Las Vegas

Lore & Background

In the 1970s and early 1980s, the Chicago Outfit controlled certain Las Vegas casinos. Nicholas Pileggi's book *Casino* focuses on Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal, a Chicago bookmaker working for the Chicago Outfit, and his friend and partner, made man Anthony 'The Ant' Spilotro. Rosenthal supervised the operation of the legendary Stardust Resort and Casino, while Spilotro provided protection and masterminded thefts of jewelry and valuables, leading to his crew being nicknamed the 'Hole in the Wall Gang'. The book was adapted by Martin Scorsese and Pileggi into the 1995 film *Casino*.

In Their Own Story

Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal, a Jewish associate of the Mafia, supervised the operation of the legendary Stardust Resort and Casino in 1970s Las Vegas. His friend and partner, made man Anthony 'The Ant' Spilotro, provided protection while also masterminding thefts of jewelry and valuables that led to his crew being nicknamed the 'Hole in the Wall Gang'. The book *Casino* details their exploits working in Mafia-controlled casinos during this period. In the film adaptation, Rosenthal and Spilotro were portrayed as Ace Rothstein and Nicky Santoro by Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, respectively.

Reader's Guide

The book *Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas* (ISBN 0684808323) is a 1995 non-fiction book by crime reporter Nicholas Pileggi. It details the relationship between Lefty Rosenthal and Tony Spilotro, and their exploits working in Mafia-controlled casinos in 1970s Las Vegas. The book covers the period during the 1970s and early 1980s when the Chicago Outfit controlled certain Las Vegas casinos. *Kirkus Reviews* called the book 'riveting,' writing that 'Pileggi offers a blow-by-blow account of how organized crime looted the casinos they controlled as silent but deadly partners during the 1970s.' The book is the basis for the Oscar–nominated 1995 film *Casino* directed by Martin Scorsese, with a screenplay by Pileggi and Scorsese. The book was released the month before the film came out.

Did You Know?

• The book *Casino* was released the month before the 1995 film adaptation came out, despite Scorsese trying to persuade Pileggi to release it after the film.
• Sharon Stone, playing Rothstein's wife Ginger (based on Geri McGee), was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film *Casino*.
• Anthony 'The Ant' Spilotro's crew was nicknamed the 'Hole in the Wall Gang' for their thefts of jewelry and valuables.
• Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal supervised the operation of the legendary Stardust Resort and Casino for the Chicago Outfit.
• The screenplay for the 1995 film *Casino* was written by both Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese.