Donnie Brasco is a 1997 film by Mike Newell starring Al Pacino, Michael Madsen and Johnny Depp. It is based on the real-life events of Joseph D. Pistone, an FBI agent who successfully infiltrated the Bonanno crime family, one of the Mafia's Five Families based in New York City during the '70s. Sony Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $68. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Michael Cormac Newell (born March 28, 1942) is an English director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for television. ... Pacino (right) in The Godfather (1972) Alfredo James Pacino (born April 25, 1940) is an Academy Award-, Emmy Award- and Tony Award-winning American stage and film actor who played such iconic roles as Michael Corleone in The Godfather Trilogy and Tony Montana in the 1983 film Scarface. ... Michael Joe Madsen (born September 25, 1958) is an American actor. ... Johnny Depp (born John Christopher Depp II[2] on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky) is an Academy Award-nominated and SAG Awards-winning American actor and for his performances in the films Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Whats Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Ed Wood (1994... Joseph Pistone as Donnie Brasco (left) with Dominick Sonny Black Napolitano (right) in Florida. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... The Bonanno crime family is one of the Five Families that controls organized crime activities in New York City, USA, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia (or Cosa Nostra). ... The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra), is a criminal secret society which first developed in the mid-19th century in Sicily. ... The Five Families are the major crime families of the Italian-American Mafia based in New York City which have dominated traditional organized crime in New York. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

Plot

In the late 1970s, FBI agent Joe Pistone (Depp) is assigned to infiltrate a New York City mafia family. Calling himself Donnie Brasco, and posing as a diamond expert, he befriends Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino), a low-level mob hit man whose personal life is in tatters, and Dominick Napolitano (Michael Madsen). Lefty can't seem to make any money, his son is a junkie, and he is continually passed over for promotion to a higher position within the Family. He continually reminds Brasco of his growing disillusionment about having spent 30 years in the mafia (and killing 26 people), with little to show for it. In Donnie, however, Lefty sees a young protege who might be able to succeed where he failed. He takes Donnie under his wing, and under Lefty's tutelage Donnie quickly becomes accepted by the other Family members, although he is never elevated above the rank of "associate" member (the lowest mafia rank). But the longer Pistone plays the role of a gangster, the more he finds himself actually becoming Donnie Brasco during his rare off duty hours. His change in personality drives a wedge between him and his wife (played by Anne Heche) and three children. Eventually Pistone realizes that the slightest mistake in his performance as a mobster could result in the death of him and his family. In addition, Joe Pistone has come to regard Lefty as a close and trusted friend. He knows that when the day finally comes that the FBI arrests his mob associates, he will be ending Lefty's life as surely as if he himself had killed him. An editor has expressed a concern that the tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for an encyclopedia. ... External links An Archetypal Mob Trial: Its Just Like in the Movies, The New York Times, May 23, 2004. ... A junkie (or junky) is a heroin addict. ... Anne Celeste Heche (IPA: ) (born May 25, 1969) is an American actress, director and screenwriter. ...

Cast

Pacino (right) in The Godfather (1972) Alfredo James Pacino (born April 25, 1940) is an Academy Award-, Emmy Award- and Tony Award-winning American stage and film actor who played such iconic roles as Michael Corleone in The Godfather Trilogy and Tony Montana in the 1983 film Scarface. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for an encyclopedia. ... Johnny Depp (born John Christopher Depp II[2] on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky) is an Academy Award-nominated and SAG Awards-winning American actor and for his performances in the films Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Whats Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Ed Wood (1994... Joseph Pistone as Donnie Brasco (left) with Dominick Sonny Black Napolitano (right) in Florida. ... Donnie Brasco is the name of two things: Most common is the FBI agent with the real name Joseph D. Pistone. ... Michael Joe Madsen (born September 25, 1958) is an American actor. ... Dominick Sonny Black Napolitano a. ... Bruno Kirby, born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu, Jr. ... James Russo (b. ... John Cersani a. ... Anne Celeste Heche (IPA: ) (born May 25, 1969) is an American actress, director and screenwriter. ... Željko Ivanek (born August 15, 1957) is a television, film, and stage actor. ... Alphonse Sonny Red Indelicato (February 25, 1931 - May 5, 1981) was a capo in New York Citys Bonanno crime family. ... Anthony Indelicato ca. ...

Historical Inaccuracies

• The loanshark collection scene at the strip club really did happen, except that Joe Pistone was with the notorious Anthony Mirra who worked for the Bonanno family. Tony almost did this after Joe got into an argument with a drunken patron at a nightclub.

• Joe Pistone was never involved in the murders of Alphonse Indelicato and his two capos, Phillip Giaccone and Dominick Trinchera. Pistone only found out afterwards.

• Nicholas Santora, portrayed as "Nicky" by Bruno Kirby, was never murdered by Benjamin Ruggiero, as he is still alive today.

• Bonnano soldier John "Boobie" Cersani (whose character was called Paulie in the movie) played by James Russo, filed a libel suit against Sony Corporations, TriStar Pictures, the film director Mike Newell and other corporations that were involved in producing the film. Cersani had dealings with Donnie Brasco from back in 1972 and was actually brought up on racketeering charges in 1982 that were brought on by the Donnie Brasco investigation.

• It is implied that the character Lefty was killed by fellow Family members for allowing Pistone to infiltrate the Family; in reality, Ruggiero was rescued by the FBI on his way to being shot in a restaurant, and was later put into a witness protection program. Ruggiero died of lung cancer on Thanksgiving in 1995. And in real life, "Sonny Black" Napolitano, Lefty's boss, was the one murdered for having allowed Pistone's infiltration.

• Also over the closing credits it states that "there is still a $500,000 open contract on his head". This is untrue. Following separate sitdowns FBI officials had with the Bonanno family and Paul Castellano, the head of the The Commission and boss of the Gambino crime family at that time, ordered all Mafia bounties on Pistone to be rescinded. Subsequent wiretaps and intelligence reports confirm that this was indeed ordered throughout the Mafia.

Anthony Mirra (c. ... The Bonanno family is one of five mafia families said to be in control of organized crime in New York City. ... Alphonse Sonny Red Indelicato (died May 5, 1981) was a capo in New York Citys Bonanno crime family. ... Phillip Giaccone a. ... Dominick Trinchera a. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for an encyclopedia. ... James Russo (b. ... Sony Corporation (Japanese katakana: ソニー) (TYO: 6758), (NYSE: SNE) is a global consumer electronics corporation based in Tokyo, Japan. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Mike Newell can refer to: Mike Newell, film director Mike Newell, football player and manager Mike Newell, gentleman, scholar This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for an encyclopedia. ... The Bonanno family is one of five mafia families said to be in control of organized crime in New York City. ... FBI Mugshot of former Gambino crime family Boss Paul Castellano taken on March 30, 1984. ... The Commission is the governing body of the mafia in the United States. ... John Gotti, The Dapper Don The Gambino Crime Family is one of the Five Families that controls organized crime activities based in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia (or La Cosa Nostra). ... The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra), is a criminal secret society which first developed in the mid-19th century in Sicily. ... The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra), is a criminal secret society which first developed in the mid-19th century in Sicily. ...

Trivia

• Depp met with Pistone several times while researching his role.
• Paul Giamatti has a small role as an FBI technician. Tim Blake Nelson (Delmar in O Brother, Where Art Thou?) plays his partner.
• In one scene, the ELO song "Don't Bring Me Down" is played at a disco. This scene takes place some months before this song was released on record in June 1979.

Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (born June 6, 1967) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... Tim Blake Nelson (born May 11, 1964) is an American character actor and film director. ... O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, set in Mississippi during the Great Depression (specifically, 1937). ... “ELO” redirects here. ... Dont Bring Me Down is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra The song was the last track from the album Discovery. ...

Box office

US Gross Domestic Box Office Numbers: US$ 41,909,762 Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

+ International Gross Box Office Numbers: $83,000,000

= Worldwide Gross Box Office Numbers: $124,909,763

External links

• Donnie Brasco at the Internet Movie Database
• Boxoffice Information