The Alto Knights chronicles the friendship-turned-rivalry between notorious mobsters Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, but it leaves out what happened toward the end of Costello’s life. The incredible true story of The Alto Knights is more compelling than anything a fiction writer could come up with. Costello and Genovese grew up together as childhood chums. But when they got mixed up in organized crime, a rift grew between them that escalated to Genovese ordering Costello’s ᴀssᴀssination. The movie primarily focuses on the aftermath of the botched hit and Costello’s attempts to mend his relationship with Genovese.
At the end of The Alto Knights, Costello organizes a meeting between all the leading mafia figures in America in upstate New York. On the way to the event, Costello’s plus-one is puzzled as to why he keeps delaying their journey with trivial distractions like buying apples from a roadside fruit stand. But when they get to their destination, he sees why. Costello set up the mob summit to be raided by police, which caused chaos in the world of organized crime. But what happened next?
Frank Costello Retired From Being A Crime Boss After Surviving The ᴀssᴀssination Attempt
Costello Made An Unlikely Clean Break From His Criminal Career
Costello is De Niro’s first gangster role since The Irishman. As shown in the movie, in 1957, Genovese ordered Vincent Gigante to murder Costello. Gigante sH๏τ Costello outside his apartment building, but he ultimately survived the attempt on his life. Gigante was acquitted when Costello testified that he was unable to identify the ᴀssailant who sH๏τ him. Costello’s brush with death convinced him to finally get out of organized crime and retire to a peaceful existence. In real life, retiring from the mob wasn’t quite as dramatic as it was depicted in the film.
Costello’s brush with death convinced him to finally get out of organized crime and retire to a peaceful existence. In real life, retiring from the mob wasn’t quite as dramatic as it was depicted in the film.
Although crime movies and TV shows tend to peddle the message that there are no clean breaks from a life of crime and the only way out of the game is in a bodybag, Costello’s retirement went pretty smoothly. In The Alto Knights, Costello is reluctant to relinquish power to Genovese and allow his old friend to take over his criminal empire. But in real life, Costello gladly stepped down and handed the reins over to Genovese. Costello retired peacefully, while Genovese would be convicted of heroin distribution and given a 15-year jail sentence in 1959.
Frank Costello Was Nearly Deported In The 1960s
Costello Was Stripped Of His U.S. Citizenship
During his retirement, Costello retained his formidable nickname as “The Prime Minister of the Underworld.” Although he’d handed leadership of his crime family over to Genovese, Costello maintained plenty of power and influence within New York’s mafia operations. Costello’s penthouse in the Waldorf Astoria was regularly visited by his former mob ᴀssociates, who sought advice from the best on how to handle their criminal affairs. As shown in the film, Costello kept himself busy with gardening and even found some success showing his flowers at local horticultural shows.
On February 20, 1961, Costello faced some legal trouble, but it had nothing to do with his mafia affairs in New York or his gambling operations in Las Vegas. The Supreme Court upheld a lower court order that would’ve stripped Costello of his U.S. citizenship. This was followed by legal proceedings to get Costello deported from the country. Despite this, Costello continued to reside in New York. On February 17, 1964, Costello’s deportation order was thrown out, citing a legal technicality.
Frank Costello Died In 1973, 16 Years After The Alto Knights
Costello Died At The Age Of 82
In February of 1973, Costello suffered a heart attack at his home in Manhattan. As detailed by the final тιтle card that can be seen in The Alto Knights, Costello was rushed to Doctors Hospital. After the doctors had done everything they could to save him, Costello pᴀssed away on February 18. Costello had a quiet, dignified memorial service at a funeral home in Manhattan. It was attended by 50 friends, relatives, and law enforcement officials.
The Alto Knights has been in development since the 1970s.
Costello was laid to rest in a private mausoleum at St. Michael’s Cemetery in East Elmhurst, Queens. In 1974, after Costello’s long-time enemy Carmine Galante was released from prison, it’s alleged that he ordered the doors of Costello’s mausoleum to be bombed, but this claim is unsubstantiated. De Niro plays Costello as a fair, benevolent leader in The Alto Knights, but if this urban legend is to be believed, then as with any mob boss, he still had his fair share of enemies and rivals.
