Title: The Gripping True Story Behind Martin Scorsese’s Casino
In 1995, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci reunited for the crime drama film Casino, which told the story of the rise and fall of organized crime in Las Vegas. Based on a true story, Casino is one of the best gangster movies of the ’90s and one of the best ever made. Despite being often mistaken for a copycat to Scorsese’s earlier film Goodfellas, Casino offers a unique and brutal portrayal of a specific period in American history.
The film follows Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro), an associate of the Chicago mob, sent to Las Vegas to run casinos and skim the top for the mob. He is accompanied by Nicky Santoro (Pesci), his childhood friend and enforcer. However, Nicky’s violent and hot-tempered nature starts to attract the attention of the FBI, putting the entire operation at risk.
One of the most shocking aspects of the film is the true story of Anthony John Spilotro, also known as “Tony the Ant,” who was the real-life inspiration for Pesci’s character. Spilotro was a brutal and ruthless mob enforcer who was responsible for the notorious “M&M” murders, where he would crush his victims’ heads in vices until their eyes popped out.
In reality, Spilotro was sent to Las Vegas to help keep the mob’s operations in check, but he quickly became disillusioned with the day-to-day work and started committing crimes on his own, without informing his employers. He also had an affair with the wife of another mob associate, which further strained the fragile loyalty among the group.
On the other hand, Robert De Niro’s character is based on Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, a bookmaker, loan shark, and mob associate who was known for his exceptional math skills. Rosenthal was sent to Las Vegas to run four casinos, but his activities eventually came under scrutiny, and he was eventually barred from participating in any gambling activities in Nevada. The film simplifies his story, condensing his various criminal enterprises into a single fictional casino, the Tangiers.
One of the most haunting aspects of the film is the brutal ending, which is surprisingly accurate. In reality, Spilotro and his brother were ambushed, beaten, and buried alive in a shallow grave, a fate that mirrored the events depicted in the film.
While the film takes some creative liberties, it is largely accurate in its portrayal of the events and characters, often blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Scorsese has stated that he sees fictional stories as “events without a plot,” allowing him to stuff as much real history into the narrative as possible. In the case of Casino, this approach paid off, resulting in one of the most gripping and true-to-life gangster films of all time.
