costikyan was born in weehawken, new jersey on september 24, 1924. by 1940, he and his family (father, mihran nazar costikyan; mother, berthe muller costikyan; and older brother andrew m. costikyan) had moved to west 122nd street in the morningside heights neighborhood of manhattan. his father was an oriental rug dealer of armenian descent while his mother was a native of switzerland. he graduated from horace mann school, where his mother taught, and served in world war ii. he graduated from columbia university in 1947, and columbia law school in 1949. he clerked for a year for judge harold r. medina at the u.s. district court.