'Donnie's' Show of Brass

The Mafia missed a wonderful opportunity the other night to close the books on that $500,000 contract they've allegedly placed on the head of Joe Pistone, the former FBI agent who inspired the film "Donnie Brasco."

Pistone swaggered into Prof. Richard Brown's renowned film class last Wednesday night and chewed the fat with a riveted audience of 450 people. And so much for choosing an inconspicuous spot: Brown's class is held in the movie theater within the Virgin Megastore — smack dab in the middle of Broadway, where the heat from the neon lights alone could have melted off Pistone's fake mustache and unglued his rug.

Pistone's appearance was a complete surprise to everyone in the house. He was brought there by "Donnie Brasco" producer Lou DiGiaimo and introduced as "Sam" to everybody. But late in the lecture, Pistone decided he wanted to speak. "First we gasped because we were thrilled," Brown told us. "But then we were terrified, thinking we might be in the middle of a mob hit."

Thankfully, the night didn't end on that note. But the class did get a dose of Pistone's bravado in the face of threats he says he receives to this day. Pistone told the class he answered the latest threat by phoning the mobster back and saying, "If one of the hairs on my daughter's head is hurt or if my wife is injured, I will murder you myself."

Pistone also mentioned that he still misses the "high" of working undercover and does not think too often of that half-mil contract on his head. "If they think they're better than me and they can get me before I get them," he said, "let them take their best shot."

And that brings us to this alleged contract on Pistone's head. Some sources say that story was put out to hype the movie, and they may be right. Film sources have told us that several "made" men were on the set on a daily basis, acting as technical advisers right alongside Pistone.

In fact, how scared could Pistone be when he has a small part in the film? He appears in the scene on the Abscam boat and delivers one line, "Mr. Trafficante is leaving now." And, yes, he wears a hat and sunglasses.