60 Minutes: FBI Wiseguy Fooled The Mob

Cuban-American Is Only Second FBI Agent In History To Be Offered Mafia Membership

(CBS)  Few institutions protect their secrets as passionately - and more violently - than the Mafia. Being accepted into the inner sanctum of the mob demands from its members a blood oath of loyalty, known as "omerta."

Imagine then what it was like when a Cuban-American FBI agent infiltrated the most feared crime family in America, posing as an Italian gangster.

Now that agent, Jack Garcia, comes out from undercover for the first time and tells CBS News correspondent Armen Keteyian how he did it, and how he was able to fool the wisest of the wiseguys by delivering an acting performance that was more believable than anything Hollywood could produce.

"I always played the big role. I mean my mantra was, you know, 'Think big, be big,'" Joaquin "Jack" Garcia tells Keteyian. "And I was able to be the type of guy that never in a million years would somebody suspect that I was an agent."

Garcia may be the most unlikely law enforcement figure in history - all 390 pounds of him - whose performance was so convincing that he was offered the Mafia's highest honor: to become a "made man" in the mob.

"In the mob world, in the mob culture, that is the holy grail. For an associate to be proposed for membership into La Cosa Nostra is what these criminals aspire to do," Garcia explains. "To become a made man. The fact that they allowed an FBI agent to infiltrate their organization, and add to that the fact that I'm Cuban born playing an Italian who was able to fool them, it's an amazing insult to them."

For Garcia, his invitation to become a sworn-member of the mob capped a career working a staggering 100 major undercover cases. But none compared with "Jack Falcone," the character he created in 2002 to get inside the Gambino crime family, playing the role of an investor in a strip club that the Gambinos, and one of their ruthless leaders, Greg DePalma, were muscling in on.

"Jack Falcone entered the scene in the Bronx, New York. He was a guy who was a jewel thief, and he was a guy who was an extortionist and a hijacker. I drove a fancy car at the time. I had the Rolex Presidents watch. I had the obligatory three-carat diamond pinky. I had the cross," Garcia remembers. "Then of, course, the suits. All gotta be Italian. You gotta get your Brionis, you gotta get your Zegna. Look, you got my size. There aren't too many Zegnas or Brionis in my size. It's this package that you wanna create. You don't play the role of this big money launderer, and then show up in a Yugo."

Garcia was the complete package: more than 20 years experience as an FBI agent, combined with a style and charm that mobsters could not resist. "I was this big guy with a lot of cash who everybody wanted to be around. I would disarm the person by always being nice. 'Hey, you're looking great today. Where did you get those nice threads, man? Look at you. You look like a million dollars.' 'Oh yeah, I look good. Oh yeah, I love those blue shoes.' Everybody loves a happy guy," he says.

New York FBI agent Nat Parisi handpicked Garcia for the job, becoming his "handler" in the case, his sole lifeline to the outside world during the two and a half year investigation. "When he enters a room full of wise guys, they're all gonna want to know, who is that man?" Parisi says.

Asked how he trains a Cuban-American to become an Italian-American and pass the "wiseguy test," Parisi tells Keteyian, "A lot of meetings with Big Jack. I'm an Italian-American and I shared with Jack my experiences growing up, but he and I were convinced that he could pull it off."

Garcia says they came up with a school that they called "mob school," a form of higher education that included, of all things, a trip to the grocery store, where Garcia learned one of the mob's golden rules: never carry your cash in a wallet. Wrap it in a rubber band, pulled from a head of broccoli.

"You would take this off, as you can see. And then you would just wrap it up, and there you are. This is the way you operated with your money. Everybody just simply carries a wad of cash," Garcia explains, demonstrating how to bundle bills with a broccoli band. "That was one of those little things that could be big things down the line if you didn't prepare right for your role. Because unlike, like I said, 'The Sopranos' were multiple takes. There was only one take. And that was it. And it had to be a good one."

The training also required Garcia to spend countless hours in front of the television, watching food programs for example.

"You pick up little phrases there, you know, 'Tuto bene,' because a lot of conversations all dealt with 'Eh, how’s your food? How's your Pasta e fagioli?' 'Eh, it’s good, you could add a little more of this a little bit of that.' And it was always like, everyone's a food critic in the mob. 'Forget about this. Go down the block this guy makes it better than this guy,'" Garcia says. "Being Cuban, I get caught up sometimes. Like I would say maniccoti. It's not manicotti, it's 'manigot.' You know, Parmigiano-Reggiano. I would, could make a mistake and say, yeah, give me a ham san… - give me some ham. Well, there's no ham. You know, Italians don't say ham. It's prosciut, you know."

Garcia says a single misstep or mispronunciation could set off alarm bells. "And I couldn't afford having alarm bells going off. I wanted things to constantly be without any suspicion."

[joenikk]

What an ugly, fat, stupid government this country has.

You can be certain hes juggling the books with the other local cops. "Hey Vinnie, I just heard, if we invent some stuff, they''ll give us our own budget, and I''ll put you charge a the books". Blank confession forms book: eight bucks. Unlimited budget: still being spent. Police: How? No cops ever been convicted, for any thing. Cop invented hypothetical criminal conspeiracy theory: Priceless as allways

[norepubs]

When will you trailer trash repubs start thinking about what is best for the country? Your fascist campaign of LIES about Obama have worn thin,and any American with 1/4 of a brain can see right through it.
Nazi''s like Karl Rove ( and you, for that matter) should work for Russia,or North Korea since they are such pros at speading campaigns of misinformation like cow manure....




Nobama...and the democratic liberael elitists have set the tone in this country...think about it... you have well spoken individuals like PAM ANDERSON who have told the VP candidate to suck it...

America is the result of left wing -*** driven- money making-propoganda.. Just ask Rosie O''''donnell "IT WAS AN INSIDE JOB"

Posted by bluecollar81 at 06:30 PM

[trivia-nut]

The watch described as a Rolex President about 2 minutes into the video is NOT a President. The watch shown is a Rolex Datejust with a Jubilee bracelet in Stainless and Gold. A Rolex President (actually Day-Date) has the day of the week spelled out and is available in solid 18kt gold, white gold, or platinum. The Datejust shown is a nice watch on the lower price end of the Rolex line.

Where was the 60 Minutes fact checker? Surely, someone in NYC would loan you a President to film for the nice piece you did on the mob infiltration.

[bluecollar81]

Nobama...and the democratic liberael elitists have set the tone in this country...think about it... you have well spoken individuals like PAM ANDERSON who have told the VP candidate to suck it...

America is the result of left wing -*** driven- money making-propoganda.. Just ask Rosie O''donnell "IT WAS AN INSIDE JOB"

[rational_1]

Would you put street gangs like the Bloods, the Crips, & MS13 in the same group?
Posted by Questionnews at 04:17 PM : Oct 13, 2008

No, of course not. At least in the old days the mob had some honour and would try to minimize collateral damage when someone hadda get whacked. The Bloods, Crips and M13 should be treated like the illiterate, amoral, rabid vermin they are - I think a few tactical nukes in select LA neighborhoods might be a good place to start.

[questionnews]

The Mafia should be completely wiped off the globe. There should be no tolerance for this kind of thing. Just as suspected Muslim terrorists, they should be expelled from the country, family and all, and put on desert islands to fend for themselves.

Posted by rudy654 at 04:02 PM : Oct 13, 2008


Would you put street gangs like the Bloods, the Crips, & MS13 in the same group?

[rudy654-2009]

The Mafia should be completely wiped off the globe. There should be no tolerance for this kind of thing. Just as suspected Muslim terrorists, they should be expelled from the country, family and all, and put on desert islands to fend for themselves.

[questionnews]

So what did this guy have do to get so deep into the mob to gain his status??

Did he have to whack a guy?
Off a guy?
Whack off a guy?

Because he looks straight!

[nothappyatall]

If I hide myself from the camera, walk around with silly glasses and a hat and blot out face - you know what? I''m afraid of them? I''m not the bad guy here. I''m the good guy."

Being the head honcho only got 12 years- prolly out in SIX and this FBI dude''s name and photos are all over the place, he will be the one they come looking for.

[vinzenzo-2009]

This will tell you more about Falcone/Garcia
http://cbs4.com/video/?id=[e-mail]

[easeup-2009]

Hey nice ta see you, Jimmy! How''''s Paulie?

Posted by rational_1 at 12:56 PM : Oct 13, 2008

You''re a funny guy!

[rational_1]

I''''m gonna get the paper, get the paper.
Posted by easeup at 12:37 PM : Oct 13, 2008

Hey nice ta see you, Jimmy! How''s Paulie?

[easeup-2009]

I''m gonna get the paper, get the paper.

[volleymom3]

Coming out like this must be a risk on your safety. I hope you are well protected.

[briansgirl2]

Good going Mr. Garcia. As one who is totally fascinated by the Mob, I fear for your safety. I noticed that you don''t talk about whether or not you have family (wife and kids). I hope not for theie safety. Please, please be careful though. I totally admired John Gotti. I know, call me crazy, but I sent him cards and letters while he was in prison. What he did was totally wrong, and there was no excuse for it. However, it was a "business", and he was an excellent businessman.

[ajaxtheleast]

Fooled ??,,,,Hardly.

You''ve seen the mob.

Looking like that you too would
prefer standing next to a man
of JG''s physical attributes as you
try hitting on some broad,,,,,

,,or taking in a night at the opera getting
in touch with your cultural self looking
looking like Brad Pitts by comparison,,,,

or attending the Policemens'' Ball
looking debonair standing next to JG
as you impress your many friends.

But "fooled" ??,,,No way

[newsjunky5]

Forget about the Mafia, the Cuban sandwiches are gonna get him first.

[aerodog]

I don''t care how long it''s been since this guy was ''underground'' acting like a mafia guy, he shouldn''t have let this story out. way too dangerous. If i were a close relative of his, I''d be very afraid.

[wardoglrs]

60 Minutes: FBI Wiseguy Fooled The Mob:

Hmmm I do believe that the FBI is the mob. Didnt fool us :]

[garciagar]

This guy is full of it. Get him on diet.