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Acting boss (1891-1973) of the Luciano crime family and one of the most politically influential figures in American organized crime. A close associate of Charles ‘Lucky’ Luciano, he helped shape the National Crime Syndicate during Prohibition before surviving an assassination attempt orchestrated by Vito Genovese in 1957, after which he retired from organized crime. TLS signed “Frank,” one page, 7.25 x 10.5, 79 Wall St. Corp. letterhead, January 20, 1949. Letter to famed Stork Club proprietor Sherman Billingsley, in full: "Many thanks for your generous contribution to the Legal Aid Society; formal receipt for which will be sent by the Society. Kindest personal regards." In fine condition.
Written in January 1949, this letter dates from a period when Frank Costello served as the powerful acting boss of the Luciano crime family, overseeing its day-to-day operations in New York following Lucky Luciano's deportation to Italy in 1946. Widely regarded as one of organized crime's most politically connected figures, Costello cultivated relationships with prominent businessmen and public figures while projecting an image of legitimacy. The recipient, Sherman Billingsley, owner of New York's famed Stork Club, presided over one of the city's most exclusive gathering places, frequented by politicians, entertainers, business leaders, and underworld figures alike. Costello's carefully cultivated public persona would begin to unravel the following year during the nationally televised Kefauver hearings, which exposed organized crime to millions of Americans.
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