Life and Death Phone Call with Lefty Ruggerio and Donnie, Part 1

Life and Death Phone Call with Lefty Ruggerio and Donnie, Part 1

Author: Jam Street Media October 25, 2022 Duration: 42:59
In this episode, you will hear the real life conversation between Lefty and Joe as Donnie faced a life-and-death situation as he dealt with accusations of theft from fellow mobster Tony Mirra.  Join co-hosts Leo Rossi and Joe Pistone as they dive into the first tape from Joe’s collection of undercover conversations. Hear from Lefty Ruggiero’s wife, as she urgently tries to contact Joe for Lefty, and then from Lefty himself as he questions Joe to find out the truth behind the accusations.  It’s high drama on this episode of Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco! If you have questions about this episode or past episodes, you can ask them here by joining the Motion Lounge, where you can also listen to the full tape used in this episode. About the MOTION LOUNGE ! For the first time, we are offering a subscription plan. For just $5.99 a month you will join the Motion Lounge and get: Season Exclusives, such as the complete collection of tapes Joseph D. Pistone recorded while in deep cover with New York's most notorious crime families. AD Free Podcast Episodes (Two Days Early) Unedited Video Episodes & Behind the Scenes Content Member-only Bonus Episodes Member-only AMA's (ask me anything) Family-first access and discounts to live events.    Join now by clicking THIS LINK! Not ready to become a friend of ours? Stay connected via social using the links below: Instagram: @deepcoverpod Facebook: @deepcoverpodcast Twitter: @deepcoverpodcast  Episode notes: [00:01:30] - Introduction to Joe’s defense for his life [00:02:18] - Louise Ruggiero’s (Lefty’s wife) concerned call to Joe about Lefty’s meeting; quick brief on Tony Mirra [00:04:34] - Lefty’s call to Joe about Lefty’s meeting with Tony Mirra [00:05:37] - Who is Rocky? [00:06:52] - $250,000 accusation [00:07:46] - Lefty probing for information [00:09:36] - Joe explains the story he’s trying to sell [00:11:45] - Junk money, Zips [00:19:37] - Lefty continues to probe/explain, compares Tony Mirra’s and Donnie’s situation [00:24:59] - Sally - head of the Bonanno family [00:29:27] - Federal “Stool Pigeon” [00:35:29] - Lefty and Tony Mirra’s bad blood [00:39:00] - Lefty and Joe (Donnie) are in pinch, how will this play out in the next episode? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know the movie, but you haven't heard the story. Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco pulls back the curtain on the legendary undercover operation that inspired the classic film, moving beyond Hollywood to the raw, unfiltered truth. This isn't a narrated documentary; it's an intimate series of conversations where Joe Pistone-the actual FBI agent who lived as "Donnie Brasco" for six perilous years-finally tells his own story. He sits down with his friend, actor and host Leo Rossi, offering a level of detail and personal reflection that only a trusted confidant could draw out. Each episode delves into the daily realities of infiltration, the constant psychological tightrope walk, and the harrowing moments inside the Bonanno and Colombo families that the movie could only hint at. Produced by Jam Street Media, this podcast strips away the myth to reveal the cunning, the fear, and the calculated risks of a man who blurred the line between his own identity and his fabricated one. You'll hear firsthand accounts of trust forged in bad faith, the moral complexities of deep cover work, and the personal cost of a life lived in the shadows. For anyone fascinated by true crime, the inner workings of organized crime, or the profound human stories behind iconic cinema, this series is the definitive, ground-level account.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 47

Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco
Podcast Episodes
Meeting with the Balistrieri Family [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:45
Now that Joe Pistone (aka Donnie Brasco) has been helping Lefty Ruggerio do the bookkeeping and movement of stolen property for Nicholas Marangello, the underboss of the Bonanno crime family, for some time, he’s got a fa…
Joe Meets the Bonanno Family [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:32
So, Joe has left the Colombo family, he’s a free mobster… where to next? The Bonannno family. Utilizing his acquaintance with Anthony “Tony” Mirra, an American mobster, soldier and later caporegime for the Bonanno crime…
A Fight With a Colombo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:01
What can you do when a pistol is placed in front of you, and you’re given an ultimatum to prove yourself, or be killed? Well, Joe chose to go on the offensive with a made man of the mafia to maintain his respect and cred…
Joe Becomes Donnie Brasco [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:40
When the head writer of the Sopranos and creator of Boardwalk Empire, Terence Winter, sees death in your eyes, you know you’re convincing enough for the mafia. From the Lucchese to the Colombo family, Joe walks us throug…
Who is the real Donnie Brasco? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:40
Rather than be attracted to the lifestyle of a gangster, Joe Pistone found himself drawn to a career in law enforcement. So how did a freshly recruited FBI agent go from routine undercover cases, to going deep undercover…
Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:51
Did you see the movie “Donnie Brasco” starring Johny Depp and Al Pacino and wonder if all of that really happened? The true story is even more interesting than the movie. The real Donnie Brasco is Joe Pistone, and he spe…