A&E - The Real Godfathers (2007) Part 7 Frank Costello

A sweeping saga of bloodshed, betrayal and big business, this collection of documentaries from A&E and HISTORY offers a cold-blooded examination of organized crime, from prohibition and WWII to the hitmen and women who are currently administering the brutal judgments of the mob. An investigation into the origins - and present-day activities - of the ethnic gangs that turned criminal activities into family enterprises, The Real Godfathers exposes an underworld of danger, money, glamour and murder, covering such notorious figures as Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Carlo Gambino and John Gotti, as well as topics including the bloody mob wars , the ordinary, privileged, and at times remarkable women who gained stature in a male-dominated world, and the gangster-turned-informants who make it possible to prosecute the Mafia.

Part 7: Frank Costello

From running booze to avoiding death, this is the thrilling story of the “Prime Minister of the Underworld.” With the imprisonment of “Lucky” Luciano, Frank Costello became the boss of the most powerful crime family in New York. Costello made the most of his opportunity but considered the job a burden and longed to escape the stigma of his criminal roots for the world of legitimate business. Frank Costello profiles the life of the reluctant gangster through period accounts, historic footage and the recollections of those who knew him. Discover how he virtually ran New York politics through his iron grip on Tammany Half and how his empire crashed down around him when the Kefauver hearings targeted him as the number one racketeer in the country. From escaping poverty by running booze to avoiding death at the hands of hit-man Vincent “the Chin” Gigante, this is the thrilling story of the shady life of Frank Costello.