Who Was the Real Ginger From Casino?

The 1995 Martin Scorsese film Casino is based on the non-fiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Scorsese. The film starred Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone.

The story is set in Las Vegas in the 1970s and 80s, and follows the relationship between casino boss Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro) and his friend and enforcer Nicky Santoro (Pesci).

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The character of Ginger McKenna is based on real life Las Vegas hustler and ex-convict GerAldine McGee. McGee was born in Los Angeles in 1930, and moved to Las Vegas with her husband Frank Rosenthal in 1971.

McGee began working as a cocktail waitress at the Stardust Casino, and was soon promoted to casino manager. She later became involved with Rosenthal’s gambling operations.

McGee was known for her extravagant lifestyle, and was often seen driving around Las Vegas in a Rolls-Royce. She also had a reputation for being a volatile and demanding diva.

PRO TIP:The character of Ginger in the movie Casino was based on the real-life person of Geri McGee, formerly known as Geraldine McGee. She was a Las Vegas showgirl and socialite who married Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, a casino figure largely responsible for the rise of sports betting in Las Vegas. Geri died at the young age of 46 from an overdose of drugs and alcohol.

In 1974, she divorced Rosenthal and married Oscar Goodman, who would later become the mayor of Las Vegas.

The character of Ginger in the film is played by Sharon Stone, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. Stone did her own research on the character by meeting with McGee’s friends and watching hours of footage of McGee.

In the film, Ginger is depicted as a conflicted character who is torn between her love for Ace and her greed. She ultimately betrays Ace by taking a bribe from Nicky to ensure that he wins a key poker hand.

This leads to Ace’s eventual downfall.

In real life, GerAldine McGee died of an overdose in 1982 at the age of 52. Her death was ruled accidental.

Many believe that she was deliberately given an overdose by her second husband, Oscar Goodman, who was allegedly involved in organized crime himself.