# FBI history, "Crime and Corruption Across America, 1972-1988"

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/fbi-history-crime-and-corruption-1972-1988/

The FBI's institutional history of 1972 to 1988 names "the courageous work of undercover agents like Joe Pistone—who almost became a 'made' Mafia member while gathering invaluable intelligence as 'Donnie Brasco' for nearly six years."

A chapter of the FBI's own history covering 1972 to 1988. It says that "in the mid-1970s, the FBI began pioneering some tools and strategies of its own," including "long-term undercover operations—governed by new guidelines and policies—to penetrate the inner circles of organized crime."

It names two people: "The courageous work of undercover agents like Joe Pistone—who almost became a 'made' Mafia member while gathering invaluable intelligence as 'Donnie Brasco' for nearly six years—and of cooperating witnesses like businessman Lou Peters—whose Cadillac dealership became the basis for a long-term operation that targeted the Bonnano crime family in California—injected new energy into FBI investigations and intelligence work." (The FBI's spelling.)

It adds that "in the 1980s, the groundbreaking 'Commission' case led to the convictions of the heads of the five Mafia families in New York City," and that "from 1981 to 1987 alone, more than 1,000 Mafia members and associates were convicted following investigations by the FBI and its partners." These are the Bureau's summaries. The court record of the Commission case is [United States v. Salerno, 868 F.2d 524](/items/us-v-salerno-868-f2d-524/).

## Sources

- FBI.gov, History of the FBI: https://www.fbi.gov/history/history-of-the-fbi/crime-and-corruption-across-america