Casino is an epic crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese, chronicling the rise and fall of organised crime in 1970s and 1980s Las Vegas. Based on real events, the film stars Robert De Niro as Sam ÒAceÓ Rothstein, a meticulous gambling expert sent by the mob to run a major casino. As Ace builds a lucrative empire, his volatile friendship with enforcer Nicky Santoro, played by Joe Pesci, and his destructive relationship with hustler Ginger McKenna, played by Sharon Stone, begin to unravel everything. With lavish production design, dynamic editing, voiceover narration and a vast soundtrack, Scorsese creates a sprawling portrait of greed, corruption and excess, showing both the glamour and brutality of Las Vegas before the corporate era transformed the city.