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The Untold Story of Frank Costello: From Italian Immigrant to America's Most Powerful Crime Boss
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Apr 21, 2025
Dive deep into the fascinating life of Frank Costello, the legendary "Prime Minister of the Underworld". From his humble beginnings in Calabria, Italy to becoming one of America's most influential crime bosses, this documentary explores his remarkable journey through Prohibition, surviving assassination attempts, and his unique diplomatic approach to running the criminal empire. Watch how a poor immigrant boy who once stole from pushcarts rose to control a vast criminal network, forged political alliances, and transformed organized crime in America. Unlike many of his contemporaries who met violent ends, Costello's story is unique - he managed to retire peacefully, surviving an era where most crime bosses ended up behind bars or dead. The Untold Story of Frank Costello: From Italian Immigrant to America's Most Powerful Crime Boss #OrganizedCrime #TrueCrime #MafiaHistory #FrankCostello #AmericanHistory #Documentary --~-~~-~~~-~~-~--~-~~-~~~-~~-~--~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Like and subscribe will be greatly appreciated! 🙏 -~-~~-~~~-~~-~--~-~~-~~~-~~-~--~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Grow Your YouTube Channel Faster with vidIQ! Want to get more views, subscribers, and take your YouTube game to the next level? I personally use vidIQ to optimize my videos, find the best keywords, analyze trends, and crush the algorithm. Whether you’re just starting out or already growing fast, vidIQ gives you the tools, insights, and strategies you need to stand out. Start for free today and see the difference: 👉 https://vidiq.com/MCICM -~-~~-~~~-~~-~--~-~~-~~~-~~-~--~-~~-~~~-~~-~- 🌟 Earn Money by Inviting Friends! 🌟 Invite your friends to sign up through our link, and they get 50% off their first 3 months! You’ll earn 40% of any purchase they make (up to $50). The more friends you refer, the more you earn!
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0:00
once upon a time in a small hillside community nestled in the southern reaches of Italy a child came into the
0:07
world who would later emerge as one of the most pivotal names in the realm of
0:12
organized crime this boy known from birth as Francesco Castiglia drew his
0:20
first breath on the 26th of January 1891
0:25
the area where he spent his earliest days a modest town perched near Casano Alono in Calabria echoed with the kind
0:32
of rural poverty that was widespread throughout the region his father already
0:38
approaching middle age at 45 when young Franchesco was born worked as a farmer
0:43
with limited prospects whereas his mother occasionally assisted neighbors and local families by serving as a
0:49
midwife because of the family's precarious finances they often found themselves scrimping just to keep
0:56
everyone fed they were not alone almost no one in that corner of Italy at the
1:02
turn of the century escaped the iron grip of poverty life in Calabria was a
1:09
constant test of endurance many families saw immigration as the only hope for a
1:14
better tomorrow so Italy found itself in the grip of a massive wave of departures
1:21
franchesco's father who saw the lure of distant shores decided to join thousands
1:27
of others crossing the Atlantic in 1893 he traveled to the United States taking
1:34
along some of his children while Franchesco and a few others remained with their mother for a time this
1:42
pattern of staggered immigration was entirely typical as families often split
1:47
themselves between two continents hoping to build enough of a financial base so
1:52
that those left behind could follow eventually Francesco and his mother
1:58
along with one of his sisters secured passage across the ocean and arrived in
2:04
New York City he was far too young to pay for a ticket and thus sailed for
2:09
free the rest of the family reunited in a cramped East Harlem tenement on East
2:16
108th Street at that time Harlem was still taking shape culturally large
2:22
waves of migration both from various parts of the world and from other regions of the United States had not yet
2:29
fully transformed the area instead little pockets of Italians clustered
2:35
together forming micro communities where people shared the same language tradition and daily struggles owning a
2:43
meager grocery store Franchesco's father sold only the most essential goods flour
2:49
eggs milk bread yet money remained so scarce that the boys Franchesco and his
2:56
brother Eduardo sometimes felt compelled to piler push carts on the street just
3:01
to keep enough food on the family table watching how much labor and sacrifice
3:07
went into every crumb of sustenance young Francesco developed a fierce desire to break free of poverty later in
3:15
adulthood he frankly admitted that he despised the way his father seemed resigned to their plight franchesco's
3:23
schooling was sporadic complicated both by their financial troubles and his late arrival in New York which left him
3:30
behind many other children in terms of English language skills but the lure of
3:36
skipping class to make quick money soon eclipsed formal education by the time he
3:43
hit his teenage years he like so many future notorious kingpins drifted into
3:49
small-time offenses rumors circulated years down the line that he ran amateur
3:55
gambling games with other kids indeed many who grew up amid the cramped streets and multithnic fireworks of
4:03
early 20th century Harlem found that petty theft and illicit dealings were an
4:08
everpresent temptation while some might slip into crime out of necessity others
4:15
embraced it more fully organized crime in the United States was not at all new
4:21
the multithnic environment in major cities offered a rich breeding ground
4:26
for these underworld secrets irish gangs still held substantial turf symbolically
4:33
controlling significant spheres of influence especially since Irish immigrants had arrived in overwhelming
4:40
waves during the mid-9th century but the Italian diaspora was growing swiftly and
4:47
the seeds of the Sicilian mafia and variants such as the Calabrian drangetta
4:53
had already begun to germinate in American soil francesco called Frank or
4:59
Frankie by now gravitated to that budding criminal network several arrests
5:05
occurred in his youth at one point he was charged with robbing a coal merchant
5:11
allegedly hitting the man with a hammer and also suspected in a burglary of a
5:16
woman's jewelry if anyone asked for his name it was never quite the same he
5:22
might present himself as Castello Costello or Seario whichever best
5:27
camouflaged him that moment before long he decided on Frank Costello that
5:34
identity was destined to become famous in real mafia stories told for decades
5:40
to come by the mid 19s Frank's everyday existence revolved around the hustle and
5:47
bustle of New York's shadow economy he tried to hold legitimate work once even
5:54
hauling pianos for a factory but found it too grueling to tolerate a year
6:00
behind bars on a gun possession charge also did little to dissuade him from the
6:06
underworld his disinterest in ordinary work and mounting frustration with
6:11
meager wages pushed him along with countless others toward the more tempting though treacherous side of the
6:18
street then in 1920 everything changed drastically the introduction of
6:25
prohibition a ban on the sale and distribution of alcohol throughout the nation proved an absolute gamecher in
6:34
American history while intended to curb vice it inadvertently did the opposite
6:40
gifting aspiring racketeers an unparalleled avenue for profit seemingly
6:46
overnight a wave of new opportunities arose for bootleggers rum runners and
6:53
illicit distilleries frank Costello who had thus far languished in small-scale hustles
7:00
now had a chance to tap into a sphere that promised immense riches he began
7:06
collaborating closely with others who would eventually be recognized as notorious kingpins in American crime
7:13
families such as the legendary Charles Lucky Luchiano and Veto Genevvesi as
7:20
well as Jewish associates like Myalansky and Benjamin Bugsy Seagull initially
7:27
these young mob upstarts often sought funding from more established figures
7:32
like Arnold Rothstein who possessed ample connections and enough capital to
7:38
back ambitious newcomers in the early days of Prohibition many bootleggers
7:44
simply bribed their way into government warehouses extracting legitimate alcohol
7:49
supposedly earmarked for medical purposes as these warehouses emptied
7:55
illegal import routes became the next step this entailed meeting shipments
8:01
along the deserted shores of New Jersey in a region nicknamed Rum Ralph or
8:06
transporting hearty supplies down from Canada for Costello and his circle these
8:12
clandestine distribution channels forged new alliances soon Italians worked alongside or
8:20
competed bitterly with Irish and Jewish crime syndicates in these underworld
8:26
markets all manner of boundaries blurred in the rough and tumbled climate of the
8:31
1920s it was sometimes easier to build partnerships than to wage endless turf
8:37
wars though plenty of blood was still spilled to protect profits and territory
8:44
early in this era Costello deepened his alliance with Bill Dwire an influential
8:49
Irish bootleger for years afterward speculation claimed that Frank picked
8:55
Costello as an Irish sounding alias to better connect with Dwire in truth Frank
9:02
had toyed with the name earlier yet partnering with Dwire definitely boosted
9:07
his fortunes their enterprise soared reaping immense revenues from
9:13
transporting and selling illicit liquor across New York according to police data
9:19
DW alone may have rad in close to $10 million between 1922 and
9:25
1929 a staggering sum in that era even a portion of that would easily place
9:32
Costello among the city's wealthiest operators with these profits Frank invested in
9:39
legitimate ventures real estate companies that built houses automobile
9:44
dealerships and even an ice cream cone business these front enterprises
9:50
provided a veneer of normaly making it less obvious to law enforcement where
9:55
his wealth originated true crime historians often point to Costello's dual existence
10:02
amiable gentleman in public cunning dealmaker behind closed doors as proof
10:07
of his skill in juggling multiple identities rumors swirled for years that
10:14
Frank might have joined forces with Joseph Kennedy Senior the father of an eventual president many bootleggers from
10:22
New York famously claimed they had done business with the influential Boston figure fueling countless unsolved
10:29
mysteries around the Kennedy family's rumored gain of wealth during
10:35
prohibition modern historians usually downplay these allegations but Costello
10:40
himself was known to drop intriguing hints that he had indeed managed
10:46
bootlegging deals with that Kennedy fellow some chalked it up to storytelling flare others pointed to it
10:54
as a quiet acknowledgement of how far organized crimes links could stretch
11:00
into the pantheon of American politics with prohibition in full swing
11:05
everything seemed possible and everyone was looking to climb higher this era
11:11
also witnessed the rise of Joe the boss Maseria who demanded steep tributes from
11:18
smaller outfits then in the fall of 1928 Arnold Rothstein often seen as a
11:25
financial backer for so many illicit deals was murdered in a dispute over a
11:30
massive unpaid gambling debt his death left a gaping power vacuum crime
11:37
families turned on one another more regularly each wanting to carve out their portion of the bootlegging empire
11:44
frank maintained relationships with major players including Joe the boss
11:50
Maseria and Salvator Marenzano but soon found himself caught in a fearsome
11:57
crossfire that would reshape the underworld by early 1930 the region's
12:03
underworld carried an air of impending war maseria who employed the likes of
12:09
Luchiano Castello and Genovves pitted himself against Maranzano a
12:15
Sicilian-born upstart competing for dominance tensions peaked when Maseria
12:21
ordered the killing of a one-time ally who had joined Maranzano's orbit then
12:27
came the infamous Castellamares War so named for the Sicilian town from which
12:33
Marano and many of his loyalists hailed multiple factions jockeyed for
12:38
superiority in a brutal contest that dragged on for well over a year
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eventually Luchiano and his partners Costello included sided against Maseria
12:51
orchestrating his assassination once that was accomplished Marano proclaimed himself the boss of
12:58
bosses and expected tribute from all corners of the city's mafia scene but
13:03
his reign did not last luchiano wary that he might be next on Maranzano's
13:10
list hired Jewish hitmen to dispatch the self-proclaimed top boss thereby
13:15
eradicating him only months after he rose to the pinnacle the subsequent reorganization of crime families was
13:23
spearheaded by Luchiano having observed the chaotic infighting he chose coexistence over
13:29
dictatorial rule instead of naming a single top man a commission formed
13:36
comprised of key crime family leaders from across New York Buffalo Chicago and
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elsewhere this commission with Luchiano at its head served as a meeting place
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for all the significant voices in the American Kulsa Nostra each family was
13:54
meant to handle its own affairs while consulting collectively on larger underworld secrets costello emerged from
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this restructure as the consiliier a vital adviser in the newly named
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Luchiano crime family some recognized it as a tribute to Frank's skillful
14:14
negotiations and his inclination towards stable business-like operation rather
14:20
than endless violence meanwhile historical currents were about to shift
14:25
again prohibition ended in 1933 removing the gold mine of illicit
14:32
liquor the mafia families who had thrived in that climate needed fresh
14:37
revenue streams gambling enterprises quickly beckoned illegal gambling dens and games
14:44
of chance popped up in back rooms and the sale of slot machines soared before
14:52
long Castello took the lead in distributing these machines throughout New York though he soon faced a stubborn
15:00
opponent in Fiorella Laguadia the city's mayor who pledged a fierce crackdown on
15:06
both speak easys and gambling devices undeterred Frank found salvation through
15:13
an alliance with a flamboyant politician from Louisiana named Huey Long while
15:19
overshadowed by drama in the rest of the nation the deal they struck in the mid
15:24
1930s gave Costello a new domain for his gambling machines New Orleans in
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exchange for an annual sum that Costello paid to Long's handpicked charities his slot machines flooded that southern
15:39
city's bars and back rooms the arrangement was an odd reflection of how
15:45
seamlessly criminal enterprises could forge alliances with high-profile
15:50
political figures although the money from those slot machines would remain a major income source until authorities
15:58
finally shut the operation down decades later Costello's position within the
16:03
mafia soon climbed even higher in 1936 a
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fateful series of raids on illicit brothel brought intense legal heat on
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Luchiano prosecutor Thomas Dwey led the effort effectively prosecuting Lucky for
16:20
years of alleged wrongdoing despite the questionable depth of the actual charges pandering it was enough to earn Luchiano
16:27
a lengthy prison sentence of 30 to 50 years even though he was boss in name his incarceration removed him from daily
16:34
control vito Genevves initially chosen as his replacement was forced to flee
16:40
the country to dodge homicide charges thus by 1937 Costello was left
16:47
to assume total leadership of the Luchiano family effectively dictating the direction of one of the most
16:54
influential crime syndicates in the entire city with the Great Depression
16:59
raging and the world on the cusp of conflict Frank Costello's style as boss
17:05
stood out he believed in forging alliances working quietly and minimizing
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violence a prime example was his stance on narcotics he feared the intense
17:18
crackdown it would inevitably spark so he urged his associates to decrease or
17:23
entirely avoid involvement in drug trafficking yet inner strife and
17:30
personal challenges would still arise willie Moretti an old friend of Franks
17:35
was named second in command but a few years later he began exhibiting erratic
17:41
behavior tied to advanced syphilis in this dark history of mafia politics
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mental or physical decline often led to lethal outcomes moretti's fate would
17:54
eventually reflect that pattern in the global arena the outbreak of war brought
18:00
the mafia additional complications and surprising opportunities after the 1941 attack on
18:08
American soil the nation entered the Second World War government authorities
18:14
anxious to implement strategic advantages turned to the Kosanostra for help monitoring labor unions
18:21
safeguarding the country's largest seap ports and even aiding allied invasions in Sicily unofficially dubbed Operation
18:30
Underworld this arrangement involved Castello facilitating contact between
18:35
imprisoned Luchiano and American agents whether the mafia's contributions
18:41
genuinely swayed the war effort remains open to debate still the government
18:46
rewarded Luchiano by commuting his sentence provided he accept deportation
18:52
once the war ended in 1946 he was transported back to Italy leaving
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Costello as the undisputed head of the family for the foreseeable future back
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in New York Vto Genovves soon reappeared having returned from Italy around 1946
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he wriggled free of criminal charges by eliminating key witnesses then set his
19:18
sights on reclaiming higher standing in the family this triggered a subtle but
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potent rivalry between him and Costello underworld watchers recognized that
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Genevves believed power was rightfully his whereas Frank who had led the family
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for nearly a decade had no intention of stepping aside meanwhile Luchiano
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briefly returned to the underworld fry from a distance he attempted to pull strings from Cuba in late 1946 convening
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major bosses including Costello Genovvesa and powerful Jewish associates
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for a large meeting in Havana but that summit soon dissolved when American
20:01
officials pressured the Cuban government to expel Luchiano he landed back in Italy and was
20:08
never again a direct force in New York operations despite Genevese's attempts to undermine
20:14
Costello during the Havana gathering Costello retained overall leadership
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part of the Havana discussions involved a flamboyant gangster named Benjamin
20:26
Bugsy Seagull who had been entrusted with building the Flamingo Hotel in Las
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Vegas widespread dissatisfaction with Seagull's mismanagement eventually led
20:37
to his murder afterward Costello participated heavily in expanding the
20:43
mafia's presence in Vegas especially in constructing the Tropicana with such a broad portfolio of
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ventures from Louisiana slot machines to desert casinos he earned the moniker
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Prime Minister of the Underworld reflecting both his subtle statesmanship and broad influence in the criminal
21:03
galaxy all the while he and his wife Bobby maintained a surprisingly lowkey
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lifestyle by midentury he was known to mingle with an odd assortment of high
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society figures and everyday people alike rarely flaunting his dark history
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to outsiders some recalled him as polite sociable and gracious to hosts or staff
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in upscale New York venues however drama of a different kind loomed in the late
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1940s when Costello like a fictional crime lord dealing with personal demons
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started seeing a prominent Park Avenue psychiatrist known for treating alcoholism and depression for about 2
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years Frank met with the doctor to address his mood swings but the
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arrangement imploded when the psychiatrist publicly revealed details of the therapy sessions though it
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amounted to a minor scandal especially given the mafia creed of absolute secrecy Costello brushed it off denying
22:11
any involvement yet some likely wondered what he might have dulged in those
22:16
sessions the risk of exposure multiplied sharply in 1951 when the government
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initiated the famous Kefor hearings on organized crime families costello was
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called to testify although legally he could not incriminate himself the entire ordeal
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put him under the microscope investigators questioned the labyrinth of aliases he once used the suspicious
22:44
route by which his slot machines landed in New Orleans and most notably his
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tangled connections to political operatives from Tam Hall at one point he
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walked out of the hearings and only returned under pressure when pressed about his contributions to society he
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mentioned that he had always been meticulous in paying taxes a statement
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that quickly came back to haunt him in echoing a scenario reminiscent of Al
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Capone's downfall two decades earlier the authorities homeed in on Costello's
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taxes eventually he was charged with tax evasion that legal fiasco dragged on for
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years culminating in a sentence of 5 years behind bars in
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1954 he filed endless appeals but by 1956 discovered that staying out of
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prison any longer would be nearly impossible in a final desperate gambit
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his attorneys tried to argue that he was too ill suffering from a severe ulcer
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and a fatal form of cancer to endure incarceration offering his voluntary
23:56
exile from the country in exchange for a dismissal of charges this ploy failed and Frank was sent to a
24:03
federal prison in Atlanta to serve his term he then switched attorneys
24:09
eventually securing release after less than a year due to various technicalities during that uncertain
24:16
period Veto Genevvesi sensed a golden opportunity with Costello convicted and
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presumably weakened Genevves prepared to seize ultimate control of the family
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when Frank unexpectedly regained his freedom sooner than anticipated Genevies
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resorted to violence on a May evening in 1957 Costello drove up to the majestic
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apartments near Central Park only to be confronted by a gunman the hitman
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Vincent Gigante famously shouted that the following bullet was for you Frank
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before pulling the trigger by a slender twist of fate the shot only grazed
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Costello's head frank refused to identify Gigante in court and the
25:05
asalent was eventually let off the hook amazingly the survivor and the would-be
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assassin later patched things up enough to be on reasonable terms that was the
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cyclical nature of the underworld business overshadowed personal grudges
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but it was a harbinger of a shift no longer feeling certain of his security
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Frank recognized that further confrontation with Genevies could easily lead to a more successful murder attempt
25:38
another event that same year reinforced his misgivings albert Anastasia who led
25:44
another of the city's crime families and was an ally of Costello was brutally murdered in a hotel barber shop the many
25:52
unsolved mysteries surrounding these killings brought chilling clarity genevves had no intention of sharing
26:00
power rather than risk final annihilation Costello chose to seed
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control genevvesi rebranded the old Luchiano outfit under his own name
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though ironically his glory was short within a couple of years he was
26:16
convicted and imprisoned on unrelated drug charges and sore out his final days
26:23
behind bars dying toward the end of the 1960s that left Frank to navigate
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repeated legal wrangling over his tax cases not long after the attempt on his
26:36
life he returned to court and in 1958 received another blow the hearing ruled
26:42
against him and he was placed back in the Atlanta Penitentiary there he spent some time
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incarcerated alongside the very man who had tried to overthrow him both
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recognized that the fight was effectively concluded by
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1961 with time credited for good behavior and the earlier portion of his
27:06
sentence Frank Costello walked out of prison for the last time prepared to
27:13
embrace a quieter phase of life once he genuinely stepped back from dayto-day
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intrigues Frank entered a mellow rhythm now in his 60s with decades of dark
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history behind him he rose each morning to stroll near Central Park partook in
27:32
relaxed conversations with old friends some legitimate some not and occasionally indulged in lavish dining
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experiences where he was known to tip weight staff extremely well weekends
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found him and his wife retreating to a more tranquil suburban dwelling relaxing
27:50
in a garden that he personally tended years earlier he had confided that the
27:56
endless bloodshed of the Castellamares war and the daily pressure of dominating
28:02
an underworld empire were not what he wanted for the rest of his days now it
28:08
seemed he had found relative peace living off the considerable wealth
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carefully masked through both legal and illicit operations if associates or
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acquaintances from the crime families did track him down it was typically for advice or a fleeting handshake those
28:27
behind the push to investigate organized crime including government committees
28:32
convened in the 1960s sometimes summoned Costello to testify but the old boss
28:39
with little to hide anymore answered calmly in the early 1970s his health
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deteriorated when first hit by a heart attack in February of 1973 he ended up
28:52
in the hospital for several days although doctors were optimistic the strain proved too great for the man in
28:59
his early 80s another heart attack struck on the 18th of that month
29:04
claiming his life news outlets announced the passing of the so-called prime
29:10
minister of the underworld the final service though modest and devoid of typical underworld fanfare marked the
29:18
quiet end to a life that spanned the dawn the zenith and the transformation
29:23
of the American mafia his widow wishing for no grand spectacle kept the ceremony
29:29
small looking back on his era one sees that Frank Costello stood out for his
29:35
thoughtful blend of diplomacy and cunning in the realm of real mafia stories figures like Luchiano and
29:42
Genevves might have begun with equal footing but Luchiano wound up deported
29:49
and Genevves died in jail others ended up murdered in barber shops or on
29:55
bustling streets costello was luckier or perhaps more discerning surviving an
30:02
assassination attempt departing gracefully from a life that often ended violently for many he managed to enjoy a
30:09
semblance of calm in old age by the time he died the shape of organized crime in
30:16
America was already shifting with forthcoming decades bringing more robust
30:22
federal investigations wiretaps and infiltration of the mafia's dominion
30:28
over labor unions hearing Joseph Velace testify in 1963 about the commission and
30:36
the National Network of Crime Families would only accelerate that downfall
30:41
nevertheless for a long stretch Costello and his circle loomed large over
30:47
gambling rings bootlegging roots and every corner of the underworld where
30:52
money flowed reflecting on Costello's story prompts plenty of debate among
30:59
aficionados of true crime and dark history some suspect that if this
31:05
rational persuasionfocused boss had kept his hold on power the mafia might have
31:11
prolonged its golden era others argue that the unstoppable tide of federal
31:16
enforcement would have crippled those infamous syndicates ambitions sooner or later to this day the saga of Costello's
31:25
improbable rise from the impoverished hills of Calabria to the absolute apex of New York's crime families remains a
31:33
cautionary tale about the capacity for reinvention secrecy and survival his
31:40
experience revealed many of the underworld secrets that shaped the legends of gangster lore after all in a
31:48
realm defined by violent vendettas and constant betrayals his path exiting the
31:54
stage while still alive was the exception rather than the rule it is
32:00
intriguing to imagine what might have occurred if fate had gone a bit differently suppose that solitary bullet
32:07
on West 72nd Street had struck another inch inward would Costello have
32:13
disappeared from the annals of real mafia stories right then and there or
32:18
perhaps if Genevves had never fled to Italy in the 1930s Frank might never
32:24
have risen to preeminent authority ultimately the interplay of personal decisions legislative surprises like
32:31
prohibition and major historical events such as the Second World War shaped the mafia's transformation and Castello's
32:37
personal destiny such a figure does not easily vanish from collective memory even now decades later people still
32:45
recount the name Frank Costello in the same breath as other fabled mob lords
32:50
who once guided the direction of the American underworld his public persona
32:56
an unassuming gentleman in tailored suits hid a formidable mind that clinched deals and commanded loyalty he
33:04
swapped out the brazen approach of some contemporaries for a measured style of
33:09
leadership that strove to minimize chaos among his own rank and file rather than
33:16
turning trust into paranoia he excelled at compromise and backroom negotiation
33:23
indeed his membership in many circles from city politicians to the owners of late night recreation spots attest to
33:31
how integrated these crime families were within broader society did that
33:37
pragmatic approach ensure the mob's longevity or merely postpone the inevitable crackdown historians and fans
33:45
of unsolved mysteries still argue the point certain observers believed that
33:51
direct confrontation with law enforcement was not going to undo the mafia so much as internal competition
33:57
for status and territory others see it as unstoppable in a changing America no
34:04
matter who wore the crown if Frank harbored opinions on all of this toward the end he kept them extremely private
34:12
he had already gambled big and come out alive something few peers accomplished
34:19
in the grand tapestry of notorious kingpins one rarely finds an end point
34:24
quite like Costello's many fade out in a swirl of bullets or suffer final humiliations
34:32
from endless court trials that systematically dismantle their networks
34:37
by contrast Frank managed to step away while still retaining plenty of capital
34:43
enough that even in his twilight years he retained comfortable homes a circle
34:49
of acquaintances and a measure of local influence though certainly less than in
34:54
his heyday the fact that a man so deeply entwined with real mafia stories once
35:01
spent afternoons quietly pruning his prized garden plants or socializing with
35:07
newspaper publishers at the Waldorf Atoria shows how complicated personal
35:13
identities can be especially in the swirling unpredictable environment of
35:18
dark history's underworld to many Frank Costello epitomizes a paradox a gangster
35:25
who disliked unnecessary violence a gambler who quietly paid off politicians
35:31
an immigrant who rose to commanding heights of an infamous syndicate his
35:37
life encapsulates how the unstoppable forces of mass migration economic
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struggle political corruption and evolving laws shape the fate of those
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who choose or feel driven to survive in the shadows perhaps the final irony is
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the obituary that featured him in major newspapers he lived to an old age his
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once powerful name recognized by a relatively small circle of mourners at
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his funeral a far cry from the ostentatious gangster culture often
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portrayed in Hollywood and still people who track the transitions of the
36:17
American underworld cannot study the era of bootleggers slot machines and the
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five crime families without seeing Costello's fingerprint on nearly every
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significant development even the surviving glimpses of him gliding into
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high-end restaurants wearing his unassuming expression tipping waiters
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extravagantly offer a tantalizing snapshot of an era that has since passed
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into legend some followers of real mafia stories speculate that had certain
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events gone another way Frank might have found himself wielding additional
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influence in later years possibly bridging new alliances or cutting deals
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with crooked politicians others muse that his business sense particularly his
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ability to legitimize wealth through real estate and gambling ventures made
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him partly responsible for how thoroughly crime families embedded themselves in mainstream America in any
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case the tapestry of Costello's life is a swirling saga of underworld secrets
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cunning alliances and success balanced against lethal risk there's also a
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broader moral complexity in watching Franchesco Castellia once a hungry child
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who hated struggling transform into Frank Costello the prime minister of the
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underworld one can trace that path from the earliest recollections of swiping
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food off carts in East Harlem to forging back alley poker rings and finally to
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orchestrating milliondoll deals and while many of his associates ended up behind bars for decades or lying face
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down in their own blood Costello cultivated enough connections political
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savvy and subtlety to walk away breathing that survival resonates with
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watchers of true crime it's the very essence of cunning in the face of adversity returning to that question was
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Frank Costello an anomaly who might have maintained the mafia's fortunes if Genevves had not undermined him or did
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changing law enforcement tactics evolving social norms and shifting economic conditions portend the mafia's
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diminishing hold anyway photographs of Costello in federal hearings or stepping
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lightly out of a court building show a man of restraint and composure perhaps
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not prone to flamboyant acts that attract unnecessary headlines even the
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final confrontation with a bullet to his head concluded with him refusing to name
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the shooter some note that this code of silence matched by a readiness to
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compromise for self-preservation was the hallmark of a man who considered the big
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picture not merely short-term vengeance opinions will always diverge but nobody
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can doubt that his story is woven into the American tapestry of organized crime
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overshadowing many subsequent generations who attempted to replicate his clims and cunning in time the swirl
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of public fascination moved on to other dark legends but professionals who
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follow the progression of infamous syndicates continue to bring up Frank's legacy after all here was an individual
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who possessed the breadth of an empire spanning everything from shaft farmland
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origins in Calabria to the bright lights of mid-century Manhattan's nightclub
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scene from the fiasco of being thrown in prison to the hush- hush meetings with
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psychiatrists to forging political deals with flamboyant southern senators it's a
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roller coaster of alliances and close calls that only real mafia stories can
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deliver when reflecting on the final chapters of his life one might be surprised at the calm tone that emerges
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for a man who pioneered business over bloodshed the quiet coder to his journey
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heart trouble small funeral subdued farewell seems almost fitting no final
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desperate flight across the Atlantic no last revenge from an old enemy no lavish
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spectacle by then the world was different the era of big band music and
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flamboyant speak easys had faded the rackets were more scattered criminal
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families more carefully scrutinized in that shifting landscape Frank Costello
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retreated into relative normaly as if content to let others scramble for what
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remained of the underworld's fading empire the question "What do you think
41:15
of Frank Costello?" beckons the curious to unravel the full scope of his influence was he a cunning magnate who
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saw how to run a mafia empire without turning it into a war zone or a
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self-serving manipulator who simply adapted to the times whichever conclusion one draws his legacy remains
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a cornerstone of true crime folklore an emblem of how cunning and power can
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intersect with survival for those who seek to explore unsolved mysteries about
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how politics and crime intermingle his anecdote about speaking briefly to that
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Kennedy guy remains an irresistible side note whether or not any shady deals
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truly took place the claim underscores the bridging nature of gangster and
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politician in 20th century America amid the swirling changes of the Great
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Depression the Second World War and beyond men like Costello found ways to
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thrive forging hidden networks that teased open the seams of legitimate
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society many are fascinated by that thread questioning just how many hush-
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hush partnerships remain undocumented and how many more skeletons might be rattling inside old closets across the
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nation despite all the speculation the verifiable truth is that Frank Costello
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was there at each twist and turn of the mafia's growth from the bootlegging of
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prohibition to the slot machine expansions in New Orleans from the power
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jockeying after the Castellamares war to the quiet infiltration of life in Las
43:03
Vegas he conversed with powerful executives bought influence among Tamonn
43:09
Hall politicians helped shape the commission and weathered every major federal crackdown from the 1930s forward
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and in his final years he chose to do something rare for a figure so entangled
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in the dark history of infamous syndicates he walked away with his life
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that fact alone cementss his place in the pantheon of underworld survivors
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many observers have tried again and again to unearth hidden dimensions of
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Frank Costello's personality some proposed that his intelligence overshadowed an underlying
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ruthlessness others see him as the brains of a criminal empire that needed
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cunning tacticians more than brute enforcers however one interprets him the saga of
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Frank Costello from a humble origin in an impoverished Italian village to a
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leading manipulator in the American underworld continues to captivate even
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time and distance have not diminished the thrill of retelling how a boy who
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resented his father's poverty managed to amass immense wealth and still slip into
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a mostly calm retirement outliving that so many cutthroat rivals and so as the
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final curtain closed in 1973 the prime minister of the underworld took his leave no doubt
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certain corners of Manhattan offered a quiet toast to a man who reigned over
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organized crime without letting it swallow him completely others might have
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shaken their heads in disbelief that he survived so long however one weighs the
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good and bad of such a figure his narrative stands as a testament to how an individual through audacity cunning
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and constant adaptation can sculpt entire chapters of American underworld
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secrets the reverberations of Frank Costello's life story remain vital to
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understanding a distinctive era when the five crime families commanded colossal
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fortunes manipulated political alliances and spread their influence across state
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lines whenever conversations arise about the structure and transformation of the
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American mob his name inevitably resurfaces a reminder that sometimes the
45:38
subtlest approach can prove the most enduring path to power
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