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The history of organized crime in the US has always captivated the public’s attention. Even when the mafia was at the height of its power, its exploits and deeds proved too alluring for Hollywood to ignore. The 1930s were rife with pictures featuring James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, and others who portrayed these alleged anti-heroes who seemed to thumb their noses at law and order. The relationship that organized crime and Hollywood have shared is so close that separating fact from fiction sometimes becomes difficult.

With the exception of Francis Ford Coppola, no other director has been more associated with bringing the Mafia to the screen than . His 1995 film, , highlights the control the mob once exerted over Las Vegas. stole the show in Casino with his portrayal of mob enforcer Nicky Santoro. The real story behind the character that Santoro is based on is just as, if not more, intriguing than what was depicted in the film itself.

Hollywood and the mafia have had a long relationship with one another. Separating historical fact from fiction sometimes becomes difficult, and Casino is no different. Like any movie based on true events, there are liberties taken to formulate a more interesting narrative for audiences.

Casino follows Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro), a gambling expert who finds himself working for the mob at one of the many casinos under its control, The Tangiers. Going about his job with relentless efficiency, Rothstein oversees the daily operations that see scores of tourists flock to the location to gamble and “the skim,” a nickname for the cut of profits taken by the mob. Rosenthal soon finds himself caught between two figures who will forever alter the course of his life, the first of which is a whirlwind romance with a Vegas socialite named Ginger (Sharon Stone) and the arrival of mob enforcer Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), sent by the mafia to help oversee the illegal transfer of money.

Interestingly, the events in Casino closely mirror what happened in real life. , who worked in multiple casinos for the mob and had a romance with a socialite named Geri McGee. The toxic and volatile nature of their marriage plays into the themes in Casino: greed and the downfall brought about by its relentless pursuit. No character will encompass both of these themes more than .

Fans who had seen Joe Pesci’s performance in Goodfellas might assume that his role as Nicky Santoro is an exaggerated mafia stereotype. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nicky Santoro is based on real-life Chicago mobster Tony Spilotro. . Spilotro, known as “the ant,” stood at only 5’2 and was known for his hot temper and violent outbursts.There are many moments in Spilotro’s criminal career that Casino gets right, with only a few slight details that are altered for the sake of the overarching narrative.

Much of what’s shown in Casino about Spilotro’s time in Las Vegas is surprisingly accurate. As a member of a mob family in Chicago, Spilotro was dispatched to Las Vegas in 1971 to work alongside Rosenthal at multiple casinos, where his violent nature followed him. The actions of Spilotro and his infamous “hole in the wall” gang, named for their brazen robberies of homes and businesses, are also accurate. .

One of the few inconsistencies between what’s depicted in Casino and what occurred in real life concerns a supporting character, Frank Marino (Frank Vincent). Frank Marino is based on Frank Cullotta, a close associate of Spilotro who later cooperated with the FBI following his arrest. In Casino, Santoro’s death is depicted as taking place in a cornfield with Marino and others murdering him and his brother with baseball bats. . The murder took place in Chicago by members of the same outfit Spilotro was a part of.

Scorsese's masterpiece is currently streaming on Max, Hulu, and Prime Video. For a detailed breakdown of the true events behind Casino, The History Buffs YouTube channel dedicated an episode to this subject.