Who Was Lauretta Giegerman? the Secret Woman Behind Mob Kingpin Frank Costello
By Chloe Bennett
Life inside Costello’s 18th-floor penthouse at The Majestic on Central Park West mirrored a luxury fortress. Purchased in the early 1930s, the residence stood as a monument to Costello's legitimacy. While underlings like Vincent "The Chin" Gigante walked the pavements of Greenwich Village, Costello wore custom $300 suits, held court with Tammany Hall politicians, and maintained a serene domestic sanctuary.
Giegerman furnished the apartment with fine European antiques and rare tapestries, creating an environment that looked more like the home of an established Manhattan financier than a syndicate chieftain. She hosted private dinners for judges, municipal officials, and business partners, deftly navigating a social milieu that required total ignorance of the violence underwriting their lifestyle. In public, Costello treated her with formal reverence, fiercely rebuking associates who dared mention syndicate bloodshed within her earshot.
This domestic shield began to fracture in the late 1940s when Costello developed acute anxiety and insomnia. His subsequent visits to Dr. Richard Hoffmann, a prominent Manhattan psychiatrist, revealed a man crumbling under the pressure of keeping his violent underworld empire segregated from his polished domestic existence. When the doctor famously advised Costello to expand his circle of legitimate friends, the mob boss took the advice literally, inviting Giegerman deeper into his high-society philanthropic ventures while keeping his criminal muscle locked out of the home.
Chloe Bennett explores the intersection of pop culture, streaming entertainment, digital trends, and contemporary lifestyle. Her weekly commentary reaches thousands of culture enthusiasts.
