When people explore the history of American organized crime, names such as Frank Costello, Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, and Vito Genovese often dominate the conversation. Yet behind these famous figures were family members whose lives were rarely documented in the same detail. Lauretta Giegerman is one of those lesser-known figures.
Best remembered as the wife of Frank Costello, Lauretta Giegerman lived for decades alongside a man whose name became closely associated with New York’s organized-crime history. Unlike her husband, however, she largely remained away from public attention. Her life was private, and surviving historical information about her is considerably more limited than the extensive material available about Costello.
This makes Lauretta Giegerman an intriguing historical figure. Her story provides a different perspective on the private life surrounding one of the most recognizable names in American organized crime.
Who Was Lauretta Giegerman?
Lauretta Giegerman, also recorded in historical sources as Loretta Geigerman and Lauretta Costello, was the longtime wife of Frank Costello. An FBI-related index identifies Lauretta Costello as the wife of Frank Costello and lists Lauretta Giegerman as an alternate name.
Frank Costello, whose birth name was Francesco Castiglia, became one of the most influential figures in New York’s organized-crime world during the first half of the twentieth century. Lauretta, in contrast, did not become known as a public crime figure in her own right.
That distinction is important. Although her life was closely connected to Costello, there is no strong evidence establishing Lauretta as a Mafia leader or someone who held a formal position within her husband’s criminal organization.
Instead, her historical importance comes primarily from her relationship with Costello and from the glimpses of her private life that have survived in newspapers, archival records, and historical accounts.
Lauretta Giegerman’s Early Life
Information about Lauretta Giegerman’s early childhood is surprisingly limited. Some modern sources give specific birth information, including a birth year of 1894 in Manhattan, but the details are not equally supported by strong contemporary documentation.
Her name also appears with different spellings. Researchers may encounter Lauretta Giegerman, Lauretta Geigerman, Loretta Geigerman, or Loretta “Bobby” Geigerman Costello.
These variations are important when researching her history because searching for only one spelling can leave out potentially relevant historical material.
One of the strongest contemporary references to Lauretta comes from a 1949 TIME profile of Frank Costello. The magazine referred to her as Loretta “Bobby” Geigerman Costello and described her as a former showgirl.
However, detailed information about her entertainment career, including specific productions or venues, is much harder to verify. For that reason, it is safer to describe her as a former showgirl rather than attach unconfirmed details to her career.
Lauretta Giegerman and Frank Costello
The most important chapter in Lauretta Giegerman’s life was her long marriage to Frank Costello.
Historical accounts commonly place their marriage in 1918. The Crime Museum’s biography of Frank Costello states that he became romantically involved with his childhood friend Lauretta Giegerman and married her in 1918.
Their marriage began before Frank Costello reached the height of his influence. At that point, he was still developing the relationships and business connections that would eventually make him a major figure in New York organized crime.
Over the following decades, Frank’s public profile changed dramatically. He became associated with gambling, political connections, and some of the most important organized-crime figures of his generation.
Lauretta remained by his side throughout these changes.
Life With Frank Costello
A 1949 TIME article offers one of the most useful contemporary glimpses into Lauretta’s married life.
The publication described Frank Costello as a relatively quiet and conservative husband and identified Lauretta as a former showgirl. It also noted that the couple was childless and lived in a seven-room apartment on Central Park West. They also had a summer home in Sands Point, New York.
This description is interesting because it presents a very different picture from the dramatic image often associated with organized-crime history.
Instead of focusing on secret meetings, criminal rivalries, and political influence, the article described a domestic household. Lauretta was part of Costello’s private world, far removed from the sensational headlines that surrounded his public reputation.
Her life therefore illustrates an important contrast: Frank Costello was a highly visible historical figure, while Lauretta Giegerman remained largely private.
Was Lauretta Giegerman Involved in Organized Crime?
One of the most common questions about Lauretta Giegerman concerns whether she was personally involved in her husband’s criminal activities.
The available historical evidence does not establish that she was a Mafia leader or an independent organized-crime figure.
Government records identify her primarily as Frank Costello’s wife.
Her name did appear in some records connected to investigations involving Costello’s financial affairs, but simply appearing in a record does not prove that someone participated in criminal activity.
This distinction is particularly important when writing about historical personalities. Being married to a notorious individual does not automatically make a spouse a participant in that person’s criminal organization.
For Lauretta Giegerman, the strongest evidence points toward her role as Costello’s wife and private companion rather than a documented position of criminal authority.
Lauretta Giegerman and the Private Side of Frank Costello
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Lauretta’s story is the contrast between her husband’s public reputation and their private lifestyle.
Frank Costello became famous for his connections and influence. He was investigated, photographed, questioned, and discussed extensively by journalists and government officials.
Lauretta experienced the same historical period from a much quieter position.
The 1949 TIME profile is particularly valuable because it provides a contemporary description rather than a modern reconstruction. It portrays the Costellos as a married couple living a relatively settled domestic life despite Frank’s controversial reputation.
That does not tell us everything about their marriage. It cannot reveal their private conversations, personal disagreements, or feelings about Costello’s activities.
Those details remain largely unknown.
The 1957 Assassination Attempt
Another major event connected to Lauretta’s life was the attempted assassination of Frank Costello in 1957.
Costello was shot in the lobby of his apartment building in Manhattan. He survived the attack but subsequently stepped back from much of his involvement in organized crime.
The shooting became one of the defining episodes of Costello’s later life. For Lauretta, it represented another period of danger and uncertainty surrounding her husband.
Yet, once again, detailed firsthand information about Lauretta’s personal reaction is difficult to establish.
This is a recurring theme throughout her biography. Historical sources document the events around her much more thoroughly than they document Lauretta herself.
Did Lauretta Giegerman and Frank Costello Have Children?
Historical reporting indicates that Lauretta Giegerman and Frank Costello did not have children.
The 1949 TIME profile specifically described the Costellos as childless.
Because there are few detailed public records about Lauretta’s private family life, there is limited information about how she spent her time away from Costello’s public activities.
Her lack of children also meant that there was no direct descendant who later became a major source of personal memories about the couple.
Frank Costello’s Final Years
After the 1957 shooting, Frank Costello gradually withdrew from the center of New York’s organized-crime world.
He continued to live a comparatively private life, while his reputation remained firmly established in American crime history.
Lauretta remained his wife during these later years.
Frank Costello died in 1973, bringing an end to a marriage that had lasted for more than five decades if the commonly cited 1918 marriage date is used.
Following his death, Lauretta largely disappeared from public attention.
What Happened to Lauretta Giegerman After Frank Costello’s Death?
This is one of the least documented parts of Lauretta Giegerman’s story.
Unlike Frank Costello, whose death and historical legacy generated extensive reporting, Lauretta did not remain a major public figure. Reliable information about her later years is scarce.
Modern websites sometimes provide precise claims about her death date, residence, finances, or personal activities. However, these claims are not always supported by strong primary or contemporary sources.
For that reason, a responsible biography should avoid presenting uncertain details as established facts.
What can be said with greater confidence is that Lauretta survived Frank Costello and remained largely outside the public spotlight.
Her later life appears to have been consistent with the privacy she maintained throughout much of her adulthood.
Why Is Lauretta Giegerman Still Interesting Today?
Interest in Lauretta Giegerman continues because people are fascinated by the private lives of historical figures.
Frank Costello’s story has been explored in books, documentaries, television productions, and popular discussions about the American Mafia. Naturally, people become curious about the woman who spent decades married to him.
Lauretta’s story also challenges the tendency to view history only through its most famous personalities.
While Frank Costello’s name appears throughout organized-crime history, Lauretta represents the quieter side of that world. Her life reminds us that people connected to famous historical figures may have their own identities, experiences, and stories—even when those stories were not extensively recorded.
Lauretta Giegerman’s Historical Legacy
The legacy of Lauretta Giegerman is not based on political power, criminal leadership, or celebrity.
Instead, her legacy comes from the unusual position she occupied in twentieth-century New York history.
She was married to one of the era’s most controversial men, yet she herself remained comparatively obscure. Contemporary reporting gives us a few valuable glimpses of her, including her identity as a former showgirl, her marriage to Costello, their childless household, and their homes in Manhattan and Sands Point.
Her story also highlights the importance of separating historical fact from speculation.
There are many unanswered questions about Lauretta Giegerman, but those unanswered questions should not be filled with invented stories. The limited record is itself part of her history.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lauretta Giegerman
Who was Lauretta Giegerman?
Lauretta Giegerman was the longtime wife of Frank Costello, a prominent figure in American organized-crime history. She was also recorded under variations including Lauretta Geigerman and Loretta Geigerman Costello.
When did Lauretta Giegerman marry Frank Costello?
The marriage is commonly dated to 1918, according to historical accounts of Frank Costello’s life.
Was Lauretta Giegerman a Mafia member?
There is no strong evidence establishing Lauretta as a Mafia leader or formal member of her husband’s organization. Historical records primarily identify her as Frank Costello’s wife.
Did Lauretta Giegerman have children?
No. Contemporary reporting described Frank and Lauretta Costello as childless.
What was Lauretta Giegerman known for?
She is best known historically as Frank Costello’s wife. A 1949 TIME profile also described her as a former showgirl and used the nickname “Bobby.”
Conclusion
Lauretta Giegerman remains a fascinating but relatively mysterious figure in American history. While her husband Frank Costello became one of the most discussed names in New York organized crime, Lauretta lived a considerably quieter life.
Her story is important precisely because it is not filled with headlines. The surviving evidence presents a woman who shared decades of life with a highly controversial historical figure while maintaining a private existence of her own.
From her documented marriage to Frank Costello and her former career as a showgirl to the quiet years that followed his death, Lauretta Giegerman’s life offers an unusual glimpse into the personal world behind one of America’s most famous organized-crime figures.
The limited historical record may leave many questions unanswered, but it also makes Lauretta Giegerman a compelling subject for anyone interested in Frank Costello, New York history, organized crime, and the lesser-known people who lived alongside famous figures.