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.

Highlights:

(0:00) Sheryl welcomes retired FBI Special Agent Joe Pistone to Zone 7
(2:15) The reality of deep undercover work: seven days a week and six months before any real mob conversations
(7:15) Building a believable cover as a jewel thief through gem school, lock-picking, and street “swag” pricing
(13:15) The line between survival and protecting citizen inside a violent criminal world
(15:15) Sonny Black knowingly walks into his own execution after leaving his money, keys, and ring at the Motion Lounge
(22:15) Mapping the mob, the Commission, family hierarchy, and how crews coordinated territory
(31:45) Undercover is 24/7, with trust built over coffee, hard rolls with butter, and cartoons in a Brooklyn apartment
(35:15) On the verge of becoming a made man before the FBI shut down the operation
(37:30) The aftermath: more than 200 convictions, 17 trials, and a $500,000 contract placed on Pistone’s life
(45:15) The sit-downs with Tony Mirra: Pistone describes how Sonny Black defended his life three times and reflects on the reality of undercover work
(50:45) Hollywood vs. reality: the true story behind the movie Donnie Brasco

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Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award-winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, forensic and crime scene expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. She is the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a national collaboration that advances techniques for solving cold cases and assists families and law enforcement with unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnappings.

Social Links:

Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

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Undercover with the Real Donnie Brasco: Joe Pistone

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