Genovese was known for street crime and violence to get what he wanted. “He was more on the thug side of organized crime,” says Schumacher. He was an underboss to Lucky Luciano, who took control of the mafia in America in 1931 after killing the New York boss Joe Masseria.

The great veteran of Mafia roles, cast as the rival bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, anchors Barry Levinson’s exploration of mid-century Mob life.

When two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro agreed to play Frank Costello, the diplomatic mob boss at the center of the new film "The Alto Knights," there was another crucial question left to answer: Who would play Costello's childhood friend turned enemy, mobster Vito Genovese?