What Happened To Vito Genovese After The Alto Knights

The Alto Knights depicts a chapter in the life of Vito Genovese, but there’s more to the notorious mobster’s life afterward. The film, directed by Rain Man’s Barry Levinson, is centered around the conflict between Genovese and fellow mafia boss Frank Costello. Legendary actor Robert De Niro, whose best movies include The Godfather Part II and Goodfellas, plays both characters, exploring the duality of the two rivals and childhood friends. Vito Genovese is easily the more volatile and dangerous of the two, or at least that’s how he’s depicted in the film.

As explained in the film, Vito Genovese was the boss of the Luciano crime family prior to Frank Costello. After being forced to exile himself to Italy to avoid problems with the law, Genovese pᴀssed on the leadership of the family to Costello. This ultimately created a rift between them when, on Genovese’s return to the mafia life in 1946, Costello was unwilling to return power to him. The Alto Knights’ story is about Genovese’s botched hit attempt on Costello and the subsequent events, but there are still years of Genovese’s life afterward.

Vito Genovese Was Sent To Prison For 15 Years In 1959

Vito’s Incarceration Is A Story Of Betrayals As Well


Robert De Niro smiling in The Alto Knights

The Alto Knights ending features the events of the Apalachin meeting, a summit held by Vito Genovese to consolidate his power after taking over the family. While the movie depicts Frank betraying the mafia by tipping off the police, there’s no evidence that this actually happened in real life. However, the police did come down on the mob at the Apalachin meeting, and it’s true that this was the moment that forced the government to accept that the mafia was an international syndicate. At this moment, Vito Genovese evaded arrest while many of his colleagues were detained.

The law ended up catching up to Vito Genovese in 1959 when he was convicted in New York of conspiracy to violate federal narcotics laws. He was then sentenced to fifteen years in a low-security prison in Atlanta. This wasn’t Genovese’s first time incarcerated, and as is generally the case with stories about mob bosses, he still allegedly managed to make moves from behind bars. Given how the film depicts Genovese, it’s no surprise that he would want to continue pulling strings no matter his living arrangements.

Vito Genovese Is Believed To Be Behind Several Murders While In Prison

Vito Was Linked To Four Mob Murders While In Prison


Frank Costello with a bloody bullet wound on his head in The Alto Knights

Many of the behind-the-scenes affairs of the mafia, even those that transpired decades ago, are still foggy on the details. We don’t know for sure what Vito Genovese did while in prison, but there’s a general belief that he was behind the murders of multiple New York mafia members during this time. Again, in character with the movie’s depiction. The first instance was in September 1959, with the target being Anthony Carfano. Carfano was reportedly upset about the attempted hit on Frank Costello and decided not to attend the Apalachin meeting. In return, Genovese decided to kill him.

Vito Genovese’s incarceration has been one of constant speculation, as there’s some belief it was orchestrated by other mafia members.

Vito Genovese’s incarceration has been one of constant speculation, as there’s some belief it was orchestrated by other mafia members. Genovese apparently believed Anthony Strollo to be one of those involved in the scheme. Strollo his house for a walk and was never seen again, with his body never discovered. In 1962, Vito Genovese reportedly ordered a $100,000 hit on a fellow inmate named Joseph Valachi for being an informer. Valachi then killed a man, believing him to be his ᴀssᴀssin, and received a life sentence. Ernest Rupolo was Vito Genovese’s next presumed kill in 1964.

Vito Genovese Died In 1969, 12 Years After The Alto Knight’s Story

Vito Died Of A Heart Attack Over A Decade After The Apalachin Meeting


Robert De Niro as Vito Genovese looking serious in The Alto Knights
Warner Bros. Pictures

As shown in The Alto Knights epilogue, Vito Genovese died in 1969 from a heart attack, with Frank Costello outliving him by four years and dying in 1973. Vito had enemies while in prison, continuing to live a dangerous life in his final years. Later on, in 1981, Vincent “Chin” Gigante, the man who attempted to ᴀssᴀssinate Frank Costello in the movie, became the boss of the Genovese crime family. The family still exists today, reportedly run by Liborio Salvatore “Barney” Bellomo.

Reviews for The Alto Knights might not have been splendid or on par with Robert De Niro’s most famous mobster movies, but it does paint Vito Genovese as an interesting character. Though the movie is biased toward Frank Costello’s perspective, Genovese is undoubtedly the more lively and entertaining performance, with The Alto Knights highlighting his apтιтude for conflict and violence.

Related Posts

After Abysmal Showing At The Emmys, Netflix Delivers Record Revenue

After Abysmal Showing At The Emmys, Netflix Delivers Record Revenue

Netflix has now reported their second-quarter earnings to investors. The company is primarily known for their subscription streaming service, which is one of the most widely used…

“Many People Can’t Bear To Look”: Martin Scorsese Shares Glowing Review Of Ari Aster’s Most Divisive A24 Film Yet

“Many People Can’t Bear To Look”: Martin Scorsese Shares Glowing Review Of Ari Aster’s Most Divisive A24 Film Yet

Ari Aster is one of the unique auteurs making movies today, commanding respect from critics, audiences, and his fellow filmmakers alike. Aster is best known for writing…

Fantastic Four: First Steps Gets “Extraordinary” Review From New MCU Actor

Fantastic Four: First Steps Gets “Extraordinary” Review From New MCU Actor

One member of The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ cast has yet to reveal her MCU character’s idenтιтy, but she only has good things to say about the…

“We Had A Painful Change”: Happy Gilmore 2’s Original Carl Weathers Plan Addressed By Adam Sandler

“We Had A Painful Change”: Happy Gilmore 2’s Original Carl Weathers Plan Addressed By Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler reveals he had to make some tough changes to Happy Gilmore 2 after the death of Carl Weathers. It’s been nearly 30 years since Sandler…

Everything Superman Reveals About The DCU’s Krypton And What We Still Don’t Know

Everything Superman Reveals About The DCU’s Krypton And What We Still Don’t Know

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for James Gunn’s Superman James Gunn’s Superman is by no means an origin story for the new Man of Steel. On the…

Adam Sandler’s 9M Comedy Franchise Gets A Major Sequel Update From Co-Star

Adam Sandler’s $519M Comedy Franchise Gets A Major Sequel Update From Co-Star

A popular Adam Sandler comedy franchise could be making a comeback. Few comedy stars have managed to build a movie empire as effortlessly as Sandler. With decades…