Unfortunately, one of the stereotypes that comes with gangster films, especially those about the Italian mob, is Catholicism.  Casino (1995) is no different, although there is only the briefest of mentions of the Church.  Most people would not notice such things, but as a Catholic movie reviewer, it is hardwired into my viewing.  Therefore, when I see a nun teaching mobster Nicky Santoro’s (Joe Pesci) son at a Catholic school, I get excited.  Besides, I love nuns.  Then there is the rest of the proceedings, which ruins any joy I get from that moment.  Many people acknowledge it as one of the better entries in what can be considered a cinematic subgenre based on illicit activity.  My main reaction was sadness, and I think you will feel the same way by the end of the synopsis.

How could one feel anything but sadness since the first scene in Casino features Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro) getting into a car and seemingly dying in an explosion after he turns the key.  Then again, since he carries on narrating for much of the rest of the film, one can make assumptions as to his fate following the blast.  It is also made clear from the beginning that Sam is a well-known and respected gambler.  Do not take just his word for it.  His childhood friend and co-narrator Nicky explains how much Sam’s expertise meant to the mafia.  It starts with sports bets, and according to Nicky, Sam is never wrong.  Such information is so valuable to organized crime that they make Nicky Sam’s protector.  Anybody who even appears to threaten Sam has to deal with Nicky, who already has a quick temper.  Sam is not entirely comfortable with Nicky’s violence, but says nothing when the situation is expedient for him.  Such is their partnership when Sam is approached by the family to head to Las Vegas to run the Tangiers casino.  Because this is the mob, there are some hurtles they must first address.  The first is labor, though with trade unions like the Teamsters already on their side, this is the easiest problem to solve.  The other is having an in to the emerging “City of Sin,” and that is Philip Green (Kevin Pollak), a real estate mogul who is funded by the mafia in order to open a casino on the strip.  He also has the political connections in order to make everything operate smoothly.  This helps in bringing in Sam to be the one in charge of the business.  Not only does he understand how to get every last dollar out of such an enterprise, he knows how to handle the politicians who routinely come through the doors of the Tangiers.  Mostly importantly, however, he is able to secure the money that begins coming to the mob families back East for the investment they make out West.  Because everyone is aware of the wealth passing through the eponymous place, there comes several attempts at ripping it off.  Much of the time, this involves cheaters at the card tables.  Sam is able to easily spot them and deals with them harshly, seeking to send a violent but not deadly message that such behavior will not be tolerated.  This works fine until Nicky is sent to once more make sure nobody messes with Sam.  Then again, Nicky is not Sam’s only threat.  The other is when the normally calm and calculating Sam meets Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone).  The first time he sees her, she is conning people at the roulette table, slipping extra chips into her purse, but doing it with a style he admires.  In a sense, they are perfect for each other since their main concern is a shared focus on making money.  What Sam fails to account for is her continued devotion to her former lover and pimp, Lester Diamond (James Woods).  After knowing Ginger for a few months, though Sam knows about Lester, the casino man asks her to marry him.  To her credit, she is honest and says that it is not a good idea, adding that her feelings for Sam are warm but platonic.  He claims that genuine love will come with time, and lures her in by promising to financially take care of her for the rest of her life.  On their wedding day, he finds her on the phone with Lester, claiming that she is saying goodbye for good to her so-called old friend.  Everything seems to be solved in terms of carrying on business as usual, but, of course, there are issues.  The main one is Nicky, who goes beyond his intended purpose and begins ruling organized crime in Las Vegas in an increasingly brutal fashion.  Doing so gives him a reputation for cruelty, but he ignores Sam’s advice about keeping a low profile.  The other issue is with the gaming commission.  When Sam came west, because of his notoriety as a gambler, getting a gaming license for himself proves difficult.  Thus, he held a number of official positions that did not require an official stamp of approval, even though everyone knew the true nature of his job.  The gaming commission is willing to allow this to go on until Sam fires Don Ward (John Bloom), the manager in charge of slot machines, for incompetence.  This would not be an issue except for the fact that Don’s brother-in-law is Pat Webb (L. Q. Jones), chairman of the gaming commission.  Pat attempts to get Don reinstated, but Sam is firm in his decision.  Thus, Sam is ultimately denied his certificate, which makes his position at the Tangiers a little tenuous.  The families do not want him to leave Las Vegas, so they make him the entertainment director, but it puts him more in the spotlight.  Also getting more scrutiny is Nicky’s activities, but this time by local and federal law enforcement.  None of this matters to Nicky, who continues to act brazenly despite the attention.  Finally, there is Ginger.  Feeling like Sam is trying to control her, she takes their daughter and flees to Lester.  It is evident, though, that Lester cannot protect her, despite giving her all the drugs she wants, so she returns to Sam.  Sam becomes even more suspicious of her, so Ginger seeks out Nicky, with whom she starts an affair.  However, what really brings it all down is the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) overhearing Kansas City underboss Artie Piscano (Vinny Vella) complaining to his mother about all the things he has to do for the mob in dealing with the drama in Las Vegas.  It leads to indictments of everyone, except for Sam, who had actually not done anything criminal.  Because the families did not appreciate being arrested, they kill everyone involved.  Yet, it is Nicky who tries to blow up Sam, who is able to get out of the vehicle before it detonates completely.  We end with him still making sports bets, alone.

Though Sam is the last person we see in Casino, you might be wondering about Ginger and Nicky.  Ginger remarkably reveals nothing to federal authorities, but gets the $2 million Sam had promised her, spends it all on drugs, and soon dies of an overdose.  Nicky is eventually brought to a corn field where he and his brother are murdered for their actions.  In other words, this is not a warm and fuzzy story.  In listening to the Catechism in a Year podcast recently with Father Mike Schmitz, I was reminded of some of the Church’s teaching on marriage.  I bring this up because one of the more tragic aspects of the film is the union between Ginger and Sam.  In talking about the Sacrament, Father Mike affirms that such a union is an indissoluble bond.  A husband and wife may get divorced, but in Catholicism’s view, they are still wedded.  There are many Biblical references for why this is the case, but the most obvious one is Matthew 19:6, “Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”  Ginger and Sam attempt to do just that when they legally separate, though they do not see it that way since they are not Catholic.  The Catholic custom is for two people who are having trouble to do whatever it takes to reconcile because a marriage is not solely about one person or the other.  The primary mission of spouses, and why they are called to submit to one another, is to help each other get to Heaven.  It is difficult to see this in Ginger and Sam’s relationship because of the greed involved.  Still, following their legal proceedings when Ginger tries to take their daughter and abscond with Lester, Sam does welcome her back, if only to once more be with his child.  The problem between them, aside from her addictions, is that there is no co-equal arrangement.  The Catholic stereotype is that the father is supposed to dominate, and that is how things are supposed to work according to Sam.  Father Mike points out that men and women have different roles in a marriage, but neither of them is supposed to be superior to the other.  In this way, the film is a fair example of how not to have marital bliss.

At the same time, I would not recommend watching Casino simply to see how to avoid marital problems.  Indeed, I am not sure I would recommend the film on any grounds.  As I mentioned in the introduction, many consider it to be one of the better mob movies.  However, why would anyone consider such material good in any light.  Instead, this is a sad story that I cannot think would be something anyone would be eager to see.