[ Man Narrating ] When you love someone, you`ve gotta trust them.
There`s no other way.
You`ve got to give them the key to everything that`s yours.
Otherwise, what`s the point?
And, for a while, I believed that`s the kind of love I had.
÷÷ [ Choir Singing ]
Before I ever ran a casino, or got myself blown up...
Ace Rothstein was a hell of a handicapper, I can tell you that.
I was so good that whenever I bet, I could change the odds...
for every bookmaker in the country.
I`m serious, I had it down so cold...
that I was given paradise on earth.
I was given one of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas to run, the Tangiers...
by the only kind of guys that can actually get you that kind of money...
$62,700,000.
I don`t know all the details.
[ Man #2 Narrating ] Nobody knew all the details, but it should`ve been perfect.
I mean, he had me, Nicky Santoro, his best friend, watching his ass...
and he had, Ginger, the woman he loved, on his arm.
But in the end, we fucked it all up.
It should`ve been so sweet too.
But it turned out to be the last time that street guys like us...
were ever given anything that fuckin` valuable again.
[ Ace ] At that time, Vegas was a place where millions of suckers...
flew in every year on their own nickel...
and left behind about a billion dollars.
But at night, you couldn`t see the desert that surrounds Las Vegas.
But it`s in the desert where lots of the town`s problems are solved.
[ Nicky ] Got a lot of holes in the desert...
and a lot of problems are buried in those holes.
Except you gotta do it right.
I mean, you gotta have the hole already dug...
before you show up with a package in the trunk.
Otherwise, you`re talking about a half hour or 45 minutes of diggin`.
And who knows who`s gonna be comin` along in that time?
Before you know it, you gotta dig a few more holes.
You could be there all fuckin` night.
÷÷ [ Scatting ]
[ Horn Honking ]
÷÷ [ Scatting Continues ]
[ Ace ] Who could resist?
Anywhere else in the country I was a bookie, a gambler...
always lookin` over my shoulder, hassled by cops, day and night.
But here, I`m Mr. Rothstein.
I`m not only legitimate, but running a casino.
And that`s like selling people dreams for cash.
I hired an old casino pal, Billy Sherbert, as my manager, and I went to work.
...the casino manager. And this is Ronnie, who takes care of the card room.
[ Ace ] For guys like me, Las Vegas washes away your sins.
It`s like a morality car wash.
It does for us what Lourdes does for humpbacks and cripples.
And along with making us legit...
comes cash, tons of it.
I mean, what do you think we`re doing out here in the middle of the desert?
It`s all this money.
This is the end resuIt of all the bright lights...
and the comp trips, of all the champagne...
and free hotel suites, and all the broads and all the booze.
It`s all been arranged just for us to get your money.
That`s the truth about Las Vegas.
We`re the only winners.
The players don`t stand a chance.
And their cash flows from the tables...
to our boxes through the cage...
and into the most sacred room in the casino.
The place where they add up all the money...
the holy of holies, the count room.
- Now, this place was off-limits. - Verify 3,000.
Even I couldn`t get inside.
But it was my job to keep it filled with cash. That`s for sure.
[ Nicky ] They had so much fuckin` money in there...
you could build a house out of stacks of hundred-dollar bills.
And the best part was that upstairs...
- the board of directors didn`t know what the fuck was going on. - Five thousand.
I mean, to them everything looked on the up-and-up.
Right? Wrong.
Verify 5,000.
- The guys inside the counting room... - Five thousand.
were all slipped in there to skim the joint dry.
They`d do short counts, they`d lose fill slips.
They`d even take cash right out of the drop boxes.
And it was up to this guy right here...
standin` in front of about two million dollars...
to skim the cash off the top without anybody gettin` wise...
- the lRS or anybody. - Verify 200.
Now, notice how in the count room nobody ever seems to see anything.
Somehow, somebody`s always lookin` the other way.
Now, look at these guys. They look busy, right?
They`re countin` money. Who wants to bother them?
I mean, God forbid they should make a mistake and forget to steal.
Meanwhile, you`re in and you`re out.
Past the jag-off guard who gets an extra C-note a week...
just to watch the door.
It`s routine. Business as usual: in, out, hello, good-bye.
And that`s all there is to it.
Just another fat fuck walkin` out of the casino with a suitcase.
Now that suitcase was goin` straight to one place:
Right to Kansas City, which was as close...
to Las Vegas as the Midwest bosses could go...
without gettin` themselves arrested.
That suitcase was all...
the bosses ever wanted.
- And they wanted it every month. - Hey, John, how was your ride?
Now this old Mormon fuck here...
he had to fly in with suitcases once a month, nice and easy.
- Somethin` smells good. - Yeah, they made us somethin` to eat.
The bosses would come from all over the place:
Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee...
all over the Midwest.
And they would meet in the back of this produce market in Kansas City.
I mean, nobody even knew it.
One of the guys made his mother do all the cookin`.
- Do you ever see that guy Jerry Steriano? - Jerry Steriano?
Now, these old greaseballs might not look it...
but believe me...
these are the guys who secretly control Las Vegas.
Mama, that man`s here again.
Because they control the Teamsters Union.
And that`s where you had to go if you wanted to borrow money to buy a casino.
- Would you put in shrimp? - I would.
Here you are, gentlemen.
Nobody got a Teamsters` loan unless the guys in this room...
knew they were gonna get their little suitcases.
Guys like this antique over here, out of Detroit.
Or especially guys like Remo Gaggi, the outfit`s top boss.
You got a round figure on it?
- Definitely the most important guy in this room. - About 20 pounds.
- That`s around 700,000. - Uh-huh, good.
[ Man ] I know it`s a little early for Las Vegas...
[ Laughter ]
but I do want to welcome the ladies and gentlemen of the gaming industry.
[ Ace ] As far as the world was concerned...
Andy Stone, the head of the Teamsters` Pension Fund...
- was a legitimate guy. - This is a very auspicious occasion.
- A powerful man. - Philip, if you would rise.
He even played golf with the president.
On behalf of the Teamsters` Pension Fund...
- it is my pleasure to present to you... - But Andy also took orders.
And when he was told to give a pension fund loan to Philip Green...
this check for $62,700,000...
for the new Tangiers.
he did what he was told.
[ Nicky ] Now, here was the perfect front man.
What the fuck else could he be? He didn`t know too much.
He didn`t want to know too much...
especially that the bosses made the Teamsters lend him the money.
He wanted to believe the Teamsters...
gave him all that fuckin` money `cause he was smart.
I know full well how much competition we have in this great city.
And where they got Green from?
Who the fuck knows?
All I know is that Green was an Arizona real estate hustler...
who barely had enough gas money...
to come and pick up his own fuckin` check.
And of course it was the bosses` man...
Andy Stone, who gave all the orders.
Not the chairman of the fuckin` board, Philip Green.
I understand. I understand.
Now all they needed was...
somebody they could trust to run the casino.
And who better than Ace? I mean, he was already in Vegas a couple years...
and he had the fuckin` place clocked.
But typical Ace, give him a shot at runnin` a casino...
and he tries to talk you out of it.
I don`t know if I could do this even if I wanted to.
The Gaming Commission would never give me a license.
I have at least two dozen gambling and bookmaking pinches on me.
You don`t have to have a license to work in a casino.
All you gotta do is apply for one.
The state law says that you can work in a casino...
while they`re processing your application.
They got a ten-year backlog.
What happens when they do find out?
Why would they want to find out?
We`re puttin` a hundred million into this desert. Why would they want to lock us out?
They`ll never find out. All you gotta do is keep changing your job title.
Like, uh, from Casino Executive to Food and Beverage Chairman.
They take your application, they put it at the bottom of the pile.
I know guys been workin` there for 30 years, don`t have a license.
It`s a tough proposition, Andy.
You know if I did it, I`d have to run it my way.
You got it.
I`m serious, no interference.
Nobody`s gonna interfere with your running the casino.
I guarantee it.
[ Nicky ] And that`s how they got Ace to take over.
They wanted him because Ace ate, slept and breathed gambling.
They worked out a real cute job title too...
Tangiers Public Relations Director.
But the only thing he ever directed was the casino.
He made his first bet when he was 15 years old, and he always made money.
But he didn`t bet like you or me.
You know, havin` some fun with it, shit like that.
Where the hell did you learn how to deal?
He bet like a fuckin` brain surgeon.
Place the checks properly.
- That`s the way you do it. - Yes, sir.
He had to know everything, this guy.
He`d find out the kind of inside stuff nobody else knew...
and that`s what he`d put his money on.
Even back home, years ago...
when we were first hangin` out...
he`d know if the quarterback was on coke...
I`ll take Columbia for 20.
- if his girlfriend was knocked up. - Twenty dimes on Columbia.
He`d get the wind velocity so he could judge the field goals.
He even figured out the different bounce...
you got off the different kinds of wood they used...
on college basketball courts, you know?
He`d be workin` on this shit day and night.
There was nothing about a game he was gonna bet that he didn`t know.
Ace got down at six. Get me down at six.
Season after season...
the prick was the only guaranteed winner I ever knew.
But he was so serious about it all...
that I don`t think he ever enjoyed himself.
But that`s just the way he was.
But back then, the bosses didn`t give a fuck...
about whether he enjoyed himself or not.
To them, he was a cash register.
All they had to do was ring the bell and take money.
Especially Remo...
who was a fuckin` degenerate gambler who always lost...
Cazzo! [ Mumbles in Italian ]
All those fuckin` sweeps.
- unless Ace made his bets. - Enough now!
Ace made more money for them on a weekend...
than I could do heisting joints for a month.
Whatever Ace picked up on the street, he told Remo.
I mean, fixed fights, doped horses...
crooked fuckin` zebras, locked-in point spreads.
He told fuckin` Remo everything.
And to tell you the truth, I don`t blame him.
- Hey! - Keepin` Remo happy with money...
was the greatest insurance policy in the world.
Son of a bitch!
How the hell did you get Oklahoma-Michigan?
Nobody ever had Oklahoma-Mi-- How the hell`d you do it?
Well, that`s why they paid so well.
You see? Never tells me nothin`.
What do we got on for next week?
Well, it`s a little too early. I`d say Thursday would be good. ls that all right?
- Okay, you`ll come by the house? - I`ll come by.
7:00. Good job, my boy. Keep it up? Okay, Ace?
Hey, Nick. Vien acca.
- I`ll be right out. - T`aggia parla.
Nicky, see that guy? Keep a good eye on him.
He`s makin` a lot of money for us.
And he`s gonna continue makin` a lot of money for us, so keep a good eye on him.
Not like your fuckin` friends out there that-- without brains.
- Okay? - All right.
- Mi raccomando. - Yeah. Want me to take this for you?
[ Nicky ] So now, on top of everything else...
I gotta make sure nobody fucks around with the golden Jew.
Chase, couple of shooters for the ladies.
[ Ace ] Yeah, we made a great pair.
I made book and Nicky made sure we always collected.
The old men loved us, and why not?
- They all made money with us. - They payin`?
- How did Nicky collect? - They pay every week, like they`re supposed to.
- Don`t ask. - And where the fuck is the money? I don`t see any money.
- Hi, Melissa, Heidi. - Hi, Sam.
Who`s this guy?
- Get the fuck out of here. It was nine. I laid nine. - It was eight.
Ace, tell him the line on the Bear game.
- Eight. - lf he don`t know, nobody knows.
- Told you it was eight. - How come I laid nine?
`Cause you`re a jag-off.
- Excuse me. - What?
- ls this yours? Your pen? - Yeah, that`s my pen. Why?
No, it`s a nice pen. I just didn`t know whose it was.
I thought it was yours. I didn`t want it to get lost.
Well, thank you. Why don`t you take that fuckin` pen...
and shove it up your ass, you fuckin` jag-off.
- Well, I was just offering you the-- - This fuckin` assho--
Look out, Joe. Look out.
[ Grunts ]
[ Groaning ]
What`s that? You hear a little girl, Frankie?
Hear a little girl, Ace? ls that a little fuckin` girl?
What happened to the fuckin` tough guy...
- told my friend to stick it up his fuckin` ass? - [ Moans ]
- Nicky, take it easy. Nicky, Nicky. - [ Moans ]
[ Ace ] While I was trying to figure out why the guy was saying...
what he was saying, Nicky just hit him.
No matter how big a guy might be, Nicky would take him on.
You beat Nicky with fists, he comes back with a bat.
You beat him with a knife, he comes back with a gun.
And if you beat him with a gun, you better kill him...
because he`ll keep coming back and back...
until one of you is dead.
[ Nicky ] Listen, with me protectin` Ace...
he made a fortune for the bosses.
I mean, that`s what got him to Vegas.
He was a money machine.
A tremendous earner for these guys.
As soon as he took over, he doubled the fuckin` drop.
With Ace, the casino never saw so much money.
And the bosses, they couldn`t be happier.
÷ I got $700 ÷
÷ Don`t you mess with me ÷
÷ But you know I`m down ÷
÷ Everybody knows I`m down ÷÷
[ Ace ] In Vegas, I had to keep a few juiced-in local cowboys working.
They were close to the, you know, good old boys.
I mean, without us, these guys, they`d still be shoveling mule shit.
Ward, you`ve got to keep a cleaner space.
lf you need Mr. Clean, page him, all right?
Won`t happen again, Sam.
- Mr. Rothstein. - Mr. Rothstein. Won`t happen again, Mr. Rothstein.
ls this guy just another dumb fucking white man, or what? What`s the story?
- You need this guy. - Can`t get rid of him?
He`s juiced in. He`s the County Commissioner`s cousin.
I wouldn`t give the bum a mop job.
But still, I had no choice. I had to take care of them.
These yokels ran the state.
Thank you very much, Senator.
- They passed the laws, they owned the courts. - Hi, Ace. Hey, I need a room.
- I had dozens of politicians and state officials... - The Cedar Room.
coming through that place every week.
- Help the Senator, get him whatever he wants. - Certainly.
Why not make him happy?
...the Presidential Suite.
For politicians like our State Senator up there, everything was on the house.
These guys won their comp life when they got elected...
so, hey, why not take advantage of it.
Still, the politicians came cheap. We could handle them.
It`s a whale like K.K. Ichikawa...
who plays $30,000 a hand in baccarat...
that`s the one you really gotta watch.
He plays fast and big and he has the cash and the credit...
to turn out your lights.
About a year ago he cleaned out a couple of casinos in the Cayman lslands.
Downstairs he takes us for two million...
and upstairs he takes free soap, shampoo and towels.
Another billionaire cheapskate who loved his free rooms...
free private jets and two million of our money.
But we got him back.
I had our pilot tell him the plane was on the fritz.
I don`t know what the hell went wrong. I`m awfully sorry.
I can`t understand it. These mechanical things, you know they happen.
Hey, but better here than up there, you know what I mean.
Then he missed the commercial flights connecting with Japan.
I can`t believe that there`s a convention; there`s no room.
We got him back with a whole floor of rooms to himself.
- I`m sorry you missed your plane. - Glad to get to know you.
Oh, no. No gambling.
And once he was back, he played small.
He bet 1,000 a hand, instead of his usual 30,000 a hand.
...to the bank with a natural lead over a five.
But I knew the trick with whales like lchikawa...
was that they can`t bet small for long.
He didn`t think of it as winning 10,000...
he thought of it as losing 90,000.
So, he upped his bets.
Until he dropped his winnings back and gave up a million of his own cash.
In the casino, the cardinal rule is to keep them playing...
and keep them coming back.
The longer they play, the more they lose.
In the end, we get it all.
÷ Goddamn it Trying to make it real ÷
÷ Compared to what ÷
÷ Sock it to me ÷
In Vegas, everybody`s gotta watch everybody else.
Six. All right, who`s gonna give me that?
Since the players are looking to beat the casino...
Each and every roll, all right.
- the dealers are watching the players... - Six.
- Fake a six. - the boxmen are watching the dealers.
the floormen are watching the boxmen...
the pit bosses are watching the floormen...
the shift bosses are watching the pit bosses...
the casino manager is watching the shift bosses...
I`m watching the casino manager...
and the eye in the sky is watching us all.
Plus, we had a dozen guys up there...
most of them ex-cheats, who knew every trick in the house.
÷ Tryin` to make it real compared to what ÷
Yes!
- Very nice. - I told you I was hot tonight.
Lookin` good. Lookin` good.
Let`s go. This is for Ginger. Come on.
Let me have a hundred on your hard ten.
Hundred on your hard ten. Thank you.
Here we go now. Yeeeow!
- Oh, I`m sorry. - The dice--
Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
- Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. - You were great.
Thanks. Take care, Steve. Take chances, drive fast.
This hundred is for you, love. Thanks for your time.
- Come on. - What`s the matter?
What do you mean? I made a lot of money for you, I want my cut.
What money? I`ve seen you stealing from me.
What money? Look at the stack of chips.
- I want my half. - I`ve been watching you all night.
- I want my money. - Your bag is full of fucking chips.
- I didn`t steal anything from you. - Get lost!
Get lost? Get lost? Yes! Yes!
- Well, how about that? - Come on!
÷ Slippin` and a-slidin` ÷ Changin` and a-hidin` ÷
÷ Been told a long time ago ÷
÷ I been told Baby, you`ve been born ÷
÷ I won`t be your fool no more Oww ÷
÷ Baby, oh, baby ÷
÷ My sweet baby ÷
÷ You`re the one ÷
[ Ace ] What a move.
I fell in love right there.
But in Vegas, for a girl like Ginger, love costs money.
÷ What`s different about him ÷
÷ I don`t really know ÷
I`m gonna go powder my nose.
÷ No matter how I try ÷
÷ I just can`t make him cry ÷
- [ Ace ] Ginger`s mission in life was money. - I`ll be right back.
- See you, Ginger. - Okay, thank you for asking.
She was a queen around the casino.
She brought in high rollers...
and helped them spread around a lot of money.
- Hello. - Hey, Ginger. How you doing?
Great, and I have something for you. You got me covered?
- And you do. Thank you very much. - Take care of yourself.
- I got some lucky pills for you, Andy. - Oh, yeah.
Who didn`t want Ginger? She was one of the best known...
best liked and most respected hustlers in town.
Smart hustlers like her could keep a guy awake...
for two or three days before sending him home broke...
to the little woman and his bank examiners.
÷ You only make me glad ÷
÷ Better listen, little girl ÷
÷ You`re goin` walkin` down the street ÷
÷ I ain`t got no love ÷
Any change?
Oh, I hit a few games on the way back.
But that was all bullshit. She just pocketed the cash.
÷ This heart of stone ÷
- How you doin` tonight? - Good.
- How are you? - Uh, beat.
- [ Ace ] Ginger had the hustlers code. - Take one for you.
- Thank you. - She knew how to take care of people.
And that`s what Vegas is all about.
- Sixty-eight hundred. - Thanks.
- It`s kickback city. - Have a good night.
Thank you. You too.
- She took care of the dealers... - Hey, Mitch.
pit bosses, floor managers...
but, mostly, she took care of the valet parkers...
the guys who could get you anything and take care of anything.
Ginger took care of the parkers...
because they took care of the security guards...
- who took care of the metro cops, who let her operate. - I need that stuff tonight.
- No problem. - You are a doll.
The valet parking job was such a money-maker...
they had to pay off the hotel manager just to get the concession.
But one thing I just could never understand...
was that she could have everything under control...
except for her old pimp boyfriend, Lester Diamond.
Gin, you know I got other people in this, they got partners.
I want you to understand that I am looking out for you...
in this thing, okay?
You`re gonna get yours back, and you`re gonna get back first, okay?
- All right, yeah. - Where you going?
Where are you? You`re in that place. Where are you?
- I`m here. - No, you`re not.
Where are you? Where are you?
I`m always here for you.
- You`re my woman. - I know.
[ Ace ] The Ginger I knew wouldn`t even look at this creep.
- Good luck. - Yeah.
He was a moocher, a card cheat...
a country club golf hustler, a scumbag.
- Chasing dentists for a few bucks. - Careful.
The guy was always broke. He always had a story.
And somehow she could never turn him down.
The way Ginger saw it, I guess, was that Lester was just an unlucky guy.
Somebody had to take care of him.
But nobody had to take care of Nicky.
lf you find any cash in there, we`ll whack it up with you.
I mean, he took care of himself only too well.
- That`s why every badge... - I folded these things beautifully.
- back home wanted to nail him. - I would appreciate a little respect.
- Look at me, pal, I gotta live with her. - Jesus Christ.
÷ Volare ÷
Even after a little vacation, they hassled him at the airport.
I mean, Frank Marino was there to meet him, but so were the cops.
This time they wanted to pinch him...
- for some diamond burglary in Antwerp. - Will you help me fold these?
They were ready to blame him for anything, no matter where it happened.
- Put your things away. - And they were usually right.
- Hold it, hold it. Here. - Because Nicky enjoyed being a gangster.
- And he didn`t give a damn who knew it. - Come on, there we go.
Look at this. Beautiful!
I mean, that`s what worried me. `Cause it turns out, Nicky was about to be sent to Vegas.
- All right, we`re clear. - There`s more.
There`s a couple stuck in there. I know there`s more.
- I`m telling you, they`re out! - Come on.
Don`t get so defensive, it could be stuck in your hair.
What`s that? Huh, what`s that?
There`s no more. Thanks, hon.
[ Nicky ] I couldn`t wait to get my hands on Vegas.
But the bosses didn`t send me out there to have a good time.
They sent me out there to make sure that nobody fucked with Ace.
And nobody interfered with the fuckin` skim.
- Hey. - Hey, how you doin`?
Hey, Sammy.
- Boy, look at this place, huh? - lncredible.
Welcome to Vegas.
- Okay, Sammy. - Something, huh?
Ginger.
Holy shit. What`ve you been doing out here?
Honey, come here.
This is Jennifer and Nick, they`re dear friends of mine.
- Hi, Jennifer. - A pleasure.
Okay, Sammy.
[ Ace ] After we ate, we left Jennifer and Ginger alone...
and we took a ride to talk.
And then, he hit me with it.
What do you think about me moving out here?
What`s the matter? You got a problem with that?
- No, of course not. - You mean, I have your permission?
Sure, you have my permission. But I just gotta tell you...
it`s no joke out here, it`s no joke.
You gotta keep a low profile.
It`s not like back home. Right off the bat, they don`t like guys like us.
And this sheriff`s a real cowboy.
Even the coppers aren`t afraid to bury people out in the desert here.
I don`t care. I wanna get away from back home for a while.
I`m tired of that shit back there.
Look at this place. It`s made of money.
You know what the best part is? Nobody`s gonna know what we`re doing.
There`s nobody here to see us. Everybody`s back home.
Nick, I gotta tell you. I got pinched twice for no reason.
I really gotta be careful.
I`m running a licensed place, everything`s legit.
Don`t worry about it. I`m not gonna do anything.
I`m especially not gonna involve you in anything.
[ Nicky ] Ace saw Vegas one way...
- You call this guy and tell him I`m comin`? - Of course.
but I saw it another.
I saw it as untouched.
I mean, they had bookies, pimps...
and drug dealers I could shake down.
Who the fuck were they gonna run to?
So I started gettin` everybody in line.
Best of all, for the first time in my life...
I figured out a way not to lose.
[ Ace ] Yeah, he had a foolproof scheme, all right.
It wasn`t very scientific, but it worked.
When he won, he collected;
when he lost, he told the bookies to go fuck themselves.
What were they gonna do, muscle Nicky?
- Hey, how you doin`? - How you doin`?
- You got that thing for me? - What thing?
Oh, Nicky. I thought you was layin`.
No, no, I`m takin`. I was takin`.
- You sure? - I`m positive.
- I`m a little confused. - You`re a little confused?
Maybe if I stick your fuckin` face through this window...
you`ll get unconfused.
- Gimme the fuckin` money. - I`m sorry, Nick.
I didn`t mean anything by it.
That`s why you had it ready. You thought I was fuckin` layin` it?
- My fuckin` head. - Smarten up.
And now Nicholas Santoro will come up and tell us about our first president.
George Washington was born--
[ Ace ] But still, it was nice and quiet for a while.
Ginger and I presented Nicky and Jennifer all over town...
like regular Ozzie and Harriets.
Beautiful, you got a beautiful swing.
[ Nicky ] Ace got my son, little Nicky, involved in Little League.
Turned out to be one of the other coaches...
was a fuckin` metro intelligence cop.
But it didn`t matter. It was all about the kids.
He`s gotta realize that everything can`t be a home run that he does.
That`s exactly what I keep tellin` him...
but that`s the kind of kid he is.
[ Ace ] And Nicky being Nicky, he made his presence known.
Especially at the casino, where he definitely did not work...
people got the message.
[ Nicky ] Me, that`s why the bosses sent me out here.
They wanted me to make sure none of the other crews robbed the joint.
Like these two fuckin` balloon heads over here.
They were gonna try to bang us out of 200 fuckin` grand...
- yeah, right, I`m sure. - Hey! How are you?
How are you? What are you doing here?
I`m over here now.
- You`re over here? - Yeah, I`m over here with them.
We`re waiting on Carmine.
Yeah, we`re looking for Carmine.
He was here before. He had a suitcase and then he left.
- Carmine left? - Carmine left?
He`s gone?
He`s not here?
Carmine`s out?
I think maybe he went across the street...
or somewhere else or somethin`.
Well, listen, good luck with the joint.
- Ah, thanks, Eddie. - Yeah, lots of luck.
- Yeah, good luck to you too. - Hey, they forgot to sign their papers.
Yeah, they don`t need those anymore.
[ Ace ] Guys from other crews got away with a warning.
Everybody else, watch out.
Like these yokels here...
who never heard of Nicky or the bosses back home.
`Cause they`re the morons who give you the most trouble.
Even after we`d catch them, they`d try sneaking back...
with beards and wigs and fake noses.
You can spot these assholes by watching the way they bet.
Like this guy, he`s bettin` lavender chips...
at 500 each with only one little problem...
he`s always guessed right.
lf he wasn`t so fuckin` greedy, he`d have been tougher to spot.
But in the end, they`re all greedy.
÷ I got a feelin` about the future ÷
÷ And it ain`t too good I know that ÷
I saw that the dealer was weak, but he wasn`t in on it.
He just wasn`t protecting his hand.
He was lifting his hole card way too high.
Now, here`s this guy reading the dealer`s hole card...
and signaling his buddy at this table.
[ Electronic Beeping ]
And that`s just what these hustlers look for.
They cruise from casino to casino looking for weak dealers...
the way lions look for weak antelope.
Operator, this is Mr. R.
Get me Armstrong and Friday over at pit two right away.
BJ 19, second base, the beard.
Operator, I need Mr. Happy. Loud.
÷ Happy birthday to you ÷
÷ Happy birthday, dear Jeff ÷
÷ Happy birthday to you ÷
[ Groans ]
Man down!
Go get medical. We got a cardiac arrest here.
He`s fine, folks. Just give us some room, please.
[ Ace ] They never know what hit them.
And if and when they do find out...
that they just got zapped by a cattle prod...
they wish they really did have a heart attack.
Turns out this guy and his fuckin` pals...
they were knocking this place dead for years.
- He`s got a wire on him. - Hey, hey, what are you doing?
There it is. That`s it.
- Cheater`s justice. - Oh, God!
No, no, no!
[ Ace ] I wanted everybody to know...
that things were changed around here.
We had to make an example of these pricks...
that the party was over.
I`m just curious. I saw you shuffling your checks...
with your right hand.
- Can you do that with both hands? - No.
- You can`t do it with both hands? - No, sir.
Can you do it with your left hand?
Well, I never tried.
- So, you`re a righty. - Yeah.
[ Screams ]
[ Groans ]
Now you`re gonna have to learn with your left hand.
- It`s 100, 110, I think. - Yes, it is.
Okay.
Hiya. That`s a lot of money to be counting out in public.
Why don`t I take him...
over to the office and verify it?
A little privacy. And by the way...
send over a nice bottle of champagne on ice.
- Sure will. - Real special.
- By the way, I`m Billy Sherbert, casino manager. - Hi.
- Having a good time? - Yes.
You want to count the money in privacy.
I have a plane to catch to Cleveland. Can I get my winnings?
Look what they did to my hand, man.
All right, I`m gonna give you a choice:
You can either have the money and the hammer or you can walk out of here.
- What do you want? - I just wanna get out of here.
And don`t forget to tell your friends what happens if they fuck around here.
- I`m sorry, I made a bad mistake. - You`re fuckin` right you made a bad mistake.
`Cause if you come back here, and we catch either one of you...
we`re gonna break your heads, and you won`t walk out of here.
You see that fuckin` saw? We`re gonna use it. You got it?
- Get out of here. - Thank you.
Throw him in the alley and tell the cops he got hit by a car.
[ Ace ] Within no time, everything was set in place.
We got rid of the freelance scamsters...
the per was way up, the gods were happy.
And I decided to complicate my life.
For a guy who likes sure things...
I was about to bet the rest of my life on a real long shot.
We`re not gettin` any younger.
Don`t you think it`s time?
Aren`t you gettin` tired of all this shit?
What, are you trying to handicap me?
I`m gonna do you one better.
I`m tryin` to marry you.
You wanna marry me?
I`m serious.
I wanna settle down. I want a family.
You got the wrong girl, Sam.
I know I`d be a good father, you`d be a good mother.
You don`t know me.
You`ve known me two, three months.
I`m 43 years old. I don`t want to wait.
I know you well enough to know that I really love you.
And I can`t think of anybody better to be with.
And I don`t feel like waiting anymore.
You know a lot of happily married people, Sam?
`Cause I don`t.
Yeah, I know all that.
I care about you, okay.
But I just don`t have those kind of feelings for you.
I`m sorry. I`m not in love with you.
- All right, all right. - Understand?
Sam, I`m sorry.
No, I-- I--
I mean-- I can grow.
As long as there`s a mutual respect, that kind of thing can grow.
I`m realistic. I can accept that.
What is love anyway?
It`s a mutual respect. It`s a devotion.
It`s a caring from one person to another.
And if we could set up some kind of foundation...
based on that mutual respect...
I feel eventually you would care enough about me...
that I could live with that.
lf it doesn`t work out, doesn`t play out...
then what happens to me?
You know I`m doing well now, and I`m gonna do even better.
And so whatever happens...
if it doesn`t work out between us...
I`m gonna make sure you`re okay for the rest of your life.
And if there are kids, especially...
I`ll take care of you better than you`d ever imagine.
What are you pitching me?
Just what I said, you`ll be set up...
for the rest of your life, that I can promise you.
Want to take a chance?
[ Applause ]
[ Ace ] When I married Ginger, I knew all the stories.
But I didn`t give a fuck. I`m Sam Rothstein, I said.
I can change her.
[ Nicky ] It was typical Ace.
He invited the biggest people in town, and he knew they`d show.
Because he knew they all wanted somethin` from him.
With Ace, nobody ever got a free ride, even Ginger.
With her, he still covered his bets.
They had to have the baby before they could get married.
He even made Jenny and me watch Amy for a few days...
when they went on their honeymoon.
But I didn`t mind, we loved the kid.
[ Lester ] Can you feel my eyes on you?
Can you feel me look into your heart?
Can you feel me in the pit of your stomach?
Can you feel me in you?
In your heart?
Don`t make me come there.
Answer me.
[ Ginger Crying ] I love you.
But, baby, do you know that I love you too?
- No, Lester. - Do you know that?
This is the best thing I can do for my life right now.
[ Lester ] That`s right. So it`s going to be okay.
Promise?
I wish you all the luck in the world.
You do?
Yeah, I do. It`s the best thing you can do right now.
I mean this.
You have real security.
Sweetheart, you`re gonna be situated just right, in Vegas.
Come on. This is great for us.
I`m always gonna be here for you.
I ain`t going no place.
I`m lookin` at you right now.
I`m seein` you for the very first time, right this minute.
I can feel my heart click.
I see you 14 years old.
I see you the first second I ever saw you.
I see you, long-legged little coIt...
stupid braces on your teeth.
- Okay, then. - Every time I ever see you, that`s what I see.
Talk to you later.
Bye.
You all right?
Yeah.
Why are you crying?
I`m not crying. [ Sniffles ]
Maybe you shouldn`t drink so much.
I`m okay, I just--
[ Sniffles ]
You just have to understand.
I`ve been with Lester since I was a kid.
I just wanted to say good-bye.
I just-- I don`t--
I think I have a right to do that.
Okay?
It`s all right.
That part of your life is over with.
- Right? - Yeah.
You`re with me now.
- Yeah. - Right?
Uh-huh.
- You`re sure? - Yeah.
Yeah.
- Let`s go. Let`s go back in. - Okay.
Oh!
[ Ginger ] Tsk. It`s great.
It`s great.
[ Ginger Shrieks ]
It`s all my stuff. Oh, my God.
You brought all my stuff!
I can`t--
Try it on. It`s yours.
You`re kidding.
Oh, my God. What is it?
It`s chinchilla.
Oh, it`s so soft.
Nice, isn`t it?
No one`s ever been so nice to me.
[ Gasps ]
Oh!
Oh, my God!
So, do you think it`s too much...
if I wear these all on the same day?
You do whatever you want.
Do I keep my promises or do I keep my promises?
So wonderful. The jewelry`s not so bad either.
We shouldn`t keep this in the house. We gotta put it in the bank.
Come on. Can I keep this one in the house?
Pay attention to me.
- What I`m gonna tell you is very important. - Okay.
All this stuff doesn`t mean anything.
Money, this doesn`t mean anything without trust.
I have to be able to trust you with my life.
[ Ace ] With over a million in cash and jewels...
tucked in a bank in Vegas, only for Ginger, she was secure and happy.
She loved that shit.
But a guy in my line of work has to have a lot of payoff cash around.
Crooked cops and kidnappers, they don`t take checks.
Need any help with that, Mr. Collins?
So I put two million in cash in a Los Angeles bank...
under the name of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Collins.
This was strictly my shakedown and kidnapping money.
[ Ginger Laughs ]
And since I`d either be in jail or locked in a closet....
when I needed the money the most...
I gave Ginger the only key to the cash that could get me back alive.
- ÷ I`ll take you there ÷ - ÷ I`m callin`, callin` ÷
÷ Callin` for mercy ÷
- ÷ I`ll take you there ÷ - ÷ Mercy, mercy ÷
÷ I`ll take you there ÷
This is a signature card.
So once she signs those papers, she`ll be the only person...
to have total access to the box, no one else, including myself?
That`s right. That`s the way you wanted it.
[ Banker ] Sam, let me ask you a question.
You must really trust your wife.
Yeah, sure I do. Why?
It`s good. It`s just unusual.
Tell you the truth, so many of my clients don`t.
- ÷ Let me take you there ÷ - ÷ I`ll take you there ÷
- ÷ Ain`t no smilin` faces ÷ - ÷ I`ll take you there ÷÷
÷ Never will I know happiness ÷
[ Ace ] With Ginger and the money in place, I feIt covered.
And to play it safe, I switched job titles again...
and made myself Food and Beverage Director.
This way nobody would bother me about a license.
I mean Vegas was like a dream for me.
Trouble was, Nicky was dreaming his own kind of Vegas.
[ Nicky ] I put money out on the street chargin` three points a week.
- Don`t make us come lookin` for you. - Juice to the fuckin` dealers.
You won`t have to look for me.
I appreciate it. Thanks, Nicky.
They were degenerate gamblers, coke freaks.
In no time I had half the dealers in the Tangiers in my pocket.
Then, I started bustin` out high-stakes poker players.
[ Ace ] It was so obvious.
- All of Nicky`s half-assed mechanics were signal-happy. - I`m gonna open for 500.
[ Ace ] Signaling back and forth.
[ Poker Player ] Why you cryin` with two loaves of bread under your arm?
Nicky thought nobody was watching him. But he was wrong.
And I didn`t want any of those agents near my place.
- Four aces. - I can`t believe this.
[ Poker Player ] lf I didn`t have bad luck, I wouldn`t have any luck.
I wished to God Nicky and his whole crew would just get lost.
What am I gonna do? Go back home and start a war?
Nicky`s a made guy, and I`m not. I can`t do that.
Be careful. Gaming agents are all over the place.
So I`m lucky. I`m not allowed to get lucky in this place?
You`ve been lucky all week. They`re looking to nail you.
[ Nicky ] Ace was so fuckin` worried about his casino...
he forgot what we were doin` out here in the first place.
A million times I wanted to yell in his fuckin` ear...
"This is Las Vegas.
We`re supposed to be out here robbin`...
you dumb fuckin` hebe."
I don`t give a shit who he`s connected to.
Tell him to take his fuckin` feet off the table.
What`s he think this is, a goddamned sawdust joint?
Sir, would you mind taking your feet off the table?
Yeah, I would mind. I`m having a bad night.
Fuckin` asshole won`t budge.
Call security.
- How are you? - Good. How are you?
Wanna do me a favor? Take your feet off the table and put your shoes back on.
Fuck you!
I want you to exit this guy off the premises...
and use his head to open the fucking door.
Sir, you`re gonna have to leave. Wanna come with us outside?
Bullshit. I ain`t goin` anywhere with you.
- Bullshit. You`re outta here. - Fuck you!
You know who you`re fucking with? Do you?
You fucking faggot! Do you know who you`re fucking with?
Leave me alone! [ Grunting ]
- Come on! - You guys are killing me!
Sure enough, an hour later, I get the call.
Ace, what happened over there? Did you know that guy was with me?
No, I didn`t know that. But you know what he did?
I walked over to him politely, and he tells me to fuck myself.
- Then he called me a faggot. - What?
- I threw that cocksucker out. - Hey, come here.
You called my friend a faggot? You tell him to fuck himself?
- ls that what you did? Tell him to go fuck himself? - [ Grunting ]
[ Grunting Continues ] Come here. Come here.
You go over there. You apologize.
You better hope he lets you back in.
lf you get outta line again, I`ll smash your head so hard...
you won`t be able to get that cowboy hat on.
Fuckin` hick. Sammy, listen.
This guy obviously doesn`t know who he was talking to.
He doesn`t know that we`re dear friends.
I mean, he`s already very sorry.
But if you could do me a favor and let him back in...
I swear he`ll never get out of line again.
lf he does it again, he`s out for good.
I don`t care what it is, I`ll never let him in the place again.
I`m sorry about this, really.
All right, Ace? Thanks, pal.
You took your boots off? You put your feet on the table?
You shit-kickin`, stinky-horse-manure-smellin` motherfucker, you!
You fuck me up over there, I`ll stick you in the desert.
- Go over and apologize. - Nicky, I`m sorry.
[ Roaring ]
÷ You`re dear to me Yes, sirree ÷
[ Nicky ] You know, Ace could be a very touchy guy.
Especially when he got bigger in town.
Like when he hired that Jonathan and David and their tigers away from the Palace...
by building them a new stage and giving them a Rolls-Royce.
But I`ll tell you, he knew how to bring in the crowds.
He knew all the fuckin` angles.
He brought over the whole "Femme Fatale" show from Paris...
but he forgot how lazy them European dancing broads can get.
He had to weigh `em in once a week to make sure they didn`t blow up like balloons.
She`s still eight pounds over.
- What`s the reason for this? - Mr. Rothstein, sir.
Never mind the "sir." Why is she eight pounds over?
I`m trying to use respect.
Mr. Rothstein is good enough for you.
Well, sometimes when you put that pressure point on them--
All you do is give me answers. Just give me the right answer.
I guess she`s frightened. lf she doesn`t lose weight she may get fired.
That`s right, she will get fired. Send her back to Paris--
- It`s been our policy-- - Just stop everything!
- This woman`s an institution. - That`s the problem. She`s lazy.
[ Nicky ] Hey, I gotta give the guy credit.
I mean, he does the most obvious thing.
This is the only town in the country where a bookie joint is legit.
So why not take advantage, right?
So, he took bookie joints off the street...
and then opened them up inside the casino.
Within a few years by doing all of this...
he had every casino on the strip trying to copy off of him.
[ Ace ] Between my innovations...
÷ Look like they`re taking some cat to jail ÷
and Nicky`s dedication to his job...
÷ Steamboats are comin` and they`re splashing and goin` ÷
I soon had the best operation on the strip.
÷ Moon is shinin` on friends below ÷
You gotta watch yourself. There`s a lot of heat on you already.
Why? Somebody`s complainin`?
I`m hearing things from security.
The sheriff`s lookin` to put you in the Black Book.
That Black Book is a bunch of bullshit.
They got two names from the whole country...
and one of `em is still Al Capone.
lf they put you in that book, you`re gonna be in trouble.
You will not be able to walk into a casino.
I`m trying to make a living, that`s all.
I`m just tellin` you. Don`t say I didn`t warn you.
All right.
[ Man ] Mrs. Rothstein, straight ahead. Very nice.
Thank you.
[ Chattering ]
[ Man ] For his hard work and dedication...
and the new life blood he has instilled in Las Vegas...
Sam has established himself as an indispensable member...
of the gaming community.
As the head of the Tangiers Gaming Corporation...
it`s my pleasure to welcome Sam Rothstein...
to the Vegas Valley Country Club.
[ Applause ]
[ Ace ] Back home, they would`ve put me in jail for what I`m doing.
But out here, they`re giving me awards.
It is with great pleasure that I accept this certificate of appreciation...
for charitable donations to greater Las Vegas.
Congratulations, sweetheart.
Sam raised more than we`ve ever raised before.
But my greatest pleasure was watching my wife, Ginger, work the room.
- [ Chattering ] - They all loved her. How could you not love her?
She could be the most charming woman you ever saw.
People loved to be around her.
You`ve got to bring Amy to Sasha`s birthday party.
We`d love to have you there.
- Yes, okay. - Great.
She made everybody feel good.
÷ That`s Stella by starlight ÷
Congratulations, Sam.
Oh, thanks.
- Hello, Mrs. Rothstein. How are you? - Hi.
You`re one of the most gorgeous women I`ve ever seen.
You`re a lucky man, Mr. Rothstein.
Thank you. Thanks for that compliment.
He was a young kid from the casino.
Nice kid. Bright boy.
What balls on this fuckin` kid! The next day I fired him.
Ginger had that effect on people. I think she even encouraged them.
Do you wanna see this one? Ahhhh!
Daddy gave me all this jewelry because he loves me so much.
- But as much as they loved her... - Oh, fabulous!
they didn`t know what really moved her.
Look at this. Look at this. Daddy gave me this--
And with Ginger happy, I was able to concentrate on what I knew best.
Loose machines are right back over there.
What are they doin` back there? You can`t even see `em there.
- Okay, I`ll-- - What about the progressives with the high jackpots?
- Well-- - These are our best machines. They bring all the action.
- No wonder the drop is off. - Yeah, okay.
- The action is in the front. Bring `em up front. - All right, I will.
Listen to me very carefully. There are three ways of doing things around here:
the right way, the wrong way and the way that I do it.
- You understand? - I do understand that. I`ll get right on it.
- And thank you. - Don`t thank me. Just do it.
You`re the slots manager. I shouldn`t have to tell you this.
Dang, you are right, Mr. Rothstein. I am so sorry.
[ Ace ] So I ended up working-- what, 18-hour days.
Ginger was the one who wound up enjoying the best of Vegas.
Come with me, please. I have a better table for you.
What did you say to that fucking jerk, anyway?
I told him I was Mrs. Sam Rothstein.
[ Chuckles ] Well, you might as well get something out of it.
[ Ace ] Well, it wasn`t long...
before what I was afraid was gonna happen happened.
Nicky managed to get himself banned from every casino in Las Vegas.
And from then on, I couldn`t be seen talking to him anywhere in Vegas or near it.
What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
"He will be ejected from any casino in Las Vegas.
And the casinos can be fined as much as $100,000...
every time he shows up."
- You believe this shit? - Yeah, I believe it. You got banned.
"Because of notorious and unsavory reputation--"
Motherfucker!
ls there any way around this?
No, there`s no way.
Let`s say, for instance...
I wanna go in a restaurant, which happens to be in the casino...
to get one of those sandwiches I like?
Forget it. You can`t even set foot in the parking lot.
That`s how serious it is.
In other words, I`m fucked?
In so many words, yes.
It just didn`t sink into his head about the Black Book and what it meant.
Not being able to go into a casino is one thing...
but being in this book etched your name into the brains of every cop and FBl agent.
I mean, you`re listed in there with Al Capone. But Nicky didn`t care.
I gotta do something. They ain`t gettin` rid of me.
They`re not gettin` rid of me. I`m stayin` here.
Fuck `em. Fuck `em.
[ Nicky ] So, once they pulled that shit...
I started doin` my own things nobody ever thought of doin`.
To keep an eye on things, I brought in my kid brother, Dominick, and some desperados...
and started knockin` over high-rollers, casino bosses...
bookmakers-- anybody right here in town.
I had a good fuckin` crew goin` for me, I`ll tell you that.
I had Sal Fusco, a great second-story guy.
Jack Hardy. He worked for a safe company before he did a six-year bit.
And then there was Bernie Blue. This guy can bypass any alarm for me.
It was like old times.
And I opened up my own jewelry store too, the "Gold Rush."
Sometimes I used to go along on a heist, just for the fun of it.
But I didn`t like the people I was rippin` off looking at me...
so I used to turn their fuckin` pictures around.
- What`s takin` so long? - This is a motherfucker!
- It`s working. - Learn how to open these things so you don`t have to take `em.
Some of these stones got a lot of niggers in them.
Tell Pepe if he`s switching stones on us, he better take a camel back to Nigeria.
- [ Phone Rings ] - Yeah?
- They`re in Penthouse K. - Check in alone?
- They checked in alone. - Are they out now?
- Yes. Don`t worry. - All right. Thanks.
[ Ace ] He had tipsters all over town. Bellmen.
- But you got to hurry. - Yeah, okay.
- Valet parkers. - They`re just checking in now.
Okay, I`ll tell him.
- Pit bosses. - Room 1230 at the Scirocco.
- 1230. Right. - Secretaries.
- Mint condition coins. - Mint condition? All right.
And they all got a piece of the score.
Car`s coming.
÷÷ [ Hard Rock ]
They were very careful.
They always bypassed the alarms, or else...
if not, they`d drill enough holes to knock through the walls with a sledgehammer.
Nicky was grabbing everything he could.
Nobody out there was expecting a guy like him.
For Nicky, Las Vegas was the fucking wild west.
I just got a shipment of diamonds from lsrael.
[ Nicky ] What the fuck they expect from me? I had to earn, didn`t I?
You know, this diamond has flaws in it.
- There`s no flaws. - I`m doing this for 25 years.
You better clean your loupe, because there`s no flaws.
[ Nicky ] Whenever we got local merch...
we`d usually send it to Palm Springs or Arizona, L.A.
I had a couple of sand niggers out there. You know, Arabs.
What, are you gonna have a fucking meeting here?
I know his language.
Forty thousand dollars. The whole package.
Twenty thousand. That`s my final offer.
He suddenly talks English. Let`s talk Turkey here. Twenty-five thousand.
[ Nicky ] I actually turned my bedroom into a bank vauIt...
where I kept the choice stuff.
I couldn`t leave it at the Gold Rush...
in case we got raided by the cops...
or if my crew got cute.
I had the only key. Jennifer didn`t give a fuck.
She used to fall asleep on the couch watching TV.
This stuff was all mine. I didn`t send any of this back home.
Actually, I couldn`t, because I wasn`t even supposed to be doin` it.
The bosses were making so much fucking money with the casinos...
that they didn`t want anybody makin` any waves for them.
You gave all the guys in your crew a piece of that?
- I took care of everybody. - Yeah?
That`s why there was no real organized street stuff in Vegas before I came here.
But how much cash could I bury in my closet?
You have to understand, and I`m sure you do...
that in a venture of this kind...
you have to be prepared to take some kind of loss.
So I put some of the money into legitimate deals with Charlie Clark, Ace`s banker.
You will try to push it through, won`t you, Mr. Clark?
- Yes. - I`m giving you 50,000 cash.
Then I put some more money into legitimate places, like my restaurant.
- ls that the last one? - Yeah.
I had my kid brother, Dominick, run it for me.
Fuckers.
- Here you go, guys. - All right.
- Thanks a lot. - Yeah. Enjoy. Have a good time.
Choke on it, motherfucker.
- Hey, Dom. - How ya doin`?
[ Ace ] Yeah, Nicky loved restaurants. He was a real restaurant buff.
And over the years, he always made money with it.
In Vegas, he had the Leaning Tower. It was a very popular spot.
He had politicians, showgirls and movie stars hanging out all over the place.
That show over at the Flamingo gets better and better.
By the way, Sammy said, whenever you have a minute, give him a call.
- Made a messenger out of you too, huh? - Anything for a buck.
- He does it to everybody. Enjoy your dinner. - Thanks.
[ Ace ] But I gotta tell you, the thing Nicky liked most was the showgirls, naturally.
I mean, to them, Nicky was the movie star.
- You walk past me? - Hey, this is Shelly.
- Hey, Shelly. How are you? - Hi.
- And this is Stacy. - Stacy.
- This is Nick. Wanna have dinner? - Pleasure.
Let`s check the kitchen first. Excuse us one second.
Come on. I`ll show you. I fly stuff in fresh every day.
I get bread from back home. I get fish from California.
And you can always tell a great kitchen like ours because of the milk-fed veal.
That`s the secret. See, milk-fed veal is pure white.
Out here they got that pink veal. Slide over, honey.
Now, pink veal, you can pound that shit for two days.
It`ll never, ever get tender. You know what I mean?
I left here with the money. Got muscled on the street.
A couple guys, I owe them. So I gave them the money.
- That`s what I did. - Yeah?
- Yeah. - You call yourself a man?
You know you`re a lyin` lowlife, motherfuckin` gamblin` degenerate prick?
You know that`s what you are? Two small kids at home.
I gave you money to pay the fuckin` rent...
and buy groceries, put the heat on.
Your wife called Frankie and told him the fuckin` heat`s off.
And you didn`t gamble that fuckin` money?
- No? You didn`t? - I didn`t--
Don`t fuck with me, Al! Don`t make a fuck outta me.
You wanna embarrass me and make a fool outta me? You didn`t gamble?
Tell me you gambled the fuckin` money...
I`ll give you the fuckin` money to put the fuckin` heat on!
Did you gamble? Huh?
Fuckin` degenerate.
Fuckin` kids at home.
Here. Get the fuck outta here.
- Thanks, Nick. - Yeah, thanks.
Let me find out you fucked up. I`ll leave you where I find you.
How many of these you gonna eat?
- Two. - Two?
[ Ace ] But around 6:30 in the morning, when he finished his day...
no matter where he was or what he was doing...
he always went home to make breakfast for his son, Nicky boy.
I know you like this. A little butter, right?
- Not a lot. You know why, right? - Yeah.
- Why? - `Cause it clogs up your heart.
What a smart kid you are. Okay, eat.
[ Nicky ] Every couple of weeks, I used to send Marino...
back to the bosses with a piece of what I made.
Not a bit piece, but what did they know?
They were 1,500 miles away, and I don`t know anybody who can see that far.
Their drop was a truck stop garage...
where Remo and the guys used to hang out and count their millions.
- Remo. - Hey, Frankie.
The cops knew, but they didn`t give a fuck.
Nicky sends his warmest regards.
I knew how to keep the bosses happy.
Whenever they gave me little jobs to do...
I would carry things out to a "T."
Like the time Tony Dogs, who`s supposed to be the new maniac tough guy in town...
shot up one of Remo`s bars.
Here`s a fuckin` guy kills two of Remo`s guys...
and a poor fuckin` waitress who was just workin` on her night off, of all things.
I mean, this guy`s just beggin` to be made an example of.
Frankie, I want the names of all the other people he had with him.
And I don`t care what you have to do to `em to get `em, understand?
- I`ll take care of it, Remo. - And mow `em down.
[ Nicky ] To be truthful with you, I had to admire this guy.
He was one of the toughest lrishmen I ever met.
- [ Chattering ] - This son of a bitch was tough.
For two days and two fuckin` nights we beat the shit outta this guy.
We even stuck ice picks in his balls.
- Better give me a name soon, or I`m gonna give him yours, Frank. - Thanks a lot.
- But he never talked. - I know you would`ve ratted by now.
In the end, I had to put his fuckin` head in a vise.
Dogs, Dogs, can you hear me, Dogs?
Listen to me, Anthony. I got your head in a vise.
I`ll squash your fuckin` head like a grapefruit if you don`t give me a name.
Don`t make me have to do this. Please. Come on!
Don`t make me be a bad guy. Come on.
[ Straining ] Fuck you!
This motherfucker. You believe this? Two fuckin` days and nights.
Fuck me? Fuck me? You motherfucker!
Fuck my mother? ls that what you`re tellin` me?
- [ Skull Crunching ] - You motherfucker, you! Huh?
- Oh, God! - Give me the fuckin` name!
[ Straining ] Charlie M.
- Charlie M.? - Charlie M.
You make me pop your fuckin` eye outta your head...
to protect that piece of shit, Charlie M.?
You dumb motherfucker!
Kill me, you fuck! Kill me!
You motherfucker, you!
Frankie, do him a fuckin` favor.
[ Ace ] The word got around that finally...
there was a real gangster in town.
Nicky was the new boss of Las Vegas.
Charlie M.
[ Bells Ringing ]
Four reels, sevens, across three $15,000 jackpots.
Do you have any idea what the odds are?
It`s gotta be in the millions, maybe more.
Three fuckin` jackpots in 20 minutes! Why didn`t you call me?
It happened so quick. Three guys won. I didn`t have a chance.
- You didn`t see the scam? - There`s no way to determine that.
Yes, there is. They won!
It`s a casino. People gotta win sometimes.
Ward, you`re pissing me off. Now you`re insuIting my intelligence.
You know goddamn well somebody had to get into those machines and set those fuckin` reels.
The probability on one machine is a million and a half to one.
On three machines in a row, it`s in the billions.
What`s the matter with you?
Didn`t you see you were being set up on the second win?
I think you`re overreacting.
Listen, you fuckin` yokel. I`ve been carrying your ass ever since I got here.
- Get your ass outta here. - You`re firing me?
I`m firing you. No, I`m not firing--
- You might regret this. - I`ll regret it if I keep you.
This is not the way to treat people.
lf you didn`t know, you`re too fuckin` dumb.
lf you did know, you were in on it.
Either way, you`re out. Get out. Come on. Let`s go.
The guy`s history as far as I`m concerned.
But you can`t fire him. His brother-in-law is County Commissioner.
Everybody with cowboy boots is a fuckin` county commissioner or related to a commissioner.
This is his state. His uncle`s chief judge.
His brother-in-law runs the county commission.
You`re in the finances, you`re upstairs.
But you are not on the floor. You don`t see what`s going on.
I`ve got thousands of players. I`ve got 500 dealers.
They`re all looking to rob me blind 24 hours a day.
I have to let them know I`m watching all the details all the time.
There is not one single thing I will not catch.
- Look at yours. Look at that. - Huh?
Look at this. There`s nothing.
Look how many blueberries your muffin has.
What are you talking about?
lf you don`t do it yourself, it never gets done.
- Where are you going? - ÷ How long can this go on ÷
From now on, I want you to put an equal amount of blueberries in each muffin.
An equal amount of blueberries in each muffin.
Do you know how long that`s going to take?
I don`t care how long it takes. Put an equal amount in each muffin.
Just a little. That a girl.
Oh, boy, look. You wanna go to Mommy?
Wanna come to Mommy? It`s all right, sweetheart.
I need to talk to you. I need some money.
- What do you need? - Got her?
Well, I need a lot. I need more than usual.
Why don`t you take it out of your account?
I would, you know, Sam, it`s just that--
Well, I need more than that. I need $25,000.
Twenty-five thousand? For yourself?
- Yeah. - Why do you need that much?
What`s the difference? I just need it.
Well, I gotta ask you. That`s a lot of money.
You`re not asking for a box of popcorn.
We don`t have to turn this into a big deal.
Okay? We don`t have to have a fight.
It`s important to me. Just something I wanted to do.
Who`s fighting? I mean, tell me what it`s for.
Why can`t you tell me what it`s for? Huh?
Well, you know what? Now I want you to tell me.
My wife comes to me and asks me for 25,000. What do you want, a coat?
- No. - lf you want a coat, you got it.
It`s not the money. It`s just, why do you want it? Am I not entitled to ask that?
Sam, I`ve been independent my whole life. I never had to ask anybody for anything.
- Now you`re making me beg. - What are you talking about?
And you`re embarrassing me. Why do you want to make me feel so bad?
You`re asking me for 25,000. I`m not out to make you feel bad.
I want to just be able to trust you.
You know, it`s about trust.
I have to be able to trust you with my life.
Do you understand?
Can I trust you?
Answer me. Can I trust you?
You can trust me.
Good. So then you could tell me what the money is for.
÷ You`ve got to ÷
÷ Give a little ÷
÷ Take a little ÷
÷ And let your poor heart ÷
÷ Break a little ÷
Yeah, she`s leaving the bank now.
All right, I`m gonna follow her.
[ Man Laughing ] What is that?
I know that look. What does that look mean?
It means I got the money.
÷ You`ve got to ÷
- ÷ Give a little ÷ - [ Singer ] Yes, you`re way up on top now.
÷ Take a little ÷÷
How are you doin`, Les? It`s Lester, right?
Sam.
From my recollection, aren`t you the card shark...
the golf hustler, the pimp from Beverly Hills?
lf I`m wrong, please correct me.
`Cause I never knew you to be a heist man.
But if you are, you know what?
Here, take mine too.
Go ahead. Take it. `Cause you already have hers.
She`s my wife. Look at me.
You did know that, didn`t you? You knew that she`s my wife?
- Hey, look at me. - Yeah, I know that.
You know, yeah?
But if you ever come back again, ever...
to take her money, next time bring a pistol.
That way you got a chance.
Be a man. Don`t be a fucking pimp.
Now, you wanna do me a favor? Get outta here.
I wanna be alone with my wife. Get up and get outta here.
- [ Singer ] And you want to be free. - ÷ Take a little ÷
[ Singer ] Why, you feel that you are too good...
much too good for a nobody like me.
- Fuckin` piece of shit. - That`s fuckin` bullshit.
- ÷ That`s the story ÷ - Well, darling, I guess it`s best...
- ÷ That`s the glory of love ÷ - that we should part.
Remember when you called him that night and said good-bye?
He didn`t say, "Don`t get married. I`ll be right down."
- He didn`t say that to you, did he? - No, he didn`t.
No. lnstead, what did he say?
"Fuck him. Take him for everything he`s got."
Come here. I want to show you something.
- ÷ That`s the story ÷ - The second letter came right after I gave you your start.
- [ Grunting, Shouting ] - No! No! No!
[ Screaming ] No! Make `em stop it!
- [ Groaning ] - No! No!
It`s not his fauIt! It`s my fauIt!
[ Shouting Continues ]
[ Screaming ] No!
- Fuck! Fuck! - Piece of shit.
[ Sobbing Continues ]
[ Lester ] Do it yourself, you chickenshit cocksucker!
He`s such a prick!
He had some guy from the hotel beat him up.
He didn`t want to do it himself.
Oh, no, he didn`t want to get his own hands dirty.
So why did he have to do that, huh?
Tell me.
- I know it wasn`t a nice thing to do-- - No shit.
You gotta understand it. He doesn`t know if this guy is shaking you down--
No. No. I told him all about this guy before we ever got married.
- This is no fucking surprise. - Oh, you did? I didn`t know that.
He`s just a friend of mine I was trying to help. So what?
You know, the first time I ever saw you guys together...
I never saw him so happy.
I mean, I know he`s a crazy Jew fuck and everything...
but I never seen him act like that with anybody else.
I think he`s crazy about you. I mean, he really loves you.
Come on. I went into this with my eyes open, you know.
I knew the bottom could drop out at any time.
You don`t think I`m gonna go into a situation like this...
if I don`t think I`m gonna get covered on the back end.
- Sure, I can see that. - Right?
So I put aside some jewelry for me. A lot of jewelry.
You mean like a lot of expensive jewelry? About how much?
You want to steal it?
No. I`m just curious. I was wondering...
how much he would put into a thing like that.
I`m told it`s worth about a million dollars, maybe more.
Well, there you go. What does that tell you?
A million dollars in jewelry.
Does that tell you the guy is crazy about you?
I should`ve never married him. He`s a Gemini.
Triple Gemini. Duality.
Gemini is the snake, you know. You can`t trust a snake.
[ Sniffling ] I mean it.
I know what you mean. Listen, Ginger.
You know, this is probably not-- I don`t have the answers anyway.
- This is probably not what you want to hear... - I do.
`cause you`re a little upset, and I understand that.
But I think you should try to make the best of it now. Go slow. See what happens.
He could`ve killed him! Okay? He could`ve killed him. He didn`t have to hit him.
It`s not like I`m sleeping with the guy.
He makes me sneak around to see my own friends. What is that all about?
I guess it`s `cause he loves you so much, he`s jealous and worried.
He gives a fuck what I do.
Look, I`ll try to find out what the hell is going on.
- When I see him, I`ll talk to him. - Okay.
- All right? - Yeah.
Thanks. Thanks for putting up with me.
Take it easy with this shit. This can only make matters worse.
You`re a beautiful girl. I`ve seen a lot of girls get shot to hell from this.
You`re so nice.
Come on, now. I don`t wanna see you unhappy.
- ÷ These eyes before us ÷ - Thanks.
÷ Just what the truth is ÷
- Thank you. - It`s all right.
÷ I can`t say anymore ÷
÷ `Cause I love you ÷
÷ Yes, I love you-- ÷÷
[ Phone Ringing ]
Mr. Rothstein, County Commissioner Pat Webb is here to see you.
- Give me a minute. - Okay. Just a minute.
Mr. Webb, can I get you anything?
Uh, no. No, thank you, little lady.
Okay, send him in. Then call me four minutes after.
- Mr. Rothstein, I`m Pat Webb. - How do you do?
- Hey, it is a pleasure. - I heard a lot about you.
Oh, thank you, sir. Hey, house is doin` well.
Hey, all that money is rollin` in.
I appreciate you takin` the time to see a poor civil servant.
- Why don`t you have a seat, hmm? - Oh, thank you, sir.
I come here personally to kind of smooth over...
any fracas about a certain matter.
See, uh, maybe you didn`t know it...
but Don Ward is a very well-liked man in this town.
He`s got lots of friends. Nice family and their money go back many, many years.
Now friends vote. Family and money votes.
That`s important to me and you.
And if you`ll think about our little problem along them lines--
and you`ll forgive me for sayin` it--
maybe he did not deserve to be fired.
I`m sorry, but he knew about our getting hit...
on three big machines in a row, and he did nothing about it.
That means, either he was in on it or he was too dumb to see what was goin` on.
Either way, I cannot have a man like that working here.
Before we point the dirty end of the stick at old Don...
we better be sure we can prove them charges.
Believe me, if I could prove it, he would be under arrest.
Are, uh-- [ Clears Throat ]
Are we certain that you want the Gaming Control Board...
eyeballing your record and your gangster pals like Nicky Santoro.
I think you`re way out of line talking to me like that.
What you`re saying is libelous, and you`re in no position to challenge my expertise.
I went way out of my way to be very helpful to that kid.
He`s weak. He`s incompetent. He jeopardizes the whole place.
There`s not much more I can do for him.
You have got me there. [ Chuckles ]
Old Don is as useless as tits on a boar.
[ Coughs ] But he is my brother-in-law...
and I would look on it as a personal favor...
if you`d think some more on hirin` him back.
I can`t do that.
I appreciate the fact that he`s your brother-in-law...
and I do want to help you and I like to do favors.
I know who you are, but I cannot do that.
Well, could there be any position...
farther down the trough?
I`m sorry. I can`t do anything.
He`s too incompetent, and the bottom line is, he cannot be trusted.
[ Phone Ringing ]
Okay. Thanks.
Well... you know, that`s it. I`m sorry.
Mr. Rothstein, your people never will understand...
the way it works out here.
You`re all just our guests.
But you act like you`re at home.
Let me tell you something, partner. You ain`t home.
But that`s where we`re gonna send you if it harelips the governor.
- Thank you for your time. - No problem.
- Sorry. - You bet.
What happened to my pills?
Huh?
lsn`t it bad enough you`re drinking too much? You`re taking my pills too?
I didn`t take your pills.
Look, for my ulcer, I take a half a one of these.
And that`s when I have extreme pain.
I had a three-month supply. What did you do with `em?
[ Crying ] You didn`t have to beat him up.
What?
I was just trying to help him.
Like I`m sleeping with the guy.
Yeah, how do I know?
You can`t make me stop caring about people.
What? What?
I said, you can`t make me...
stop caring about people.
[ Crying Continues ]
Listen... Ginger...
I`m trying to make the best of everything here, you know?
I mean, you`re my wife, for Christ`s sakes.
I mean, people look up to you in this town.
You know what, Ace? I don`t give a shit!
I`m gettin` out of here. I am.
[ Crying Continues ]
Come over here. You gotta get hold of yourself.
- Okay. Okay. - lf not for me, at least for Amy.
Understand? Your drinking`s gettin` way out of hand.
I`m gonna get you into a program. They got plenty of good ones.
- I don`t need one. - Yes, you do. It`s very discreet.
There`s no names in the papers.
That`s all you care about. You don`t care about me.
- Yes, I do. - No, you don`t.
How could you say that?
You`re a beautiful woman. You`re destroying yourself.
You don`t need that fuckin` leech living off you.
I know you better than you know yourself.
You`re a tiger. You`re stronger than I am.
When you set your mind on doing something, you do it better than anybody.
You`re gonna do it. Okay? You`ll do it.
Oh, God.
Okay.