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On this day in New York · May 2, 1957

The Shot That Missed Frank Costello

A gunman waited in the marble lobby of a Central Park West apartment house, fired once at the reigning boss of New York's underworld, and only grazed his scalp, but the message still landed.

The Shot That Missed Frank Costello
Wikimedia Commons / Frank Costello

The facts

Date
May 2, 1957
Location
The Majestic Apartments, 115 Central Park West, Manhattan
Gunman
Vincent "the Chin" Gigante, acting on orders from Vito Genovese
Outcome
The bullet only grazed Costello's scalp; Gigante was acquitted of attempted murder in 1958 after Costello refused to identify him

On the night of May 2, 1957, Frank Costello, the reputed prime minister of the underworld, got out of a cab outside the Majestic Apartments at 115 Central Park West and walked into his own lobby. A gunman later identified as Vincent "the Chin" Gigante followed him in, fired a single shot at close range, and ran for a waiting car. The bullet only grazed Costello's scalp. Police searching his coat afterward found a slip of paper listing casino winnings from the brand new Tropicana in Las Vegas, a detail that would later drag federal investigators into Costello's hidden stake out west. Costello refused to name his attacker, telling police he had no enemies, and the near miss was enough to convince him to step aside for his rival, Vito Genovese.

In their words

The day in the words of the people who were there. Every quote is verbatim, and every source links out so you can check it.

  1. I don't have an enemy in the world

    Frank Costello, telling police he could not say who had shot him, May 1957

    Source: The Mob Museum

  2. This is for you Frank.

    Vincent Gigante, shouted as he fired at Costello in the lobby

    Source: Infamous New York

Why it still matters

The shooting didn't kill Costello, but it still ended his reign; he handed the family to Genovese and lived out his years as a retired boss on Central Park West. The note found in his coat also gave investigators their first hard evidence that New York mob money was already running the casinos out in Las Vegas.

Sources

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