The Underworld Podcast America’s Craziest Mob Boss (Sort of!) Vincent Gigante
Jan 20, 2026
Vincent Gigante was a master of deception, performing as a madman in a bathrobe while secretly commanding the Genovese crime family. His infamous antics, like wandering Greenwich Village and avoiding capture, kept law enforcement at bay for decades. The podcast delves into his criminal empire, from orchestrating murders to controlling vital unions, all while maintaining an image of insanity. It explores his rise against rivals like John Gotti, his clever evasion of justice, and the legacy he left behind.
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The Failed Hit That Cemented Gigante
- Vincent Gigante shot Frank Costello in 1957 but Costello survived and later refused to identify him at trial.
- Costello and Gigante later reconciled, showing old-school mafia codes of silence and pragmatism.
Performance As A Legal Shield
- Gigante cultivated a convincing insanity persona and used psychiatric records to avoid prosecution.
- His act repeatedly stalled investigations and became a legal shield for decades.
Bathrobe, Bizarre Acts, And Public Theater
- Gigante publicly shuffled through Greenwich Village in a bathrobe and sometimes urinated on the street to sell his act.
- The shtick fooled many investigators who began to view him as a harmless eccentric.
