Behind every major shift in American law enforcement is someone willing to risk it all. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum speaks with retired FBI Special Agent Joe Pistone, better known as Donnie Brasco.
His six-year infiltration of the Mafia redefined undercover work and exposed key figures within the Bonanno and Colombo families. Pistone reflects on the danger, isolation, and moral weight of living inside the mob, as well as the lasting personal cost of pursuing justice from within.
Guest Bio and Links:
Joe Pistone is a retired FBI Special Agent best known for his six-year undercover assignment infiltrating the Bonanno and Colombo Mafia families under the alias of Donnie Brasco.
His work led to more than 200 convictions and remains one of the FBI’s most significant undercover operations. Pistone is the author of Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia and continues to lecture worldwide on organized crime, covert operations, and law-enforcement ethics.
