Frank Costello
Known in polite circles as "The Prime Minister of the Underworld." Calabrian-born consensus-builder with decades of experience in hospitality, logistics, and making problems disappear without raising my voice. I prefer negotiation to noise — though I have survived one poorly aimed haircut. Based in Manhattan; available for consultations at the Waldorf.
+1 (212) 555-1937 • frank@prime-minister.nyc • francesco-castiglia • East Harlem, New York, NY
Work Experience
Acting Boss — "The Prime Minister"
Luciano Crime Family | Manhattan, New York, NY
1937 – 1957
Key Highlights:
- Led the family through two decades of profitable operations while rivals preferred louder methods
- Maintained influence with Tammany Hall — politics discussed off the record, always
- Deployed 25,000 slot machines across NYC until Mayor La Guardia took a maritime approach to disposal
- Survived a lobby shooting in 1957 and retired gracefully — some call it a career pivot
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Coordinated rackets, bookmaking, and political relationships across the five boroughs
- Mediated disputes between families — billed as consulting, paid in respect
- Hosted regular strategy sessions at the Waldorf; dress code: suit, hat, discretion
- Declined to testify on camera before the Kefauver Committee — hands became unexpectedly famous
Founding Board Member
National Crime Syndicate | Atlantic City, NJ / New York, NY
1929 – Present
Key Highlights:
- Helped organize the Atlantic City Conference — the original off-site leadership retreat
- Built cross-ethnic partnerships with Luciano, Lansky, and Siegel when others refused to share a table
- Established protocols to prevent turf wars — a precursor to modern stakeholder alignment
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Facilitated nationwide cooperation between Italian, Jewish, and Irish organizations
- Negotiated territorial agreements — fewer headlines, more revenue
- Advised on Prohibition-era supply chain optimization (Rum Row to your door)
Bootlegging Operations Director
The Combine | New York Harbor, NY
1920 – 1933
Key Highlights:
- Oversaw fleet operations moving 20,000 cases per vessel — logistics before it was trendy
- Partnered with Lucky Luciano during Prohibition; allegedly crossed paths with a Kennedy from Boston (denied on both sides)
- Survived the Manhattan Beer Wars — prefer beer diplomacy to beer violence
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Managed import operations and Coast Guard relations (results varied by jury)
- Renamed from Castiglia to Costello — personal branding before LinkedIn
- Became a U.S. citizen in 1925; filed taxes incorrectly in the 1940s (regrettable)
Educational Qualification
Practical Economics – 1908
East Harlem School of Street Smarts | CGPA: Pass/Fail (mostly pass)
Immigrant Work Ethic – 1895
Cassano allo Ionio → Ellis Island Pipeline | CGPA: N/A
Core Competencies
Political Influence · Slot Machine Distribution · Bootlegging Logistics · Senate Testimony Evasion · Cross-Family Mediation · Tammany Hall Relations · Waldorf Networking · Retirement Gardening
Tools & Tech
Slot Machines · Payphones · Fedora · Cigars · Tax Attorneys (insufficient) · Kefauver Committee Hand Cam · Waldorf Astoria Reservations · Pruning Shears