After the gangster dramas of Goodfellas and Raging Bull, Martin Scorsese followed up with Casino, an epic crime story about organized crime in Sin City. While there have been a lot of movies set in Vegas, few have captured its real history like this one.

The movie focuses on Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro), who runs the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas with help from mobster associate Nicky Santoro and streetwise chip hustler Ginger McKenna. He’s not a mobster himself, but the Chicago Outfit trusts him with their money because he is the nation’s top sports handicapper.

Eventually, the casino’s gambling operations begin to attract unwanted attention from law enforcement, the press, and even local politicians. To protect his business, Sam hires Nicky to run the cash skim and security operation. But as he grows more successful, Ace becomes attracted to the thrill of winning and loses sight of his ethical code.

When he’s on the edge of losing it all, Ace is approached by his old mentor, Remo DiGiorgio, who asks him to join the family. At first, he’s reluctant to make the switch, but eventually agrees to take control of the family’s Las Vegas businesses.

The film was based on the nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi, who also wrote the screenplay with Scorsese. The movie features a cast of veteran actors including Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, and Don Rickles.