Robert De Niro’s ‘Alto Knights’ Mob Boss Roles: The Real Story

The Alto Knights, hitting theaters March 21, marks ‘s return to the gangster genre, with the acclaimed actor taking on two roles. Penned by screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi, The Alto Knights draws inspiration from the real-life feud between Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, prominent figures in New York City’s organized crime scene during the mid-20th century—both portrayed by . The title “Alto Knights” refers to an actual social club in NYC’s Little Italy, a safe haven for mobsters to converse face-to-face.

Here’s an exploration of how The Alto Knights dramatizes the saga of Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. TIME consulted with two mob experts: Tony DeStefano, author of The Deadly Don: Vito Genovese, Mafia Boss and Top Hoodlum: Frank Costello, Prime Minister of The Mafia, and Geoff Schumacher, VP of exhibits and programs at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas.

The Rise of Frank Costello and Vito Genovese

“It boils down to one word: prohibition,” Schumacher explains.

The mob thrived during Prohibition (1920-1933), when the ban on alcohol production, sale, and transport in the U.S. fueled a black market. Costello and Genovese rose to prominence in “rum running”—smuggling liquor into the U.S. from places like Canada, the Caribbean, and Europe—and “bootlegging”—producing and selling alcohol illegally.

“They were essentially rivals,” DeStefano notes. Each achieved significant success but employed distinct methods. In The Alto Knights, Genovese succinctly captures their dynamic in a line to Costello: “You wanna be a diplomat, that’s your business. I’m a gangster.”

Genovese was notorious for street crime and using violence to achieve his aims. “He was more on the thug side of organized crime,” Schumacher says. He served as an underboss to , who seized control of the American mafia in 1931 after assassinating New York boss Joe Masseria.

In contrast, Costello primarily functioned as a power broker in New York City, prioritizing political influence and control over judges and police rather than street violence. “For many years, he had considerable sway over figures in the political arena through payoffs,” Schumacher points out.

Costello also had a stake in the gambling industry, introducing slot machines to New York City and New Orleans. He even graced the cover of magazine in 1949.

The film is set in 1957, depicting Genovese’s envy of Costello’s power and influence, driving him to try to usurp him as the top boss in New York. The film begins with a failed attempt on Costello’s life, and while Genovese didn’t pull the trigger himself, “he was definitely behind it,” according to Schumacher.

As depicted in the film, Costello does agree to retire, allowing Genovese to take over. The movie portrays Costello enjoying a lavish lifestyle on Central Park West, walking dogs adorned in miniature mink coats, including a Pomeranian sporting a fur beret.

The Alto Knights and the Apalachin Meeting

Geneovese’s takeover leads to one of The Alto Knights’s most dramatic scenes, when the film depicts cops in upstate N.Y. breaking up a summit of mob leaders driving in upstate N.Y. Genovese’s ascension leads to a pivotal scene in *The Alto Knights*: a depiction of law enforcement disrupting a mob summit in upstate New York. This assembly—intended to recognize Genovese as the foremost mob boss nationwide—occurred on Nov. 14, 1957, and became known as the “Apalachin Meeting.” As portrayed in the movie, mobsters attending the meeting attempted to flee the police, scattering into the woods, their cars becoming mired in mud as they tried to escape.

Costello was on his way to the event but never arrived, as he was constantly distracted by roadside attractions and stores along the way.

The film appears to endorse the theory that Costello tipped off local authorities about a gathering of suspicious individuals, possibly as retribution for Genovese’s attempt to assassinate him.

“We don’t know if Costello ever did that,” DeStefano clarifies. “We don’t know for a fact that Costello made that trip. He was not at that meeting…But it makes for a good film.”

The Fates of Frank Costello and Vito Genovese

While Vito Genovese survived the Apalachin Meeting, it marked the beginning of his downfall. In 1959, he received a 15-year prison sentence for heroin trafficking. He died behind bars in 1969 at the age of 71, succumbing to heart problems.

Costello served time in prison for contempt of Congress and tax evasion, but he spent his final years at home, tending to his garden and showcasing his flowers at horticultural events. He died in 1973 at the age of 82.

Around this time, the mafia’s influence also started to decline. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), enacted in 1970, gave federal prosecutors the power to pursue mobsters across the nation.

However, organized crime persists today. While members of the family remain, their power has diminished compared to the past. Organized crime has evolved to become more clandestine and international, with increased and gun-running involving , Russian, and Albanian mobsters.