Is Casino Movie Based on True Story?

Casino is a popular film of the epic crime genre that was released in 1995. With Martin Scorsese directing and Barbara De Fina producing it, it went on to become both a critical and commercial success. It generated a healthy box office gross of $116.1 million against a budget of $40 to $50 million. Today, it’s one of the better-known movies to be focused on casinos and gambling.

What’s Casino About?

The setting is Las Vegas in the early 70s. Robert De Niro plays Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein, a low-level gangster who’s the main character. The film follows his character as he attempts to run the Tangiers. That is not the best paying online casino Australia. No, this is a casino made up for the film. At first, he manages to succeed in his role and doubles the casino’s profits. Over the years, he faces problems thanks to various people, including his childhood friend and a former prostitute.

Who’s in the Movie Casino?

Below is a summary of the main cast of the movie Casino.

• Robert De Niro. Robert De Niro plays the lead character Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein, who gets sent by the Chicago Outfit, a branch of the Italian mafia, to run the Tangiers Casino.
• Sharon Stone. Sharon Stone is Ginger McKenna, a hustler and ex-prostitute who Sam ends up having a daughter with, despite the fact she has a long-term boyfriend, Lester Diamond, who is a con artist.
• Joe Pesci. Joe Pesci plays Nicky Santoro, Sam’s childhood friend who works as a mob enforcer and is relocated to Las Vegas to protect both Sam and the Tangiers.
• Don Rickles. The character Don Rickles plays is Billy Sherbert, the Head of Security at the Tangiers Casino.
• Kevin Pollak. Kevin Polllak’s character is Phillip Green, the CEO of the Tangiers Casino and its hotel.
• James Woods. The character James Woods plays is Lester Diamond, Ginger McKenna’s con artist boyfriend.
• Frank Vincent. Frank Vincent plays Frank Marino, the main antagonist of the movie Casino and the right-hand man of Nicky Santoro.

Was the Casino Movie Shot in Las Vegas?

The Casino movie was shot in Las Vegas. The Riviera Casino was where most of the filming took place. The nearby Landmark Hotel served as the entrance to Tangiers Casino, which is fictional. Since the movie draws inspiration from real-life events in Las Vegas, it made sense for the production team to film it in the city itself, as opposed to a film studio of some kind.

Did a True Story Inspire the Film Casino?

The book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by a New York crime reporter called Nicholas Pileggi is what the movie’s based on. The subject of the book is how the mob managed to infiltrate and go on to influence Las Vegas during the 70s. Pileggi was inspired to write the book after reading about a domestic dispute between the real-life Frank Rosenthal and Geri McGee, his wife.

Even though the film is based on the Chicago mob’s meddling in Las Vegas, the mob itself is never mentioned because of legal reasons. This is despite it being common knowledge that the mob had established a presence in Sin City. Robert de Niro’s character refers to ‘back home’, and when he says this, he means Chicago and the mob there.

As with every movie based on events that really happened, there are some aspects of the film Casino that have been changed for dramatic effect. However, there are still some specific points in the movie that accurately reflect what happened in real life.

All Main Characters Are Based on Real People

Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein, Robert de Niro’s character, is based on a real person: Frank Rosenthal. The character Sharon Stone plays, Ginger McKenna, is based on Frank Rosenthal’s wife, Geri McGee. As for Joe Pesci’s character, Nicky Santoro, he’s based on the real-life Tony Spilotro, who in December 1979 was banned from setting foot in every single Las Vegas casino.

Geri and Tony Had an Affair

In real life, Geri McGee and Tony Spilotro allegedly had an affair. In the movie, the equivalent characters, Ginger McKenna and Nicky Santoro, also have an affair. This has quite a significant impact on the course of events.

A Casino Executive Was Murdered in His Costa Rica Home

The Casino movie true story involves quite a few deaths. One of these is the murder of a man who used to work as a casino executive. He died at his Costa Rica home, having been hunted down and killed. While the movie has many deaths, this particular one is very much a true story.

Frank Rosenthal Didn’t Have a Gambling License

It’s common knowledge that a gambling license is required if you’re going to run any kind of gambling-oriented business. Despite being a casino manager, Frank Rosenthal didn’t actually own a license. His movie character Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein also manages to get by without one.

So how did he pull this off? While he was in charge of the casinos, he wasn’t technically the top boss. Instead, he was given lower titles and lesser roles so that he didn’t have to be in possession of a license. The mob thought having a claim would be too risky, given his connections.

He Did Survive a Car Bombing

The scene in which Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein somehow survives a car bombing is indeed based on what happened in real life. The true story behind this isn’t known; to this day, it’s not certain who was responsible for the bombing. Midwestern mobsters are suspected, though there haven’t been any convictions. It’s believed that Frank only managed to survive the incident thanks to a destabilizing steel plate. This was underneath the driver’s seat and deflected some of the explosion.

Geri Died From an Overdose

As the film comes to a close, Ginger McKenna, the character who Sharon Stone plays, dies from an overdose. This is the same fate that her real-life counterpart, Geri McGee, also fell victim to.

However, Frank Rosenthal Didn’t Just Run One Casino

This is something that the movie doesn’t quite accurately reflect. In reality, Frank Rosenthal ran four Las Vegas casinos. These were:

• The Stardust
• The Hacienda
• The Fremont
• The Marina

He ran these four casino resorts for the Chicago Outfit right from 1968 up until 1981. The Tangiers Casino that Sam runs in the movie Casino is loosely based on Stardust and the large-scale skimming operation that took place. When it was uncovered in the early 80s, it was the biggest the FBI had ever seen. For legal reasons, the producers couldn’t name the movie’s leading casino, The Stardust. Therefore, they gave it the fictional name of Tangiers Casino instead.

Summary

The movie Casino is based on events that happened in real life, though to an extent. The plot accurately reflects what happened in Vegas in the 70s and how the Chicago Outfit managed to run a casino. Its characters are also based on actual, real-life people.

As it is a movie, any movie that claims to be about a true story has to be taken with a pinch of salt. Yes, inspiration may come from what actually happened and the real people involved, but there will always be some degree of editing. This includes removing, changing, or adding things that may or may not have happened. 

Casino is an enjoyable film that gives an insight into mob activity in Sin City. Much of what you see in the movie happened, but remember that it didn’t necessarily play out exactly as it does on screen.

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