Where The Money Is-Martin Scorsese’ “Casino” (1995)-A Film Review  

DVD Review 

Sam Lowell

Casino, starring Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, directed by Martin Scorsese, 1995

The old-time bank robber extraordinaire, Willy Sutton, was once quoted as saying when asked by the authorities why he robbed banks his reply was that is where the money is. Sound enough at the time. But as the film under review, Martin Scorsese’ Casino makes at times painfully clear the banks are not the only place where there is plenty of dough-the gambling rooms in Las Vegas have plenty although despite Danny Ocean and his crew in the Ocean trilogy you probably would be better off, much better off, taking your chances against the bank vaults. Particularly during the time frame of this film in the 1970s when the Mob, the wise guys, ran the place, ran the cash cow casinos as a skimming operation. Since this film is loosely based on a true story a word to the wise should be sufficient.     

   

Here is the way the wheel spun on this one. Sam Rothstein, played by long time Martin Scorsese favored actor Robert De Niro, an accomplished gambler is hired by the guys with snub noses, the Mob, to run their pot of gold casino, the Tangiers. The idea apparently was that a guy who knew all the gambling angles would keep some order in a place that where there is so much money around it would be very tempting to grab a little something for yourself. And he did a good job for a long time by being a hard-case. But here is the funny thing-the Mob, the Italian mob, was happy to hire the Jewish Rothstein but he was not one of the own, neither in the mob nor Italian so they added a layer of security by sending Nicky the enforcer, played by Joe Pesci, to keep an eye on things. (And they would throw another layer to watch the wild man Nicky go through his paces once he got too crazy.       

For a long while with Sam getting rid of the card-counters and other cheaters unceremoniously and Nicky taking care of any other business that required his specialized and brutal skills everything was fine. The mob was getting their “skim” and that was in the end what counted. During this time though Sam got all hot and bothered by a, well, let’s call her a party girl, Ginger played by Sharon Stone whom, he eventually married and had a child with. He was willing to give her the world but was still hung up on a youthful love who was a loser. The tensions between them drives a great deal of the film.    

Sam’s control over Ginger got her going on alcohol and dope scenes which created nothing but havoc in their household. In casino world things were also taking a turn for the worst. The FBI started an investigation which ultimately led to the arrests of a number of Midwest crime bosses. Eventually Ginger split and wound up very dead of a drug overdose in L.A. As for Nicky, the wild man, he not only had an affair with Ginger before she split but ran his operation in Vegas like it was back in the old neighborhoods. He had to go-and died a gruesome death. As for Sam he said it himself he wound up where he started- handicapping for the mob boys. See why I say take Willie’s advice.