Who Was Nicky in Casino Based On?

Nicky Santoro was a real person, and his story was the basis for the character played by Joe Pesci in the movie Casino. Nicky was born in Chicago in 1922 and had a tough childhood. His father was a butcher and his mother was a seamstress, and they both died young.

Nicky dropped out of school in the 8th grade and began working for the mob. He became a made man in the 1950s and rose through the ranks of the Chicago Outfit, eventually becoming one of Tony Spilotro’s top soldiers.

Nicky was known for his brutality and his willingness to do whatever it took to make a buck. He was also known for being an excellent card player, which is how he ended up in Las Vegas.

In Vegas, Nicky became friends with Frank Rosenthal, who ran several casinos for the mob. Rosenthal allowed Nicky to operate freely in his casinos, which is how he became involved in skimming money from the casinos.

The FBI eventually caught wind of Nicky’s activities, and they began investigating him. They bugged his house and tapped his phones, and they gathered enough evidence to indict him on multiple counts of racketeering.

Nicky went on trial in 1986 and was sentenced to life in prison. He died of a heart attack in 1997 while incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Kansas.