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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? The famous hit movie Casino was released in the year 1995. It was directed by the prestigious Martin Scorsese and it starred Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone. The plot was actually inspired by a real-life person, known as Frank Rosenthal. He managed the Fremont, Stardust and Hacienda casinos in Vegas.

LDS/Mormon References and Characters
in the movie
Casino (1995)

'Casino' is a historical mob drama chronicling the rise and fall of mafia involvement in the Las Vegas casino industry. Based on real events, 'Casino' is Nicholas Pileggi's adaptation of his own book, Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas (1995).

Two significant characters in 'Casino' are Latter-day Saints, or based partially on real-life Latter-day Saints. One character ('John Nance') is called an 'old Mormon' by Joe Pesci's character 'Nicky' approximately 8 minutes, 28 seconds after the start of the film. Another character ('Senator Harrison Roberts') is based partially on real-life Latter-day Saint politician Senator Harry Reid, who served as a Nevada state senator at the time period depicted in 'Casino,' and eventually became the Senate Minority Leader for the U.S. Senate.

The real-life mob figure Anthony 'Tony' Spilotro (who was portrayed in the film by Joe Pesci, using the name 'Nicky Santoro') had a girlfriend who was a Latter-day Saint. Her name was Sheryl, and her time with Tony Spilotro (i.e., 'Nicky Santoro') is described in Nicholas Pileggi's non-fiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. Sheryl was not included as a character in the film version of Casino.

'Casino' focuses on 'Sam 'Ace' Rothstein' (Robert De Niro), who is assigned by mafia bosses to head up a lucrative hotel and casino. Rothstein knows that money is skimmed from the profits of his casino and sent to the mafia bosses that backed the operation, but for the most part he runs a legitimate business and has no interest in hurting anybody. Rothstein's boyhood friend Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) is also part of the mafia, but comes to Las Vegas to make money through myriad ruthless, criminal methods, including extortion, burglary and murder.

Sharon Stone plays 'Ginger,' a beautiful grifter whose outgoing personality catches Rothstein's attention. Rothstein courts and marries Ginger, but theirs is a stormy relationship. Despite marriage to Rothstein, Ginger remains committed to low-life crook and parasite named 'Lester Diamond' (played by Vernal, Utah native James Woods). She also has an affair with her husband's friend Nicky. Sharon Stone received a Golden Globe award and an Academy Award nomination for her role. Acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director for 'Casino.'

The Senator: Casino character based partially on Latter-day Saint politician Sen. Harry Reid

The name of the 'Senator' is never mentioned in the 'Casino' screenplay. The Senator's name is never spoken aloud in the film. But we know that the influential Senator character is named 'Harrison Roberts.' The Senator's name is shown prominently on a placard in front of him at the Senate Gaming Commission hearing at which Sam Rothstein's gaming license is revoked. The name of Senator 'Harrison Roberts' is intentionally similar to Senator Harry Reid's name. They share the same initials, and 'Harrison' would likely be called 'Harry' for short.

Ten years after 'Casino' was released, Sen. Harry Reid became the highest-ranking Democrat in the United States when he became the Senate Minority Leader. This also made Reid the highest-ranking elected Latter-day Saint in the U.S. federal government. (Mike Leavitt, another devout Latter-day Saint, concurrently held a Cabinet-level position as Secretary of Health and Human Services, but that is an appointed office.)

Another award-winning movie with a Harry Reid connection is Steven Soderbergh's Academy Award-winning movie about the U.S. drug war 'Traffic' (2000), in which Harry Reid makes a cameo appearance as himself, discussing policy with Michael Douglas in a Washington, D.C. reception. Senator Orrin Hatch, another high-ranking Latter-day Saint politician, appeared as himself in the same scene in 'Traffic.'

In an article by Chris Suellentrop, Slate reported (22 Dec. 2004, http://slate.msn.com/id/2111392/):

Reid may not be the most colorful figure in Washington, but his career is far more interesting than that of the average senator. In politics, Nevada is the next best thing to Louisiana. To take just one example, is there another U.S. senator who has been part of the inspiration for a character in a Martin Scorsese film? (A character played by Dick Smothers, no less.) In Casino, Robert DeNiro's character melts down in front of the Nevada Gaming Commission after the commission denies him a license to operate a casino. The scene is loosely based on a December 1978 hearing when Reid was the commission's chairman, and some of the dialogue spoken by Smothers is taken directly from Reid's words during the hearing. (The rest of the scenes involving Smothers, who plays a composite politician known only as 'Senator,' have nothing to do with Reid.) OK, it's lackluster Scorsese, but at least it's not Gangs of New York. And there are other Reid echoes in Casino: Joe Pesci's character refers to a 'Mr. Cleanface,' which gangster Joe Agosto said was his nickname for an in-his-pocket Reid, but a five-month investigation of Agosto's claims cleared Reid of wrongdoing.

Below the section from the 'Casino' screenplay in which Joe Pesci's character 'Nicky' refers to 'Mr. Clean Face,' which a gangster said was his nickname for Sen. Reid (line 7625). This passage does not appear to refer to the Senator in the screenplay.

In a column for Hot Boxing News ('Talkin' Boxin', 10 March 2003; URL: http://www.hotboxingnews.com/reed/reed030903.htm), Howie Reed wrote:

It should be noted that at one time Senator Reid was the Chairman of the State Gaming Commission. His tenure included the period of time featured in the movie Casino. On Federal Wiretaps some claim that his voice turns up in regard to the securing of a gaming license for the late Frank Sinatra. It is also alleged that the Dick Smothers role in Casino was drawn on the Chairmanship of Mr. Reid.

Political pluses and minuses: Senator Reid was reelected in 2004 for his fourth term as senator from Nevada with a large margin, and is now the new top Democrat in the United States government, the public face of the opposition for the foreseeable future. Reid is moderate, deliberate and soft-spoken, with a reputation for integrity and bipartisanship. He fought the mob in Vegas during the seventies as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, putting his life on the line (and is rumored to be the inspiration for Dick Smothers's character in Martin Scorsese's Casino). Reid has the advantage for the 2008 race of not having to run for reelection to the Senate, and has a new visibility and influence as Minority Leader. Not a Southern governor, Reid could nevertheless be a strong presidential or vice presidential candidate. He would be our first Mormon president or vice president, and our second named Harry.

A Latter-day Saint and native of the small mining town of Searchlight, Nevada, his father was an alcoholic gold miner who committed suicide. Reid was a lawyer in the state before entering politics, serving a term in the Nevada state legislature and then being elected lieutenant governor in 1970. He served in that office until 1974.

Reid served as Nevada state gaming commissioner from 1977 to 1981, a post which subjected him to threats of danger. Reid's wife once found a bomb attached to one of their cars. A character in the film Casino played by Dick Smothers is based, in part, on Reid. Reid was also bribed by Jack Gordon (who would later manage and marry LaToya Jackson). Reid allowed the FBI to tape Gordon's attempt to bribe Reid with $12,000, at which point Reid attempted to strangle Gordon, saying 'You son of a bitch, you tried to bribe me.'

Reid was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He served two terms there, from 1983 to 1987, being reelected in 1984. He was elected to the Senate in 1986, succeeding the Republican incumbent, Paul Laxalt, who did not run in that election. Reid was reelected in 1992, 1998 and 2004. He narrowly defeated his Republican opponent in 1998, future Senator John Ensign (Ensign won Nevada's other Senate seat in 2000) and his Republican opponent in 2004 was Richard Ziser, whom Reid defeated by a vote of 61%-35%. Mike Ensign, Senator Ensign's father, contributed $2,000 to Reid's 2004 Senate campaign. In 1999, Reid became Minority Whip, and the right hand man of Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota

On November 16, 2004, Reid was elected Senate Democratic Leader and Minority Leader for the 109th Congress, following Daschle's defeat in his bid for reelection.

Some consider Harry Reid pro-life, or an opponent of legalized abortion, because of his vote against support of Roe v. Wade in 2004. However, Reid has subsequently refused to state he wants Roe v. Wade overturned. Reid is currently also the only Democratic Mormon Senator. Four other members in the Senate are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but they are all Republican.

Below is an excerpt from the screenplay featuring this scene (beginning at line 8838 of the 15,177-line script):

The scenes in 'Casino' which feature the Senator (including the scenes in the casino which were not based on real-life Latter-day Saint Senator Harry Reid) comprise 309 lines of the the 15,177-line script, or 2.0% of the length of the screenplay.

John Nance: an 'old Mormon' bagman

Now this old Mormon [EXPLETIVE] here, he had to fly in with suitcases once a month. Nice and easy.

Nance appears in subsequent scenes, although he has few lines after this scene. Eventually Nance is killed by operatives working for Joe Pesci's character 'Nicky.'

It is not clear from the film if Joe Pesci means that Nance actually is a Mormon (a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), or if Nance simply reminds Pesci of Mormons because of his clean-cut look and clean-living ways. Nance knowingly assists the mafia in skimming money from the casino, so obviously if he is a Latter-day Saint his work for the casino violates the 12th Article of Faith:

We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

Boston-born actor 'Jack Nance' (whose birth name was Marvin John Nance) has no connection to the 'John Nance' character in 'Casino.' Jack Nance was credited as 'John Nance' when he had the lead role ('Henry Spencer') in David Lynch's movie 'Eraserhead' (1977). Nance may be best known for his supporting role as 'Pete Martell' in Lynch's TV series 'Twin Peaks.' He also appeared in all of Lynch's movies after 'Eraserhead' (except for 'Elephant Man'), including: 'Lost Highway' (a 1997 movie which features a major character from Utah) and 'Blue Velvet' (1986). John Nance (or 'Jack Nance') the actor was born in 1943, so he would have been only 30 years old at the time his first scene in 'Casino' takes place: 1973. In that scene, Nance is clearly an older man, probably at least 60 years old. Moreover, John 'Jack' Nance spent his career as an actor, and did not work or live in Las Vegas. Clearly 'John Nance' in 'Casino' has no connection to the similarly-named actor.

Bill Allison, the actor who plays 'John Nance' in 'Casino' really does have a casino background. Allison owned the historic Mizpah hotel-casino in Tonopah for 16 years during the 1970s and 1980s. Bill Allison was originally hired as a consultant for the production of 'Casino,' but ended up being cast as an actor in the film as well. Bill Allison had no prior acting experience.

While Bill Allison's character 'John Nance' is called a 'Mormon' in the film, and he may indeed be intended by the writers to be a Latter-day Saint, actor Bill Allison is not known to be a Latter-day Saint.

Interestingly enough, Bill Allison subsequently played a casino guard in the Las Vegas casino movie 'Ocean's Eleven' (2001). Coincidentally, 'Ocean's Eleven' (2001) holds the record as the highest-grossing movie ever to feature main characters overtly identified as Latter-day Saints. One of Bill Allison's only other film roles aside from 'Casino' (in which Joe Pesci calls him a 'Mormon') and 'Ocean's Eleven' (in which he co-stars with two Mormon characters - Virgil and Turk Malloy) is the short film 'Courage & Stupidity' (2004), which was filmed in Salt Lake City. 'Courage & Stupidity' is a fictional comedy about what 'really' happened between a young Steven Spielberg (Todd Wall) and a young George Lucas (Aaron Fiore) during the filming of 'Jaws.' Bill Allison plays a movie producer in 'Courage & Stupidity.' Latter-day Saint actors in the film's cast include Johnny Biscuit ('Handcart', 'The Singles Ward') and Brian Sullivan. The film was written and directed by Utahn Darin Beckstead. The director of photography was Latter-day Saint cinematographer Brian Sullivan (Getting There; Little Secrets; Coyote Summer; The Paper Brigade; Wish Upon a Star; The Brainiacs.com; Just Like Dad; etc.) and special effects were by Ben Josephsen.

Aside from 'Casino,' 'Ocean's Eleven' and 'Courage & Stupidity,' the only other film role listed for Bill Allison on IMDb.com is a small part in 'Stuey' (2003), which was filmed partially in Las Vegas and has no known Latter-day Saint characters.

The character 'John Nance' is only overtly described as a 'Mormon' once in 'Casino' - in the section of the film in which he first appears. The character appears in many subsequent scenes. Nance really never does anything in the film that clearly indicates he is a Latter-day Saint. Nor does he ever do anything that clearly indicates he is not one (aside from the connection to the mafia that his job entails).

Below is an excerpt from the 'Casino' screenplay, featuring the scenes which follow Nance ('a Mormon,' according to Joe Pesci's character) as he brings money from the casino in Las Vegas to the operation's real backers in Kansas City. Although Nance has relatively few lines during this section, the camera focuses on him almost non-stop during these scenes.

6 minutes, 21 seconds after the start of the film:End of section above: 9 minutes, 31 seconds after the start of the film. This section focusing on Nance is 3 minutes, 10 seconds long.

About half-way through the screenplay (line 7086 of the 15,177-line script), Nance appears for the second time:
A minute later there is the third section featuring John Nance (line 7334 of the 15,177-line script):
Piscano (played by Vinny Vella) later mentions Nance (line 8328):
In the fourth section of the film featuring Nance, he is almost arrested by the FBI toward the end of the script (line 14,255 of the 15,177-line script):
Finally, the fifth section of 'Casino' to feature John Nance shows his gruesome death at the hands of men working for Nicky (Joe Pesci), after Nance has already left his life in Las Vegas behind and retired to Costa Rica (line 14,587 of the 15,177-line script):In total, the scenes featuring 'John Nance' comprise 556 lines in the 15,177-line script, or 3.7% of the length of the screenplay. John Nance is a relatively minor character in the movie.
The scenes in 'Casino' featuring the movie's two Latter-day Saint characters (or characters based on real-life Latter-day Saints) - 'John Nance' and 'the Senator' - comprise a total of 865 lines, or 5.7% of the length of the screenplay.

References to Latter-day Saints in the non-fiction book Casino
(the basis for the 1995 movie)

Source: Nicholas Pileggi. Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. New York: Simon & Schuster (1995).

Nicholas Pileggi's non-fiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas is (according to the book jacket):

• Lefty Rosenthal, gambling genius, the brains behind the mob's control of the casinos
• Tony Spilotro, Lefty's friend and partner, the muscle of the mob in Las Vegas
• Geri, Lefty's beautiful blond show-girl wife, whose affair with Tony ultimately drove the mob out of the 'paradise' they had built for themselves in the desert.

• Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal is portrayed by Robert De Niro (his name changed to: Sam 'Ace' Rothstein)
• Anthony 'Tony' Spilotro is portrayed by Joe Pesci (his name changed to: Nicky Santoro)
• Geri McGee is portrayed by Sharon Stone (her name changed to: Ginger)

Pages 154 to 158:

Sometimes Nancy had to call him at work to relay a message; according to Bud Hall, Tony was always rude. 'She'd say, 'I don't know if this can wait, but so-and-so called.' 'It can wait,' Tony would say, sort of sarcastically, and just hang up. Or he'd say, in an exasperated tone, 'Nancy, I'm busy,' and hang up. He was never gentlemanly with her, and she'd whine to Dena Harte, Herbie Blitzstein's girlfriend, who managed the front of the Gold Rush. Nancy would tell Dena whenever Tony beat her up or whenever she suspected Tony was fooling around with this one or that one, and Dena kept Nancy informed about what Tony was doing.

'There was one time when Dena called Nancy at home and said, 'The bitch is here.' Nancy jumped in the car and tore over to the place and started screaming at Sheryl, Tony's girlfriend, calling her a no-good [EXPLETIVE] right there in the middle of the store.

'We could hear the screaming on the wire, and then Tony comes out, and then we hear Nancy screaming for Tony to stop hitting her. He was really beating her up. We got worried that he was going to kill her. It was a mess. So we called nine-one-one and said we were in the Black Forest German Restaurant next door, and said someone was being assaulted in the Gold Rush. We couldn't tell the cops who we were because at that point it looked like Tony owned Metro, and we didn't want to blow our surveillance. The police got there in a few minutes, and everything calmed down.'

'Nancy had her life and Tony had his,' said Frank Cullotta. 'Hers was mostly playing tennis and running around in white outfits. She had Vincent and Tony's brothers and their families. Once a week Tony'd take her out to dinner or something. But she wasn't afraid of him. She would scream and yell at him and drive him crazy.

'Once, he told me, she tried to kill him. They were having an argument over something and Tony knocked her across the room. She came up with a loaded thirty-eight cocked at his head. 'I'll kill you if you ever hit me again,' she said. Tony said, 'Nancy, think of Vincent.'

'I saw death,' he told me after. 'We talked until she put down the gun and then I hid all the guns in the house.'

'Sheryl was about twenty, but she looked younger,' said Rosa Rojas, who was her best friend. 'She was a Mormon from northern Utah, cute and fresh. When Tony first met her he used to call her his country girl. She was so naive that when he asked her out, she said she'd only go if she could bring her friend.

'Sheryl and I were both working in the hospital where he was going for his heart problem, which was how they met. They'd go to restaurants, but he never put the make on her. He held her at a distance for a long, long time.

Before he got too close he found out everything there was to find out about her. He had Joey Cusumano ask about where she was from, who her friends were, how long she lived where she lived. He wanted to know everything he could know about her before he got involved or felt he could trust her. Silver moon casino philadelphia ms.

'It was a long time before she knew who he was. She began to suspect something was strange, because every time they went out, they were tailed by cops in plain clothes. Tony's brother told her that there were some legal problems and that Tony was being trailed because of the legal stuff. Tony used to tell us that we were going to read things about him in the newspapers, but he said the newspapers weren't always right.

'It was only after a long time that Tony and Sheryl started going to bed together. He was a gentleman always. Very quiet. Very reserved. I would see him mad sometimes, but I never once heard him curse or use bad language.

'Eventually, he bought her a two-story condo around Eastern and Flamingo, a two-bedroom place for about sixty-nine thousand dollars. It had everything. Refrigerator. Blinds. A washer-dryer. There was a garage and small patio and a sliding door that led into the downstairs, and upstairs they had the bedrooms and a large room that had all of the stereo and TV equipment you would want. That's where they spent most of their time -- watching ball games and listening to music.

'Tony was very generous. He used to leave a thousand dollars a week in a bear-shaped cookie jar in the kitchen. He never mentioned money and it was never mentioned that he was keeping her, but when he bought her a full-length mink coat Sheryl felt he had finally committed himself to her. She had really fallen in love with him.

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'She didn't know he was married for quite a while. When she found out, it was very hard. She believed the only reason she and Tony weren't married was because Tony was a very strict Catholic and would have trouble leaving his wife. For a while, Tony even had Sheryl learning to be a Catholic. He gave her religious books to read. He knew the Bible.

'He never ever said anything bad about his wife. They had been married in the church and it was a difficult situation. On top of that. Tony loved his son. Vincent meant everything to him. Vincent was his soul. Tony would always get home at six thirty in the morning so he could be there to make breakfast for Vincent. Sheryl said he would do that even if he was in bed at her place.

'Eventually, Tony bought a car for her. It was a new Plymouth Fury. It wasn't a showy car.

'When Nancy found out what was going on, things got a little tough. Sheryl had stopped by the Gold Rush to see Tony. She was wearing a diamond studded S necklace that Tony had given her, and when Nancy came in and saw Sheryl wearing the S necklace. Nancy went wild and she reached for it.

'I got there just at that time and I found the two of them wrestling on the floor. Sheryl managed to hold on to her S. Tony came out of the back room and broke up the fight so Sheryl and I could get away.

'In the end, when it was over between Tony and Sheryl, he wouldn't return her calls. Sheryl was really crazy about him, but maybe she pushed too hard. He was having a lot of problems with the cops when they broke up, and maybe he was trying to spare her.

'His brother John used to tell her not to try and reach him. 'Don't call him,' he'd say. 'Spare yourself.' But she'd see him making his court appearances on TV and she saw that he was gaining weight and didn't look good, and she used to blame Nancy for not taking care of him. Sheryl used to make sure he ate the right food, and her refrigerator was always filled with fruits and salad and the kinds of healthy food that were good for people with heart problems.

'After she and Tony broke up she got a job doing cocktails at night. Tony wasn't happy about it. But she had grown accustomed to his lifestyle. She needed the money. Then she got into dealing blackjack. She worked in the old MGM, at Rally's. She had a prime shift and made excellent money. She started meeting high rollers. She wised up. She learned and started looking around for another rock to stand on.'

One part of the 'Casino' non-fiction book that is interesting is the description of Sheryl's effect on hard-bitten mob muscleman Tony Spilotro:

He was a gentleman always. Very quiet. Very reserved. I would see him mad sometimes, but I never once heard him curse or use bad language.

Another interesting passage indicates that Sheryl's background as a Latter-day Saint (or perhaps her training as a nurse) had a healthful effect on Tony's life, as she encouraged him to eat according to the Word of Wisdom:

Sheryl used to make sure he ate the right food, and her refrigerator was always filled with fruits and salad and the kinds of healthy food that were good for people with heart problems.

Movie Casino Cast Real Life Casino Entertainment

Casino Cast Real Life

The casino and movie industry have been linked for years. Throughout history, there have been dozens of movies that have been released that are centered on poker, blackjack, and other card games. It is not exactly clear why, but people all around the world are interested in the life of professional poker and blackjack players. They love to learn about the intricacies of the games and what makes the players tick.

With all that said, not every movie centered around casinos are based on real life. Most of them are fictional and are not even realistic in how they portray the games being played. However, there have been a few movies released over the years that are based on real-life events. So, you can watch those movies if you want to get an idea of what life is like for professional poker and blackjack players, or if you just want to see some interesting stories from their lives. Here we will take a look at seven iconic casino movies based on real life.

1. The Sting (1973)

Movie Casino Cast Real Life Casino Games

The Sting is a classic starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and it is inspired by cons perpetrated by two real-life brothers. The sting is the moment where a con has paid off, and the trickster gets away with a mark's cash. Unfortunately for the victim, they only realize their money is gone once the cons are long gone.

In the film, the two main characters make the mistake of ripping off an underworld courier. With the courier dead and his boss on the warpath, the two brothers need to try to outwit a crime lord to survive. This film received seven Academy Award, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

2. Bugsy (1991)

This movie might not be directly based on casinos and gaming, but it is relevant to everyone who is interested in Las Vegas. It is more of a gangster movie than a casino movie, but it is based on the founding and evolution of Las Vegas. Las Vegas is, of course, the casino capital of the world, but it would be nothing if not for the events that are portrayed in this movie. In the film, you will see violent real-life events that took place as Las Vegas blossomed into the city that it is today.

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3. Casino (1995)

If you want to start playing games at places like Playamo Casino and play in CAD, you might be interested in seeing some casino movies. One of the most iconic casino movies in history is Casino. Directed and produced by Martin Scorsese, Casino was released in 1995, and it is based on the lives of a casino boss (Frank Rosental) and a mobster (Anthony Spilotro). The film follows Rosental's connections with the criminal underworld through his friend Spilotro.

In the 1970s, the two of them ran four illegal casinos and were involved in several other illicit activities. The film is also a tale of how the mob lost control of the profitable money ring they had nurtured.

4. High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003)

If you are a fan of poker, you will recognize the name Stu Ungar. He holds the record for winning the World Series of Poker's Main Event the most times at three. He is regarded as one most the most talented poker players of all time. As a result, it should be no surprise to hear that a movie was made about him. However, the film is made more interesting when you learn that is life was dominated by alcohol, drugs, and partying in addition to gambling. Unfortunately, he was never able to escape this part of his life, and he died at a young age. The film is a tale of how poker can lead you to unimaginable highs but also to devastating lows.

In a column for Hot Boxing News ('Talkin' Boxin', 10 March 2003; URL: http://www.hotboxingnews.com/reed/reed030903.htm), Howie Reed wrote:

It should be noted that at one time Senator Reid was the Chairman of the State Gaming Commission. His tenure included the period of time featured in the movie Casino. On Federal Wiretaps some claim that his voice turns up in regard to the securing of a gaming license for the late Frank Sinatra. It is also alleged that the Dick Smothers role in Casino was drawn on the Chairmanship of Mr. Reid.

Political pluses and minuses: Senator Reid was reelected in 2004 for his fourth term as senator from Nevada with a large margin, and is now the new top Democrat in the United States government, the public face of the opposition for the foreseeable future. Reid is moderate, deliberate and soft-spoken, with a reputation for integrity and bipartisanship. He fought the mob in Vegas during the seventies as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, putting his life on the line (and is rumored to be the inspiration for Dick Smothers's character in Martin Scorsese's Casino). Reid has the advantage for the 2008 race of not having to run for reelection to the Senate, and has a new visibility and influence as Minority Leader. Not a Southern governor, Reid could nevertheless be a strong presidential or vice presidential candidate. He would be our first Mormon president or vice president, and our second named Harry.

A Latter-day Saint and native of the small mining town of Searchlight, Nevada, his father was an alcoholic gold miner who committed suicide. Reid was a lawyer in the state before entering politics, serving a term in the Nevada state legislature and then being elected lieutenant governor in 1970. He served in that office until 1974.

Reid served as Nevada state gaming commissioner from 1977 to 1981, a post which subjected him to threats of danger. Reid's wife once found a bomb attached to one of their cars. A character in the film Casino played by Dick Smothers is based, in part, on Reid. Reid was also bribed by Jack Gordon (who would later manage and marry LaToya Jackson). Reid allowed the FBI to tape Gordon's attempt to bribe Reid with $12,000, at which point Reid attempted to strangle Gordon, saying 'You son of a bitch, you tried to bribe me.'

Reid was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He served two terms there, from 1983 to 1987, being reelected in 1984. He was elected to the Senate in 1986, succeeding the Republican incumbent, Paul Laxalt, who did not run in that election. Reid was reelected in 1992, 1998 and 2004. He narrowly defeated his Republican opponent in 1998, future Senator John Ensign (Ensign won Nevada's other Senate seat in 2000) and his Republican opponent in 2004 was Richard Ziser, whom Reid defeated by a vote of 61%-35%. Mike Ensign, Senator Ensign's father, contributed $2,000 to Reid's 2004 Senate campaign. In 1999, Reid became Minority Whip, and the right hand man of Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota

On November 16, 2004, Reid was elected Senate Democratic Leader and Minority Leader for the 109th Congress, following Daschle's defeat in his bid for reelection.

Some consider Harry Reid pro-life, or an opponent of legalized abortion, because of his vote against support of Roe v. Wade in 2004. However, Reid has subsequently refused to state he wants Roe v. Wade overturned. Reid is currently also the only Democratic Mormon Senator. Four other members in the Senate are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but they are all Republican.

Below is an excerpt from the screenplay featuring this scene (beginning at line 8838 of the 15,177-line script):

The scenes in 'Casino' which feature the Senator (including the scenes in the casino which were not based on real-life Latter-day Saint Senator Harry Reid) comprise 309 lines of the the 15,177-line script, or 2.0% of the length of the screenplay.

John Nance: an 'old Mormon' bagman

Now this old Mormon [EXPLETIVE] here, he had to fly in with suitcases once a month. Nice and easy.

Nance appears in subsequent scenes, although he has few lines after this scene. Eventually Nance is killed by operatives working for Joe Pesci's character 'Nicky.'

It is not clear from the film if Joe Pesci means that Nance actually is a Mormon (a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), or if Nance simply reminds Pesci of Mormons because of his clean-cut look and clean-living ways. Nance knowingly assists the mafia in skimming money from the casino, so obviously if he is a Latter-day Saint his work for the casino violates the 12th Article of Faith:

We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

Boston-born actor 'Jack Nance' (whose birth name was Marvin John Nance) has no connection to the 'John Nance' character in 'Casino.' Jack Nance was credited as 'John Nance' when he had the lead role ('Henry Spencer') in David Lynch's movie 'Eraserhead' (1977). Nance may be best known for his supporting role as 'Pete Martell' in Lynch's TV series 'Twin Peaks.' He also appeared in all of Lynch's movies after 'Eraserhead' (except for 'Elephant Man'), including: 'Lost Highway' (a 1997 movie which features a major character from Utah) and 'Blue Velvet' (1986). John Nance (or 'Jack Nance') the actor was born in 1943, so he would have been only 30 years old at the time his first scene in 'Casino' takes place: 1973. In that scene, Nance is clearly an older man, probably at least 60 years old. Moreover, John 'Jack' Nance spent his career as an actor, and did not work or live in Las Vegas. Clearly 'John Nance' in 'Casino' has no connection to the similarly-named actor.

Bill Allison, the actor who plays 'John Nance' in 'Casino' really does have a casino background. Allison owned the historic Mizpah hotel-casino in Tonopah for 16 years during the 1970s and 1980s. Bill Allison was originally hired as a consultant for the production of 'Casino,' but ended up being cast as an actor in the film as well. Bill Allison had no prior acting experience.

While Bill Allison's character 'John Nance' is called a 'Mormon' in the film, and he may indeed be intended by the writers to be a Latter-day Saint, actor Bill Allison is not known to be a Latter-day Saint.

Interestingly enough, Bill Allison subsequently played a casino guard in the Las Vegas casino movie 'Ocean's Eleven' (2001). Coincidentally, 'Ocean's Eleven' (2001) holds the record as the highest-grossing movie ever to feature main characters overtly identified as Latter-day Saints. One of Bill Allison's only other film roles aside from 'Casino' (in which Joe Pesci calls him a 'Mormon') and 'Ocean's Eleven' (in which he co-stars with two Mormon characters - Virgil and Turk Malloy) is the short film 'Courage & Stupidity' (2004), which was filmed in Salt Lake City. 'Courage & Stupidity' is a fictional comedy about what 'really' happened between a young Steven Spielberg (Todd Wall) and a young George Lucas (Aaron Fiore) during the filming of 'Jaws.' Bill Allison plays a movie producer in 'Courage & Stupidity.' Latter-day Saint actors in the film's cast include Johnny Biscuit ('Handcart', 'The Singles Ward') and Brian Sullivan. The film was written and directed by Utahn Darin Beckstead. The director of photography was Latter-day Saint cinematographer Brian Sullivan (Getting There; Little Secrets; Coyote Summer; The Paper Brigade; Wish Upon a Star; The Brainiacs.com; Just Like Dad; etc.) and special effects were by Ben Josephsen.

Aside from 'Casino,' 'Ocean's Eleven' and 'Courage & Stupidity,' the only other film role listed for Bill Allison on IMDb.com is a small part in 'Stuey' (2003), which was filmed partially in Las Vegas and has no known Latter-day Saint characters.

The character 'John Nance' is only overtly described as a 'Mormon' once in 'Casino' - in the section of the film in which he first appears. The character appears in many subsequent scenes. Nance really never does anything in the film that clearly indicates he is a Latter-day Saint. Nor does he ever do anything that clearly indicates he is not one (aside from the connection to the mafia that his job entails).

Below is an excerpt from the 'Casino' screenplay, featuring the scenes which follow Nance ('a Mormon,' according to Joe Pesci's character) as he brings money from the casino in Las Vegas to the operation's real backers in Kansas City. Although Nance has relatively few lines during this section, the camera focuses on him almost non-stop during these scenes.

6 minutes, 21 seconds after the start of the film:End of section above: 9 minutes, 31 seconds after the start of the film. This section focusing on Nance is 3 minutes, 10 seconds long.

About half-way through the screenplay (line 7086 of the 15,177-line script), Nance appears for the second time:
A minute later there is the third section featuring John Nance (line 7334 of the 15,177-line script):
Piscano (played by Vinny Vella) later mentions Nance (line 8328):
In the fourth section of the film featuring Nance, he is almost arrested by the FBI toward the end of the script (line 14,255 of the 15,177-line script):
Finally, the fifth section of 'Casino' to feature John Nance shows his gruesome death at the hands of men working for Nicky (Joe Pesci), after Nance has already left his life in Las Vegas behind and retired to Costa Rica (line 14,587 of the 15,177-line script):In total, the scenes featuring 'John Nance' comprise 556 lines in the 15,177-line script, or 3.7% of the length of the screenplay. John Nance is a relatively minor character in the movie.
The scenes in 'Casino' featuring the movie's two Latter-day Saint characters (or characters based on real-life Latter-day Saints) - 'John Nance' and 'the Senator' - comprise a total of 865 lines, or 5.7% of the length of the screenplay.

References to Latter-day Saints in the non-fiction book Casino
(the basis for the 1995 movie)

Source: Nicholas Pileggi. Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. New York: Simon & Schuster (1995).

Nicholas Pileggi's non-fiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas is (according to the book jacket):

• Lefty Rosenthal, gambling genius, the brains behind the mob's control of the casinos
• Tony Spilotro, Lefty's friend and partner, the muscle of the mob in Las Vegas
• Geri, Lefty's beautiful blond show-girl wife, whose affair with Tony ultimately drove the mob out of the 'paradise' they had built for themselves in the desert.

• Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal is portrayed by Robert De Niro (his name changed to: Sam 'Ace' Rothstein)
• Anthony 'Tony' Spilotro is portrayed by Joe Pesci (his name changed to: Nicky Santoro)
• Geri McGee is portrayed by Sharon Stone (her name changed to: Ginger)

Pages 154 to 158:

Sometimes Nancy had to call him at work to relay a message; according to Bud Hall, Tony was always rude. 'She'd say, 'I don't know if this can wait, but so-and-so called.' 'It can wait,' Tony would say, sort of sarcastically, and just hang up. Or he'd say, in an exasperated tone, 'Nancy, I'm busy,' and hang up. He was never gentlemanly with her, and she'd whine to Dena Harte, Herbie Blitzstein's girlfriend, who managed the front of the Gold Rush. Nancy would tell Dena whenever Tony beat her up or whenever she suspected Tony was fooling around with this one or that one, and Dena kept Nancy informed about what Tony was doing.

'There was one time when Dena called Nancy at home and said, 'The bitch is here.' Nancy jumped in the car and tore over to the place and started screaming at Sheryl, Tony's girlfriend, calling her a no-good [EXPLETIVE] right there in the middle of the store.

'We could hear the screaming on the wire, and then Tony comes out, and then we hear Nancy screaming for Tony to stop hitting her. He was really beating her up. We got worried that he was going to kill her. It was a mess. So we called nine-one-one and said we were in the Black Forest German Restaurant next door, and said someone was being assaulted in the Gold Rush. We couldn't tell the cops who we were because at that point it looked like Tony owned Metro, and we didn't want to blow our surveillance. The police got there in a few minutes, and everything calmed down.'

'Nancy had her life and Tony had his,' said Frank Cullotta. 'Hers was mostly playing tennis and running around in white outfits. She had Vincent and Tony's brothers and their families. Once a week Tony'd take her out to dinner or something. But she wasn't afraid of him. She would scream and yell at him and drive him crazy.

'Once, he told me, she tried to kill him. They were having an argument over something and Tony knocked her across the room. She came up with a loaded thirty-eight cocked at his head. 'I'll kill you if you ever hit me again,' she said. Tony said, 'Nancy, think of Vincent.'

'I saw death,' he told me after. 'We talked until she put down the gun and then I hid all the guns in the house.'

'Sheryl was about twenty, but she looked younger,' said Rosa Rojas, who was her best friend. 'She was a Mormon from northern Utah, cute and fresh. When Tony first met her he used to call her his country girl. She was so naive that when he asked her out, she said she'd only go if she could bring her friend.

'Sheryl and I were both working in the hospital where he was going for his heart problem, which was how they met. They'd go to restaurants, but he never put the make on her. He held her at a distance for a long, long time.

Before he got too close he found out everything there was to find out about her. He had Joey Cusumano ask about where she was from, who her friends were, how long she lived where she lived. He wanted to know everything he could know about her before he got involved or felt he could trust her. Silver moon casino philadelphia ms.

'It was a long time before she knew who he was. She began to suspect something was strange, because every time they went out, they were tailed by cops in plain clothes. Tony's brother told her that there were some legal problems and that Tony was being trailed because of the legal stuff. Tony used to tell us that we were going to read things about him in the newspapers, but he said the newspapers weren't always right.

'It was only after a long time that Tony and Sheryl started going to bed together. He was a gentleman always. Very quiet. Very reserved. I would see him mad sometimes, but I never once heard him curse or use bad language.

'Eventually, he bought her a two-story condo around Eastern and Flamingo, a two-bedroom place for about sixty-nine thousand dollars. It had everything. Refrigerator. Blinds. A washer-dryer. There was a garage and small patio and a sliding door that led into the downstairs, and upstairs they had the bedrooms and a large room that had all of the stereo and TV equipment you would want. That's where they spent most of their time -- watching ball games and listening to music.

'Tony was very generous. He used to leave a thousand dollars a week in a bear-shaped cookie jar in the kitchen. He never mentioned money and it was never mentioned that he was keeping her, but when he bought her a full-length mink coat Sheryl felt he had finally committed himself to her. She had really fallen in love with him.

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'She didn't know he was married for quite a while. When she found out, it was very hard. She believed the only reason she and Tony weren't married was because Tony was a very strict Catholic and would have trouble leaving his wife. For a while, Tony even had Sheryl learning to be a Catholic. He gave her religious books to read. He knew the Bible.

'He never ever said anything bad about his wife. They had been married in the church and it was a difficult situation. On top of that. Tony loved his son. Vincent meant everything to him. Vincent was his soul. Tony would always get home at six thirty in the morning so he could be there to make breakfast for Vincent. Sheryl said he would do that even if he was in bed at her place.

'Eventually, Tony bought a car for her. It was a new Plymouth Fury. It wasn't a showy car.

'When Nancy found out what was going on, things got a little tough. Sheryl had stopped by the Gold Rush to see Tony. She was wearing a diamond studded S necklace that Tony had given her, and when Nancy came in and saw Sheryl wearing the S necklace. Nancy went wild and she reached for it.

'I got there just at that time and I found the two of them wrestling on the floor. Sheryl managed to hold on to her S. Tony came out of the back room and broke up the fight so Sheryl and I could get away.

'In the end, when it was over between Tony and Sheryl, he wouldn't return her calls. Sheryl was really crazy about him, but maybe she pushed too hard. He was having a lot of problems with the cops when they broke up, and maybe he was trying to spare her.

'His brother John used to tell her not to try and reach him. 'Don't call him,' he'd say. 'Spare yourself.' But she'd see him making his court appearances on TV and she saw that he was gaining weight and didn't look good, and she used to blame Nancy for not taking care of him. Sheryl used to make sure he ate the right food, and her refrigerator was always filled with fruits and salad and the kinds of healthy food that were good for people with heart problems.

'After she and Tony broke up she got a job doing cocktails at night. Tony wasn't happy about it. But she had grown accustomed to his lifestyle. She needed the money. Then she got into dealing blackjack. She worked in the old MGM, at Rally's. She had a prime shift and made excellent money. She started meeting high rollers. She wised up. She learned and started looking around for another rock to stand on.'

One part of the 'Casino' non-fiction book that is interesting is the description of Sheryl's effect on hard-bitten mob muscleman Tony Spilotro:

He was a gentleman always. Very quiet. Very reserved. I would see him mad sometimes, but I never once heard him curse or use bad language.

Another interesting passage indicates that Sheryl's background as a Latter-day Saint (or perhaps her training as a nurse) had a healthful effect on Tony's life, as she encouraged him to eat according to the Word of Wisdom:

Sheryl used to make sure he ate the right food, and her refrigerator was always filled with fruits and salad and the kinds of healthy food that were good for people with heart problems.

Movie Casino Cast Real Life Casino Entertainment

Casino Cast Real Life

The casino and movie industry have been linked for years. Throughout history, there have been dozens of movies that have been released that are centered on poker, blackjack, and other card games. It is not exactly clear why, but people all around the world are interested in the life of professional poker and blackjack players. They love to learn about the intricacies of the games and what makes the players tick.

With all that said, not every movie centered around casinos are based on real life. Most of them are fictional and are not even realistic in how they portray the games being played. However, there have been a few movies released over the years that are based on real-life events. So, you can watch those movies if you want to get an idea of what life is like for professional poker and blackjack players, or if you just want to see some interesting stories from their lives. Here we will take a look at seven iconic casino movies based on real life.

1. The Sting (1973)

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The Sting is a classic starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and it is inspired by cons perpetrated by two real-life brothers. The sting is the moment where a con has paid off, and the trickster gets away with a mark's cash. Unfortunately for the victim, they only realize their money is gone once the cons are long gone.

In the film, the two main characters make the mistake of ripping off an underworld courier. With the courier dead and his boss on the warpath, the two brothers need to try to outwit a crime lord to survive. This film received seven Academy Award, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

2. Bugsy (1991)

This movie might not be directly based on casinos and gaming, but it is relevant to everyone who is interested in Las Vegas. It is more of a gangster movie than a casino movie, but it is based on the founding and evolution of Las Vegas. Las Vegas is, of course, the casino capital of the world, but it would be nothing if not for the events that are portrayed in this movie. In the film, you will see violent real-life events that took place as Las Vegas blossomed into the city that it is today.

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3. Casino (1995)

If you want to start playing games at places like Playamo Casino and play in CAD, you might be interested in seeing some casino movies. One of the most iconic casino movies in history is Casino. Directed and produced by Martin Scorsese, Casino was released in 1995, and it is based on the lives of a casino boss (Frank Rosental) and a mobster (Anthony Spilotro). The film follows Rosental's connections with the criminal underworld through his friend Spilotro.

In the 1970s, the two of them ran four illegal casinos and were involved in several other illicit activities. The film is also a tale of how the mob lost control of the profitable money ring they had nurtured.

4. High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003)

If you are a fan of poker, you will recognize the name Stu Ungar. He holds the record for winning the World Series of Poker's Main Event the most times at three. He is regarded as one most the most talented poker players of all time. As a result, it should be no surprise to hear that a movie was made about him. However, the film is made more interesting when you learn that is life was dominated by alcohol, drugs, and partying in addition to gambling. Unfortunately, he was never able to escape this part of his life, and he died at a young age. The film is a tale of how poker can lead you to unimaginable highs but also to devastating lows.

5. 21 (2008)

21 hit theaters in 2008 to mixed reviews. It is based on Ben Mazrich's non-fictional book, Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions. As you would expect from the title, the film follows a group of MIT students who learn how to count cards from a professor. He then flies them down to Vegas, where they have a system to win astronomical amounts of money in blackjack. However, their success is short lived as the casino operators strike back in violent ways. The film has many twists and turns that keep the watcher interested, but the story has certainly been exaggerated.

6. Broke (2016)

Most casino movies are about the glamourous lifestyle that can come from success at poker or blackjack. If there are consequences, it usually comes in the form of physical violence. Not many movies look at issues like an addiction that can follow professional card players. Broke is about sports betting rather than card games, and it is based on the early 2000s match fixing scandals.

The film follows BK, a former rugby star that has fallen on hard times. He gets help from a former fan and works towards returning to his former glory. However, before he can reach the promise land, he needs to overcome challenges related to addiction.

7. Molly's Game (2017)

Another great casino movie for you to check out is Molly's Game. It is one of the most recent casino films to be released, and it follows the life of Molly Bloom, a former Olympic hopeful whose life has taken a downturn after a skiing injury. She starts organizing the largest underground poker games in Las Angeles. At first, everything is going well, and she is making a tremendous amount of money, but she eventually runs into trouble, and she is forced to move to New York. Jessica Chastain, Kevin Costner, and Idris Elba received critical praise for their performances in this film.