The Alto Knights is a mob story that centers around two larger-than-life personalities: Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. Both figures were, at different points, regarded as the ‘Boss of Bosses’ within the American Mafia, and in The Alto Knights, both characters are portrayed by Robert De Niro.
“A significant portion of what they were reputed for, their actions, studying tapes and other materials, was not as extensive as I anticipated,” De Niro shares after our meeting in London. “However, there was sufficient information on Genovese and Costello – along with numerous books I read, particularly on Costello.”
Costello is, in fact, a role De Niro nearly took on 50 years prior in a project with The Deer Hunter director, Michael Cimino. “Actually, [producer] Irwin Winkler wanted to create a film. He spoke with Mike Cimino, and Cimino discussed the Costello character with me in the late ’70s,” he recalls.
Certainly, figures like Costello and Genovese cast long shadows not only in the pages of history but also in popular culture. “They were iconic, almost legendary characters of that era, and elements for other films were derived from what was known about them,” De Niro observes. “I believe even the drug element in The Godfather may have been inspired by them. In this situation, we examine Genovese and Costello, and I suspect the conflict over drugs in The Godfather stemmed from the known rivalry between Costello and Genovese.”
Nonetheless, De Niro’s co-star Debra Messing, who plays Bobby Costello, the strong and capable wife of Costello, confesses she wasn’t well-versed in their story before filming. “What amazed me was that I had never learned about their relationship, and I was unaware of their story, which I found truly captivating,” she states. “Additionally, the character of Bobby