Producer Irwin Winkler has been trying to getThe Alto Knightsor a movie similar to it made since the 1970s.

It might go back even further he confides while reminiscing of his youth growing up in New York City.

For Winkler, discovering the existence of Costello in his custom-made suit and media-ready smile was revelatory.

Robert De Niro in The Alto Knights

For the Mafia, it was deadly.

And it just dawned on me youre right because afterward its over!

When Frank Costelloperhapssets up the Apalachin hearing, the Apalachin hearing ends it.

No more Jimmy Cagney, no more organized crime.

What Pileggi refers to is the turning point that all ofThe Alto Knightsbuilds toward.

Joe Valachi gives Mario Puzo everything he needs forThe Godfather, Pileggi laughs today.

Thats the process, and its over.The Godfatherends the mystery.

The actor even reached out to anyone alive who still might have remembered them from the old days.

De Niro is circumspect, but his work ethic of profiling the historical figures he portrays is legendary.

He would say things like, Well I cant or I dont know.

But the minute Bob got in there, Lefty Rosenthal was showing him his closet.

Hes showing him his 300 pairs of pastel-colored trousers.

I mean, its just what happens.

He would have made afabulousreporter.

And my instinct was that nobody could play it better than Bob.

If he said he wanted to play Genovese, we would then look for another Costello.

In the beginning there was a hesitancy because it was unexpected, De Niro says.

I said, Well, easier said than done.

Lets think about this for a minute.

Its something to try, De Niro muses.

But this is even better.

Hes certainly the diplomat.

That explosion gets back toThe Godfatherof it all.

Admittedly, theres a vast tonal difference between the two films, which might be the point.

Francis Ford CoppolasThe Godfatheris operatic and tragic.

I knew Mario when he was working on the novel, Pileggi says.

Mario is a friend of mine.

And he was working on that novel out of the McClellan committee hearings and out of the Valachi tapes.

Thats where it all comes from.

But its worth noting thatThe Alto Knightsat least speculates on how classically American this jot down of business is.

I mean, Prohibition meant there were 45,000 speakeasies in the state of Illinois.

The author points out that the 18th Amendment meant that for nearly a 20-year period, corruption was rewarded.

Which in some ways was not all terrible for the culture.

Its the same person, but what happened over a 20-year period is he cleaned up his act.

He said, Hey, I dont have to throw that person down the staircase.

I can buy a house in Sands Point!

I think that is what our movieThe Alto Knightsis trying to say.

Its also a guy who still exists today.

And all of a sudden theyre gone.

And thats what happened with Frank Costello.

The business changes, people dont.

The Alto Knights is in theaters now.