Pistone infiltrated the Bonanno crime family in New York under the alias "Donnie Brasco," a jewel thief and burglar. He didn't just wear a wire; he became a gangster. He attended weddings, funerals, and sit-downs. He was "on the record" with the Mafia—a status that meant he was an earner for the family and was afforded their protection.
For the Mafia, it was the beginning of the end. The case shattered the myth of omertà. If a guy like —who seemed so authentically "made"—could be a cop, then no one could trust anyone. The paranoia sown by Pistone’s operation accelerated the decline of the Five Families, opening the door for federal RICO convictions in the 1980s and 1990s. Donnie Brasco