Frank Costello
8 videos • 98 views • by History & Organised Crime Organized crime has always operated under strict codes, often enforced with severe consequences, such as death. One of the most stringent rules is never to break the code of omerta or collaborate with law enforcement agencies. However, before the 1960s and during the sixties, there was a time when organized crime and law enforcement, including naval intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, and federal agencies, worked together. Frank Costello played a significant role in this corruption, acting on orders from Charles "Lucky" Luciano. Luciano aimed to corrupt every high-ranking police commissioner in New York and ultimately control the police force, a goal he achieved by the end of the 1930s. These men were so powerful that when informants came forward in the 1940s, they were often silenced by being thrown out of windows by corrupted police officers and commissioners. These officers were rewarded with payoffs and promotions, highlighting the extent of corruption at the time. On the federal level, Frank Costello himself had meetings with J. Edgar Hoover, where he handed over criminals and gangsters who were threats to organized crime or attracted too much publicity. A notable example of this is Louis "Lepke" Buchalter. Additionally, mobsters sometimes collaborated with narcotics agents to eliminate their rivals. For instance, Carlo Gambino orchestrated the framing of Vito Genovese on orders from Luciano, leading to Genovese's imprisonment. This tactic was common in the 1930s and 1940s, with gangsters and corrupted police officers working together to eliminate threats. The Kennedy administration marked a significant turning point, along with Costello's retirement, which ended much of the overt corruption between the FBI and gangsters. However, corruption persisted, especially in Texas, Nevada, and New Orleans. These regions were so vast that they made it difficult for the FBI to track how many crime families were operating there. As the FBI shifted its focus to the Italian-American organized crime structure, they started collaborating with various organized crime groups to bring down the Italians. During the mid-1970s, Whitey Bulger had good relationships with other organized crime groups, assisting and collaborating with them. However, as law enforcement pressure increased, Bulger began working with low-ranking FBI officials, providing information about other organized crime groups. By framing and exposing these groups' hangouts and operations, he effectively removed his enemies and took over their rackets. These tactics, initially used by the Italians, were now employed by the Irish to eliminate their adversaries. This game of leveraging law enforcement to climb the ladder of organized crime continues to this day, involving various agencies, whether narcotics agents or FBI officials. This strategy of using law enforcement to bring down rivals while advancing one's position remains a common practice among organized crime groups.