Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero was one of the most infamous mobsters in American history. He was a member of the Bonanno crime family, a ruthless and violent organization that operated in New York and other states. He was involved in various criminal activities, such as loan sharking, extortion, racketeering, and murder. He was also a mentor and friend of Donnie Brasco, an undercover FBI agent who infiltrated the Mafia and exposed its secrets.
But how did Lefty Ruggiero die? What was his cause of death? And what happened to his family and associates after his demise? In this article, we will explore the life and death of Lefty Ruggiero, and the legacy he left behind.
Contents
Early Life and Criminal Career
Lefty Ruggiero was born on April 19, 1926, in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan. He grew up in the Knickerbocker Village private housing development in Little Italy. His father was a truck driver and his mother was a housewife. He had two younger siblings named Dominick and Angelina.
Ruggiero joined the Bonanno family as a young man, serving as a street soldier under caporegime Michael Sabella. He soon became successful in bookmaking, extortion, and loansharking rackets. He lived in an apartment on Monroe Street in Manhattan in the same building as his friend and Bonanno soldier Anthony Mirra. Ruggiero reportedly owned a cigarette boat that he kept docked on the East River in New York.
Ruggiero became good friends with future family boss Philip “Rusty” Rastelli and Mirra. Ruggiero became the part-owner of a fishery in the Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan. As a part-owner, Ruggiero was able to put himself on the company payroll with a $5,000-a-month “no-show” job. During the 1970s, he purchased a social club in Little Italy.
Operation Donnie Brasco
Around the time Ruggiero became a made member in the Bonanno family, Anthony Mirra introduced him to Joseph Pistone. Pistone was an undercover FBI agent posing as an expert jewel thief named Donnie Brasco. Pistone’s original mission had been to infiltrate truck hijacking and fencing rings. However, the friendships Pistone developed with Mirra and Ruggiero gave the FBI the chance to infiltrate the Mafia. Brasco started working for Ruggiero, placing bets and helping him make collections for the bookmaking operation in Ruggiero’s social club. Ruggiero mentored Brasco and eventually promised to sponsor him for membership in the family.
Ruggiero developed a close friendship with Brasco, which caused friction with his old friend Mirra, who had originally introduced Brasco to Ruggiero. Brasco served as best man at Ruggiero’s 1977 wedding and frequently advised Ruggiero on handling his son Tommy’s heroin addiction .
Pistone spent six years undercover as Donnie Brasco, gathering evidence against the Bonanno family and other crime families. He became close to many mobsters, including Sonny Black Napolitano, who became the acting boss of the Bonanno family after Rastelli was imprisoned. Napolitano trusted Brasco and gave him many assignments, such as participating in the murder of three rival captains who had attempted to overthrow Rastelli. However, Pistone’s cover was eventually blown when the FBI decided to end his operation on July 26, 1981. The FBI intercepted and arrested Ruggiero on August 29, 1981. They also warned Napolitano that Brasco was an FBI agent. Napolitano was later killed by his own men for allowing Brasco into the family. Mirra was also killed by another mobster for introducing Brasco to Ruggiero.
Trial and Imprisonment
In November 1982, Ruggiero was sentenced to 15 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy. He refused to cooperate with the authorities or testify against any of his fellow mobsters. He remained loyal to the Bonanno family and maintained his friendship with Pistone, who visited him several times in prison.Ruggiero also faced another trial in 1985-1986 as part of the Mafia Commission Case, which targeted the leaders of the five crime families in New York. However, he was acquitted of all charges due to lack of evidence.
Death and Legacy
In April 1993, suffering from lung and testicular cancer, Ruggiero was released from prison after serving almost 11 years. He died on November 24, 1994 at age 68 due to lung cancer.
Ruggiero’s story was immortalized by actor Al Pacino’s portrayal of him in the 1997 film “Donnie Brasco”, based on Pistone’s book of the same name. The film depicts the relationship between Ruggiero and Brasco, and the impact of the undercover operation on their lives. The film was critically acclaimed and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Ruggiero’s life and death also inspired other books, such as FBI agent Joseph Pistone’s “Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business” (1999), which reveals more details about the operation and its aftermath. Ruggiero’s character also appears in video games, such as “Grand Theft Auto III” (2001), where he is voiced by Joe Pantoliano.
Lefty Ruggiero was one of the most notorious mobsters in American history. He was a loyal and feared gangster, but also a friend and mentor to an undercover FBI agent who exposed the Mafia. His cause of death was lung cancer, but his legacy lives on through movies, books, and games.
