‘Donnie Brasco’ to testify in Quebec

By Ed Scarpo
"Donnie Brasco"
From  Thestar.com:

MONTREAL—It looked at first like a publicity stunt to grab headlines for a corruption scandal that’s already front-page news in Quebec.

“Donnie Brasco”— real name Joseph Pistone — is to bring his considerable fame and dated expertise on the inner workings of the New York Mafia to the ninth floor of a provincial government office tower Monday in the heart of Montreal.

Out of context the revelation, which came last week, raises questions about what light a 73-year-old retired FBI agent could shine on allegations of corruption and collusion in Quebec’s construction industry. And some of the most notable Canadian organized crime experts are doing just that.

“I respect Joe Pistone. He’s a very knowledgeable person regarding the American cosa nostra,” said Antonio Nicaso, a Toronto-based author and commentator on the Mafia. “But to me it’s more a name to raise attention on this matter rather than a witness who can add valuable information to this critical issue.”

But coupled with the Charbonneau Commission’s poaching of a top investigative reporter into organized crime earlier this summer and recent overtures seeking the testimony of several of Quebec’s most notorious wiseguys, the inquiry launched under duress by outgoing Premier Jean Charest appears intent on captivating audiences, satiating the media and striking fear into Quebec’s political class for months to come...


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