During his 26-year career with the FBI, Joaquin Garcia spent 24 years operating undercover, conducting over 100 covert investigations—more than any other agent in FBI history.

His investigations ranged from Italian mafia families, Mexican and Colombian drug cartels, and Russian and Asian organized crime groups to police corruption rings, jury bribery schemes, contract killings, and large-scale drug trafficking operations.

Joaquin Garcia joined the FBI as an agent in 1980. *Business Insider*

From 2002 to 2005, Garcia infiltrated the Gambino crime family under the alias "Jack Falcone". Garcia explained that the five Italian mafia families in New York – Gambino, Genovese, Lucchese, Colombo, and Bonanno – adhere to a strict hierarchy: boss, underboss, consigliere, captain, soldier, and associate.

Garcia became the driver and confidant for Greg DePalma, a Gambino captain. This role demanded complete immersion into the gang's culture.

To achieve this, Garcia created a fake Sicilian identity, underwent FBI underworld training, learned to pronounce Italian dishes correctly, and practiced in Italian-American neighborhoods. He was taught not to carry a wallet, as criminals often carry stacks of cash bundled with rubber bands, like those used for vegetables in a grocery store. Another valuable lesson was that criminals appreciate compliments. Garcia's favorite line was, "Where did you get that nice suit? You look like a big shot."

Garcia even visited a cemetery and identified a deceased Falcone couple to claim as his "parents" if anyone ever asked to visit their graves.

Sometimes, Garcia had to manage multiple undercover roles simultaneously. He carried several identification cards and leveraged his fluency in Spanish and Italian to maintain his cover. However, he had to be careful not to mix up his personas when the phone rang.

While disguised as "Jack Falcone" and working with the Gambino family's New York branch, Garcia flaunted cash, Rolex watches, diamond rings, flat-screen televisions, and assets he claimed were stolen goods (which were actually evidence seized in other FBI cases). This helped him gain notoriety among mafia family members. Garcia used money to pay for expensive dinners, building rapport with his underworld targets.

By providing "stolen assets" for DePalma to sell for cash, Garcia convinced him that "Jack Falcone" was a skilled jewelry thief and fence from Miami. Over the next two years, while frequently visiting DePalma's home, Garcia wore a secret audio recorder. Meanwhile, the FBI placed listening devices in places DePalma frequented. Garcia also gave DePalma a cell phone, which the talkative mafioso used freely, unaware that the FBI was listening.

This operation yielded 5,000 hours of recorded conversations, which were used to indict DePalma and other Gambino members. After 28 months of covert investigation, Garcia's evidence led to the arrest of 32 Gambino members and associates, including DePalma, family boss Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri, and underboss Anthony "The Genius" Megale.

Joaquin Garcia, 1,93 m tall, gained approximately 36 kg during his two years operating within the Gambino family. *Mobmuseum*

Garcia's work with drug cartels differed. His cartel investigations focused on large-scale drug trafficking and deals, where he often posed as an importer or dealer. He earned trust through competence, not through his background.

Drug deals sometimes unfolded unpredictably. Garcia recounted an incident where nine men unexpectedly appeared during a cocaine transaction. He stepped into a nearby diner and called the FBI, ultimately preventing the deal and arresting the suspects.

According to Garcia, the mafia maintained strict control. They needed to know his whereabouts at all times. For example, if he missed a call, they demanded an explanation. "You have to ensure everything is flawless, because one small slip-up and you could end up in the trunk of a car," Garcia said.

Of all the criminal organizations he infiltrated, Garcia feared Mexican drug cartels the most due to their brutality. While the mafia also engaged in violence, it could not compare to what he witnessed from the Mexican gangs.

Garcia recounted seeing cartels decapitate victims and impale their heads on stakes, or hang bodies from bridges. "They will target your entire family," he stated.

The cartels' core business involved trafficking cocaine and heroin through international distribution networks, generating revenue far exceeding the traditional criminal activities of the mafia. "Drug criminals are more frightening," Garcia observed, adding that during his time with the FBI, he worried more about cartels than about the mafia.

Joaquin Garcia shared insights into his years as an undercover agent on Business Insider in early March.

Garcia planned to serve 30 years with the FBI, but after 26 years, he felt it was enough. Garcia retired in 2006 at age 54.

Moreover, his daughter was then six years old, and he wanted to be present in her life. Garcia drove her around and enjoyed time at home—things he could not fully do while living undercover.

After leaving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Garcia briefly returned to work on a Boston police corruption case but declined further undercover assignments, making way for younger agents.

Later, Garcia co-authored the memoir, "Making Jack Falcone: An Undercover FBI Agent Takes Down a Mafia Family"—a New York Times bestseller.

In 2024, Garcia received the FBI Agents Association's Distinguished Service Award. Even in retirement, he stated he still carries a gun for self-defense.

By Tue Anh (via Business Insider, Mobmuseum)