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Frank Costello: Prime Minister of the Underworld Hardcover – January 1, 1974

by George Wolf (Author), Joseph DiMona (Author)

4.4 49 ratings

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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.

Print length

266 pages
Language

English
Publisher

William Morrow & Company
Publication date

January 1, 1974
ISBN-10

0688002560
ISBN-13

978-0688002565
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow & Company; First Edition (January 1, 1974)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 266 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0688002560
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0688002565
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds

Best Sellers Rank: #538,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,730 in Criminology (Books)
- #5,972 in Sociology (Books)

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4.4 49 ratings

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George Wolf
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masaaki sakai

very happy

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2020

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A very old and hard-to-find book.
I'm satisfied that it's a used one, but it's available in a relatively good condition.

The former lawyer of the main character, Frank Costello, was the author, and it was very nice that the conversation with the person himself was described as it was.
I'm happy that they also have valuable photos.

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james m. maggio

the book provided excellent source material for writing a script dealing with Costello's ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2016

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The reason I purchased this book is to have it as a reference. You see, several years ago I was asked to write a feature film script by an individual who provided me with a copy of the book. When I finished the script, he asked for the book back. As far as I'm concerned, the book provided excellent source material for writing a script dealing with Costello's life story.

2 people found this helpful

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Bill Emblom

Frank Costello--A Low Profile Mobster

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2013

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I have read several books on the mob but this one is significantly different in that Frank Costello kept a much lower profile than others who enjoyed the limelight of being a member of the mafia. Costello made his money from those who gambled and used slot machines. He lived a rather quiet life in an apartment building at 115 Central Park West and kept a fairly routine schedule as far as breakfast, meetings with cohorts, and entertainment during the evening hours. The book is told by his long-time attorney George Wolf and is divided into his early "career" involving bootlegging during the prohibition years, his reign as the boss of all bosses where he eschewed violence unless absolutely necessary, the Congressional hearings led by Senator Estes Kefauver, and the attempted assassination at his apartment by Vincent "The Chin" Gigante. Costello sorely missed his pal "The Lord High Executioner", "The Mad Hatter", Albert Anastasia who was gunned down in a barbershop inside the Park Sheraton Hotel in October of 1957.

I did find two mistakes in the book regarding Chicago crime. On page 76 the author mentions that Chicago's Big Boss, Big Jim Colosimo, was murdered on May 11, 1922 whereas the year of his assassination was in 1920. Also, on page 85 the author states that Al Capone killed three individuals who had ideas of taking over the Chicago outfit (John Scalise, Albert Anselmi, and Joe "Hop Toad" Guinta) at the Hawthorne Inn in Cicero after a lavish banquet. Actually the trio was put to death at a roadhouse near Hammond, Indiana. I know. Picky! Picky!

Frank Costello was one of the few mobsters who lived to an old age without being hit by a rival mobster and spent limited time in prison. I did find the reading of the dialogue during the Kefauver hearings to be somewhat tedious but this book is a necessary addition to anyone who collects books on true crime and the mob.

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Joe

Pretty good, but the author seems so naive

Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2018

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Pretty good, but the author seems so naive. He just thinks Costello was a nice guy who was a gambler that made his money from slot machines, doesn't really sound like he believes that he was a criminal.

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2020

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Enjoyed reading a well written story based on fact.

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2020

Awesome condition!

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2016

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Excellent account of his business adventures in bootlegging. It kept me on my seat.

Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2014

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Waited many years to get my hands on this book.Had read a lot about Costello before so there were no real surprises.However you do get a good sense of his character and his sense of humour.You can tell the author genuinely knew frank well and is honest and a sincere fella but there was a lot he didn't probably know about him either.starts of well with his youth and his exploits as a bootlegger.plenty of information and great stories,but then the second half of this fairly short book is really just about his trials in the early 50's and the author seems to talk about what he did rather than staying on the subject(frank)but I guess this period of franks life is what he only really knew about well.there is no mention of what frank got up to after his retirement which I'm sure was still colorful as a grand old statesman.no mention of how much money he was making from mob activities only the slot machines and odd payoff.would live to have heard more on franks brother Ed who gets just a few mentions,they surely were close.he was truly an unique man whose influence was staggering considering all his political connections and celebrity gangster image,truly a remarkable man from very humble beginnings in a strange land,hope they would make a movie about him then again what actor could ever do him justice.all said definitely worth a read

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Frank Costello: Prime Minister of the Underworld Hardcover – January 1, 1974

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George Wolf

Joseph DiMona

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