Frank Panessa

Frank Panessa was a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent for 28 years. He had numerous undercover roles in the United States, Europe, Asia and Central America, and infiltrated the Sicilian Mafia in the infamous "Pizza Connection" case that resulted in the conviction of high-level Sicilian wholesale distributors of heroin. In 1985, Panessa testified before the President's Commission on Organized Crime on this heroin network. His expertise took him abroad. Between 1988 and 1991, Panessa served as the chief United States advisor to Italian police agencies on narcotic enforcement in Rome, Italy. During that time, he also coordinated international enforcement, intelligence and training operations throughout the Mediterranean basin.