In Martin Scorsese’s Casino, which nonfiction book provided the source material?

Martin Scorsese’s Casino was based on the nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas.

The book was written by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the film’s screenplay with Scorsese. It examines the relationship between casino executive Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, mob enforcer Anthony Spilotro, and Rosenthal’s wife, Geri McGee, in 1970s Las Vegas.

The movie changes names and fictionalizes some events, but its central characters are closely associated with real people. Robert De Niro plays Sam “Ace” Rothstein, Sharon Stone plays Ginger McKenna, and Joe Pesci plays Nicky Santoro.

Casino is sometimes confused with Goodfellas because both films were written from Pileggi’s nonfiction research and feature organized-crime narration. Goodfellas adapted Wiseguy, while Casino drew from Pileggi’s Las Vegas book and was released in 1995.