
True Spies: Espionage | Investigation | Crime | Murder | Detective | Politics True Spies Classic: The Real Sopranos | FBI
Dec 30, 2025
Giovanni Rocco, a former FBI undercover agent, details his harrowing infiltration of the Decavacante crime family in New Jersey. He shares chilling stories from his time posing as a mob associate, including tense meetings with notorious figures like Charlie Stango. Giovanni offers insight into the brutal training he endured at the FBI's undercover school and the emotional toll of living a double life. He reveals the moment he was ordered to commit murder, all while capturing critical evidence that led to convictions.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Control Your Physiology Under Pressure
- Effective undercover work requires controlling physiological responses like breathing and heart rate to avoid giving away fear.
- Giovanni Rocco trained to spot ticks and tells and to regulate himself so he could think clearly under extreme stress.
Improvisation Saved A Training Exercise
- During a role-play search at the FBI school, Giovanni faked a brazen reaction to prevent instructors finding his wire.
- He later produced the wire from a place the actors refused to search, proving his improvisation saved him.
Diner Meeting That Opened Doors
- Posing as Giovanni Gatto, Giovanni infiltrated the Decavacante orbit and earned Charlie Stango's trust in a diner meeting.
- That meeting allowed him to move from associate to trusted right-hand and gather hours of recordings.
