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Donnie Brasco
An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob and identifies more with the mafia life at the expense of his regular one.
1997 · Directed by Mike Newell · 127 min · Crime · Drama · Thriller · Screenplay in the scene database · 18 frames
Tagline
In 1978, the US government waged a war against organized crime. One man was left behind the lines.
Plot
In 1978 New York City, Lefty Ruggiero, an aging enforcer in the Bonanno crime family, meets Joseph D. Pistone, a young undercover FBI agent posing as jewel thief Donnie Brasco. Donnie insists that a diamond that Lefty has acquired from strip club owner Pandar is fake; when the two confront Pandar, Donnie beats him up and takes his car as repayment.
Lefty teaches Donnie the rules of the Mafia and introduces him to members of his crew, including Sonny Black, Nicky Santora, Paulie and rival crew leader Sonny Red. After the boss of the Bonanno family is killed, Sonny Black is promoted to lead the crew; Lefty resents the decision, believing that 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 an associate in Lefty's crew to gather information for the FBI via wiretap recordings. He also forms a genuine bond with Lefty, who is struggling with family issues, a lifetime of debt and his perception of underappreciation in the crew.
Pistone is asked by his FBI supervisor Tim Curley to incorporate Miami-based undercover FBI Agent Richie Gazzo into the Donnie Brasco operation. He persuades Lefty to meet with Richie and set up an illegal gambling racket in a long-closed tavern that he owns. Lefty hopes to impress local mob boss Santo Trafficante Jr. by throwing a yacht party and persuading him to support his new business.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Paul Attanasio
- Cinematography: Peter Sova
- Edited by: Jon Gregory
- Music: Patrick Doyle
- Production design: Donald Graham Burt
- Produced by: Louis DiGiaimo, Mark Johnson, Gail Mutrux, Barry Levinson
Cast
- Johnny Depp as Donnie Brasco / Joseph D. 'Joe' Pistone
- Al Pacino as Benjamin 'Lefty' Ruggiero
- Michael Madsen as Dominick 'Sonny Black' Napolitano
- Bruno Kirby as Nicholas 'Nicky' Santora
- James Russo as Paulie
- Anne Heche as Maggie Pistone
- Željko Ivanek as Tim Curley
- Brian Tarantina as Bruno
- Rocco Sisto as Richard 'Richie' Gazzo
- Zach Grenier as Dr. Berger
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: Japanese, English, Italian
- Studios: Mark Johnson Productions, Baltimore Pictures, Mandalay Entertainment, TriStar Pictures
- Budget: $35,000,000
- Box office: $124,909,762
- Themes: florida, new york city, undercover, gangster, 1970s, based on true story, mobster, mafia, dirty cop, informant
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