Is Alto Knights Inspired by True Events? Exploring the Real Story Behind the Robert De Niro Gangster Film

Exploring the Upcoming Film “The Alto Knights”

Robert De Niro’s highly anticipated film, The Alto Knights, delves into the intense real-life rivalry between two infamous American gangsters: Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson, known for classics like Rain Man and Good Morning, Vietnam, helms this gripping narrative. De Niro and Levinson previously collaborated on the 2017 HBO film The Wizard of Lies, where De Niro portrayed the notorious white-collar criminal Bernie Madoff.

Scheduled for release on March 21, 2025, The Alto Knights will showcase De Niro in a dual role, bringing to life both Costello and Genovese, two real-life mafia adversaries. Interestingly, Jack Nicholson famously played Frank Costello in Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed film The Departed (2006), with his character drawing inspiration from the notorious Irish mobster, Joseph “Whitey”Bulger Jr. Joining De Niro in the cast is rising star Cosmo Jarvis, whose standout performance as John Blackthorne in the series Shōgun has established him as one of Hollywood’s promising talents.

The Alto Knights: A Tale of Gangster Rivalry

Understanding the Costello-Genovese History

The narrative of Frank Costello, a prominent Italian-American crime leader of the Luciano family based in New York City, is steeped in history. His career faced a critical turning point in 1957 when he survived an assassination attempt orchestrated by Genovese, who later succeeded him. Their entangled stories date back to the 1920s, during which both gangsters worked under Charlie “Lucky”Luciano, the Sicilian mafia boss of Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

By 1931, Luciano had assumed control of the crime family, appointing Genovese as his underboss, while Costello served as consigliere. Costello gained considerable influence during the 1930s by engaging in the lucrative slot machine trade. Following Luciano’s lengthy prison sentence for running a prostitution ring in 1936, Genovese attempted to seize control. During his brief exile in Italy, Costello was appointed as the head of the organization. However, upon Genovese’s return in 1945 and his failed bid to reclaim leadership, a violent feud was ignited, culminating in Genovese’s attempted murder of Costello in 1957.

Conclusion: The End of an Era

A Shared Fate: Heart Attacks Mark Their Legacy

The tumultuous rivalry between Costello and Genovese did not conclude without its share of legal troubles. Throughout the 1950s and into the early 1960s, both faced multiple brushes with the law. Costello encountered incarceration up to six times between 1952 and 1961, while Genovese received a lengthy 15-year sentence in 1959 for drug trafficking. Attempts to revoke Costello’s U.S. citizenship in the 1960s hastened his retirement, but he remained influential in the New York mafia until his death from a heart attack in February 1973. Similarly, Genovese passed away due to a heart attack in February 1969. Their bitter saga undoubtedly forms the core of The Alto Knights.

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