Frank Costello: Prime Minister of the Underworld

by George Wolf, Joseph DiMona

A biography written by Costello's personal lawyer of thirty years. This is the story of Costello's career as a rum-runner, his rise as the founding father of the American Mafia, his role in the end of Al Capone's reign, his political control of NYC, the Kefauver crime hearings, his survived assassination attempt and new chieftain's vendetta. This is the true telling of a legend and an era.

Genres: True Crime, History

266 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Lucynell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it tells something about the man that his name remains somewhat unknown compared to that of some of his contemporaries like Dutch Schultz, Bugsy Siegel, Lucky Luciano, Albert Anastasia, Al Capone, Vito Genovese and the like. It also adds something that his passing came at the old age of 82 by heart failure. This is his story written by his personal attorney and close friend George Wolf. It's fun to read, as fun as a book about the most powerful mob man in America this side of Lucky Luciano can be, because it's fast and predictably full of incident. But the book's limited size and plethora of legalities and other trouble don't make it a satisfying read in a biographical sense. But you'll be glad you read it as it both offers a view of a truly special individual, calm, business-like, non-violent, and invites further reading. Frank Costello, by the way, was reportedly the main influence behind Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone, the speech, the calm, the boss of all bosses.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the fact that the lawyer wrote it.
Out of all of the mobsters out there, Frank Costello always intrigued me the most. This book doesn’t glorify the mafia, but it does show that this boss in particular was quite different in many ways from the rest.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The definitive book on The Prime Minister Of The Underworld.

The best book on Costello I've read - kept me hooked from beginning to end.