Martin Scorsese's film Casino (1995) is based on the Las Vegas careers of Spilotro and Rosenthal, on whom the characters Nicholas 'Nicky' Santoro (played by Joe Pesci) and Ace Rothstein (played by Robert De Niro) were based. Unlike his other Mafia movies ('Mean Streets' and 'GoodFellas'), Scorsese's 'Casino' is as concerned with history as with plot and character.The city of Las Vegas is his subject, and he shows how it permitted people like Ace, Ginger and Nicky to flourish, and then spit them out, because the Vegas machine is too profitable and powerful to allow anyone to slow its operation.

Unlike the portrayal in the movie Casino where Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (Robert De Niro) runs only one casino, the Tangiers, in real life Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal ran four casinos simultaneously, including the Stardust, Hacienda, Fremont and Marina for the Chicago mafia. For legal reasons, the Stardust was renamed the Tangiers in the film. -Las Vegas Sun

According to Frank Rosenthal himself, yes, this did occur but not under the circumstances portrayed in the movie Casino. The two men who were electronically signaling each other were part of a larger group that had been scamming all the casinos for an extended period of time. The actions taken were meant as a message to the group to deter any of the others from coming back to do the same. -Miami Herald

The Casino movie true story reveals that Sam and Ginger Rothstein's real-life counterparts, Frank and Geraldine Rosenthal, had a daughter named Stephanie and a son name Steven. Geraldine also had a daughter from a previous relationship with her high school love, Lenny Marmor (James Woods' character in the movie). Robin Marmor was born on December 27, 1957, and was eleven years old when her mother met Frank. She was not depicted in the movie. To learn more about Frank Rosenthal's wife and family, read Nicholas Pileggi's book Casino, which was the basis for the Martin Scorsese movie.

Indeed they were. When Siegfried and Roy's contract was about to expire with a competing casino, Mr. Rosenthal (Sam) hired them to perform at the Stardust. Part of the agreement was a significantly higher salary, custom dressing room and space for their animals. 'Lido de Paris Starring Siegfried and Roy' was born and so was a friendship that lasted a lifetime. -FrankRosenthal.com

Yes. In 1966, Tony and Nancy Spilotro (the real Nicky and Jennifer Santoro) adopted their only son, Vincent. -The Battle for Las Vegas: The Law vs. The Mob

Yes. The pack was referred to as 'The Hole in the Wall Gang' because they cut holes in walls and ceilings to enter their target locations. Included in this group were his brother, Michael Spilotro, Herbert 'Fat Herbie' Blitzstein, Wayne Metecki, Samuel Cusumano, Joseph Cusumano, Ernesto 'Ernie' Davino, 'Crazy Larry' Neumann, Salvatore 'Sonny' Romano, Leonardo 'Leo' Guardino, Joseph Blasko and their leader, Frank Cullotta. Frank Cullotta is portrayed in the movie Casino by actor Frank Vincent, as Nicky Santoro's sidekick Frankie Marino.

Yes. Anthony Spilotro, the basis for Joe Pesci's Nicky Santoro character, caught one of the two men who killed the Scalvo brothers without permission. Frank Cullotta testified in the Operation Family Secrets trial that Spilotro did torture Billy McCarthy. Spilotro told him that McCarthy was beaten and when he refused to name his accomplice, his head was put in a vise and tightened until his eyeball popped out. At that point, he gave them Jimmy Miraglia's name and they slit his throat. -Sun Times

Casino Movie Nicky Bat

Yes, the real Nicky Santoro, Tony Spilotro, did sleep with Frank Rosenthal's wife, which ultimately played a part in his demise. Nicholas Calabrese testified in the Operation Family Secrets trial in 2007 that mob hit man John Fecarotta told him that Spilotro was targeted for his affair with Rosenthal's wife. -Chicago Tribune

Little Nicky Movie

Yes. The real Sam, Frank Rosenthal, did have a hearing with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Furthermore, he argued with the chairman, the current Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and was denied a gaming license. In 1988, he was officially put in the 'Black Book' (List of Persons Excluded from Licensed Gaming Establishments in the State of Nevada). -Las Vegas Sun

According to the Casino true story, the FBI agents did land their plane on the fairway at the Las Vegas Country Club where the Rosenthals lived. However, it was due to mechanical problems rather than a lack of fuel. -Skimming the Las Vegas Casinos

Yes he did. The Frank Rosenthal Show was taped at the Stardust and brought in many big-name guests, including Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Wayne Newton, Liberace and O.J. Simpson. For those of you who are curious, he claims to have never juggled on the show. -FrankRosenthal.com

Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal, the real Sam, is credited with putting sports betting in Las Vegas casinos. In 1976, he set up the first sports book in the Stardust, which featured six large televisions. -USA Today

Yes. According to Frank, the real story is that he filed for the divorce and for full custody of their children. Geri did not contest it. Their divorce was finalized on January 16, 1981. -FrankRosenthal.com

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According to Frank Rosenthal (the real Sam Rothstein), his wife and her ex-boyfriend, Lenny Marmor, ran off with his daughter, his son and his money. In the movie, Lenny Marmor is the Lester Diamond character portrayed by James Woods. -FrankRosenthal.com

No. The Casino movie character Artie Piscano was based on Carl 'Tuffy' DeLuna. The raid on his home happened on February 14, 1979. Unlike what is depicted in the movie, Tuffy did not die of a heart attack during the raid. He was sentenced to prison for his participation in skimming Las Vegas casinos and was released in 1998. He died ten years later on July 21, 2008 in Kansas City, Missouri. -The Chicago Syndicate

The 1981 Cadillac Eldorado had a balancing problem that was affecting the car's handling. GM installed the metal plate under the driver's seat to correct the problem. -UniqueCarsandParts.com/au

Yes. The true story behind Geri Rosenthal (Ginger in the movie) reveals that her interaction with these people ultimately led to her untimely death. On November 9, 1982, at the age of 46, she died in an LA motel from a drug overdose of valium, cocaine and whiskey. She is buried in Mount Sinai Cemetery in Los Angeles.

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Mr. Rosenthal died at the age of 79 after suffering a heart attack at his Miami Beach home on October 13, 2008. -NY Times

Casino Movie Nicky

According to Nicholas Pileggi, author of the book Casino, Frank Rosenthal was extremely meticulous. He did regulate the number of blueberries per muffin, with each muffin containing at least ten blueberries. -NY Times

Casino Movie Nicky Death

Watch video featuring interviews with Frank Rosenthal, the real Sam Rothstein, portrayed by Robert De Niro in the movie. Also, see footage of Tony Spilotro, the real Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci).

• “Now you're insulting my intelligence; what you think I am, a fuckin' idiot? You know goddamn well that someone had to get into those machines and set those fuckin' reels. The probability of one four-reel machine is a million and a half to one; the probability of three machines in a row; it's in the billions! It cannot happen, would not happen,...” (continue)(continue reading)Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• “It should have been perfect. I mean he had me, Nicky Santoro, his best friend watching his ass. And he had Ginger, the woman he loved on his arm. But in the end, we fucked it all up. It should have been so sweet, too. But it turned out to be the last time that street guys like us were ever given anything that fuckin' valuable again.”Joe Pesci - Nicky Santoro

• “No matter how big a guy might be, Nicky would take him on. You beat Nicky with fists, he comes back with a bat. You beat him with a knife, he comes back with a gun. And if you beat him with a gun, you better kill him, because he'll keep comin' back and back until one of you is dead.”
  Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• “It just didn't sink into his head what the Black Book is and what it meant, being banned from every casino is just one thing but being in this book gets you into the brains of every cop and FBI agent in the state, I mean you're listed in there with Al Capone, but Nicky didn't care.”
  Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• “In Vegas, everybody's gotta watch everybody else. Since the players are looking to beat the casino, the dealers are watching the players. The box men are watching the dealers. The floor men are watching the box men. The pit bosses are watching the floor men. The shift bosses are watching the pit bosses. The casino manager is watching the shift...” (continue)(continue reading)
  Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• “The little guy. He wouldn't be fucking the Jew's wife, would he?” - Remo Gaggi

• “After the Teamsters got knocked out of the box, the corporations tore down practically every one of the old casinos. And where did the money come from to rebuild the pyramids? Junk bonds. But in the end, I wound up right back where I started. I could still pick winners, and I could still make money for all kinds of people back home. And why mess...” (continue)(continue reading)Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• “Listen to me very carefully. There are three ways of doing things around here: the right way, the wrong way, and the way that I do it. You understand?”Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: Three fuckin' jackpots in 20 minutes? Why didn't you pull the machines? Why didn't you call me?
  - Don Ward: Well, it happened so quick, 3 guys won; I didn't have a chance...
  - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: You didn't see the scam? You didn't see what was going on?
  - Don Ward: Well, there's no way to determine that...
  - Sam 'Ace'... (continue)(continue reading)
  Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  - Don Ward

• - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: From now on, I want you to put an equal amount of blueberries in each muffin... an equal amount of blueberries in each muffin.
  - Baker: Do you know how long that's going to take?
  - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: I don't care how long it takes. Put an equal amount in each muffin.Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  - Baker

• “This is the end result of all the bright lights, and the comp trips, and all the champagne, and free hotel suites, and all the broads and all the booze. It's all been arranged just for us to get your money.”
  Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• “Before I ever ran a casino or got myself blown up, Ace Rothstein was a hell of a handicapper, I can tell you that. I was so good that when I bet, I can change the odds for every bookmaker in the country. I'm serious. I had it down so cold that I was given paradise on earth. I was given one of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas to run: The Tangiers...” (continue)(continue reading)
  Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• “Nicky's methods of betting weren't scientific, but they worked. When he won, he collected. When he lost, he told the bookies to go fuck themselves. I mean, what were they going to do, muscle Nicky? Nicky was the muscle.”
  Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• “If a guy fucking tripped over a banana peel, they'd bring me in for it.”Joe Pesci - Nicky Santoro

• - Senator: You were wandering around. You were in the... you were in the building.
  - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: I was in the building? You know damn well I was at that dinner, and you swore to me I would have a fair hearing. Did you not? Did you not? Well, tell me I was at least at the dinner. Allow me that much. Give me that much at least!
  - Senator:... (continue)(continue reading) - Senator
  Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: You know, I don't know if I could do this even if I wanted to. The Gaming Commission would never give me a license. I have at least two dozen gambling and bookmaking pinches on me.
  - Andy Stone: You don't have to have a license to work in a casino. All you gotta do is apply for one. The state law says you can work in a... (continue)(continue reading)
  Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  Alan King - Andy Stone

• “There's three ways to do things, the right way, the wrong way and the way that I do it.”
  Robert De Niro

• “In the casino, the cardinal rule is to keep them playing and to keep them coming back. The longer they play, the more they lose, and in the end, we get it all.”
  Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• “- Vinny Forlano: He won't talk. Stone is a good kid. Stand-up guy, just like his old man. That's the way I see it.
  - Vincent Borelli: I agree. He's solid. A fuckin' Marine.
  - Americo Capelli: He's okay. He always was. Remo, what do you think?
  - Remo Gaggi: Look... why take a chance? At least, that's the way I feel about it.” - Vinny Forlano
  - Vincent Borelli
  - Americo Capelli
  - Remo Gaggi

• “I think in all fairness, I should explain to you exactly what it is that I do. For instance tomorrow morning I'll get up nice and early, take a walk down over to the bank and... walk in and see and, uh... if you don't have my money for me, I'll... crack your fuckin' head wide-open in front of everybody in the bank. And just about the time that...” (continue)(continue reading)Joe Pesci - Nicky Santoro

• “The town will never be the same. After the Tangiers, the big corporations took it all over. Today it looks like Disneyland. And while the kids play cardboard pirates, Mommy and Daddy drop the house payments and Junior's collegemoney on the poker slots. In the old days, dealers knew your name, what you drank, what you played. Today, it's like...” (continue)(continue reading)Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: I'm firing you. No, I'm not firing, I'm firing you, ya...
  - Don Ward: You might regret this, Mr. Rothstein.
  - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: I'll regret it even more if I keep you on.
  - Don Ward: This is not the way to treat people.
  - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: Listen, if you didn't know you were being scammed you're too fuckin' dumb to... (continue)(continue reading)Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  - Don Ward

• “This guy could fuck up a cup of coffee.”Joe Pesci - Nicky Santoro

• “When you love someone, you've gotta trust them. There's no other way. You've got to give them the key to everything that's yours. Otherwise, what's the point? And for a while, I believed, that's the kind of love I had.”
  Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

• - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: So you're a righty?
  - Signaller: Yeah.
  - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: Now you're gonna have to learn with your left hand.Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  - Signaller