Casino Joe Pesci Ending
While other movies may have hinted at Joe Pesci's on-screen ability to endure assault, no film, before or since, has relied on it so heavily for comedic effect as John Hughes' Christmas snuff film. For nearly 15 continuous minutes, this 'family' movie has The Pesh enduring every imaginable abuse short of forcible sodomy, including being shot in. This means that if you got $10 of free credit, Casino Joe Pesci Ending you’ll have to play for example 1000 spins at $1 each to roll it over. Note that not all games are allowed to be played with the bonus credit, and not all games contribute at the same rate to roll over requirements. Director Martin Scorsese reunites with members of his GoodFellas gang (writer Nicholas Pileggi; actors Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Frank Vincent) for a three-hour epic about the rise and fall of mobster Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (De Niro), a character based on real-life gangster Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal.
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
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.
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
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.
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?
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
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
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
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
Did 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
Did 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
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
Joe Pesci Casino Gif
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.
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
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. |
When people hear the name Joe Pesci, one of two images immediately comes to mind: his iconic portrayal of Vinny Gambini in My Cousin Vinny or his Academy Award-winning portrayal of Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas. Hollywood seems to have pigeonholed Pesci into roles as tough guys and wise guys who dabble in varying degrees of criminal activity, but how can we blame them? He's crazy good at it. That's why fans were so surprised when Pesci abandoned his highly-decorated acting career near its peak in 1999 and announced he would be stepping away from the movie business... to pursue a music career, apparently. (We totally heard your 'What?!' just now.)
Yes, there is more to Pesci than the lowlifes and mobsters he plays on the silver screen. Perhaps he simply wanted to get out while the getting was good. Or maybe he was tired of the typecasting and headed for the door after a string of films like the Home Alone and Lethal Weapon franchises and 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag. The actor told the New York Times in 1992, 'I love to star in movies, but I want to have good roles. It doesn't help to get starring roles in something that's no good. I mean, that will just kill you.' Thankfully, he returned for an offer he couldn't refuse to play Russell Bufalino in The Irishman, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor. But how did Pesci spend his days during the 20-year period between his quasi-retirement and his comeback? Here's what we found.
Jazz is a big part of Joe Pesci's legacy
The music career Joe Pesci left acting to pursue is totally legit. The man can croon a jazz tune with the best of them, and Pesci isn't a Johnny-come-lately on the jazz scene; he's been at it for more than 50 years. Biography reports he played guitar in the '60s with the band Јоеу Dее аnd thе Ѕtаrlіtеrѕ at the famous Peppermint Lounge. In 1968, he recorded his first album, Lіttlе Јое Ѕurе Саn Ѕіng, under the pseudonym 'Joe Ritchie.' He released an album in 2003 with Joey Defrancesco entitled Falling in Love Again, this time using the pseudonym 'Joe Doggs.' And his 2019 album, Pesci... Still Singing, includes two duets with Adam Levine, and was published under Pesci's real name.
Everything he records is not as sublime as jazz, though. He has a goofy single called 'Wise Guy,' in which he raps about a mafia gangster persona. The song was on his 1998 Vincent Laguardia Gambini Sings just for You album, which set his My Cousin Vinny character to music. His comedic skills aren't just for Hollywood, but Pesci's music is no joke.
Switching gears yet again, Pesci recorded an out-of-this-world cover of 'The Nearness of You' in 2017 with legendary jazz singer Jimmy Scott. As Scott put it, he and Pesci 'used to run these streets [of Newark, New Jersey] together.' These two yutes must have been quite a hurricane.
Goodfellas Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro are good friends
Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro go way back. De Niro 'discovered' Pesci after being impressed by his work in The Death Collector, the New York Times reports. De Niro brought Pesci to the attention of Martin Scorsese, who then cast him in Raging Bull (and Goodfellas and Casino). Though Pesci had sworn off acting, he couldn't resist working with his old pal again and came out of retirement to appear in The Good Shepherd in 2006, which De Niro directed.
While the dream team of Pesci, De Niro and Scorsese is theatrical magic, Deadline reported that Pesci apparently said, 'No' to appearing in The Irishman about 50 times before finally accepting the role of Russell Bufalino in the film. Maybe he was just playing hard to get.
If you're a fan of this friendship, then you'll probably appreciate of one Joe Pesci fan's Instagram account that features several flashback photos of the Home Alone actor and De Niro. It looks like these two Hollywood legends have been thick as thieves for decades, both on and off screen!
Stardom was always in the cards for Joe Pesci
Some people are natural entertainers. Any genre, any venue, any material—they just want to please an audience with a good performance. Joe Pesci was doing radio and plays by age four and was a regular on the variety show Star Time Kids when he was just ten. When you get a taste of love from audiences at such a young age, applause is a high you chase for the rest of your life.
While his first film, The Death Collector, was a bust, it led him to a bustling career that cemented his name into film history. With an Academy Award win for Goodfellas and numerous nominations for other ensemble-cast films he starred in like The Irishman, Casino, and Raging Bull, it's no wonder Pesci's My Cousin Vinny costar and scene partner, Marisa Tomei, won an Oscar. It seems Pesci and his costars bring out the best in each other.
The actor told the Los Angeles Times, 'I try to bring a little fun to all my characters, a little black humor.' In fact, he has always had comedic sensibility and timing. Even back in the '60s, he performed as part of a comedy duo with асtоr Frаnk Vіnсеnt in comedy clubs throughout New Jersey. It's hard to believe one person could have so many fascinating life experiences!
Dock drama is a part of Joe Pesci's real life
Like many retirees, Joe Pesci has time on his hands to take part in fighting proposed development around the neighborhood. But, unlike many retirees, he is New Jersey royalty. So, when the actor joined some of his neighbors in writing letters to oppose a proposed 300-foot dock on a neighbor's property in Lavallette, New Jersey, it became a story that wound up in Page Six.
Pesci's house, which he has owned since 1990, is on Barnegat Bay. He complained in his letter that the extended length of the proposed dock would 'block views of the Bay currently enjoyed by other area homeowners.' He also cited safety concerns, writing '[dock] extensions would force boaters, kayakers and paddlers in this area — which include children in addition to adults — to operate in waters far from land, and accordingly in the wakes of large watercraft.'
Mafia characters spend a lot of time on docks dumping bodies, but this time, it looks like Pesci is dumping the property. Realtor.com reported that he listed it for $6.5M.
Joe Pesci is a Jersey Boy in more ways than one
Joe Pesci is full of surprises. According to TIME, Pesci apparently 'played a not-inconsequential role in the formation of the popular doo-wop band' Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Pesci and Tommy DeVito, a founding member of the group, are old friends. Pesci introduced DeVito to songwriter Bob Gaudio, who wrote many of the band's hits. The Jersey Boys musical, written about the formation of the band, even includes Joe Pesci (played by an actor) as a character. When the show opened on Broadway in 2005, Pesci, DeVito, Gaudio, and Frankie Valli all reunited and hugged onstage.
Here's where it gets kind of meta: Pesci's fictional character in the film Goodfellas was named Tommy DeVito, after the Four Seasons bandmember. Then, when they made a movie of the Jersey Boys Broadway show, in which there was a character named Joe Pesci, who was based on the real Joe Pesci but played by an actor because the real Pesci was too old to play his younger self. And, in between all of that, as the New York Times reported, Pesci helped DeVito get bit parts in a few movies, including Casino. These two are all over each other's art! I guess the answer to 'Will you still love me tomorrow?' is a resounding, 'YES!'
Joe Pesci beefed up and then said Fughettaboutit
As far as legal matters go, Joe Pesci's battle with a production company is about as Hollywood as it gets . The actor gained 30 pounds in preparation for the role of Gotti strongarm Angelo Ruggiero in the film, Gotti: In the Shadow of My Father. But the role never materialized because, per The Hollywood Reporter, the director quit and the new director wanted to give Pesci a smaller part. So, in 2011, he sued the production company, run by producer Marc Fiore, for $3 million (the salary he was to have made for playing Ruggiero) plus punitive damages. Even amid a legal battle, Fiore told the Daily News he still likes Pesci and still wanted him in the film, just in a different role. The lawsuit settled in 2013, and CBS reports the details of the settlement remain private. The film was eventually made, sans Pesci. And when Gotti did come out in 2018, it was panned.
You know what wasn't dragged through the mud or the rotten tomatoes? The 2011 Snickers commercial that Pesci popped up in.
Joe Pesci Casino Banker Scene
Joe Pesci takes hitting the links seriously
Casino Joe Pesci Endings
Among the myriad of magazine 'Top 100' lists on which one might expect to find Joe Pesci, Golf Digest seems like a curveball (or should we say a slice?). But what do you know, Pesci appeared as #62 on the magazine's Top 100 Golfers in Hollywood list in 2007. Yes, Pesci loves the links and has been spotted at many celebrity golf tournaments throughout his 'retirement.' Andy Garcia told Today's Golfer that Pesci is 'a great player' and that the two of them 'won the Michael Douglas and Friends event' with Jack Nicholson.
Pesci frequents a premiere Hollywood power-player club, Lakeside Country Club. He even donated a round of golf with him at Lakeside for an auction to benefit Los Angeles schools. Nicholson told Golf Digest, 'I love playing with Pesh. That's a day's entertainment. You can sprain your neck just watching Pesh's practice swing.' Nicholson also shared that Pesci and Randy Quaid helped him learn the game.
According to Netflix's The Movies That Made Us (via GOLF), Pesci requested that his call time for Home Alone be moved to accommodate his golf game. And it worked. The call time was moved to 9 am to give him time to play a round of golf at 7 a.m. before shooting. Pesci does what Pesci wants when Pesci wants to do it. That's one reason we love him.
No one gets to the point like Joe Pesci
If winning an Oscar didn't do it, Joe Pesci was cemented as a pop-culture legend when he was lampooned on Saturday Night Live. The legendary sketch comedy series threw a recurring 'Joe Pesci Show' skit into the rotation, with Jim Breuer playing Pesci—and killing it! The episode where 'Al Pacino' (played by Kevin Spacey) was the guest was pure comedy gold! On another episode, the real Pesci and De Niro walked on stage at the end of the skit, bringing the house down.
But it isn't just comedy, acting, music, and friendship for which Pesci is known. He is also a style icon. More specifically, his characters all have one common style thread: the pointiest shirt collars known to man. GQ explains the collars were 'a staple of New York gangster style in the first half of the 20th century, when suity bravado was a part of the whole threatening package. The spearpoint collar telegraphed class, in that ironically garish sense of the word, and that other great mafia passion, laundry.' You better believe he the shirt he wore to the premiere of The Irishman had a pointy collar; Pesci took this fashion statement from the screen to the red carpet for his swan song.
Joe Pesci Casino Quotes
Sadly, De Niro and Pacino told The Guardian that The Irishman was the last hurrah of this group of longtime friends and costars. See you on the golf course, gentlemen. Pesci has a tee time at seven.