Frank Costello & Roy DeMeo | The Prime Minister and The Butcher of the Mafia Underworld - video Dailymotion

Inside World of Mafia Titans

Frank Costello & Roy DeMeo | Mafia Crime Bosses Who Ruled the Underworld:  Discover the dark world of organized crime through the lives of two notorious Mafia figures — Frank Costello and Roy DeMeo. Costello, known as “The Prime Minister of the Underworld,” rose to power as a political mastermind who controlled New York’s underworld without firing a gun. In contrast, Roy DeMeo built his reputation as a ruthless enforcer who turned murder into a profitable business. This video explores their rise, power, and legacy inside the Mafia. Watch how two very different men shaped the history of organized crime in America’s most feared underworld.   Chapters: 1:45 – Early Life of Roy DeMeo 4:30 – Building the DeMeo Crew 8:15 – Murder as a Business Model 12:00 – The Downfall of Roy DeMeo 16:30 – Legacy of DeMeo’s Reign 17:30 – Early Life of Frank Costello 20:30 – Rise to Power in New York 24:00 – The Prime Minister of the Underworld 28:00 – Political Influence & Mafia Control 31:00 – Decline and Later Years 34:00 – Conclusion: Crime Bosses Compared  #mafia #truecrime #crime #mob #gangster #cosanostra #truecrimecommunity #serialkiller #murder #mystery

Transcript

00:00In the heart of New York City, where towering skyscrapers and bustling streets

00:04mask the darkness lurking beneath, one name stands out as a chilling reminder of what happens when

00:10evil goes unchecked. Roy DeMeo. This is not just a story about crime. It's about how an entire

00:17system failed to stop a killer who operated in plain sight. While Henry Ford revolutionized the

00:22automobile industry with his assembly line, DeMeo did something far more sinister. He turned murder

00:29into a business, refining it with ruthless efficiency. His victims didn't just disappear,

00:35they were methodically dismembered, they remained scattered like discarded parts in a junkyard.

00:40Estimates place his death toll at nearly 200, though the true number may never be known.

00:46Unlike serial killers who strike in secret, DeMeo worked within the shadows of organized crime,

00:52protected by power, fear, and a failure of law enforcement to connect the dots. He was a

00:58monster hidden in plain sight, and for years, no one could bring him down. Born into a world where

01:04opportunity should have led him toward success, Roy DeMeo instead carved a path toward infamy.

01:10His mother had dreams of him becoming a doctor, a noble profession that could have saved lives

01:15rather than taken them. But fate had other plans. Growing up in Brooklyn, he was surrounded by influences

01:21that would shape his future in ways no one could predict. His family tree included powerful figures.

01:28One uncle was a top prosecutor, another a forensic scientist, yet neither could steer him away from

01:34the dark side of the law. Instead of following in their footsteps, DeMeo took a different route,

01:39starting as a simple delivery boy before finding his way into a butcher's apprenticeship. It was here

01:45that he first learned the art of cutting flesh, a skill that would later serve him in ways no one

01:50could have imagined. By the late 1960s, he had already begun his descent into crime, trading in stolen

01:57goods and violent intimidation. What started as petty thuggery soon evolved into something far more

02:03dangerous, an insatiable hunger for power, control, and blood. DeMeo wanted more than just street-level

02:10crime. He craved legitimacy within the underworld, a seat at the table of the mafia elite. That dream became

02:18reality when he received a call that would change everything. A summons to meet Nino Gaghi, a high-ranking

02:25Gambino crime family boss. The Gambinos were the most powerful of New York's five mafia families,

02:31and aligning himself with them meant DeMeo had finally reached the upper echelons of organized crime.

02:37Under Gaghi's guidance, DeMeo's operations expanded beyond mere extortion and loan sharking.

02:43He ventured into gambling rings, high-interest lending schemes, and theft rings that stretched

02:49across the city. But his ambitions didn't stop there. While some within the Gambino family frowned

02:54upon certain illicit ventures, DeMeo saw opportunity where others saw risk. He dove headfirst into the

03:01underground pornography trade, a decision that brought in massive profits despite resistance from more

03:06traditional mob leaders. With Gaghi's blessing, DeMeo built a crew of specialized criminals,

03:13each handpicked for their unique skills. Chris Rosenberg, Freddie Dannen, and the inseparable

03:18duo Joey Tester and Anthony Center. Together, they formed a tightly-knit unit, loyal only to DeMeo,

03:26ready to carry out whatever orders he gave. In the eyes of his men, he wasn't just a boss.

03:31He was a father figure, a mentor, and a legend in the making. Tucked away on Flatlands Avenue in

03:38Brooklyn, the Gemini Lounge stood as an unassuming neighborhood dive bar, the kind of place where

03:44locals could grab a drink after work without drawing attention. But behind its worn-out doors,

03:49it served a far darker purpose. It was the nerve center of Roy DeMeo's criminal empire. Owned outright

03:56by DeMeo, the lounge provided the perfect cover for his operations, blending seamlessly into

04:01the fabric of everyday life while housing secrets that would make even the most hardened criminal

04:07shudder. Here, amidst the clinking glasses and low murmur of conversation, deals were struck,

04:13strategies plotted, and fates decided. It was more than just a hangout for DeMeo and his crew.

04:19It was their headquarters, their fortress, and their launching pad for chaos. For those who dared to

04:25cross DeMeo or threaten his growing empire, the Gemini Lounge was often the last place they ever

04:32saw alive. Roy DeMeo's criminal genius extended beyond violence and intimidation. He understood

04:39that true power came from controlling money, and he found his golden opportunity in the financial

04:44world. In 1972, he orchestrated a move that would cement his status as a mastermind of organized crime.

04:51He got himself elected to the board of directors of the Brooklyn Credit Union. On the surface,

04:57it was a respectable position, but in reality, it was a gateway to embezzlement and fraud on a grand

05:03scale. Officially, he had been placed there by Nino Gaghi to help launder money, but DeMeo saw a greater

05:10potential. He quickly began siphoning off funds, convincing other board members to follow suit,

05:16turning the credit union into a feeding ground for his greed. Within a short time,

05:21the institution was drained dry, collapsing under the weight of its own corruption.

05:26Yet, despite the scandal, DeMeo walked away scot-free. He and Gaghi had ensured they remained

05:32untouchable, leaving the authorities with little to no evidence, linking them directly to the bank's

05:38downfall. It was a stunning display of audacity. DeMeo had infiltrated the financial system,

05:45exploited it for his own gain, and escaped and scathed. By 1973,

05:49Roy DeMeo had already built a reputation as a ruthless enforcer, but nothing prepared the world

05:56for the moment he crossed a new threshold, one from which there was no return. That year,

06:01Paul Rothenberg, one of DeMeo's closest associates, found himself under intense pressure after being

06:07arrested. Fearing that Rothenberg might crack under interrogation and expose their criminal operations,

06:13DeMeo made a cold, calculated decision. In July, he lured Rothenberg to a quiet part of town

06:20under the guise of a routine meeting. There, in the dead of night, DeMeo committed his first

06:26confirmed murder, executing Rothenberg without hesitation. The act changed something inside him.

06:32Killing was no longer just a tool of intimidation. It was power incarnate. He realized that fear was the

06:38ultimate currency, and he intended to spend it freely. With this newfound confidence,

06:44DeMeo doubled down on his criminal enterprises, expanding his grip on the lucrative world of car

06:50theft. His operation became a well-oiled machine, employing 17-20 thieves every night, stealing cars

06:57based on specific orders. These weren't random crimes. They were precise, strategic hits on luxury

07:04vehicles worth more for their parts than their function. Once stolen, the cars were stripped down

07:09in canary's chop shops, IDs replaced, and sold off in pieces. But as DeMeo's wealth grew, so did his

07:16willingness to kill. The same hands that once cut meat now severed lives. And the same mind that had

07:22perfected the art of crime, was now perfecting the art of murder. Andre Katz was a skilled car thief,

07:29deeply embedded in the same underworld that DeMeo ruled with an iron fist. But in 1975,

07:36Katz's arrest on drug charges sent shockwaves through the tightly-knit criminal network.

07:41DeMeo, ever the pragmatist, feared that under pressure, Katz might talk, exposing not just their

07:48car theft ring, but also the deeper layers of their criminal enterprise. After consulting with Nino

07:53Gaggy, the order was clear. Katz had a go. DeMeo, always meticulous in his planning,

08:00orchestrated a brutal execution, disguised as a routine meeting. Lured in by his partner,

08:06Katz was ambushed, bound, and dragged to the Pantry Pride Meat Market in Queens.

08:11There, in the eerie stillness of the early morning hours, DeMeo carried out the killing with chilling

08:17precision. But what happened next would become his horrifying signature. Inspired by his butcher's

08:23training, he methodically dismembered Katz's body, neatly wrapping the remains in garbage bags.

08:29Days later, sanitation workers stumbled upon the gruesome discovery. Body parts hidden among the

08:35trash behind the market, including a severed thigh with a tattoo that ultimately led to Katz's

08:41identification. Yet despite the horror of what had transpired, the investigation faltered.

08:46Witnesses were scarce, and law enforcement showed little interest in solving the murder of a known

08:52criminal. For DeMeo, it was proof that he could operate with impunity. Vanishing into the shadows

08:58while leaving behind only whispers of fear. With Katz's murder serving as a grim rehearsal,

09:05DeMeo refined his methods, turning disposal into an art form. Bodies were no longer just hidden,

09:11they were erased. The Fountain Avenue landfill in Brooklyn became his dumping ground of choice,

09:16a sprawling wasteland where trash from Queens and Brooklyn converged in a chaotic sea of refuse.

09:23Meat processing remnants were buried daily, covered swiftly by bulldozers, ensuring anything

09:29tossed there vanished without a trace. Victims were chopped into pieces, packed into heavy-duty bags,

09:36and dumped into the Atlantic. Their final resting place the depths of the deep blue unknown.

09:40Over time, DeMeo's operation grew bolder, more efficient. The bodies piled up, but no one

09:47noticed. The victims were criminals, car thieves, and small-time hustlers, people the world would miss.

09:54Law enforcement barely investigated their disappearances, dismissing them as gangland

09:59casualties. Meanwhile, DeMeo thrived in the shadows, convinced that no one would ever find the truth

10:06buried beneath tons of garbage and miles of open water. Detective Joe Winling saw something the rest

10:12of the department refused to acknowledge. As he sifted through case files and spoke to informants,

10:17a disturbing pattern emerged. Car thieves were disappearing at an alarming rate, and none of them

10:23were ever found. He brought his concerns to his superiors, pleading for resources to investigate

10:29further. These aren't just missing persons, he argued. They're being killed, and someone is making

10:35sure we never find the bodies. But his warnings fell on deaf ears. Police departments across New York

10:40were in crisis. Budget cuts had crippled operations. Morale was at an all-time low, and public trust and

10:47law enforcement had eroded. Winling wasn't alone in his suspicions. John Murphy, a fellow officer from

10:54the auto theft unit, shared his unease. Together, they began piecing together fragments of information,

11:00tips from street sources, reports of suspicious activity near junkyards, and records of missing

11:07persons linked to the car theft underworld. Their findings pointed to a single name, Roy DeMaio.

11:13But without hard evidence, their case remained nothing more than a theory. It wasn't until they

11:19connected with Kenny McCabe, an investigator from the Queens District Attorney's Office, that their efforts

11:24gained traction. McCabe had spent years monitoring the mafia, tracking funerals, weddings,

11:30and every whisper of movement within the five families. When Winling and Murphy presented their

11:36findings, he recognized the connection immediately. DeMaio wasn't just a car thief. He was a killer

11:43operating under the protection of the Gambino family. Determined to uncover the truth, the trio formed

11:49an unofficial task force, working outside official channels to build a case against DeMaio. They knew they

11:55were up against a system that had failed to stop him for years. But they also understood that if they

12:00didn't act, more lives would be lost. By 1977, Roy DeMaio had achieved what few men in the underworld

12:07ever could. He was officially a made man, a fully initiated member of the Gambino crime family.

12:14Murders were no longer just acts of survival or retaliation. They had become business transactions.

12:21Behind the Gemini Lounge, victims were lured under false pretenses, business meetings,

12:26social gatherings, or promises of lucrative deals. Once inside, there was no escape. The process was

12:33always the same. The target would be shot in the head, wrapped in a towel to contain the mess,

12:38then stabbed in the heart by Chris Rosenberg to ensure immediate death. The body was left to drain

12:44for 45 minutes before being moved to the bathroom, where the real work began. Using the bathtub to catch

12:51the blood, DeMaio and his crew meticulously dismembered the corpse, placing each piece in

12:57heavy-duty garbage bags. Afterward, they would sit down, order pizza, and eat with blood-stained hands,

13:04treating the entire ordeal as nothing more than a routine job. This grotesque ritual became DeMaio's

13:10calling card, a way to instill fear and maintain control. Unlike traditional mob hits, which often

13:17left bodies behind his warnings, DeMaio ensured his victims disappeared entirely. No graves,

13:24no closure, just silence. And with every kill, his legend grew, cementing his place as one of the

13:31most feared assassins in organized crime history. DeMaio's paranoia reached a fever pitch after a

13:37disastrous deal with Cuban drug traffickers. One of his lieutenants, Chris Rosenberg, murdered three men

13:44during a botched cocaine transaction, triggering threats of war from the Cuban syndicate. To

13:49protect himself and appease the Cubans, DeMaio executed Rosenberg and staged his death as a

13:55suicide. But the incident left a lasting mark. Paranoia took root, fueling reckless decisions that

14:02would soon spiral out of control. It started with an innocent man, an 18-year-old vacuum cleaner salesman,

14:08canvassing neighborhoods in Massapequa, Long Island, trying to make a sale, mistaking him for a Cuban

14:15hitman. DeMaio ordered his murder. Unlike his usual victims, this one wasn't a hardened criminal.

14:21He was a civilian, caught in the crossfire of DeMaio's unraveling sanity. News outlets dubbed the

14:28killer the Kobe killer. Public scrutiny rose, and with it, the risk of federal intervention.

14:33The tide was turning. In 1980, customs officers uncovered hundreds of stolen luxury vehicles

14:40being prepared for export to Kuwait, linking the operation directly to DeMaio. Federal agencies

14:47mobilized. A new task force was formed, led by seasoned prosecutor Walter Mack, and supported

14:53by Detective Joe Wendling. Then came the biggest break of all, an informant. Vito Arena, a former

14:59member of DeMaio's crew, walked into the U.S. Attorney's office with a shocking offer. He knew

15:05everything. His testimony revealed the full scope of DeMaio's killings. Authorities located Joe,

15:11Scornlis remained submerged at the bottom of a lake, encased in concrete. Armed with this evidence,

15:17law enforcement intensified their efforts. As the net tightened around DeMaio, the once-untouchable

15:24killer found himself cornered. But on January 5, 1982, DeMaio's fate was sealed. Not by the law,

15:33but by the very family that had elevated him to power. His Cadillac was found abandoned at the

15:38Verna Boat Club in Brooklyn. Inside the trunk was DeMaio's lifeless body. Execution-style shooting.

15:45The Gambino family had silenced him permanently. His death marked the end of a reign of terror,

15:49but it did not bring immediate closure. Posthumous investigations revealed damning evidence within

15:56the walls of the Gemini Lounge. Blood traces in the pipes. Remnants of countless victims.

16:02Despite his demise, DeMaio's legacy endured. His estimated death toll ranged between 150 and 200,

16:10though the true number would never be known. Families of the missing continued to search for answers,

16:15haunted by the knowledge that their loved ones had been reduced to mere statistics

16:19in a killer's ledger. Roy DeMaio's story is more than just a tale of a ruthless killer.

16:25It is a haunting reflection of systemic failures within law enforcement and the broader institutions

16:30designed to protect society. For years, the signs were there. Missing car thieves,

16:36suspicious disappearances, and whispers of a butcher who cut more than just meat. Yet, time and again,

16:43the opportunity to stop DeMaio slipped through the cracks. The consequences of these

16:48missed chances were devastating. But in the end, persistence prevailed. Through sheer determination

16:54and the courage of whistleblowers like Vito Arena, justice was finally served.

16:59If you want to dive deeper into the dark underbelly of the Mafia and uncover the untold stories of its

17:04most notorious figures, subscribe to Inside the Secret World of Mafia Titans.

17:09We explore the rise and fall of criminals who shaped history, the betrayals that changed the

17:15course of the underworld, and the heroes who fought to bring them down. Hit the subscribe button and

17:21join us as we uncover the truth behind the legends.

17:27In the shadows of New York's towering skyline, behind velvet curtains and closed courtroom doors,

17:34there was a man who ruled not with fists or fear, but with influence, connections, and quiet power.

17:41He wasn't the kind of mob boss who barked orders in dimly lit social clubs or left bodies in trunks.

17:47Instead, he attended political fundraisers, dined with mayors, and kept a penthouse suite at the

17:53Waldorf Astoria. They called him the Prime Minister of the Underworld. His real name was Frank Castello,

18:01but that wasn't the name he was born with, nor the life he was supposed to live.

18:04Francesco Castiglia entered the world on January 26, 1891, in the rugged hills of Calabria,

18:12Italy. Like many poor southern Italians of the time, his family sought something better.

18:18In 1895, young Francesco, just four years old, boarded a ship with his mother and brother Edward

18:24and made the long journey to America to reunite with their father, who had already settled in East

18:30Harlem, New York City. The Castiglias were just another immigrant family trying to survive,

18:35running a small grocery store in a neighborhood brimming with other newcomers, struggle, and crime.

18:41As a boy, Frank, he had started using that name to sound more American, was smart, observant, and sharp.

18:49But he wasn't content sweeping floors at the family shop. Under his older brother's guidance,

18:54he drifted into the streets and into gangs. By age 13, he was committing petty crimes,

19:00running with street thugs, and learning the rules of survival from those who enforced them with brass

19:05knuckles and straight razors. He had charm, but behind it, there was ambition, a hunger for more

19:11than just scraps. Arrested multiple times in his teens for robbery and assault, Costello quickly

19:17learned that muscle could only get you so far. The real power, he discovered, was in staying just

19:23visible enough to matter, but never enough to be blamed. In 1914, at the age of 23, he married

19:30Loretta Geigerman, a Jewish woman whose German-born parents likely didn't expect their daughter to wed a

19:36future mafia boss. That same year, Frank was caught carrying a concealed weapon. He served 10 months in

19:43jail, but something shifted. When he got out, he made a decision, one that would define his rise in the

19:50criminal world. He would use his brains, not his fists. During Prohibition, America's streets ran with

19:56illegal liquor, and the men who controlled it became kings. That was when Costello met Charlie Lucky,

20:03Luciano, a Sicilian street hustler who, like Frank, wanted to change the way organized crime worked.

20:09The two became fast friends and partners, a rare bond in a world where betrayal was currency.

20:15But not everyone approved. Some old-school mafiosi sneered at Costello, calling him,

20:21the dirty Calabrian. He wasn't Sicilian, and that made him suspect. But Luciano didn't care.

20:28He saw in Costello what others didn't. Loyalty, vision, and a mind built for business.

20:34Together, with a crew that included Vito Genovese, Tommy Lucchese, and Jewish associates like Meyer

20:40Lansky and Buxy Siegel, Costello helped form a powerful syndicate that moved liquor through

20:45speakeasies, bribed police, and flooded the streets with money. And while others focused

20:51on territory or brute force, Costello looked beyond. Toward politics, gambling, and influence.

20:58By the early 1920s, Costello had already aligned himself with Irish mobsters like

21:03Aunie Madden and Bill Dwyer, helping them manage a massive bootlegging operation known as the Combine.

21:09It was likely during this time that Frank adopted the surname, Costello, to better blend in with his

21:15Irish counterparts. He wasn't trying to be someone else. He was trying to be everything.

21:19Italian, Irish, Jewish, whoever helped the business grow. It was this adaptability that

21:26made him indispensable. But it wasn't all smooth sailing. In 1926, Costello and Dwyer were indicted

21:33for bootlegging after allegedly bribing two U.S. Coast Guardsmen to look the other way while

21:38thousands of cases of liquor were unloaded in New York Harbor. The trial ended with a hung jury,

21:44and Frank walked. When Dwyer went to prison shortly after, Costello, along with Madden,

21:50took over the Combine. That power grab sparked a bloody rivalry known as the Manhattan Beer Wars,

21:56with another gangster, Vanny Higgins, claiming he should have inherited Dwyer's territory.

22:01Alliances crumbled, bullets flew, and the streets turned red. But through it all, Costello remained

22:08calm, calculating, and always one step ahead. By 1929, the landscape of American organized crime

22:15was shifting. Violence was bad for business, and there were smarter men who wanted to organize,

22:21not annihilate. Johnny Torrio, a seasoned Chicago mobster, helped broker peace among East Coast

22:28bootleggers by forming the Big Seven, a cartel of crime bosses that included Costello, Luciano,

22:34Lansky, and others. That same year, these men met in Atlantic City, not to fight, but to plan.

22:41Out of that meeting was born the National Crime Syndicate, a unified front of mobsters from every

22:47ethnicity and city, working together for profit. But the real turning point came in 1931, during what

22:53would be known as the Castellamorese War, a violent struggle between two mafia titans,

22:59Joe Massuria and Salvatore Maranzano. Costello, ever the strategist, stayed close to Luciano,

23:06who secretly agreed to betray his boss, Massuria, in exchange for Maranzano's favor.

23:12On April 15, 1931, Luciano lured Massuria to a restaurant in Coney Island. As Luciano excused

23:20himself to the restroom, gunmen stormed in and gunned Massuria down. The killers, it was said,

23:26included Buxy Siegel, Vito Genovese, and Albert Anastasia. Ciro Terranova, the getaway driver,

23:34froze behind the wheel and had to be shoved aside. It was a mess, but it was also a message.

23:39The old ways were over. Luciano took over Massuria's family and made Castello his consigliere.

23:46But their alliance with Maranzano didn't last. When Luciano learned Maranzano planned to betray him too,

23:52he struck first. This time, he sent in Jewish hitmen, faces Maranzano wouldn't recognize.

23:59On September 10, 1931, they stormed his office and killed him. With both bosses dead, Luciano and

24:06Castello did something no one had done before. They created the commission, a governing board to

24:12manage mafia business across the country. Frank Castello wasn't just a participant,

24:16he was a founding architect. Now consigliere of the most powerful crime family in America,

24:23Castello began to build a different kind of empire. While Luciano dealt with internal mafia politics,

24:29Frank focused on revenue. Slot machines, to be precise. Thousands of them. He installed them in

24:36bars, cafes, gas stations, even bus stops. The money flowed in like a river. But not everyone was

24:43pleased. In 1934, New York's mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia, made a public spectacle of smashing

24:51Castello's machines and dumping them into the river. If Frank was embarrassed, he didn't show it.

24:57He simply looked south. That same year, Louisiana's populist governor Huey Long made him an offer,

25:03bring your slot machines to my state, and I'll give you 10% of the cut. Castello accepted.

25:08He sent his associate, Phil Castell, to oversee operations, backed by the rising New Orleans

25:15gangster Carlos Marcelo. The machines were reinstalled, this time in Baton Rouge, not

25:21Brooklyn, and they made millions. Frank Castello didn't just adapt, he expanded. He was becoming

25:27more than a gangster. He was becoming a kingmaker. But power came at a cost. In 1936, Luciano was

25:35convicted of running a prostitution ring and sentenced to decades in prison. From behind bars,

25:41he tried to keep the family running through Castello and Lansky, but it was difficult.

25:46Vito Genovese stepped in as acting boss, until 1937, when he fled to Italy to avoid a murder charge.

25:53With Genovese gone, Luciano made it official. Castello was now acting boss.

25:58Willie Moretti, his trusted cousin, became underboss. Castello ran things quietly, efficiently,

26:06and with minimal violence. Unlike the brutal enforcers of his time, Frank didn't like blood.

26:12He preferred bribes over bullets. And the judges, politicians, and police captains he had cultivated

26:19over the years paid off. Under his leadership, the Luciano family remained powerful, profitable,

26:25and relatively low-key. But in the background, Genovese was watching. And he wasn't done.

26:32When Vito Genovese returned to the United States in 1945, he brought more than just ambition. He

26:38brought a vendetta. The murder charges against him had conveniently vanished after the mysterious

26:43deaths of two key witnesses, and now, with Luciano still exiled in Italy, Genovese saw a clear

26:49path to reclaim the family he believed was rightfully his. But one man stood in his way,

26:55Frank Castello. Genovese made his intentions known, subtly at first, then with increasing force.

27:02He lobbied Luciano to install him as the overall boss, to let Castello step aside as a formality.

27:09Luciano refused. He had chosen Castello for a reason. Castello wasn't just a capable administrator,

27:16he was a unifying figure, respected across mafia factions and political circles alike.

27:23Genovese's ambition, while obvious, was abrasive. Castello, for all his influence,

27:29didn't try to dominate others. That made him powerful, and dangerous. By the early 1950s,

27:35Castello had become the face of organized crime without ever intending to be. The public didn't

27:41see a street thug or a thug in a trench coat. They saw a dignified, almost regal figure who lived in

27:47the Waldorf Astoria, wore tailored suits, and spoke with a calm confidence. But it was this very visibility

27:54that drew heat. In 1950, the U.S. Senate launched a sweeping investigation into organized crime,

28:01led by Senator Estes Kefauver. The hearings would become a national sensation, broadcast live on

28:08television, and they would change the way Americans viewed the mafia forever. When Frank Castello was

28:14called to testify, he refused to allow his face to be shown on camera. It was a calculated move,

28:20but one that backfired. The cameras instead focused on his hands, twitching and fidgeting as he gave

28:26evasive answers. His voice, smooth and firm, betrayed only hints of tension. But the image of those

28:33restless hands became iconic. America wasn't just hearing about the mafia now, they were watching it,

28:39in real time, and Castello had unwittingly become its poster boy. After refusing to answer certain

28:46financial questions, Castello abruptly walked out of the hearing, citing a sore throat. He returned days

28:52later, but remained tight-lipped. The public, however, had already seen enough. He was convicted of

28:59contempt of the Senate and sentenced to 18 months in prison. The legend of Frank Castello, the man

29:05who mingled with mayors and never carried a gun, was now being dissected in living rooms across the

29:11country. The hearings also led to another tragedy. Willie Moretti, Castello's loyal underboss and cousin,

29:18had begun behaving erratically. He had syphilis, and it was affecting his brain. The mafia commission

29:24feared that his loose talk before the Senate might get worse. On October 4, 1951, they decided to act.

29:32Moretti was gunned down in a restaurant in New Jersey. It was an execution disguised as necessity,

29:38but the message was clear. No one was above suspicion, not even family. Castello, weakened by prison time

29:45and now lacking his closest ally, made a fateful decision. He appointed Genovese as his new underboss,

29:52perhaps hoping that appeasement might protect him. But Genovese saw it differently. To him,

29:58it was a signal of vulnerability. And now, he was ready to make his final move.

30:04On May 2, 1957, Frank Castello returned home to his Manhattan apartment. As he entered the lobby,

30:11a man emerged from the shadows and fired. The bullet grazed Castello's head, but miraculously he

30:17survived. The gunman fled, later identified as none other than Vincent, the Chin Giganti,

30:24acting on orders from Genovese. When questioned by authorities, Castello kept his code. He claimed he

30:31couldn't identify the shooter. That refusal saved Giganti, who was acquitted, and it ended Castello's

30:37reign. Castello understood the message. The hit hadn't failed. It had succeeded in its purpose.

30:43Genovese had tested him and made it clear that if he didn't step aside, the next bullet wouldn't

30:49miss. In a rare moment of pragmatism, Castello did something most mafia bosses never do. He retired.

30:56He relinquished control of the family, which would soon be renamed in honor of its new leader,

31:02the Genovese crime family. But Genovese's victory was short-lived. Later that same year,

31:08Albert Anastasia, the brutal boss of the Mangano crime family, was murdered in a Manhattan barbershop.

31:15Genovese had orchestrated the hit with help from Carlo Gambino, planning to install Gambino as the

31:21new boss. At the infamous Appalachian meeting in November 1957, Genovese brought together mafia

31:28leaders from across the country to formalize his power. But the meeting was raided by state police.

31:33The mobsters fled into the woods, muddy and humiliated. It was a disaster that shattered

31:40Genovese's credibility. By 1959, Genovese was in prison, convicted of heroin trafficking in a

31:47federal sting operation, one that some believe was quietly arranged by Luciano, Lansky, and even

31:53Castello himself as revenge. Genovese would die behind bars, a bitter man who had claimed the crown

32:00but lost the kingdom. As for Frank Castello, his retirement was unlike any other in mafia history.

32:06He didn't disappear into obscurity or flee the country. Instead, he remained in his Waldorf Astoria

32:12suite, attended garden shows, and continued to receive visitors, some of them mafia bosses,

32:18others politicians and businessmen. Gambino, Lucchese, and Lansky all came to him, seeking advice,

32:25guidance, guidance, or simply paying respects. Though he no longer held formal power, his influence

32:31never really left. In quiet rooms and behind closed doors, he was still the prime minister of the

32:38underworld. Even the government couldn't figure out what to do with him. In 1952, Castello was stripped

32:45of his U.S. citizenship. He fought the order in court, and in 1961, the Supreme Court upheld it.

32:52But just three years later, in a legal twist, his deportation was blocked due to a technicality.

32:59Once again, Frank Castello had slipped through the cracks. His later years were surprisingly serene.

33:05He tended to his flowers, enjoyed his wealth, and stayed out of the limelight. But the shadows never

33:12fully left him. In 1974, after his death, someone bombed the doors of his mausoleum in Queens.

33:18The prime suspect? Carmine Galanti, recently released from prison and hungry to reclaim lost power.

33:26Even in death, Castello's name provoked fear. Frank Castello died on February 18, 1973, at the age of 82,

33:35following a heart attack. His funeral was small and quiet, just 50 mourners, including family,

33:42old friends, and several curious law enforcement agents taking notes from the back of the room.

33:47He was buried at St. Michael's Cemetery in Queens, in a private mausoleum built to last forever,

33:53though not even granite was immune to the ghosts of vendettas. Today, Frank Castello's legacy remains

33:59both fascinating and paradoxical. He was a gangster who hated violence, a criminal who dined with

34:05governors, a man who could quote Shakespeare and make senators squirm. Unlike Luciano, he never went to

34:12war. Unlike Genovese, he never demanded absolute control. He played the long game, the political

34:18game, and for decades, he won. He showed the world a different kind of power. Not loud, not flashy,

34:26but deeply rooted, institutional, and enduring. He didn't just bribe the system. He became part of it.

34:33And for a time, Frank Castello wasn't just another mob boss. He was the one they all came to when they

34:39wanted to be heard. If you're fascinated by the hidden power plays, secret alliances, and untold

34:45stories behind history's most notorious crime bosses, then you're in the right place. Subscribe to

34:51Inside the Secret World of Mafia Titans for exclusive deep dives into the minds and empires of the

34:57underworld's most feared figures. Ever wondered what truly separates a street thug from a criminal

35:03mastermind? Let's uncover it one story at a time.

Frank Costello & Roy DeMeo | The Prime Minister and The Butcher of the Mafia Underworld

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