Frank Costello

Frank Costello was an Italian-American organized-crime boss who led the Luciano crime family and became known as the “Prime Minister of the Underworld.”

Lucky Luciano: Charles “Lucky” Luciano was an Italian-American mobster who helped organize the modern American Mafia. Luciano built the crime family Costello later led and remained a central ally.
Kefauver Hearings: The Kefauver Hearings were 1950–1951 U.S. Senate investigations into organized crime and interstate gambling. Costello’s televised testimony made him a nationally recognized crime figure.
American Mafia: The American Mafia is a network of Italian-American organized-crime groups structured around families and territorial authority. Costello’s authority operated within this broader criminal organization.
Organized crime in the United States: Organized crime in the United States consists of durable criminal groups coordinating illegal enterprises and influence. Costello became a prominent public symbol of these networks.
Vito Genovese: Vito Genovese was an Italian-American mobster who led the crime family later named for him. His return from exile helped drive Costello from leadership in 1957.
1957 Apalachin meeting: The 1957 Apalachin meeting was a gathering of mob figures disrupted by New York State Police. The meeting exposed the scale of organized-crime networks Costello had inhabited.
Mafia Commission: The Mafia Commission is a governing council established by American Mafia leaders to resolve disputes and coordinate policy. Commission relationships helped shape the authority of New York crime-family bosses.
Valachi hearings: The Valachi hearings were 1963 U.S. Senate hearings featuring Mafia informant Joseph Valachi’s testimony. They extended the congressional scrutiny of the Mafia that had spotlighted Costello.
Meyer Lansky: Meyer Lansky was an American organized-crime figure associated with gambling and national criminal networks. Lansky and Costello were longtime associates in organized crime.
Attempted assassination of Frank Costello: A 1957 shooting wounded Frank Costello in the head at his Manhattan apartment building. The attack preceded Costello’s retreat from active leadership.

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