Mafia USA. Frank Costello

One of the most influential and powerful persons of the criminal world of the United States of the last century is Frank Costello. His biography is completely connected with the criminal world of the United States. The real name of the mafia boss was Francesco Castilla.

The beginning of criminal activity

Born in 1891 in Italy Costello moved with his mother to the United States in 1895, where he contacted crime from an early age. He was helped in this by his brother Edward. From the age of 13, Costello began to engage in minor crimes, joining a local gang. Then it began to be called Frankie. At age 23, Frank Costello married the girl Loretta Gigerman, who was the sister of his good friend.

1915 was the year of his first imprisonment, then he was put in prison for carrying weapons. However, after getting out of prison, Frankie decided to start with small street affairs, starting to engage in large business. According to him, after the first confinement, he never carried a weapon with him again.

Acquaintance with the underworld

After his release, Frank entered the criminal group, which is part of the Morello brothers gang. These years for Costello have become fruitful in terms of acquiring friends and acquaintances from the underworld. So, he made the right connections with people like Meer Lansky, Vito Genovese, Carlo Gambino, Benjamin "Bugsy" Sigel, Albert Anastasia, and others. Together they engaged in robbery, robbery, bootlegging, extortion. However, Frankie was more inclined to the business associated with gambling. Later, in 1922, Frank Costello and his acquaintance Charlie Luciano move into a family led by Joe Boss Masseria.

Costello establishes partnerships with leaders of other families and groups, including the Irish. Together with the latter, Frank Costello will organize a chain for the sale of alcohol, banned at that time. Due to the fact that this chain provided for a full cycle, including the production of alcohol, its transportation and sale, criminals received very good income.

Castellammar War

A special role in the formation of Frankie played the so-called Castellammar war. In those days, there was a conflict between two significant families - Salvatore Maranzano and Joe Masseria. Frank Costello together with Charlie Luciano secretly collude with Maranzano in order to eliminate his boss Massey. When the latter is killed in a restaurant, the family of Masseria goes under the control of Luciano.

However, Maranzano did not justify the hopes of young gangsters, but, on the contrary, began to pose a danger to them. For this reason, Luciano decided to remove him. Five months after the murder, Masseria Maranzano is killed in his office. Thus, the Castellammar war ended.

The end of the war led to the emergence of Charlie Luciano at the head of the family, and Frank Costello became consiglio. Another war participant, Vito Genovese, was placed under the sub-boss. Frank continued his activity in gambling, which as a result began to bring a huge income. Costello more than others brought money to the family, slot machines and bookmaking became a source of millions of dollars.

Family management

In 1936, Luciano was accused of organizing brothels and imprisoned. Acting boss of the mafia became Vito Genovese, but a year later and he is accused of murder, so Vito leaves the US. Costello becomes the current boss of the family.

Mafia family during the time when it was headed by Frank Costello, whose photo became recognizable in the US, was rich year after year. During this time, Frank was able to establish the necessary connections with politicians of all levels. At the same time, he positioned himself as a successful businessman - the Mafia really had a number of legal enterprises. It should be noted that Costello did not fundamentally engage in drug trafficking.

After the deportation of Charlie Luciano from the country, Frank Costello became the undisputed boss of the family.

Retirement"

In the forties, Vito Genovese returns to the US, to whom Costello proposes the position of capo. Genovese did not like it very much, but he did not give in to the form, but began to gather around him a team ready to go with him against the incumbent boss.

In 1952 and 1956, Frank Costello was twice in prison, and after his release in 1957, he was assassinated, whose client Genovese was the customer. It so happened that Frankie recognized the shooter, understood that it was the work of Vito, but he did not take any countermeasures. On the contrary, Costello decided to retire, leaving his place Genovese. Freed from the management of the family, Frank Costello still received income from some of his gambling enterprises.

In 1973, the Mafiosi died, the cause was a heart attack.

It is interesting that the hero Vito Corleone from the book of Mario Puzo's "The Godfather", as well as from the later shot of the film became a collective image. Despite this, many believe that the prototype of the character was exactly Frank Costello. The film about the life of Vito Corleone has a certain similarity with the history of Costello. It consists in the fact that both had great political connections, engaged in gambling, did not tolerate drugs and their implementation.