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The "Prime Minister of the Underworld."

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Frank Costello, born Francesco Castiglia, was luckier than most of his mob cronies --he died a natural death at the age of 82. Having survived a 1957 murder attempt by Vincent Gigante-- a low-level criminal at the time—Costello later refused to identify Gigante as the shooter. Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld," Costello was a Mafia leader who wanted to be accepted as a businessman and member of the establishment. Unlike most of his peers, Costello was said to eschew violence. He cultivated refinement and sought out sophisticated friends among New York's established bigwigs and politicians. These men curried his favors to such an extent that the underworld grapevine claimed, "Nobody in New York City can be made a judge without Costello's consent." During the mid-fifties Kefauver hearings on organized crime, Costello was front and center. At least his hands were, as the networks agreed not to broadcast his face. When the committee asked what he ...
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A Mother's Grief

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  Near the edge of Green -Wood Cemetery, a sculpture of a beautiful woman –Rose Guarino--reclining across stone steps stops visitors in their tracks. Open-eyed, with lips parted and long hair flowing, she is dressed in a flowing gown, and wearing sandals. She clutches a bouquet in her hands. For generations, Brooklyn locals have believed that the monument commemorates a mafia bride gunned down on her wedding day in a revenge killing. The true story behind the statue does involve a murder and is just as tragic.  In the summer of 1909, Dominica Merello and her daughter, Rose Guarino, were dining with family members on the lawn of their NJ summer home when Pietro Silverio, an irate domestic employee, rushed the women, gun in hand, to exact revenge for losing his job. As the women attempted to flee, Silverio gave chase and shot Guarino in the back.   She died three days later. Guarino's body was held for two years in the cemetery's receiving vault while the monument w...
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Nelson DeMille

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  I've been visiting Nelson DeMille's grave periodically since his death in September. Yesterday, I was pleased to see that his name and dates have finally been etched into the stone. DeMille is buried with his beloved wife, Sandy, in a serene spot in one of Long Island's most bucolic and historic cemeteries. There, he takes his place among many other prominent Long Islanders. I love that there is a bench in front of the monument. It invites visitors to sit and read from one of his books. Since DeMille's death, I have been reading the books he wrote that I hadn't read before. "Gold Coast" remains my favorite. My profile of his funeral was featured in American Funeral Director magazine back in December and is included in the new compilation, Funerals of the Famous Vol. 10.
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