Is Movie Casino Based on True Story?

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 mobster Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro) and his friend and fellow casino boss Nicky Santoro (Pesci). Rothstein is based on real-life casino boss Frank Rosenthal, who ran the Stardust, Fremont, and Hacienda casinos in Las Vegas for the Chicago Outfit from the 1970s until the early 1980s.

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Nicky is based on real-life mobster Anthony Spilotro, who was Rosenthal’s bodyguard and right-hand man.

PRO TIP:Casino, the 1995 film directed by Martin Scorsese, is largely based on the real-life story of Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal and Anthony “The Ant” Spilotro. While the movie does draw from their experiences, it should be noted that significant changes were made to the plot for dramatic purposes.

The primary character in Casino is Ace Rothstein (played by De Niro), a Jewish-American gambling expert handicapper who is asked by the Italian-American mafia to oversee the daily operations at the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. Rothstein’s character is based on real-life casino boss Frank Rosenthal, who ran the Stardust, Fremont, and Hacienda casinos in Las Vegas for the Chicago Outfit from the 1970s until the early 1980s.

Ace Rothstein’s best friend in Casino is Nicky Santoro (played by Pesci), a volatile and psychopathic Italian-American gangster who does whatever it takes to make money. Nicky’s character is based on real-life mobster Anthony Spilotro, who was Rosenthal’s bodyguard and right-hand man.

The plot of Casino revolves around Ace Rothstein’s efforts to run the Tangiers Casino while contending with Nicky Santoro’s violent behavior and mounting problems with the federal government. The film culminates with Ace’s downfall when his casino is taken over by thugs working for Nicky.

Casino was released to generally positive critical reception, receiving praise for its direction, screenplay, acting, editing, and production values. However, some reviewers were critical of Scorsese’s casting of De Niro and Stone, feeling that they were too old for their respective roles.