Joseph Pistone has a new book out called "The Way of the Wiseguy".

"FBI agent Joe Pistone knows wiseguys. And everyone knows Pistone as "Donnie Brasco," the sham jewel thief who infiltrated the Mafia for six intense years in the most audacious undercover operation ever, sending more than 100 gangsters to prison and single-handedly breaking up the Family in the 1980s.

Now, in his first nonfiction work since Donnie Brasco, Pistone offers a comprehensive account of the wiseguy lifestyle.

In The Way of the Wiseguy, Pistone recalls the habits, language, individual quirks and common connections that set wiseguys off as a breed apart. At turns funny, surprising, repulsive, revealing, and schocking, the stories inside paint an authentic, entertaining, and complete picture of the wiseguy way of life.

Most citizens think of wiseguys as uncivilized thugs, criminals, and killers. But in reality, they live by strict codes of ethics and action that can both reflect and refute the ways of civilian life and the straight business world.

Inside you'll find the wiseguy take on loyalty, laziness, opportunism, food, friends, confrontation, intimidation, information exchange, hiring practices, office politics, telephone etiquette, table manners, gambling, extramarital affairs, respect, revenge, and more.

The unconnected may even learn a thing or two."

As a special promotion offer to this site (Gangsters Inc.) Joseph Pistone A.K.A. Donnie Brasco answered some questions asked by posters of the two Gangsters Inc. forums. I want to thank Joseph Pistone and Pistone’s publisher for giving our site this opportunity.

1. B Wylie:

Mr. Pistone, great job doing the undercover thing. I was just wondering how it affected your life afterwards? I mean, you had a reward for $500,000 USD on your head, you have to live in seclusion probably for the rest of your life, and your life will never be the same. Do you think it was worth it in the end? Curious to know.

DB/JP: Yeah, it was a big inconvenience to my social life. My family had to move six times. But without a doubt it was worth it. We put away all those wiseguys. It was the breakthrough into taking down the mob. They never recovered.

2. Tony:

Great new book the cd at the back is an added bounus. In your time undercover did you ever come in to contact with the west side irish mob if not were they known to you and the people you were dealing with. Keep up the good work thanks.

DB/JP: I knew the Westies. Though I never dealt with them, I was very well aware of them. They hooked up with the Gambinos later on.

3. Sho nuff:

If he is sentenced to death, will Joseph Massino decide to turn state's evidence?

DB/JP: No. To me he is the last of the real gangsters. He won't talk.

4. mafioso1972:

Since you once knew him. do you think john 'boobie' cerasani will try to fill the void after he is soon released from prison? with the recent indictments of bonnano crime members, there isn't a whole lot of guys that go back to the 'donnie brasco' days.

DB/JP: No. He doesn't have the wherewithal.

5. Puparo:

Dear Mr Pistone - First i would like to thank you for that beautiful piece of undercover work you did so many years ago. I am very grateful for the oppurtunity to be allowed to ask you some questions: My first question would be considering these quotes:

From Thieves world by claire Sterling page 164 (interview with mr Jim Moody, december 1992):
The FBI suspected at the end of the 80ties that there were several hundred sicilian made men in the USA. In 1991 the FBI spoke about a number of 3000 observed sicilians. At the end of 1992 they were observing between 10000 or 20000 made men and affiliates from sicily. This didn't even count members of Camorra and n'drangheta in the USA.

DB/JP: All the people involved would possibly be close to 10,000 but not that many made guys.

>Also from Thieves world page 65:
German police observes about 4000 sicilians and has also observed Camoristi and n'dranghesti in Germany.

My question would be: Would you stand by these quotes? That The FBI really stands by these mentioned numbers? Would very much appriciate this answer.

DB/JP: It's more like 10,000 with everybody connected.

>And finally, considering a quote from Cosa Nostra by Marcelle Padovani and judge Giovanni Falcone page 45:
"There are probably more then 5000 made men on Sicily"

DB/JP: Yeah, I'd say so.

6. Lisa:

Thank you so much for giving us the chance to ask you some questions. My question is; do you ever read any of the mob forums? Do you ever visit any websites about the mob?

DB/JP: All the time. I like to see what's out there as compared to what I hear from insiders and the agency.

7. Sho nuff:

Even though he was 65-years-old when the Bonanno Cosa Nostra Family first marked him for death, Benjamin "Lefty Guns" Ruggiero died of cancer instead, at the age-of- 79. Did the Bonanno Crime Family lift the contract it had placed on Lefty Gun's life? Or, was Lefty just successful in his efforts to avoid getting whacked?

DB/JP: He was 65 when he got out of jail. He has cancer bad - testicular and lung - and he died about four months later.

8. soldieroflcn:

Mr Pistone; in say 30 to 50 years from now will there still be lcn? will the italians be reduced to a streetgang [like reporters say already happened to the luchese family]

DB/JP: Correct.

9. Sal:

What is your opinion of Joey Massino?

DB/JP: Old time gangster. Probably the last of that breed.

10. Margot Crowley:

Mr. Pistone, That's a big question! I am an Australian lady and don't ask me why, but I have always had a fascination with N.Y., Italy, the language, food, fashion, men, etc.I don't think there is much about Italy anyone could not like - It is beautiful & so are it's people. I recently read an article on Mr. Massino in Time magazzine ("The Last Don"),which referred to you also. On my return to Aust. I watched a TV special on Joe Bonnano/The men who killed kennedy/& the Fall of J.Edgar Hoover. All these things happened when I was a child. I don't understand, nor wish to glamourise the myth behind mafia families - however I would love to understand (as a catholic myself), their ability to separate morals, family and business. With thanks, Mr. Pistone, Regards, Margot.

DB/JP: They don't live within our rules. In their world, they are able to separate home, religion, and business.

11. Puparo:

Dear Mr Pistone, San Giuseppe Iato bosses were respectively Salamone, Brusca sr and Brusca jr who had his troubles with "Balduccio"DiMaggio back in San Giuseppe Iato From San Giuseppe Iato also came Benny Zito, Ganci (Catalano's partner) and Francesco Polizzi from the pizza case. It seems brusca was a big heroinsmuggler using the diaspora of San Giuseppe Iato citizens. So my question is: Did you ever hear if the FBI met other groups of men from origin San Giuseppe Iato who worked in criminal association? Because the former 3 were probably just one branch in the USA of the SGIato cosca. When the answer is negative, did perhaps appear the names of other villages come into sight in other investigations.

DB/JP: I can't name names to this question.