The Way of the Wiseguy: True Stories from the FBI's Most Famous Undercover Agent

by Joseph D. Pistone

Here's the first nonfiction work from author Joe Pistone since his New York Times #1 bestseller and hit movie, Donnie Brasco . Perhaps no man alive knows the inner workings and lifestyle of wiseguys better than Pistone does, having spent six years infiltrating the Mafia as an undercover FBI agent.

Now, years later, Pistone reassesses what the underworld was really about. Occasionally poignant, always in shocking detail, The Way of the Wiseguy gives readers a first-hand look at the thinking, psychology, and customs that make wiseguys a unique breed.

The book is divided into anecdotes that reveal key principles of wiseguy life, including "Don't Volunteer You Don't Know Something," "Be a Good Earner," "Look Like You Mean Business," "It's Your Best Friend Who Will Kill You," and much more. The stories-more than 80 of them-are spellbinding, and the insights into this lawless realm of badguys are often uncannily relevant to the workings of the legitimate world of big business and everyday social discourses.

Includes CD with shocking undercover surveillance audio from the Donnie Brasco operation (with commentary by author Joe Pistone).

Genres: Crime, Nonfiction, True Crime, Biography, Autobiography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2004

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome...seriously. I now have to watch the movie Donnie Brasco. Some of the chapters titles had me Rollin though :). Very informative. Its not like the movies I'll say that much.

[Lonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes humorous, sometimes frightening description of mob life and mobsters that will disenchant those who may romanticize that lifestyle. It is a quick, easy read with short chapters that are headed with a statement such as "Wiseguys are Cheap" and proceeds to explain why the statement is true through example and recollection. Very entertaining.

[Belmanoir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book rocked. And with chapter headings like "Why Wiseguys Never Lose a Fight" and "Wiseguys Never Make Reservations," how could it not? It explained a lot of nitty-gritty about mob life, some of it hilarious (apparently it's called "going to the mattresses" because all the wiseguys live together during mob wars, sleeping on mattresses on the floor! It's like mafia sleepaway camp! And they designate someone to cook! Apparently preparing a good tomato sauce is a badge of honor among wiseguys). Recommended for anyone who wants to write Vegas or post-Vegas Vecchio fic, OR anyone who feel like laughing at the stupidity and creepiness of the mafia. Joey Pistone's constant digs at their inteilligence, ethics, etc., are pretty entertaining, at the same time as his explanations of things like "Why Wiseguys Don't Have Friends" and "Why Wiseguys Will Kill You" are insightful and chilling.

[Julio Bonilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Money is absolutely everything to wiseguy, the very reason for their existence, and this is not surprising that the way they think and handle money is different from what most people are used to. When you’re a criminal involved in criminal enterprises every single day of your life, you have to be extremely smart and crafty when it comes to keeping, accounted for, investing, and spending your money.
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While working for the FBI, Joe Pistone took on the identity of Donnie Brasco for 6 years to infiltrate the New York Mafia. Here is his unbelievable story in his own words.

After having seen the movie on Netflix years ago, I finally understand the ending. I love how this book isn’t specifically about the Mafia; it’s very informative.

[Taras Filonenko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Якщо коротко, то ця книга довідкова. Спеціальний агент ФБР Джо Пістон, який 6 років працював під прикриттям в середовищі Мафії стисло описує характер, звичну поведінку та світогляд звичайного мафіозі (wiseguy).

Основна історія інфільтрації в середовище описана в іншій книзі - “Donnie Brasco: my undercover life in the Mafia”, яка є надзвичайно захоплюючою.

[Viktor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very padded book -- many chapters end with blank pages before the next chapter begins. But if you're interested in this sort of stuff, as occasionally I am, then it's terrific.

Concludes with transcipts from conversations with Lefty leading up to Brasco's 5-hour sitdown. There's an accompanying cd with the actual wiretaps. Good stuff.

[Matt Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun read, written in the dialect of a wiseguy, about wiseguys. There are a few intense anecdotes from Pistone's days undercover not mentioned in "Donnie Brasco" or "Unfinished Business". If you're a fan of Pistone, check it out.

[Dave Goldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing stories from the man who infiltrated the mafia for six years and became within a whisker of becoming a made man before the Feds pulled the plug on his undercover assignment. From the man who became Donnie Brasco, Joseph Pistone lived the way of the wiseguy! Raw and brilliant!

[Epeeblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Read it for research purposes and it delivered.

[Joe Spoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting look at the daily routines and lives of the members of the mafia. A quick and easy read.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed it alot. Very insightful and well written. Easy reading

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapter 1. Wiseguys Are Not Nice Guys
Sums it up right there.
Following chapters are short and sweet. Easy, entertaining read.

[Joanna Teodosio · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a very in-your-face quality to it. I read it because the title intrigued me, knowing about Donnie Brasco from the movie. IN fact, that was what I thought I was reading at first!

It's a quick read about the lifestyle of the Mafia. If you are squeamish about blood and murder, and don't like to read profanity, then this book is not for you. But, if you want to read about the Mafia and how they live, work, and play, then check it out. I wasn't a big fan of the profanity in it, but I definitely felt like I was sitting across the table from Joe, him telling me his story over some Italian pastry and espresso. And I liked Joe. Some times, he repeated himself about a particular event or trait of the wiseguy, which kind of broke up the flow of the book. However, it is a 'how to' book of wiseguy life, not a novel or a biography that works in linear fashion.

Interestingly, my copy had a CD of several tracks of Joe and Lefty talking. I didn't play it, but I read the transcripts. Much like a conversation, if you didn't know the backstory to the conversation, it was little hard to follow. I still found the transcripts interesting, however, knowing that these were the direct words from a mob guy to an undercover informant.

One of my favorite chapters was the mob lingo one...and I loved "going to the mattress". If you don't know what that means, you better read the book! Fugedaboutit!

[Rhiannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently I have gotten into mob movies, and just last week I watched Donnie Brasco. I was so interested that I decided to read his book, The Way of The Wise Guy. It was really easy to get through, and so so insightful. You hear about “the mob”, you watch it portrayed on tv, but none of that can tell you what it’s really like. I find wiseguys particularly interesting. The way they carry themselves, their morals; or lack thereof; and the way they live. This book is a great look into a world that most of us will never truly understand, and I believe it is important to remember that there are people so unlike us which we live amongst. These monsters may kill, steal, and beat people as a part of day to day life, however they are still people and they; like everyone else; became who they were through the situations life threw them into. I will definitely be looking into more books, and learning as much as I can about these mobsters, but the one thing I really took away from this book was the importance of being “Nobody’s Sucker”.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an explanation of the wiseguy mystique; what Mafia soldiers do and how they do it. This book has definitely whet my appetite for the two Donnie Brasco books he has also written (see below). There are fairly short chapters about different facets of being a wiseguy. Some chapter titles talk about what an average day is like for a wiseguy and what wiseguys say versus what they mean.

No matter how charming Hollywood makes wiseguys seem, Pistone lays the facts out about how ruthless and vicious they can be. Make no mistake, Pistone lays out their lack of caring in the first chapter and continues until the reader is a believer. If you want to know about the American Mafia culture, this is a great book. It's quick and each chapter is captivating.

Non-fiction
Donnie Brasco (1988) (with Richard Woodley)
** The Way of The Wiseguy (2005)
Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business (2008)

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book randomly while walking through the Non-Fiction section at the library. I enjoyed the Donnie Brasco movie, as well as other Mafia movies. I liked the way the book was set up, and found it to be quick, fun reading. I also find it very impressive that the author was able to infiltrate the Mafia so well, especially after reading a lot of the traditions and feelings of members of the Mafia in the book.

[Micky Livingston]

Having seen the movie, I wanted to follow up with the writings and was equally impressed with the similarities between the two. Joe does a great job explaining how he was able to integrate so long and so well with the organization. Being a fiction writer of that time in American History I couldn't put the book down. Highly recommend if you are enjoy reading about the good that came from the bad.

[Jeremiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this on my Android Kindle app. I was surprised when I went to turn the page and discovered I was already at the end of the book. It was a very quick read, and not because it was good. It seemed like a poor effort by the author. There's really not much to this book, unfortunately. There are some good nuggets and interesting facts, but overall not great.

[Richard Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who has seen and enjoyed Donnie Brasco will love this book. It is written by the FBI agent Joseph Pistone would went undercover as Donnie Brasco. He teaches everything about what it's like to be in the mafia and the attitudes behind such a lifestyle.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for new readers of the crime world. A detailed account of what makes up some of the ruthless killers that Donnie Brasco worked with, it outlines what drives these men to the life that they lived and died with.

[Mark Kricheff · Rating 2 out of 5]

By the former FBI undercover aka Donnie Brasco, this self-aggrandizing, poorly written book tells what it’s like to live as a member of the mafia. Absolutely nothing you haven’t learned from Goodfellas and The Godfather Trilogy movies.

[Damien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book was very redundant. Had a lot of good insite to the Mob World, but was written as if it were a text book or cook book. I was very disappointed with the book.

[Colleen Mattatall · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a neat book written half by an author and half by a mobster. It's a ficton about the mafia. If you like mobster stuff, you'll like this!

[Punk]

5 stars from Belmanoir.

[Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rehash of the first book. He's back for more cash I guess.

[Tony]

skip it, if you read Donnie Brasco then you will learn nothing from this book.

[Tom Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Memoirs of Donnie Braso [aka Joseph Pistone:].

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating insights into real life of mafia wise guys, from one who knows...Donnie Brasko

[Raul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and cheesy, not bad for a rat!

[Jared Shipley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating insight into what real wiseguys do and how they do it. Book is awesome, but the real treat is the FBI Audio Surveillance CD it comes with.