Everybody knows somebody who knows something about Frank Costello. At least, that is the way TIME Reporter James A. Bell felt during his long investigation of the gambler and underworld figure who is the subject of this week's cover story. Bell's--and TIME'S--job was to try to separate the facts from the Costello legend and get behind the hitherto published material on Costello.

Jim Bell had his first look at some of Costello's operations (slot machines and Louisiana's Beverly Country Club) while working on TIME'S cover story on New Orleans' Mayor "Chep" Morrison in November, 1947. Some months ago, when he began working on the Costello cover in earnest, Bell first went to the law enforcement agencies in Washington and New York. Then, armed with what the law knew about Costello, he set out on his own in the gambler's backyard: New York City. At first it was very frustrating. Costello sources did not want to talk about him. They failed to keep appointments with Bell, and when he called them back a voice at the other end of the telephone usually said "never heard of him."

Gradually, however, Bell got to know his way around and people started to talk. One afternoon he was talking to Costello's attorney in his office when Costello, who had been out of town, walked in. After the introduction the gambler said: "What's this TIME? It's the one with the red border, isn't it?"

Bell assured him it was. They talked for and hour and a half, then and there, and Bell saw Costello for several hours on two other occasions. Costello was friendly and talkative and expounded his own viewpoint about himself at length.

Meanwhile, TIME correspondents in Chicago, Los Angeles, Hot Springs, Ark., San Francisco, New Orleans and Naples (Gangster Lucky Luciano's current retreat), and Researcher Anne Lopatin were doing their own digging into the Costello past and present. Much of it was the business of tracking down rumors which often proved to be untrue, and triple-checking the facts. In the midst of his New Orleans investigation Correspondent Ed Ogle answered his telephone and the following conversation took place:

"Are you the guy who is asking questions about Mr. Costello?"

"Yes. Can you give me any information?"

"Yes, I can. Lay off that stuff." "What's that?"

"Just lay off that stuff, that's all." "Who is this?"

"Let's just say it's a friend, y'unnerstand?"

Ogle never did find out whether the call was a gag or the real thing.

Bell's Research totaled 181 typewritten pages, which he turned over to National Affairs writer Paul O'Neil to use for the finished story. Bell began his career with TIME in 1942 as a reporter in our Chicago bureau. A native of Altoona, Kans. and a University of Kansas graduate, he had been a reporter for the Topeka Daily Capital.

During the war, he served with the Signal Corps in the Pacific. He returned to Chicago in 1945 and his expert reporting has been the back ground material for such diversified cover stories as Harold Stassen (Aug. 25, 1947), with whom he traveled 27,000 miles during the last Presidential campaign; F.B.I. Chief J. Edgar Hoover (Aug. 8, 1949), Defense Secretary Louis Johnson (June 6, 1949), Roy Roberts, of the Kansas City Star (April 12, 1948) Iowa Farmer Gus Kuester (April 29 1946), and President George Albert Smith of the Mormon church (July 21, 1947). Last summer Bell covered the Hiss-Chambers trial in New York City and, having completed his Costello research, he is now back covering the second trial.

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