Iannuzzi suddenly had a heart attack that sent him to the Emergency room. During a visit from his wife and daughter, it became apparent that he had gained the attention of the FBI. Iannuzzi left Florida and fled to Chicago to hide from the FBI. When he returned to Florida, Tommy "T.A." Agro was furious with Iannuzzi because he had $22,000.00 of Agro's money when he left Florida. After nearly being beaten to death with a baseball bat and a tire iron by Thomas Agro and two of his crew under orders from Joe N. Gallo, Iannuzzi became an informant for the FBI. The FBI then launched "Operation Home Run" and started a gambling night club in Riviera Beach, Florida. The FBI supplied the money for the gambling club, and FBI agent, Jack Bonino. The Mafia were convinced by Ianuzzi that Bonino, who was known to the Mafia clientele as "John Marino", was a partner of his in the drug trade. The Mafia then welcomed Bonino into their organization, and the FBI was able to gain valuable photographic and video tape evidence against the Mob. "Operation Home Run" lasted approximately 15 months. The FBI was able to get indictments and convictions against about a dozen club members, including Chief of Police William Boone Darden. Finally, due to an alleged "leak" of information from the investigation, the FBI shut down "Operation Home Run" for the safety of Iannuzzi. The FBI then returned Iannuzzi to New York where he participated in the "Favors" case. Due to Iannuzzi's valuable testimony the government was able to convict six people. After Iannuzzi wrote his autobiography he published a cookbook, "The Mafia Cookbook". Iannuzzi cooked for Thomas Agro (the same man who beat him) and his men. According to editor Michael Korda, "Joe had honed his skills while cooking for the marshals who guarded him and the FBI agents who came to question him about his former associates." Korda went on to point out the irony "that a mob hanger-on, not even a "made man," better known as a cook than a criminal, had brought low such major organized crime figures as Tony Salerno, Carmine Persico, John Gotti, and Vincent Gigante..." Iannuzzi described his cookbook as the "favorite staples of his former dining companions" and includes recipes for shrimp scampi, veal marsala and steak florentine.