The Boss, The Boxer, and The Bullet
Photo Info
Frank Costello sitting ringside at Madison Square Garden, to watch Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler battle for the featherweight championship. On Costello’s right is Sugar Ray Robinson, on his left, mob heavyweight, Mike Miranda. Astute mob history buffs may spot a few other gangsters in the crowd. September 26, 1951, photographer unknown.
On May 2, 1957, Frank Costello considered himself a lucky man. The night before, the mob boss who had become known as, “the Prime Minister of the Underworld,” and who would serve as one of the inspirations for, The Godfather’s, Vito Corleone, had wagered boxing legend, Sugar Ray Robinson, would defeat rival Gene Fullmer. Costello believed Robinson to be one of the best pound for pound fighters, and he respected Robinson’s class. A three to one underdog, most considered Robinson past his prime, but Costello disagreed, betting $50,000 with a midwest bookie, and another $25,000 in New York, on Robinson. Robinson defeated Fullmer, leaving the mafia viceroy $225,000 richer, and he explained, “it wasn’t just another fight to Robinson, his pride was on the line.”
Costello was unaware just how lucky he was, for that evening, in the lobby of his Central Park West penthouse, he would survive a bullet to his head, fired by Vincent “the Chin” Gigante. On orders from rival gangster, Vito Genovese, Gigante followed Costello into the lobby, calling out, “This is for you Frank,” before pulling the trigger. A bullet struck Costello’s head and he collapsed to the floor. Believing he had slain the mob chieftain, Gigante fled the scene, but the bullet had merely grazed Costello’s scalp. Though he survived with only a scratch, Costello could read the writing on the wall, and peacefully stepped down, handing the seat at the top of the mobs hierarchy to Vito Genovese.
Though retired, Frank continued to live the life of a sportsman and could frequently be seen strolling the streets of Manhattan, sitting ringside at the fights, or dining at the Copacabana, which he secretly owned. He died from from heart failure February 18, 1973, at the age of 82.
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