Casino is a 1995 American epic crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone. The film is based on the nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Scorsese.
The film chronicles the rise and fall of casino boss Frank Rosenthal, told through the eyes of his friend and fellow casino boss Tony Spilotro. Rosenthal ran the Stardust, Fremont, and Hacienda casinos in Las Vegas for the Chicago Outfit from 1974 until 1981.
Get Started! Fast Withdrawal Slots Bonuses:
Based on a true story, the movie details how the Chicago Outfit was able to skim millions of dollars out of Las Vegas casinos.
The Outfit had controlled the Stardust since 1963, but it wasn’t until Rosenthal’s arrival that they were able to really start skimming money off the top. Rosenthal brought in a team of slot machine experts to help him find ways to cheat the machines.
He also used his connections with the National Football League to help set up betting lines that were favorable to gamblers betting on Outfit-controlled teams.
Rosenthal’s success came at a price, however. He made enemies with other casino bosses, and his arrogance and greed eventually led to his downfall.
In 1981, he was indicted on charges of skimming from casinos and associating with known mobsters. He was found guilty and sentenced to prison, but he only served 19 months before being released on parole.
After his release from prison, Rosenthal tried to stay out of trouble but eventually got involved in another gambling scandal. This time he was caught cheating on horse races.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison but only served two years before being released on parole again.
Rosenthal died in 2008 at the age of 79. His life was chronicled in the book Casino and later adapted into the Scorsese film.
While some parts of the story were fictionalized for dramatic effect, much of it was based on true events.
