy; he was released in April 1993 before his death from cancer. Lefty is angered by this, believing his reputation was passed over and because he provided for Sonny Black's family while Sonny was in prison. [5], He worked for a year as a teacher at Paterson School No. It was given a wide release in North America on February 28, 1997. This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 15:32. What I found was this second hand mobster, an ambitious and highly committed to the "family" man that wanted to climb the ranks and rise as the new boss, but couldn't, and not for the same reason Henry Hill and Jimmy Conway couldn't, not for a blood matter, but because he wasn't respected. Ruggiero became the part-owner of a fishery in the Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan. During an earlier criminal enterprise, Ruggiero met Frank Balistrieri, the Mafia boss of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby, James Russo, and Anne Heche appeared in supporting roles. He was played by Al Pacino, who also portrayed Michael Corleone in the Godfather film series, John Milton in The Devil's Advocate, Big Boy in Dick Tracy, Tony Montana in Scarface, David Fisk in Righteous Kill, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Richard III in Looking for Richard, Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, Walter Burke in The Recruit, Willy Bank in Ocean's Thirteen, Roy Cohn in Angels in America, and Wilhelm Zuchs in Hunters. He is well known for being the individual who introduced FBI Special Agent Joseph "Donnie Brasco" Pistone into the Bonanno family. After the truth about Donnie is finally uncovered, Lefty realizes he will be killed for letting Donnie into the gang and leaves his valuables behind for his wife before going to face his death with dignity, with his fate not being shown. I couldn't help but feel anguish for him, because I knew that he would suffer the consequences of Donnie's real identity when it would have come to light. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. She was born into the street life during its Twilight years. [5][1], Pistone worked his way into becoming an associate in Jilly Greca's crew from the Colombo family that was primarily involved in hijackings and robberies. [1] Although Pistone resigned from the FBI in 1986, he continued to testify when called upon,[23] including at the Pizza Connection Trial. Lefty begins fouling up the plan by welcoming and instructing Donnie as his surrogate son, since Lefty's real son is no good. [34], Pistone featured prominently in the 2013 mini-series Inside the American Mob. He went into the bar under his apartment and left his valuables with the bartender whom he trusted. [18][1], The Mafia put out a $500,000 contract on Pistone and kicked the Bonanno family off the Commission. Depp was previously known for starring in the Tim Burton films 'Edward Scissorhands' and 'Ed Wood,' as well as films like 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' and 'Benny and Joon.'. While they are in a jail cell, Lefty notes that in order for the police to perform a raid that quickly, someone would have had to rat them out. It's often confusing to know what terms mean why they all have different names.Connected Guy is an Associate to a mafia family. Over the next few months, both men avoided the Bonanno bosses. Ronnie Farer was born on 19 October 1951 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA. Pistone finally found his ticket into the New York Mafia after Mirra introduced him to Benjamin Lefty Guns Ruggiero. A short time after the killings, Pistone and Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero received the contract to murder Bruno Indelicato. [2] After the 1979 murder of Carmine Galante, Pistone reported to captain Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano. He finds his loyalties divided when Lefty Ruggiero, a jaded hit man, takes him on as a protg and places real trust in him. They get the ultimate protection, meaning no one can touch you or they will get killed. 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. Now in his sixth year undercover in the Mob, Pistone had already gone deeper into the Mafia than any undercover agent. "I represent you. However, one faction, led by Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato, rebelled at Rastelli's leadership. The contract was dropped by Paul Castellano, who headed the Commission, as he thought killing a federal agent would "attract too much attention". ', Now:Ivanek is one of those great "that guy" actors, whose name you might not know, but whose face you definitely recognize from films like 'Hannibal,' 'Black Hawk Down,' 'Live Free or Die Hard,' 'In Bruges' and 'The Bourne Legacy.' New Theory Magazine has exclusive access to the readers you want to reach. The Essentials: Al Pacino's Best Performances, Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, "Nominees & Winners for the 70th Academy Awards | Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences", "Al Pacino as Gangster, A Guy Who's Not Wise", "Guns and Roses / Pacino, Depp mob thriller 'Donnie Brasco' adds love triangle to the payoff", The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Donnie_Brasco_(film)&oldid=1148699502, Films about the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Films based on non-fiction books about organized crime, Films about organized crime in the United States, Articles with dead external links from November 2010, Articles with MusicBrainz release group identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 April 2023, at 19:16. The Cast and Crew of the 1997 Hit Movie Donnie Brasco the murders he would have to be killed to prevent retribution for his father's death. Mirra told Bonanno bosses that he deserved a cut of Pistones earnings because he had introduced him to the Mob. We also had former Mafia captain Michael Franzese who was making between $5 million to $8 million a week (yes a week) back in the 80s. Ruggiero had two younger siblings named Dominick and Angelina. Mafia soldier At the same time, Ruggiero and Brasco started a bookmaking operation out of the store. He is well known for his friendship and mentorship of FBI undercover agent Joseph D. Pistone, who Ruggiero knew as Donnie Brasco. 465 (S.D.N.Y. "[14] Siskel and Ebert gave Donnie Brasco "two thumbs up" on their syndicated television series. Wikimedia Commons/YouTubeTony Mirra and Sonny Black. The next day the FBI visited Black in New York. An associate is an outsider or a hang around. See production, box office & company info, (book "Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia"), Siskel & Ebert: The Empire Strikes Back: Special Edition/When We Were Kings/Blood & Wine/Lost Highway/Margaret's Museum. ', Now:Madsen reunited with his 'Reservoir Dogs' director Quentin Tarantino for both 'Kill Bill' films, and appeared in 'Sin City.' We had John Alite on the show as he talked about it not being a comfortable life and is far from the glamorous portrayal of the Godfather (still the best movie of all time Part 2 that is). She points out that the book was much more accurate than the movie as she actually sat down directly with Al Pacino and asked him to portray Lefty correctly (she definitely has balls). director of photography Film Editing by Jon Gregory Casting By He comes off hostile and unruly. Getty ImagesJoseph Pistone after the undercover investigation. Watching Pacino as more of a bumbling old-timer instead of the steely-eyed, calculating Godfather, or psychotic Tony Montana showed a side of Pacino seldom seen. Watching nature documentaries.Having Donnie over to his house for dinner. Was having a moustache really not allowed at the time? As Donnie moves deeper into the Mafia, he realizes that not only is he crossing the line between federal agent and criminal, but also leading his friend Lefty to an almost certain death. Lefty gets a call from mob higher ups. A play based on Donnie Brasco opened at the Pennsylvania Playhouse. Around Donnie alone, Lefty played like a big shot, taught him everything he needed to know in order to enter in the family, mentored him, because he wanted to feel important, while he really wasn't. They report to the higher ups, and are like mini bosses of their territories and neighborhoods. Yes, I am going to make the bold claim that this is his best work. Ruggiero was born on April 19, 1926, in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, and grew up in the Knickerbocker Village private housing development in Little Italy, Manhattan. Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia (Hodder & Stoughton. After roughing up the dealer and taking his car, Lefty took Donnie under his wing and taught him the rules and hierarchy of the mafia family he is a part of. (music by) Cinematography by Peter Sova . Edit, It was a King's Court matchbox, from the club Lefty was trying to open without Sonny knowing. Then:Al Pacino, best known for roles in classic films like 'The Godfather' and 'Scarface,' played Lefty Ruggiero, a low-level mob hitman who befriends Donnie Brasco. Judging by Nicolas Cage's performance in Green's 'Joe,' we might be in for something pretty special. In Donnie Brasco (1997), we see Pacino return to the organized-crime genre that made him so famous. In 1978, FBI agent Joe Pistone ( Johnny Depp ), aka Donnie Brasco, goes deep under cover within a Brooklyn mob organization. Fox Show.'. Al Pacino is my favourite actor and I love almost all of his work, but if I were to pick my favourite performance of his, I'm pretty positive it would be this one. Donnie Brasco (1997) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Mike Newell . Thanks to Ruggiero, Pistone was exonerated and Mirra was sent packing. Pistone, Joseph D.; & Brandt, Charles (2007). Origin And so, in the twilight of his career, he takes a young jewel thief named Donnie Brasco under his wing and teaches him the ways of the mob. But the undercover man also knows, throughout "Donnie Brasco," that Lefty will be the one to pay the price for Donnie's treachery when the FBI scam is eventually exposed. Lefty first met Joe Pistone under the alias of "Donnie Brasco" when he was posing as a jewel thief and suspected a diamond dealer might have ripped Lefty off by selling him a fake ring. Brasco maneuvers his way into the confidence of an aging Mafia hitman, Lefty Ruggiero (Pacino), who vouches for him. More recently, his film credits include roles in 'Piranhaconda' and 'I'm in Love with a Church Girl,' and he guest starred on 'Hawaii Five-0' and lent his voice to the animated series 'Axe Cop. You know how this works? [2] When Mirra was sent to prison, Pistone was tutored in the ways of the Mafia by Bonanno soldier Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero, whose captain was Mike "Mimi" Sabella. While it is never explained clearly if it was fake or not. 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. If found guilty he would be killed. Police officials and witnesses said four men pulled up in a car and opened fire with automatic weapons and shotguns. However, his character here (Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero) is a stark contrast from his earlier gangster roles. Katz's Delicatessen - 205 East Houston Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. | Yes, I am going to make the bold claim that this is his best work. When the FBI decides that it is time to pull the plug on the operation, Donnie realizes that, if he walks away, Ruggiero will certainly be the one punished. (Sony) Director: Mike Newell Genre (s): Drama, Thriller, Crime Rating: R Runtime: 127 min See All Details and Credits Watch Now Stream On Stream On Buy on Stream On Stream On Stream On MurderRacketeering In the aughts, he appeared in 'The Recruit,' 'Ocean's Thirteen' and Christopher Nolan's 'Insomnia.' Mirra and Napolitano were murdered shortly afterwards. Lefty in real life was indeed a something of a failure because of his gambling debts and very loyal to the idea of 'our thing'. In 1979, Ruggiero converted his social club into a candy store and gave it to one of his daughters to manage. "Are you talking about the same Al Pacino that did Scarface, Heat, AND the Godfather movies" you ask. What is the first song during the opening credits? Released in 1997, 'Donnie Brasco' starred Johnny Depp as an FBI agent who goes undercover to infiltrate a crime family and is befriended by hitman Lefty Ruggiero, played by Al Pacino. Directed by Mike Newell. 465 (S.D.N.Y. What is a skipper, wiseguy and connected guy? Seventeen years later, we revisit the cast of this modern classic and see what they're up to now. Enjoy this look at Joseph Pistone and his undercover work as Donnie Brasco that exposed Americas most powerful criminal organization? What are the differences between the theatrical version and Special Edition? Donnie Brasco 1997 R 2h 7m IMDb RATING 7.7 /10 315K YOUR RATING Rate POPULARITY 1,916 658 Play trailer 0:37 1 Video 99+ Photos Biography Crime Drama An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob and finds himself identifying more with the mafia life, at the expense of his regular one. Edit, Donnie and Lefty head down to the dock where Donnie has been ordered by Sonny Black (Michael Madsen) to kill Sonny Red's (Robert Miano) son Bruno (Brian Tarantina). Napolitano later contacted Pistone, whom he hoped to make a made man,[8] to murder Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato's son, Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato,[9] who had previously evaded death after missing a May 1981 meeting which left Indelicato, Phillip Giaccone, and Dominick Trinchera dead. He'd previously appeared in the comedies 'Heavyweights' and 'Joe's Apartment.'. He's also set to reprise his Jack Sparrow role for a fifth 'Pirates of the Caribbean' film, which is supposed to start shooting later this year. Getty ImagesThe body of reputed Mafia leader Carmine Galante is covered by New York police detectives here July 12 at a Brooklyn restaurant after Galante and his associate, identified as Nino Cappolla, were shot to death as they ate lunch. However, the two reconcile their friendship after Donnie visits Lefty's son, who was in the hospital on life support after overdosing on drugs. [4] Ruggiero joined the Bonanno family organization as a young man, serving as a street soldier under caporegime Michael Sabella. [21][22] The evidence collected by Pistone led to over 200 indictments and over 100 convictions of Mafia members. [8][9][10] On August 29, 1981, the FBI intercepted and arrested Ruggiero. As a part-owner, Ruggiero was able to put himself on the company payroll with a $5,000-a-month "no-show" job. "[13] Entertainment Weekly called it a "wonderfully dense, clever, and moving gangland thriller," and gave it an A, also praising Paul Attanasio's screenplay as "a rich, satisfying gumbo of back stabbing, shady business maneuvers, and mayhem.
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