Chapter Eleven, “You’re a Hell of an Italian”
Background on Diamond Jim Moran Brocato is found in a New Orleans Magazine article of October 2006 by George Gurtner. Materials on La Guardia’s anti-racketeering campaign is found in his papers kept in the New York City Municipal Archives. Background and biographical material on Luciano is found in Tony Sciacca’s book Luciano: The Man Who Modernized the American Mafia and in contemporary stories in The New York Times. Details of the investigation leading to Luciano’s indictment, arrest, trial, and conviction by Thomas Dewey can be found in articles published in the period by The New York Times and in Ellen Poulsen’s The Case Against Lucky Luciano: New York’s Most Sensational Vice Trial. Information on the prosecution and murder of Dutch Schultz can be found in articles published in The New York Times and on Wikipedia.
Chapter Twelve, “I Know Everybody”
Biographical information on Noel Scaffa was found in an American Weekly article published in the Arizona Republic in August 1935 and written by Gene Coughlin. Background on Harry Content and his bride Margaret Hawksworth Bell is found in an article by Kevin Sheehan published in the Albany Times Union in August 1948. Details of the arrest and prosecution of jewel thieves Nicholas Montone and Charles Cali for the theft of the Bell jewelry can be found in The New York Times. FBI files on Costello contain numerous memoranda, some to director J. Edgar Hoover, about his alleged involvement in the Bell case, his indictment and subsequent non-prosecution. The FBI materials also contain summaries of Costello’s statement to agents when he was arrested. The New York Times reported about the FBI case against Costello in the Bell case.
Chapter Thirteen, “Punks, Tin Horns, Gangsters and Pimps”
FBI files on Costello detailed some of his gambling interests outside of New York City, as well as the confidential source the FBI had with someone affiliated with the New York Post back in the 1930s. Information on La Guardia’s campaign against the racketeers is found in his papers in the Municipal Archives. The New York Times reported on the failed attempt by Thomas Dewey to implicate Costello in liquor distribution rackets. The Times also covered the case against Tammany leader James Hines, as well as attempts by the La Guardia administration to prosecute Frank Erickson. A report on Erickson is contained in La Guardia’s papers on file in the Municipal Archives. Articles in The New York Times were consulted for information about the trial of Costello and Kastel for income tax evasion in 1940. Katz’s Uncle Frank and Wolf’s Frank Costello were also consulted about Costello’s slot machine business in New Orleans and his tax problems there. La Guardia’s directive that police watch Costello after his acquittal in New Orleans is found in his public papers in the Municipal Archives.
Chapter Fourteen, “I Never Stole a Nickel in My Life”
Details about Costello’s presence at the 1932 Democratic national convention is found in Wolf’s Frank Costello. Background on Tammany Hall and its connection to Costello is found in Oliver E. Allen’s The Tiger: The Rise and Fall of Tammany Hall. The trial of Tammany leader Jimmy Hines, including witness testimony and his conviction, was covered in The New York Times. The Herlands report is found in La Guardia’s public papers. The revelations about the nomination of Judge Thomas Aurelio and Costello were covered extensively in The New York Times, including the initial disclosures, the political fallout, the disbarment proceedings, and the exoneration of Aurelio. Wolf described his initial meeting with Costello, his decision to represent him, and the direct aftermath of the Aurelio affair in Frank Costello.
Chapter Fifteen, “What the Hell Are You Fellows Doing Here?”
Historical information about the fire on the old SS Normandie in February 1942 can be found on Wikipedia and in The New York Times. There are two primary sources of information about the efforts by the U.S. government to recruit New York mobsters to help in the war effort. The most often consulted in this book was a report prepared in September 1954 by New York State Commissioner of Investigation William B. Herlands and sent to then-governor Thomas E. Dewey. A copy of the Herlands report can be found in the papers of Dewey housed at the University of Rochester. Wolf also discussed his role in the war-effort matter, including his representation of Luciano, in Frank Costello. Gosch’s biography on Luciano was also consulted but some of Luciano’s recollections seem unreliable, since he talks of “Dewey” being the prosecutor at the time when he was in fact governor.
Chapter Sixteen, Go West, Young Man
Wolf’s Frank Costello was the source for his efforts to get Costello into legitimate businesses such as real estate on Wall Street. FBI files on Costello also had information about his 79 Wall Street venture. Information about New Jersey gambling operations involving Costello and his friends, including Joe Adonis, can be found in The New York Times and in Bill Friedman’s 30 Illegal Years to The Strip: The Untold Stories of The Gangsters Who Built the Early Las Vegas Strip. Information on Costello’s loss of $27,000 in a cab and his effort to go to court to recover the money can be found in Wolf’s Frank Costello and in The New York Times. The attempt by La Guardia to unmask Costello’s alleged interest in the Copacabana and to deny the club a license was extensively reported in The New York Times. Biographical information about William O’Dwyer, as well as his 1945 mayoral campaign, can be found on Wikipedia and The New York Times. Results of the 1945 mayoral election can be found in The Encyclopedia of New York City, edited by Kenneth Jackson. Oliver’s The Tiger was also consulted for the impact of the period on Tammany Hall. Details about the release from prison and deportation of Luciano are found in the Herlands report of 1954, The New York Times, Sciacca’s Luciano, Wolf’s Frank Costello and in Gosch’s Last Testament of Lucky Luciano.
Chapter Seventeen, Cuba Libre
Sources for information on Luciano’s years in exile are Gosch’s The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano and Gaia Servadio’s Mafioso. For information on the Havana meeting with Luciano and others, consulted were T.J. English’s Havana Nocturne : How the Mob Owned Cuba—And Then Lost It to the Revolution, and Allan May’s web article “Havana Conference—1946 (Part Two).” Also consulted was a list from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics provided to the author by the National Archives and Gosch’s Last Testament. Information about Frank Sinatra’s trip to Cuba is found in Summers and Swan’s biography of the singer, Frank. Bugsy Siegel’s building of the Flamingo is found in Wolf’s Frank Costello, Sciacca’s Luciano, and Gosch’s Last Testament. Information about Siegel’s murder is contained in The New York Times and Sciacca’s Luciano.
Chapter Eighteen, Tammany Tales
Works consulted for this chapter were Gosch’s Last Testament, as well as various articles in The New York Times about the case to strip Irving Haim’s firm of its wholesale liquor license. See also Matter of Haim v. O’Connell, 195 Misc. 612 (N.Y. Misc. 1948). Also used as source material on the Haim case and Costello’s venture in Scotland was an article by Charles McLean published in The Herald of Glasgow, Scotland. Costello’s denial of doing bootlegging business with Joseph P. Kennedy is found in Wolf’s book Frank Costello. Costello’s involvement in the 1949 Salvation Army dinner was detailed in various articles published at the time in The New York Times and in Wolf’s Frank Costello. Material on the Ryan wiretap scandal and the 1949 mayoral election can be found in stories published in The New York Times and in Jackson’s Encyclopedia of The City of New York.
Chapter Nineteen, “I’m a Neighbor of Yours”
Robert Keeler’s book on the history of Newsday, titled Newsday: The Candid History of a Respectable Tabloid, gives much detail on the way Costello approached publisher Alicia Patterson socially and how the newspaper got an exclusive interview with him. Katz’s Uncle Frank also contains some of the same information. Various stories about Costello published in June 1950 by Newsday were also consulted. Information about the large Guggenheim family estates of Falaise and Villa Carola can be found on Wikipedia and on websites dealing with the majestic properties of Long Island’s North Shore. Costello’s a
ppearance, as well as that of Frank Erickson, in 1950 before a Senate committee looking into gambling were reported in The New York Times, as were events in the 1949 mayoral election.
Chapter Twenty, The Ballet of the Hands
The April 1950 murders of Charles Binaggio and Charles Gargotta in Kansas City, as well as the political ramifications, were reported in The New York Times. The Congressional testimony of Costello and others is contained in the Hearings before the Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce, United States Senate, Eighty-First Congress (Second Session) and Eighty-Second Congress (First Session), Part 7, July 1950 to March 1951. The so-called Kefauver hearings were extensively covered in The New York Times and Newsday. Wolf in Frank Costello detailed Costello’s activities during the hearings. Various archived film clips of Costello’s testimony can be viewed on the internet through YouTube and other websites.
Chapter Twenty-one, “Get Frank Costello”
Noel Castiglia’s recollections of watching the Kefauver hearings were given to the author in email and in-person interviews in 2016 and 2017. The New York Times covered Costello’s contempt prosecution, his conviction and surrender to jail. Wolf also wrote about the prosecution in Frank Costello. FBI files on Costello detailed his movements within the prison system and his activities while in custody.
Chapter Twenty-two, “Dear Frank”
The married life of Frank and Loretta Costello is discussed in Katz’s Uncle Frank. Cindy Miller talked to the author about Loretta Costello’s activities while Frank was in prison. Generoso Pope Jr’s friendship with Costello and Costello’s help in the purchase of the National Enquirer are discussed in Paul Pope’s book The Deeds of My Fathers: How My Grandfather and Father Built New York and Created the Tabloid World of Today. FBI records on Costello detailed his prison activities, correspondence, and parole requests. Costello’s release from prison was covered in The New York Times. Costello’s civil trial, including court filings and testimony on his denaturalization case can be found in Civil Case 133-38 (USDC
SDNY).
Chapter Twenty-three, “Someone Tried to Get to Me”
Willie Moretti’s murder was covered by The New York Times and discussed by Peter Maas in The Valachi Papers. The attempted murder of Costello in May 1957 was discussed in Larry McShane’s book Chin: The Life and Crimes of Mafia Boss Vincent Gigante, and Wolf’s Frank Costello. The attempted murder was covered by The New York Times and numerous other newspapers and publications. Cindy Miller gave the author her recollections of the night of the attempt on Costello’s life. The police investigation into the attempt on Costello’s life, the arrest of Gigante, his subsequent trial and acquittal were covered by The New York Times. Wolf also discussed his conversations with Costello about the shooting in Frank Costello. Gosch in The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano discloses Luciano’s reaction to the murder attempt on Costello.
Chapter Twenty-four, “This Means I’m Next”
The New York Times was consulted for stories about the various legal appeals attorney Edward Bennett Williams made for Costello, some successful, other not. The Times was also the source of material on the assassination of Albert Anastasia, as was DeStefano’s Gangland New York. Wolf’s recollections of Costello’s reaction to Anastasia’s murder are found in Frank Costello. Details of the 1957 raid in Apalachin, New York, are found in a report prepared by Arthur L. Reuter, acting commissioner of Investigation of The State of New York in April 1958. Costello’s immigration case, including the trial transcripts, can be found in Civil Case 133-28 (USDC
SDNY).
Chapter Twenty-five, “He’s Gone”
Costello’s legal appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, including his loss on the citizenship case and the victory in the deportation case, are detailed in The New York Times. FBI files contain information about Costello’s low-key lifestyle and absence from criminal conduct in the 1960s and 1970s. Costello’s visit in 1963 to talk with Nassau County District Attorney Bill Cahn was reported in Newsday. The FBI files also contain material on efforts by the agency to interview Costello in his later years. Paul Pope’s book The Deeds of My Father are the source of information on the meeting between Costello and Generoso Pope in the 1960s. Peter Maas’s efforts to write a biography on Costello in the 1970s are detailed in a 1973 article in The New York Times. Maas’s general plans for the book are detailed in a short memo he wrote that can be found in his papers kept at the Columbia University Rare Books and Manuscripts Library. With the permission of his widow, Suzanne Maas, I was able to summarize the substance of the memo for this book. Maas’s comment about learning about Costello’s death in a telephone call can be found in the Biography film about Costello. Costello’s death and wake were covered by The New York Times and Newsday.
Epilogue
Costello’s funeral was covered by The New York Times and Newsday. Santha Rama Rau’s comments about Costello are contained in the Biography film cited previously.
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