As a former FBI special agent who lived the Mafia lifestyle for six years in deep cover as Donnie Brasco, I can vouch for the authenticity of The Sopranos, the HBO phenomenon created by David Chase. I lived day and night with the Bonnano crime family of New York City, interacting with wiseguys and their families, attending Mob weddings, funerals and family get-togethers. Chase understands their subtleties, from the emphatic hand gestures to their unwritten code of honor.