When Goodfellas hit cinemas, most people saw a gripping mob story. Neil Moran saw something else entirely — a car he and his team had bugged, sitting quietly in the background behind Robert De Niro. Because for Moran, this wasn’t just a film. It was his case. 

A retired FBI agent with nearly 30 years on the job, Moran worked on some of the most high-profile organised crime investigations in New York, from the infamous Lufthansa heist to the undercover world that inspired Donnie Brasco. Along the way, he crossed paths with real-life mob figures, wiretaps, surveillance ops, and the kind of split-second decisions that don’t always make it into the movies. 

In today’s podcast, Ciara Doherty speaks to Neil about the reality behind the Hollywood versions: the risks, the injuries, the long hours — and the moments that nearly ended his career. 

Neil Moran’s memoir Stories is out now.