What Happened to Lefty in ‘Donnie Brasco’?

The 1997 crime drama film Donnie Brasco was based on the book Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia Written by Joseph Pistone and Richard Woodley, the film centers on FBI agent Joseph Pistone (Johnny Depp) and his attempts to obtain crucial information about the Bonanno crime family by going undercover as a jewel thief named Donnie Brasco and forging a relationship with gangster Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero (Al Pacino).

Given that Donnie Brasco is a Hollywood production, we can assume that not everything depicted on screen is an exact match for real-life events. The real Joseph Pistone served as a consultant on the film, and while a few scenes were added for entertainment and impact, he said it was 85 percent accurate. So, what was real and what was fake?

The undercover assignment

Pistone was an FBI special agent when he went undercover as Donnie Brasco in 1975. He was chosen for the assignment because of his Italian heritage and his intimate knowledge of how the Mafia operated. “I’m Italian. I know the Mafia. I grew up in an old Italian neighborhood that was dominated by the Mafia. I knew these guys,” he said in an interview. What was supposed to be a six-month undercover operation turned into five years, and Pistone, as Brasco, forged relationships with the criminals he worked with.

Brasco’s close relationship with Lefty is seen in Donnie Brascowhich was also true in real life. They were so close that Lefty asked Brasco to be his best man at his wedding in 1977. Pistone said it was impossible not to be friends with the mob, but at the end of the day he had to remind himself that he was on the job and dealing with gangsters who wouldn’t think twice about killing their best friend.

Who was Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero?

Lefty Ruggiero joined the Bonanno crime family as a street soldier, eventually taking part in organized crime operations, bookmaking, and loan sharking. It was Anthony Mirra, a fellow Bonanno soldier, who introduced Pistone to Lefty. The two developed a close bond, with Lefty assuming a mentor role for the newcomer. He guided Brasco through the inner workings of the Mafia and trusted him enough to vouch for him at the upper echelons of the Bonanno family. Pistone’s undercover work ended in 1981, just before he was officially inducted into the family. Shortly thereafter, the Mafia learned that Brasco was an undercover agent.

In Donnie BrascoLefty gets a phone call asking to meet the family. He knew he was a dead man walking because he was the one who hired an undercover agent to infiltrate the Bonanno family. As he grabs his jacket to leave his house, he tells his wife, “If Donnie calls, tell him if it was anyone, I’m glad it was him.” He leaves behind the valuables he was carrying before walking out the door. The screen goes black and a gunshot is heard, implying that Lefty has been taken out by his own crime family.

In reality, the FBI arrested Lefty in August 1981. The following year, he was tried for racketeering conspiracy, and Pistone testified against him. He reportedly said, “I’m going to get that son of a bitch, Donnie, if it’s the last thing I do.” He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was released after 11 years due to his health. Lefty suffered from testicular and lung cancer, and died in 1994 at the age of 68.