This Sunday, January 19, 2024, at 9 p.m., the Arte channel is offering a classic by Martin Scorsese. This film titled Casino offers a trio of striking characters. But are they based on a true story?
The world of the Italian-American mafia and gangsters fascinates Martin Scorsese and inspires him in his creations. This fascination comes from his childhood in the Italian neighborhoods of New York. In an article published on January 20, 2021, AlloCiné reports the filmmaker's words: “The people of my neighborhood and I lived among the criminals who looked like lords”. The cult director The Freedmen has touched on this theme on numerous occasions. This is particularly the case in the film Casino. Inspired by the story of very real characters, this classic is broadcast this Sunday, January 19, 2024, at 9 p.m. on the Arte channel.
Casino : a trio of atypical but fascinating main characters
This classic introduces us to a fascinating trio. At its head, we discover the character of Sam “Ace” Rothstein, a man sent by the Italian mafia from Chicago to Las Vegas in the 1970s. The mafioso is played by Robert De Niro, thus marking the director's eighth collaboration with the 'actor. He is supported by Nicky Santoro (played by Joe Pesci), a gangster who runs a casino, but also his childhood friend. Finally, the film reveals the character of Ginger, a call girl who defrauds her clients. Quickly, the young woman puts stars in Sam's eyes, who falls completely in love with her. By playing this protagonist, Sharon Stone won the Golden Globe for best actress in a drama in 1996. Casinothe characters seem completely romantic and yet, certain elements are inspired by people who really existed.
-Who are these real people who inspired the characters of Casino ?
Even though the names have been changed, some of the film's protagonists Casino are based on real people. The character of Sam Rothstein is inspired in particular by the story of Frank Rosenthal. As in the film, this bandit ran casinos in Las Vegas on behalf of the Chicago mafia. Nicky Santoro is inspired by another gangster nicknamed “Tony the Ant” and named Anthony Spilotro. Just like in Casino, the two men were longtime friends and worked together at several casinos. However, Anthony Spilotro decided to run a burglary side business with his brother. This decision was not much appreciated by the members of the mafia… Indeed, the parallel business attracted far too much attention from the police. The mafia organization bringing together Chicago's biggest gangsters therefore decided to meet in January 1986. Together, they chose to order the death of Anthony Spilotro. Thus, the mafia and Michael, his brother, were beaten with baseball bats and buried alive in a field. The terrible scene of this summary execution became one of the highlights of the film.
