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Frank Costello Biography #202665
06/24/05 11:11 PM
06/24/05 11:11 PM
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,193
Muscat, Oman
Don Zadjali Offline OP
Underboss
Don Zadjali  Offline OP
Underboss
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,193
Muscat, Oman
*Francesco Castiglia (January 21, 1891 - February 18, 1973)
Known as Frank Costello was a famous mafia leader...

*Costello was born in (Lauropoli) Calabria, Italy, and in 1895 he boarded a ship to the United States alongside his mother and sister. Living in New York's East Harlem he become a member of a local gang by the age of 13, and started using the name of Frank. He continued to commit petty crimes and spent time in jail whilst a teenager and young adult, serving 11 months in 1915 after being found carrying a concealed weapon.

*Crime business:
After his release, he began dealing in the underworld, and teamed up with Lucky Luciano. Together, they prospered in such business areas as bootlegging, gambling and slot machines (Prohibition in the U.S. was from 1919 to 1933). Costello was considered by his fellow gangsters as an important link between the Mafia and politicians, judges, and the police, and he earned the respect of many of his gangmates, including Luciano, as a man who could pay off anyone. He had particularly strong links with Tammany Hall, a Democratic Party organization, and with Big Bill Dwyer. Costello was responsible for having Abe "Kid Twist" Reles thrown out of the window when he became a witness against the mob.

When Luciano went to prison in 1936, he was sent to Dannemora in upstate New York, almost at the border with Canada. Luciano attempted to rule his crime family from jail, but, being so far removed, he had to name an acting boss, and so chose Costello, with Vito Genovese acting as Underboss. It could be said that the period that Costello ruled as a boss of Luciano's family was the most profitable one. Costello was a cash register with rackets from coast to coast aside from running the family and had more political strength than any mobster in history. After Genovese fled to Italy in fear of a murder prosecution, Costello had the whole operation under his control, and he expanded the crime family's operations, the casinos in Las Vages and Cuba happened under Costello's rule, he even owned buildings on the Wall Street.

After Luciano was deported to Italy in 1946, Genovese wanted to return to the States. To this end Costello had the witnesses against Genovese poisoned while they were in protective custody. Upon his return, Genovese came to feel he should have been the boss all these years, but he had to move softly. Genovese was displeased at the way things had changed during Costello's period as boss; Costello had his soldier's respect and the police on his payroll. Genovese also hated the fact that Costello was good friends with Albert Anastasia. With Anastasia on his side, it was hard to challenge Costello but things started to change with the Kefauver hearings. Mafia leaders from across the country were interviewed as part of these investigations, and Costello became the most well-known gangster of the time. The hearings were called by the Kefauver commission, which wanted to investigate organized crime in the States.

By 1951, Genovese wanted to get rid of Costello but he was still too strong, so Genovese had to wait. Costello knew Genovese wanted to be the Boss, but Costello could not go to war to kill Vito Genovese. If Costello went to war the goverment would put him away in a snap. Costello spent the 1950s in and out of court and government crime hearings. Even if he went to war and won he would lose. Also it could not be a one, two, three, clean hit like the one done to Anastasia. Costello was the Boss but Genovese was the underboss, which meant he had a crew loyal to him. War was inevitable. Costello was first sentenced to 18 months of jail, accused of contempt of the Senate. He started serving that sentence in August, 1952, but was released after only 14 months, in October, 1953. In 1954, he was accused of tax evasion and sentenced to five years in jail, but didn't have to serve any time from that sentence. In 1956, he was once again convicted, and this time went to prison. However, he won his appeal and was released the next year.


*Assasination:
In 1957 a powerful figure in the family loyal to Costello, Joe Adonis, was deported. Albert Anastasia was brutal to members of his family, even one time slapping Carlo Gambino, at a dinner in front of Joe Bonanno, (Bonanno talks about this in his first book). Genovese had found his ally. Also in 1957 Costello won his appeal and was released. Genovese had to strike now. An attempt was made on Costello's life soon after his release, when, one night, he was walking to the elevator in order to go up to his house, and was shot in the head by hitman Vincent Gigante, who supposedly warned him by shouting "Frank, this is for you!" before taking his shot. Costello turned around, and ducked when he realised what was happening. Because of that defensive reaction, he survived the attack. Gigante left him for dead and ran away, but the bullet had done little more than graze his head, passing through his right ear and slightly touching his neck. So many police came after Gigante that he later turned himself in; never in the history of the mafia has this happened. Costello had so many powerful friends it was like a failed hit on a mayor. Genovese went on to appoint himself as boss, even though his attempt on Costello had failed.

Some time after that, Costello had had enough and made it clear to Genovese that he no longer wanted to be a boss and wanted to make peace. Genovese agreed to leave Costello alone, but in return he made Costello give up all his gambling connections and go back to just being a soldier for the organization. Eventually Genovese made Costello agree to leave and forego any future involvement with organized crime. Genovese was still scared of Albert Anastasia, the most murderous man in the Mafia, so he pitched a deal with Gambino: get Anstasia and me and you rule the commission.

Costello later got his revenge by framing Genovese, Gigante, and others in a drug bust with the help of Luciano and Meyer Lansky. Genovese eventually died in prison

*Retirement:
Costello's final years were relatively peaceful and quiet. Mob bosses like Carlo Gambino and others still payed visits to Costello at the Waldorf Astoria in order to ask for advice. In 1973, he died of a heart attack at a Manhattan hospital.



*NOTE:
-The character of Vito Corleone in The Godfather was clearly based on Frank Costello, from the voice, political pull, failed hit, no drug rule, regal style, hating mob war, and retirement.

-!!Hyman Roth = Arnold Rothstein!!
The character of Hyman Roth from the film The Godfather, Part II mentions Rothstein as his inspiration and modeled his surname after Rothstein's in honor of his part in the Black Sox Scandal.

*Source:
*www.wikipedia.com
*www.hollywoodusa.co.uk
*www.policygame.net

*Don Zadjali*


"Pain has no tendency, in its own right, to proliferate. When it is over, it is over, and the natural sequel is joy."
- C. S. Lewis

"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh"
- George Bernard Shaw


Re: Frank Costello Biography #202666
06/25/05 11:38 PM
06/25/05 11:38 PM
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,514
AZ
Turnbull Offline
Turnbull  Offline

Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,514
AZ
Quote:
Originally posted by Don Zadjali:
[b]*NOTE:
-The character of Vito Corleone in The Godfather was clearly based on Frank Costello, from the voice, political pull, failed hit, no drug rule, regal style, hating mob war, and retirement.[/b]
Yes. Vito Corleone is a composite of several NYC Dons, but Costello is the one he most resembles. Like Costello, he had "the gambling and the unions," was all-powerful politically, and eschewed drugs.

-!!Hyman Roth = Arnold Rothstein!!
The character of Hyman Roth from the film The Godfather, Part II mentions Rothstein as his inspiration and modeled his surname after Rothstein's in honor of his part in the Black Sox Scandal.

[b]*Don Zadjali*
[/b]
No. Hyman Roth is based on Meyer Lansky, not Arnold Rothstein. But in real life, Luciano, Costello and Lansky were Rothstein's proteges.


Ntra la porta tua lu sangu � sparsu,
E nun me mporta si ce muoru accisu...
E s'iddu muoru e vaju mparadisu
Si nun ce truovo a ttia, mancu ce trasu.
Re: Frank Costello Biography #202667
06/25/05 11:55 PM
06/25/05 11:55 PM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 7,950
DonMichaelCorleone Offline
DonMichaelCorleone  Offline

Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 7,950
and Vito's "life" has parts of other Don's as well. I think it was Frank Scalia who was shot buying fruit, and I think someone else had the Olive Oil Business.


"You gave your word, I never gave mine"
http://s2.gladiatus.us/game/c.php?uid=88380
Re: Frank Costello Biography #202668
06/26/05 12:19 AM
06/26/05 12:19 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 18,238
The Ravenite Social Club
Don Cardi Offline
Caporegime
Don Cardi  Offline
Caporegime

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 18,238
The Ravenite Social Club
Quote:
Originally posted by DonMichaelCorleone:
and Vito's "life" has parts of other Don's as well. I think someone else had the Olive Oil Business.
Joe Profaci, the olive oil king.


Don Cardi



Don Cardi cool

Five - ten years from now, they're gonna wish there was American Cosa Nostra. Five - ten years from now, they're gonna miss John Gotti.




Re: Frank Costello Biography #202669
06/26/05 12:22 AM
06/26/05 12:22 AM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 7,950
DonMichaelCorleone Offline
DonMichaelCorleone  Offline

Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 7,950
Quote:
Originally posted by Don Cardi:
[quote]Originally posted by DonMichaelCorleone:
[b] and Vito's "life" has parts of other Don's as well. I think someone else had the Olive Oil Business.
Joe Profaci, the olive oil king.


Don Cardi [/b][/quote]Thank you DC,

was I right about Frank?


"You gave your word, I never gave mine"
http://s2.gladiatus.us/game/c.php?uid=88380
Re: Frank Costello Biography [Re: DonMichaelCorleone] #442349
10/09/07 10:54 PM
10/09/07 10:54 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 18,238
The Ravenite Social Club
Don Cardi Offline
Caporegime
Don Cardi  Offline
Caporegime

Joined: Aug 2001
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The Ravenite Social Club
Just reviving some bios so that some of the new people who are interested in Oragnized Crime can read them.



Don Cardi cool

Five - ten years from now, they're gonna wish there was American Cosa Nostra. Five - ten years from now, they're gonna miss John Gotti.




Re: Frank Costello Biography [Re: Don Cardi] #444296
10/18/07 07:45 AM
10/18/07 07:45 AM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 44,945
DE NIRO Offline
DE NIRO  Offline

Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 44,945
Frank Costello must have the best Headstone/Grave ever.


The Mafia Is Not Primarily An Organisation Of Murderers.
First And Foremost,The Mafia Is Made Up Of Thieves.
It Is Driven By Greed And Controlled By Fear.

Between The Law And The Mafia, The Law Is Not The Most To Be Feared

"What if the Mafia were not an organization but a widespread Sicilian attitude of hostility towards the law?"

"Make Love Not War" John Lennon
Re: Frank Costello Biography [Re: DE NIRO] #452142
11/20/07 10:36 PM
11/20/07 10:36 PM
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6
Southern California
F
FrankCostello Offline
Associate
FrankCostello  Offline
F
Associate
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6
Southern California
Frank Costello,

Got pinched once with a gun and never carried one again.

What Lucky and Bugsy did with muscle, Costello and Lansky did with brains and diplomacy. What a beautiful time!


Prime Minister of the Underworld
Re: Frank Costello Biography [Re: FrankCostello] #452158
11/21/07 05:29 AM
11/21/07 05:29 AM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 44,945
DE NIRO Offline
DE NIRO  Offline

Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 44,945
Beautiful for them yes.


The Mafia Is Not Primarily An Organisation Of Murderers.
First And Foremost,The Mafia Is Made Up Of Thieves.
It Is Driven By Greed And Controlled By Fear.

Between The Law And The Mafia, The Law Is Not The Most To Be Feared

"What if the Mafia were not an organization but a widespread Sicilian attitude of hostility towards the law?"

"Make Love Not War" John Lennon

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