The True Story Behind ‘The Alto Knights,’ Explained

With Robert De Niro in both lead roles, The Alto Knights dives into the competition for authority between mob bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. The Alto Knights, directed by Barry Levinson and written by Nicholas Pileggi, is not only a glimpse into the inner workings of mafia leadership but also reveals the complexities of crime, violence, and loyalty in a world that revolves around mob warfare.

Additional cast members Debra Messing as Frank’s wife, Bobbie; Cosmo Jarvis as hired gun Vincent Gigante, and Kathrine Narduci as Anna Genovese help craft a story about two men who went from friends to rivals during the 1950s. De Niro is no stranger to movies about the mafia, with films like The Godfather, The Godfather II, Goodfellas, Casino, and The Irishman all topping the list of some of his greatest performances. The dual role in The Alto Knights is a testament to De Niro’s abilities as well as a perfect presentation of just how similar yet different Costello and Genovese were.

The true story behind The Alto Knights extends back decades before the movie takes place. As Costello and Genovese rose in the world of organized crime together, their interests and influences increasingly diverged. Here’s what happened between two of the most powerful men in the history of the mafia.

Frank Costello and Vito Genovese Were Both Underlings of Lucky Luciano Before Their Relationship Soured

Born Francesco Castiglia, Frank Costello moved to the United States from Italy when he was a child. He began working for Charles “Lucky” Luciano in New York and later became his right-hand man or consigliere. Vito Genovese was also an Italian immigrant who took up with the New York underworld as a youth. Genovese rose to the level of underboss after Luciano eliminated his competition for supreme authority in 1931.

Both Costello and Genovese were on hand when Luciano established the Commission, the governing body of the Italian mafia in the United States. Costello and Genovese worked together in many ways, but their disparate tactics were clear. Costello preferred to make connections with politicians and other influential individuals, while Genovese leaned toward violence and murder.

By 1936, Luciano was imprisoned and Genovese took over nominal leadership of the Luciano crime family but the following year, Genovese fled the United States out of fear that he’d be prosecuted for a murder he allegedly committed in 1934. At that point, Costello became the acting boss of the Luciano crime family, and his cousin, Willie Moretti, became underboss.

Vito Genovese Wanted Supreme Control of the Mafia and Had To Eliminate Frank Costello To Get It

Vito Genovese returned to the United States from Italy after World War II but wasn’t able to recapture his authority. Genovese’s failed campaign to be appointed “boss of bosses” — the head of the whole mafia structure and, technically, a position that didn’t exist — nearly sent Lucky Luciano over the edge. In a meeting in Cuba in 1946 (Luciano had been released from prison and deported that year), Luciano told Genovese:

“There is no Boss of Bosses. I turned it down in front of everybody. If I ever change my mind, then I will take the title. But it won’t be up to you. Right now you work for me and I ain’t in the mood to retire. Don’t you ever let me hear this again, or I’ll lose my temper.”

Genovese wasn’t reinstalled as the acting head of the Luciano crime family either, and Frank Costello stayed in the role. Costello, the so-called “Prime Minister of the Underworld,” and Luciano were aware of Genovese’s power plays but were standing in his way at every turn.

Genovese knew what he had to do to get the control he wanted — he needed to kill Costello, Luciano, and anyone else in his way. It took him years to organize his move against Costello but, on May 2, 1957, Vincent Gigante tried to assassinate Costello in New York City.

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The Failed Attempt on Frank Costello’s Life Was One of the Blunders Vito Genovese Made in 1957

On May 2, 1957, “Frank Costello was grazed in the scalp” by a bullet fired from the gun of an unknown assailant. As The New York Times reported on May 3, 1957:

“The doorman, Norvel Keith, told the police that… a man ran out, rushed toward Costello and shot the gambler as he stepped into the lobby. Costello dropped into a leather couch in the lobby… [and] cried ‘Somebody tried to get me'”

The shooter was later determined to be Vincent Gigante, a gunman sent by Vito Genovese to kill Costello. Gigante was put on trial, but Costello wouldn’t identify him, so he was acquitted on charges of attempted murder.

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Gigante’s single shot hit Costello in the head but resulted in a fairly superficial wound. It did make an impression, however, and Costello retired from the mafia later that year. Genovese gained the power he was looking for, but it was a short-lived victory. Genovese organized a meeting of mob leaders from around the United States to be held in Apalachin, New York, in November 1957, but it was raided by authorities, and dozens of “hoodlums” were taken into custody. This was a major problem for Genovese’s overall reputation in the underworld.

Two years later, Genovese was sentenced to 15 years in prison for drug charges. According to some observers, Luciano and several other leaders in the mafia set Genovese up for the drug buy that got him caught, paving the way for his time in prison.