Feb 16 2007
Insights Into The Mafia With Donnie Brasco
Bulletin: What is the worst part of being undercover?
JP:?The worst part was being away from the family. Had three children. I missed their formative years and missing birthday parties. To me that was the hardest part. It wasn’t being with the guys. It came in second.
Bulletin: Is undercover correctly portrayed on television and the movies?
JP: Undercover isn’t what you see on TV, in the movies or in novels for the most part except for “The Sopranos” and “Goodfellas.” A lot of it is hanging around and you are with guys whose existence revolves around criminal activity. They talk about what they are going to do, how they are going to make money and who is going to try to beat them. It is repetitious and mundane. On the other hand you know how treacherous these guys are.
Bulletin: Were your daughters and wife resentful?
JP: They weren’t resentful. Maybe they were. You are away all the time. You are away for five or six months at a time and home a couple of days. It’s an assignment you volunteer for. Did they like it? No. They realize it is the job you chose. They didn’t know what you were doing. The divorce rate of undercovers was 90 percent - and I am still married.
Bulletin: In what shape is the Italian Mafia in now?
JP: Today, you are dealing with another organized group. They are in the typical illegal activities that made them famous. They aren’t the power they once were. The reason was when the FBI and federal government took away the labor unions and could control prices and interstate commerce. They controlled the garment industry and prices were added on top for them. They controlled the construction industry, and every building that went up had their markup. They don’t control judges and politicians anymore. What they are dealing with is another organized crime group, but they don’t control American society like they did. The young guys aren’t like the old guys. Even the mob has a me generation.
Bulletin: What is the difference between today’s mob leaders and the leaders of the pre-1980s?
JP: They want it all today. They don’t want to work for it. They don’t respect the family anymore. The old guys knew how to cultivate people. Today’s guys don’t have the patience to cultivate people. They saw the value in longevity. The old guys would grab some much a year and not try to grab it all at once.
