Donnie Brasco (film): Difference between revisions

In 1978 New York City, [[Lefty Ruggiero]], an aging enforcer in the [[Bonanno crime family]], meets [[Joe Pistone]], a young undercover FBI agent posing as jewel thief "Donnie Brasco". Lefty asks Donnie to sell a diamond he acquired from a strip club owner, but Donnie insists that it's a fake. Insulted, Lefty takes Donnie to the man and demands an explanation. Donnie beats the owner and takes his [[Porsche]] as repayment. Lefty teaches Donnie the rules of the [[American Mafia|Mafia]] and introduces him to members of his crew, including [[Dominick Napolitano|Sonny Black]], Nicky, Paulie, and rival crew leader [[Alphonse Indelicato|Sonny Red]]. After the boss of the family is killed, Sonny receives a promotion, angering Lefty who feels his years of service make him more deserving. As the crew runs a series of successful shakedowns and hijackings in the city, Pistone exploits his position as Lefty's associate to gather information for the FBI via [[wiretap]] recordings. He also ends up forming a genuine bond with Lefty, who is struggling with family issues and a lifetime of debt.

 

 

On its opening day, Sonny's club is raided by corrupt [[Miami Police Department|Miami Police]] officers on Trafficante's payroll as a favor for Sonny Red. Suspecting a setup, Sonny Black and his crew return to New York and gun down Sonny Red and two other mobsters in an ambush. Sonny Black also orders Lefty to kill Nicky for lying about a drug deal and suspecting he snitched on the crew in Florida. Donnie is brought in to help clean up and dispose of the bodies. Sonny Black becomes the new boss and orders Donnie to kill Sonny Red's son, Bruno, so that Donnie can officially become [[made man|a member]] of their family. Lefty finds Bruno's hideout and takes Donnie there. Donnie tries to offer Lefty a bag of money so he can leave the Mafia, but Lefty begins questioning his loyalty at gunpoint. The FBI intercedes before Donnie is forced to do anything, and the investigation ends.