Correction to location

Rating: Null/10 (19 October 2006)

Your site states: "The scenes outside the fictional Tangiers casino were shot in front of the then-closed Maxim casino. The Maxim was renovated and reopened as the Westin Casurina (1996)".
At this time, the Maxim was still in operation and gaming continued to be so until 1999. The hotel remained opened until 2001.
The Tangiers was 'created' at the Landmark Hotel-Casino, which had been closed since 1990. Martians destroyed the hotel (The Galaxy Hotel in Mars Attacks!) in 1995.
The Landmark Hotel-Casino was imploded 11-7-95 and was, at the time, the second tallest building in the world to be imploded (by only a few feet). It remains an overflow parking lot for the Convention Center.
As far as the movie - those were the days. Frank Rosenthal ("Ace") was a sports bettor hero as he was responsible for the sports book concept in Las Vegas casinos - Stardust being the first. One of the most brilliant handicappers of our time. When the news hit that he had been served dessert in that parking lot, we all knew he was leaving town. The end of an era for Las Vegas.
One poster stated the tale was based on the Sands - it was actually the Stardust and many, many of the names were changed. Frank Rosenthal - er, "Ace" gives the film a 7 out of 10 for accuracy. Fudge one or two points to keep a few details under the covers and a discrepancy or two about Geri (the chips in the air scene really happened but he had already met her) and I would say he meant a 9. Anthony ("Nicky") was making way too much noise in those days, with his old-school beatings and his on-the-side 'Hole in the Wall' gang. It was no wonder he met the bottom of a corn field at a time when they were trying to be a little more low-profile at the 'Dust. The late '70s-early '80 days were under a lot of Gaming Commision scrutiny with Harry Reid at the helm - who also had a bomb attached to his car once - and cops like Joe Blasko, who was a leak to Anthony Spilotro.
The narration? A nice ride down memory lane for those of us that were there - as was the movie. Great stuff!