THE GENOVESE CRIME FAMILY PART 2 OF 3

The rackets that are today controlled by the Genovese family of American La Cosa Nostra were originally contolled by Salvatore Maranzano, a ruthless Mustache Pete who emigrated to the United States from Sicily in the mid 1920s. Educated and erudite, Maranzano at first impressed the embryonic New York underworld.

However, with his penchant for histrionics and a healthy appetite for greed and power, Maranzano provoked Joe "The Boss" Masseria (also called "Joe Boss"), a Bronx underworld powerhouse, into a war. While Maranzano won, his reign was brief. An ambitious gangster named Lucky Luciano would soon rise to the top of the family and establish the nascent Five Family system of organized crime in New York.

After Maranzano and Masseria were assassinated at the behest of Luciano, he took over the largest and most profitable family. Vito Genovese served as his underboss. However in 1936 Luciano was sent to prison for pandering and Genovese fled to Italy escaping a murder charge. Frank Costello took control of the family.

During the reign of Frank Costello, the Genoveses controlled much of the bookmaking, loansharking, labor rackets and the garment industry in New York City. Costello also controlled much of the docks in New York. Known as the Prime Minister of the Underworld, Costello was said to have so many political and judicial contacts that no state judge could be appointed without his consent. Costello believed in diplomacy and discipline, and also started the Family's interests in Las Vegas.

Costello ruled for 20 years until his underboss, Vito Genovese, attempted to have him assassinated in 1957 (the trigger man was Vincente "The Chin" Gigante, future boss of the Family). Having survived the bullet wound, Costello retired quietly.