Joe Rogan’s love for a thrilling mafia movie has never been a secret. The podcast king often talks about his fascination with mafia families clashing and the violent world they operate in. So, when Joseph D. Pistone, the undercover FBI agent whose life inspired the classic 1997 film Donnie Brasco starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp, joined the podcast and shared a captivating story about his time. Filled with dangerous mafia bosses and high-stakes moments.

Pistone was a special undercover agent for the FBI who operated under the false name Donnie Brasco. He was part of a mafia infiltration plan between 1976 and July 1981, known as Operation Sun Apple. During that time, Pistone worked under two of the most feared gangsters, Anthony Mirra and later Dominick Napolitano (Sonny Black). In episode #2343 of the JRE podcast, Pistone shared a gripping story about Carmine Galante, the notorious boss of the Bonanno crime family in New York City.

The former FBI agent recalled, “At the time, Carmine Galante was the boss of the Bonannos. And they kill Galante. They whack him. Because there’s kind of beef within the family, and one side didn’t like Galante, so they whacked him. Mikey Sabella is now associated with Galante.” Pistone was referring to the infamous hit that took place on July 12, 1979. Galante had just finished lunch at Joe and Mary’s Italian-American Restaurant in Brooklyn when the hit went down. He was shot dead right there, with a cigar clenched between his teeth.

He added, “So they tell Mike – ‘Mike, either step down, or we’re gonna Whack you, too’. So, he gives up the captainship and becomes a regular soldier again. So, one of the originators, when I say originators, instigators, whatever, is a guy by named Sonny Black Napolitano. He was out in Brooklyn.” Mike, the former FBI agent, has pointed towards Mike Sabella, a soldier of the Bonanno Crime family, who was also a relative of Philadelphia crime family boss Salvatore Sabella.  

And by Sonny Black, Pistone is referring to Dominick Napolitano, the feared mobster under whose tutelage he became an associate and nearly earned his way into full membership with the Bonanno family. Within the story, a brewing power struggle between Mike Sabella and Sonny Black comes to light. Pistone explained how Sonny Black was pressuring Sabella to step down as the head of his crew and fall back into line as just a regular member. But, there’s more!

Pistone continued the story further, “So they put me in. Remember, we were with Mike Sabella. So they put me and Lefty under Sonny Black. They make Sonny Black, becomes a captain. They put me and Lefty under Sonny Black now in Brooklyn. So, that’s who we report to every day. And, you have to check in with the captain every day. So, every day, Me and Lefty would have to report back there in the motion lounge.”

Here, Joe Pistone painted a picture of his time alongside a man named Lefty. His mafia partner during the undercover operation. Lefty, whose real name was Benjamin Ruggiero, was a part of the Bonanno crime family. At the time, both of them were working under Mike Sabella. But once Sonny Black eventually took over as boss, the chain of command shifted. From that point on, Pistone and Lefty began operating directly under Sonny Black’s leadership, carrying out their business from Brooklyn.

Fast forward to the end of the operation, Pistone’s deep undercover mission came to a close when Lefty was arrested on August 29, 1981. That moment marked the end of one of the most fascinating chapters in the life of an undercover FBI agent. No wonder Hollywood couldn’t resist turning it into a movie. And to top it all off, Pistone’s character was played by none other than Johnny Depp, who developed a close bond with him during the making of Donnie Brasco. So, let’s dive into how that all came together.

Joe Piston tells Joe Rogan about his relationship with Johnny Depp 

Johnny Depp was the main character in Donnie Brasco, which starred the renowned Al Pacino and helped make the movie an all-time classic. But Joe Pistone said that he and Depp were very close friends outside of the movie. Rogan joined in on the show and called Depp a “genuine guy.” You could tell that Pistone got a little emotional when he talked about how nice Depp was.

Joe Piston stated, “I could cry I’m telling you. I mean what he has done for my family. He just flew in in January to have dinner with my whole family and my grandkids. Flew in from Spain and my wife couldn’t make the dinner. So the next day he went and spend almost 5 hours with her. Yeah. And then she passed away a little while after that. Yeah.” 

That was a deep, personal, and emotional revelation from Pistone. His friendship with Depp is still going strong to this day. In fact, he shared that the Pirates of the Caribbean star still picks up the phone when Pistone’s granddaughters call him. No hesitation, just pure kindness. And that’s when it really hit, this is the same man who once lived among ruthless Mafia figures, shedding a tear over someone he truly admires.