Synopsis

FBI agent Joe Pistone infiltrates New York's Bonanno crime family under the alias Donnie Brasco, posing as a jewel thief. As he gains the trust of aging mobster Lefty Ruggiero, the operation grows increasingly dangerous and personal. Pistone's criminal identity begins to strain his marriage, while his loyalty to Lefty clashes with his duty to bring the organization down.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is based on the nonfiction book Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, written by Joseph D. Pistone with Richard Woodley.

• Pistone's real undercover operation began in 1976 and lasted six years. The investigation eventually helped produce more than 100 federal convictions.

• Pistone spent two weeks studying the jewelry business so that his undercover identity as a jewel thief would be convincing.

• The real Joseph D. Pistone makes a brief appearance in the film as a man working with Trafficante during the boat sequence.

• Pistone later said that the film was approximately 85 percent accurate and that it portrayed the Mafia without romanticizing it.

• Al Pacino was initially considered for the role of Donnie Brasco before being cast as Lefty Ruggiero. He also recommended Johnny Depp for the undercover-agent role.

• The film was released in the United States on February 28, 1997. It earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.