Reorganization and Early Retirement Programs: Mafia Style

Frank Costello had spent most of his life attempting to stay in the shadows and not enter the spotlight of recognition. The request for his appearance at the Kefauver hearings in New York was forcing him to step out of the shadows that had protected him for so long. He had attempted to present himself as a businessman with connections that could make things happen. His association with the business community and high level politicians was an attempt to leave behind his association with organized crime. He hoped to keep his dark side that had allowed him to reach such a level of importance below the surface of respectability he portrayed. There was little question that he was the man to see and court if one had a desire to move ahead in business or politics. If Costello supported a particular charity he could see to it that the movers and shakers of New York would be in attendance. He played up his role in the gaming industry and played down the more violent aspects of his chosen profession. His relationship with the powers of Tammany Hall was so close that many politicians had to check with Frank before they would make public appointments to various governmental positions. Unlike organization members like Anastasia, he shunned the association with violence but would utilize it if needed. It appeared to his turn to be trotted out to the public arena as a public enemy like Shultz, Capone, Lepke, and Luciano. The committee called most of the original creators of the Commission and Adonis, Lansky, Moretti, and Adonis joined Costello in the public spotlight.

It was ironic that Costello's effort to be kept out of the prying eye of the camera actually led to a higher level of publicity. Not desiring any public exposure that he could avoid, Costello called for his right to privacy and demanded that his constitutional rights would be compromised if he were forced to appear on TV. He held fast to his refusal to appear before the committee as long as the cameras were turning. If he reported to the hearing and saw that the cameras were on, he informed the committee that he would leave the hearing to protect his rights. The committee reached a compromise with Costello by promising that the camera would not show his face, and if he had nothing to hide this should be sufficient to protect his rights. Costello made a major mistake by agreeing to the compromise. His voice, which had the sound of a husky whisper, and his New York accent, mixed with a slight Italian pronunciation of words was the type of voice the public had come to associate with crime lords. In his role of the Godfather, Marlon Brando attempted to copy the voice of Costello to make his character more believable. To make his committee appearance even worse, the camera focused on his hands so as not to display his face to the public. The nervous movement of his hands throughout the testimony make the public even more interested in this crime lord who had no face. He gained more publicity than most of the others who had appeared before the committee. Over night the name of Frank Costello became a household word, that represented all the evil and power of organized crime.