Former FBI agent Joaquin “Jack” Garcia reveals how his years undercover inside the Gambino crime family exposed a modern Mafia far more discreet than Hollywood portrays, but still deeply rooted in crime, loyalty and a lifestyle its members rarely leave behind.
Former FBI agent Joaquin “Jack” Garcia reveals how his years undercover inside the Gambino crime family exposed a modern Mafia far more discreet than Hollywood portrays, but still deeply rooted in crime, loyalty and a lifestyle its members rarely leave behind.
New York City, NY: For decades, Hollywood has portrayed the Mafia as a world of brazen killings, crowded social clubs and mobsters settling disputes in the streets.
Former FBI agent Joaquin “Jack” Garcia knows a very different version of that world – because he lived inside it.
Garcia spent years working undercover and became best known for infiltrating the Gambino crime family while posing as “Jack Falcone.” His experience later became the basis of his bestselling book, Making Jack Falcone: An Undercover FBI Agent Takes Down a Mafia Family.
One of the biggest misconceptions about organized crime, Garcia said, comes from Hollywood.
“The mafia isn’t what you might think it is. It has morphed over the years compared to Hollywood’s previous depiction of it,” Jack said. “The 1990s produced multiple mafia-related movies; Goodfellas, Casino, Donnie Brasco, and others. All were set in the 70s and 80s. Because of those movies, I thought mob life was about gunning down rivals in the street.”
But by the time Garcia was operating undercover, the Mafia had become much more cautious.
“They know the FBI and law enforcement are after them and they’re trying to avoid getting caught. Leaving bodies on the street is bad for business. They have changed in that they are more discreet and not as brazen as they were. They’re still in the same business. As long as there’s sports betting, bookmaking, loan sharking and you have people out there willing to buy things that fall off the back of a truck – you’re going to have the mafia.”
Garcia also said organized crime figures understand that targeting law enforcement can bring devastating consequences.
“The mafia knows that taking out a law enforcement guy… that’s like the worst thing you could do. They know that the reign of terror will fall upon them,” Jack said.
He recalled one case where the response from law enforcement created enormous pressure on the Mafia.
“We tore up all of the gambling horns… we brought people in… there was constant heat. Wiretaps indicated that they [mafia] said ‘Find this guy Faracci, kill him and throw him outside the DEA’s office.’”
For many mobsters, Garcia said, the lifestyle does not simply disappear after prison.
“This is the only life they know. When you take that oath as a gangster in organized crime in the mafia, it’s for life,” Jack said.
That mentality was clear in his relationship with Gambino captain Greg DePalma.
Garcia worked to convince DePalma that his undercover persona was a valuable earner.
“I would say to DePalma ‘Look, I’m going down to Miami, I got to take care of some business for us.’ So I would go down to Florida, do what I had to do, come back then I give them [mafia] a taste. Maybe an envelope with a couple grand, or watches from the forfeiture unit. He [DePalma] saw me then as an earner,” Jack said.
DePalma, Garcia recalled, returned to mob life almost immediately after leaving prison.
“When he [DePalma] came out [of prison],” he said, “he did what he did best and went back to the strip club where I was undercover and he reclaimed that club that was at one time under his umbrella. He hit the ground running and he did it the same day he got picked up from prison… that same day he started the shakedowns.”
Garcia said some mobsters could probably succeed in legitimate businesses, but abandoning the lifestyle is another matter.
“As far as going clean,” he said, “some of these guys would probably do quite well out there. But it’s in their DNA; it’s inside them.”
He recalled watching DePalma steal inexpensive items from a clothing store even though Garcia offered to pay.
“He’s shoving ties down his jacket, socks… I’m like ‘What’re you doing…I’ll pay for that.’ He says ‘What’re you crazy, this is what we are, this is who we are.’ And it’s so true,” Jack said.
Garcia ultimately hoped his undercover identity would allow him to penetrate even deeper into organized crime and potentially open doors for other FBI agents.
“I thought that eventually in time I would get straightened out giving me access to the inner workings of the mob but also be able to introduce other FBI agents into other places in the U.S. like Chicago, New York.”
Garcia believed the operation still had room to continue.
“The assistant US attorney working the case, along with other agents working the case, wanted it to remain open. There was no reason for this case to be closed because my life was not in danger in any way,” he said.
Garcia’s story offers something Hollywood cannot: a firsthand look at how modern organized crime actually operates from a man who successfully convinced the Mafia that he was one of them.
Pick up a copy of his bestselling book on Amazon today!