7 True Events That Inspired the Movie “Casino”

A genuine story served as the inspiration for the 1995 Martin Scorsese film Casino, which starred Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, and Sharon Stone. It is one of the most fascinating movies about casino mobs and Las Vegas. The life of Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, who controlled the Hacienda, Fremont, and Stardust casinos in Las Vegas for the Chicago mob in the 1970s and 1980s, served as the basis for the story.

The movie paints a stunning and glamorous picture of the old day of mobsters controlling casinos. Thankfully, nowadays the market is heavily regulated and safe for the consumer. If you want to try out your luck at an online casino without paying a dime, there are many free spins NJ deals to choose from at iGaming NJ. They also have guides, articles, and the latest news about the industry.

But how closely does the movie Casino resemble actual events? Sure, some events were given a dramatic coat of paint, but most of it is based on reality. Let’s look at the real-life incidents that the script authors couldn’t pass over.

1. The Main Characters Are Based on Real People

Sam “Ace” Rothstein was based on infamous gangster Frank Rosenthal, while Ginger McKenna’s persona was based on Geri McGee, Rosenthal’s wife, and a former Las Vegas showgirl.

Phillip Green was based on recently deceased gambling magnate and gangster Allen Glick, while Nicky Santoro was based on Anthony Spilotro.

2. Rosenthal Actually Made It Through a Car Bombing

The time Rothstein escapes a car bombing is based on actual events that happened in Rosenthal’s life. How did Rosenthal survive such a situation? It was a metal stabilizer plate under the driver’s seat that saved his life.

3. Rosenthal Actually Lacked a Gaming License

This is true. Rosenthal did not have a gaming license in real life. The mob understood that trying to license Rosenthal would be too hazardous given his connections to organized crime.

As a workaround, Rosenthal was given less prominent positions by the mafia at the casinos where he worked, such as entertainment director and food and beverage manager.

4. Spilotro and Geri Did Have a Relationship

In the film, the love triangle between McKenna, Rothstein, and Santoro is crucial to the deaths of a few of those characters.

It is reported that Spilotro and McGee, Rosenthal’s ex-wife, did have a relationship in real life. Did it have the same effect on real-life events as it did in the film? Unlikely. But the mob continued to look down on it.

5. A Drug Overdose Was the Cause of Geri’s Passing

The overdose death of Rosenthal’s ex-wife Geri was among his most terrible experiences. Casino appropriately depicts this, with Stone’s McKenna meeting a similar demise in a hotel at the end of the film.

6. A Former Casino Executive was Assassinated in his Own Home in Costa Rica

In Casino, a lot of killings are shown, and some of them actually took place in real life. One of the most notorious killings occurred when a former casino executive met a terrible end after being sought down and killed at his Costa Rican home.

7. Anthony Spilotro and His brother Were Both Killed and Buried in a Cornfield in Indiana

After the car bombing of Rothstein, Frank Marino ambushes Pesci’s Santoro and his brother, Dominick. Santoro and his brother are buried alive by the mob, who believe Santoro was responsible for the explosion and was getting out of hand.

Anthony Spilotro and his brother are said to have been buried in an Indiana cornfield by the mob.