Lifelong friends Ace Rothstein (Robert De Niro) and Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) It'sĪlso a hell that welcomes with open arms two rising casino kingpins - a duo ofĬommon thugs that in any other city would be eaten for breakfast by Don Corleone.

With greed and smudged with the dirty fingerprints of mob corruption. It's 1973 in Las Vegas, a time long before Celine Dion's arrival signaled the city's Disney-fication.

Us (or, rather, how far they will plummet in debasing themselves), I won't describe Of sexual intrigue help offset any stale residue let by 'Casino's borrowed parts.īecause the story's effectiveness absolutely depends on where the characters take Sure, any viewer familiar with Scorsese's oeuvre may experienceĪ bit of deja vu, but the freshness of the setting and a newfound infusion The greatest mob movies ever made next to ' The Godfather' series, 'Casino' somehow remains underrated. Of the 1970's grittiest classics, and 'GoodFellas' is seen as above reproach as one of