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Casino Movie True Story

Casino Jack received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 39%, based on 97 reviews, with an average rating of 5.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, 'Kevin Spacey turns in one of his stronger performances, but Casino Jack is a disappointingly uneven fictionalized account of a fascinating true story.' The film is based on the nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Scorsese. It stars Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, Don Rickles, Kevin Pollak and James Woods. The film marks the eighth collaboration between director Scorsese and De Niro. The 21 movie's true story reveals that the real MIT Blackjack Team was investigated by Griffin Investigations, a security agency that had been used by casinos worldwide. Andy Anderson, a tall silver-haired man who worked for Griffin, followed the team for four to five years and played a major role in exposing their strategy (Breaking Vegas). In the Captain Phillips movie, Tom Hanks's character tries to tell the pirates that they had pushed the ship too hard and that it was 'broken'. The Captain Phillips true story reveals that the real-life captain did in fact try to pretend that the ship was broken in order to delay the progress of the Somali pirates. In addition, he also tried to.

Casino Jack
Directed byGeorge Hickenlooper
Produced byGary Howsam
Bill Marks
George Zakk
Written byNorman Snider
StarringKevin Spacey
Barry Pepper
Rachelle Lefevre
Kelly Preston
Jon Lovitz
Maury Chaykin
Music byJonathan Goldsmith
CinematographyAdam Swica
Edited byWilliam Steinkamp
Hannibal Pictures
Rollercoaster Entertainment
Distributed byArt Takes Over Films (ATO)
  • September 16, 2010 (TIFF)
  • January 28, 2011 (Canada)
108 minutes
CountryCanada[1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12.5 million
Box office$1.1 million[2]

Casino Jack (known in certain territories as Bagman) is a 2010 comedy-dramathriller film directed by George Hickenlooper and starring Kevin Spacey. The film focuses on the career of Washington, D.C. lobbyist and businessman Jack Abramoff, who was involved in a massive corruption scandal that led to his conviction as well as the conviction of two White House officials, Rep.Bob Ney, and nine other lobbyists and congressional staffers. Abramoff was convicted of fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion in 2006,[3] and of trading expensive gifts, meals and sports trips in exchange for political favors.[4][5] Abramoff served three and a half years of a six-year sentence in federal prison, and was then assigned to a halfway house. He was released on December 3, 2010.

Spacey was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his portrayal of Abramoff, eventually losing to Paul Giamatti for his role in Barney's Version.[6]

Plot[edit]

A hot shot Washington DC lobbyist and his protégé go down hard as their schemes to peddle influence lead to corruption and murder.

Cast[edit]

  • Kevin Spacey as Jack Abramoff
  • Kelly Preston as Pam Abramoff
  • Rachelle Lefevre as Emily J. Miller
  • Barry Pepper as Michael Scanlon
  • Jon Lovitz as Adam Kidan
  • John David Whalen as Kevin A. Ring
  • Yannick Bisson as Oscar Carillo
  • Graham Greene as Bernie Sprague
  • Eric Schweig as Chief Poncho
  • Maury Chaykin as Big Tony
  • Christian Campbell as Ralph Reed
  • Spencer Garrett as Tom DeLay
  • Joe Pingue as Anthony Ferrari
  • David Fraser as Karl Rove
  • Jeffrey R. Smith as Grover Norquist
  • Daniel Kash as Gus Boulis
  • Conrad Pla as Agent Hanley
  • Hannah Endicott-Douglas as Sarah Abramoff
  • Ruth Marshall as Susan Schmidt
  • Reid Morgan as Brian Mann
  • Duke Redbird as Senator Nighthorse

Production[edit]

Director George Hickenlooper at the film's screening during the 18th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival on October 8, 2010 in East Hampton, New York.

Filming took place in June 2009 in various locations across Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, including McMaster University and downtown Hamilton. The film was scheduled for release in December 2010 and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.[7]

This was Hickenlooper's final film. He died on October 29, 2010, seven weeks before its scheduled December 17, 2010, national opening.[8]

Reception[edit]

Casino Jack received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 39%, based on 97 reviews, with an average rating of 5.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, 'Kevin Spacey turns in one of his stronger performances, but Casino Jack is a disappointingly uneven fictionalized account of a fascinating true story.'[9] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 51 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating 'mixed or average reviews'.[10]

Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars, stating that 'Casino Jack is so forthright, it is stunning.'[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^'Casino Jack -- Film Review by Michael Rechtshaffen'. thehollywoodreporter.com. October 14, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  2. ^'Casino Jack (2010)'. Box Office Mojo. 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  3. ^Abramoff Pleads Guilty, Will Help in Corruption ProbeArchived December 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^'US lobbyist jailed for corruption'. BBC News. 2008-09-04. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  5. ^'Abramoff Gets Reduced Sentence of Four Years in Prison'. Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  6. ^Kevin SpaceyArchived August 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^Evans, Ian (2010), 'Casino Jack premiere photos - 35th Toronto International Film Festival', DigitalHit.com, retrieved 2012-04-10
  8. ^'Entertainment News, Celebrity Interviews and Pop Culture - ABC News'. Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
  9. ^'Casino Jack (2010)'. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  10. ^'Casino Jack Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  11. ^Ebert, Roger. 'Casino Jack'. RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC.

External links[edit]

  • Casino Jack at AllMovie
  • Casino Jack at Box Office Mojo
  • Casino Jack on IMDb
  • Casino Jack at Metacritic
  • Casino Jack at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Casino Jack production website at Hannibal Pictures
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Casino_Jack&oldid=996300034'
Casino Movie True Story
Rubber mallets are less likely to leave a mark. -Frank Rosenthal (Avery Cardoza's Player Magazine, 2006)


Questioning the Story:

Did Sam Rothstein manage any other casinos besides Tangiers?

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

Rosenthal ran The Stardust Casino, shown here during the 1970's.

Did teamsters really fund the Tangiers?Yes. After being pressured by the mob, the Teamsters fund loaned the Argent Corporation, solely owned by Allen Glick, the money to buy the Stardust and other casinos. Mr. Glick was portrayed in the movie Casino by character Philip Green (Kevin Pollak). -Online Nevada Encyclopedia
Did security really crush the hands of a cheater?

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



Did Sam and Ginger have a daughter like in the movie?

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.

It's back! Nicholas Pileggi's true-to-life crime story that was the basis for the Martin Scorsese movie Casino returned to print in 2011.

Were the lion performers Sam hired to work at the Tangiers based on Siegfried and Roy?

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

Rosenthal is shown here dining with tiger performer Roy Horn of Siegfried and Roy.


Did Nicky really get banned from every casino in Vegas?Yes. In December 1979, Tony Spilotro, the real-life Nicky Santoro, was blacklisted by the Nevada Gaming Commission, preventing him from entering any casino.
Did the real Nicky Santoro have a son?

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


Did Nicky really recruit his brother and other guys from back home to commit heists?

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.

Tony Spilotro (left) and his onscreen counterpart in the movie (right), portrayed by Joe Pesci.

Did they really put a rival's head in a vise after he shot up a bar?

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


Did Nicky Santoro sleep with Sam Rothstein's wife?

The Movie Casino Cast

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

Frank Rosenthal's wife, Geri Rosenthal (left), and Sharon Stone (right) in the Casino movie.

Was Phillip Green's business partner, Anna Scott, murdered in her home?Yes. The real-life Anna Scott, Tamara Rand, was murdered in the kitchen of her San Diego home. She was shot on November 9, 1975 soon after having loan issues with her mob-tied business partner, Allen Glick. -San Diego Reader
Was there really a Gaming Control Board investigation into Sam's attempt to get a gaming license?

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

Frank Rosenthal (left) and Robert De Niro (right) in the movie.

Did FBI agents run out of gas and land their plane on a fairway?

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


Did the real Sam 'Ace' Rothstein have his own TV show?

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 Sinatra (right) appeared as a guest on his friend's show. The Frank Rosenthal Show is often credited as Sinatra's first time on a talk show.


Was Sam the best handicapper in America?According to Sports Illustrated, Frank Rosenthal is 'one of the greatest living experts on sports gambling'. -Sports Illustrated article 'The Biggest Game in Town'
Is Sam responsible for putting sports betting into casinos?

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


StoryDid Sam and Ginger really get divorced?

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

Left: Frank and his wife Geri during happier times. Right: Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone in the movie.
Story

The Tangiers Casino Las Vegas

StoryDid Ginger really try to run off with their daughter and Lester?

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


Did Artie Piscano die of a heart attack when the FBI found mob records in his home?

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


Did Sam survive a car bomb assassination attempt?Yes. On October 4, 1982, Frank Rosenthal left Tony Roma's restaurant on East Sahara Avenue and got into his Cadillac which then exploded. Amazingly, he survived with minor burns and injuries. A variety of factors have been attributed to his survival, including a metal plate under the driver's seat, the driver's side door being open at the time of the explosion, and pure luck. -NY Times
Top: Rosenthal's 1981 Cadillac El Dorado after the explosion. Bottom: Robert De Niro's character dives away from his exploding car in the movie. Courtesy Las Vegas Review-Journal Archive

Why did Sam's car have a metal plate under the driver's seat?

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


Did Ginger end up with low lives and drug dealers in Los Angeles?

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.

Geri Rosenthal (left) and her onscreen Casino movie counterpart portrayed by Sharon Stone (right).

Were Nicky Santoro and his brother, Dominick, really killed?Yes, the real-life Spilotro brothers were beaten to death, but not in a cornfield as portrayed in the movie. According to Nicholas Calabrese, a former mob hitman who testified in the Operation Family Secrets trial, the brothers were told they were being promoted in the mob. Anthony Spilotro was to become a 'capo' and his brother, Michael, was to become a 'made member'. They were driven to a mob home in Bensenville, Illinois and were beaten to death in the basement. They were later transported to the cornfield in Enos, Indiana. -Chicago Tribune

Tony Spilotro



Burial site in an Enos, Indiana cornfield where the Spilotro brothers, Anthony and Michael, were found.

Is the real Sam still alive?

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


Did Sam insist on having an equal number of blueberries in each muffin?

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: Behind the Movie Interviews & Video

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).


Frank Rosenthal Interview

Watch Frank Rosenthal interviews andhistoric video featuring mobster AnthonySpilotro, portrayed by Joe Pesci in themovie Casino.

Casino Trailer

Watch the Casino movie trailerfor the film starring Robert De Niro, JoePesci and Sharon Stone. Directed by MartinScorcese, Casino tells the storyof sports handicapper Frank 'Lefty'Rosenthal in mob-run Las Vegas during the1970's.