Frank Costello, nicknamed "Prime Minister of the Underworld," is one of the first and most influential mafiosi in the United States of America, who laid the foundation for many criminal traditions of the modern world.
Biography
Frank Costello (at the birth of Francesco Castilla) was born back in 1891 on January 26 in the small village of Cassano allo Yonio, located in southern Italy. At the age of four, he and his family moved to the United States to live with his father, who had a small shop in America.
From early childhood, this child was a bully, and his elder brother Edward persuaded him to his first crimes. Already at the age of 13, he joined a local street gang and began to commit petty crimes, at the same time he began to call himself Frankie. Several times he was prosecuted for robbery and robbery, but was never imprisoned due to lack of evidence.
In 1915, he still received a sentence for illegal carrying of weapons, he was imprisoned for 10 months. After leaving prison, Frank was determined to give up petty street crimes and get down to more serious business. Since that time, Costello liked to repeat that he never carried a weapon with him again. The next time he faced justice only 37 years later.
Criminal "career"
After his release, the future "Prime Minister" joined Ciro Terranova's group. In the gang he meets Charlie "Lucky" Luciano, this guy was well known in the criminal world. They immediately found a common language, became friends and business partners. Charlie and Frank quickly became colleagues in the workshop and practically formed their own, very cruel gang. The formed group began to engage in robberies, robberies, extortion and the organization of gambling. Frankie had a passion for games and therefore paid special attention to them.
In 1920, Prohibition was introduced in the United States, which provoked a large wave of bootlegging (moonshine). New partners could not pass by the profitable business either. In 1922, the company led by Costello joined the Sicilian mafia, and in 1924 they began to cooperate with the Irish, they were engaged in bootlegging and cranked one of the largest operations with alcohol called the Combine. A large network was organized for the production, transportation and sale of illegal alcohol.
Having successfully established a dangerous but very profitable business in those years, Costello did not forget about his "first love" - he continued to engage in gambling and began to actively develop and promote them in the United States. In addition to the illegal trade in alcohol, casinos and sweepstakes, Costello also had a completely legal business.
In general, always elegantly dressed and tidy, he did not give the impression of an inveterate gangster. Thanks to his image of a successful and law-abiding businessman, he was able to establish contact with the local authorities and the police, for which he received his nickname "Prime Minister of the underworld." Costello was not a supporter of radical methods and often acted as a negotiator, representing the interests of his clan.
By the end of the 1920s, a real war broke out between the Sicilians and the Irish. Costello and Luciano understood that this was very harmful to business and decided to end this war. The partners were formally in the Masseria camp, but they decided to end the carnage by eliminating their boss. In the spring of 1931, Masseria was killed, but almost immediately after his death, the leader of the Irish Maranzano announced that he was now "the boss of all bosses" and then the young but daring Costello and Luciano decided to get rid of him too. By the end of 1931, both bosses were dead, and Luciano became the head of the Sicilian clan.
After the criminal war, Costello returned to the gambling business, which began to bring the greatest profit. In 1936, the leader of the clan, Luciano, was imprisoned for organizing prostitution, and he had to put Vito Genovese in his place. A little later, he was accused of murder, but, thanks to the support of Benito Mussolini, the bandit was able to escape justice and was forced to return to Italy.
This time, the acting boss of the mafia was Frank Costello. Thanks to his connections, he very quickly established himself as an effective leader, and at the same time was able to get Luciano out of prison, but he also had to leave the States. This event finally confirmed Costello in the role of boss.
Attempt and death
In the mid-40s, the Genovese case was closed, and he decided to return to the United States and take his own, but he was given only the position of one of the deputies. This categorically did not suit Vito, and he began to harbor hatred for Costello, and later conceived the physical elimination of the boss. In 1956, the mercenary Genovese shot Costello with the words: "It's for you, Frankie", but the boss of the Sicilian mafia survived the assassination attempt. Having finally recovered from his wounds, he realized that Genovese would not stop and decided to retire from family affairs.
Despite the complete cessation of his activities in the clan, he retained the profit from gambling, thanks to which he settled in the penthouse of a hotel in Manhattan. Sometimes he met with former colleagues, consulted on business issues. In 1973, at the age of 82, he died of a heart attack.
Personal life
About the personal life of the crime boss, it is only known that he was still in his youth, in 1914 he married the sister of one of his friends, Loretta Gigerman.
