<![CDATA[It recently occurred to me that we've all been misinterpreting the ending of this movie.]]>Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Donnie Brasco

IAmTheWalrus3 — 10 years ago(August 10, 2015 10:54 PM)

It recently occurred to me that we've all been misinterpreting the ending of this movie.
From Wikipedia: In 1981, the FBI decided to end Pistone's operation. FBI agents visited Ruggiero and Napolitano at a social club and informed them of Brasco's true identity. After the Bonanno leadership learned the truth, they immediately went after the men who brought Brasco into their midst.
Mirra and Napolitano were murdered and a contract was put out on Ruggiero. On August 30, 1981, the FBI intercepted Ruggiero as he was going to a meeting at Marangello's social club and placed Ruggiero under protective custody.
FBI agent Louis Vernazzo jumped out of a car carrying a shotgun and said, "FBI, freeze!", and arrested Ruggiero on racketeering and gun charges.
It's believed that Ruggiero would have been murdered had he attended the meeting.
So when Lefty is sent for at the end of the movie, why does everyone just assume that he is killed? We didn't know the whole story when the movie came out, so maybe we just filled in the blanks and assumed the worst.

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for the restaurant assault alone you should be glad he was killed
Bruno Kirby's character .. That death was hard for me to watch.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1869513https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1869513Sat, 02 May 2026 15:38:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It recently occurred to me that we've all been misinterpreting the ending of this movie. on Sat, 02 May 2026 15:38:22 GMT]]>cabal24 — 10 years ago(September 21, 2015 07:41 AM)

Why was Bruno Kirby's character killed?
He was holding out on a drug deal and not kicking money up. Thats a death sentence in the mob if there ever was one.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1869512https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1869512Sat, 02 May 2026 15:38:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It recently occurred to me that we've all been misinterpreting the ending of this movie. on Sat, 02 May 2026 15:38:21 GMT]]>LeSpurs — 10 years ago(September 02, 2015 11:30 AM)

From what I understand he is actually the underboss of that crime family today.
It was also Sonny Black that said if it was gonna be anyone he was glad it was donnie.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1869511https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1869511Sat, 02 May 2026 15:38:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It recently occurred to me that we've all been misinterpreting the ending of this movie. on Sat, 02 May 2026 15:38:20 GMT]]>stones78 — 10 years ago(August 31, 2015 10:14 AM)

Why was Bruno Kirby's character killed? That death was hard for me to watch.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1869510https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1869510Sat, 02 May 2026 15:38:20 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It recently occurred to me that we've all been misinterpreting the ending of this movie. on Sat, 02 May 2026 15:38:19 GMT]]>cabal24 — 10 years ago(August 11, 2015 08:28 AM)

So when Lefty is sent for at the end of the movie, why does everyone just assume that he is killed?
Because the movie Lefty is a combination of both Lefty and Sonny Black. The scene where he gives his rings and watch to the bartender really happened- to Sonny Black. Black was killed because he and Lefty brought an undercover officer into the fold. I think its safe to think move lefty was killed based on that.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1869509https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1869509Sat, 02 May 2026 15:38:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It recently occurred to me that we've all been misinterpreting the ending of this movie. on Sat, 02 May 2026 15:38:18 GMT]]>micirisi — 10 years ago(August 11, 2015 06:49 AM)

So when Lefty is sent for at the end of the movie, why does everyone just assume that he is killed?
Most of know what happened in real life and most of us know that the film does not follow the true story with total accuracy. The director/screenwriter(s) clearly wanted to convey to the audience that at the end Lefty was "called for" and killed. Had they wanted the audience to understand Lefty was "called for" and arrested en route to the "meeting" they would have ended with film with his arrest. It would only have taken a 30 second scene.
When you think about the film ending is much better. Not much drama in an old mobster getting arrested, spending time in prison and later released to die of cancer.
He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator.

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