The real Godfather: Frank 'The Prime Minister' Costello

The character of Don Vito Corleone in Mario Puzo's "The Godfather' was a composite character developed through a synthesis of a few real life characters which included Frank Costello. The protagonist in the movie 'Analyze This' (played by Robert De Niro) was also modeled after Frank Costello.

Who was Frank Costello? He was known as the 'Prime Minister' of the mob, an intellectual who could carry out conversations with judges, senators, senior public officials, poets, writers, singers, artists. He was called 'Prime Minister' because of his ability to wage peace amongst warring factions of the mob. He wanted to make the big bucks without sullying his hands in undue violence.

He enjoyed spending time with people who were not a part of the cosa nostra. He was also somewhat uncomfortable in the role of a mob boss and for a few years regularly met a psychiatrist because he was unhappy being the Don. The psychiatrist advised him to socialize with people outside his cosa nostra circle which he did. (This was the basis for the movie 'Analyze This'). He would complain that if he had received a proper education he would have been a senator instead of a crime boss. Peter Mass, a respected crime writer who met Costello on more than a dozen occasions, said that of all the crime bosses he had come across Costello was the only one he could visualize being a great success in a legitimate profession.

(to be continued)