The "Prime Minister of the Underworld."
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 ...