CASINO

"NO CRYING IN THE CASINO!"

Jun 09, 2025

On my recent ( and first ) trip to Las Vegas. I couldn’t help but think of Casino (1995), Martin Scorsese’s sprawling epic about the city’s darker, grittier past. Casino captures Las Vegas at a crossroads, the fading mob era of the 1970s and early 1980s, when the city’s power players were not corporations but men in sharp suits and silk ties who answered to Chicago and Kansas City. Today, the mega-resorts, celebrity chefs, and family-friendly attractions dominate, but Scorsese’s film reminds us that Las Vegas was once run like a carefully controlled fiefdom, where billions of dollars flowed in and out through secret backrooms, rigged slot machines, and untraceable cash.

But Casino isn’t just a story about crime; it’s a story about obsession. Ace Rothstein’s fixation on control of the casino, of Ginger, of every detail mirrors the city’s own compulsive need to reinvent itself. Ginger McKenna’s tragic arc feels like a metaphor for Vegas itself: alluring, dangerous, addicted to excess. Even now, that spirit still lingers, just beneath the surface.

The most memorable costumes in the film belong to Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro) they reflect his obsessive control, his taste for luxury, and status as a casino operator. Ace’s costumes are almost militaristic in their precision, always matching, pressed, expensive, and coordinated, reflecting his obsessive nature. His impeccably tailored 1970s suits are stuff dreams are made of, fitted in lavender, mint, coral, canary yellow, baby blue with matching shirts and ties. De Niro reportedly wore over 70 different outfits in the film.

With “Ginger” ( Sharron Stone.) Her wardrobe tells the entire story of her rise, wealth, excess, decline, and eventual ruin. Her form-fitting, backless gowns, mini-dresses, fur coats, dramatic caftans in sequins, lamé, chiffon, silk, beads, feathers are influenced by Las Vegas showgirls and high roller style of the 70s; some looks nod to Halston and Bob Mackie

Watching Casino again after walking the Strip, I realize Scorsese didn’t just capture a moment in time — he captured the DNA of Las Vegas itself: ruthless, seductive, and always ready to gamble it all for another chance at the jackpot.

Casino. 1995. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Starring Robert De Niro Sharon Stone & Joe Pesci. Costume Design by John Dunn & Rita Ryack

Casino. 1995

1970s Givenchy Vintage Gold Earrings, Gucci by Tom Ford Flower Print Jackie Bag, Anthropologie Blue Sequin Dress, Pink Ray Ban Sunglasses, Dorsey Gold Necklace, MANOLO BLAHNIK Yellow patent leather sandals

Robert De Niro in Casino. 199

Simone Rocha Cascading Chandelier Earrings, Pink Linen Mango Trousers, Pink Manolo Blahnik Shoes, TALLER MARMO fringed mini dress, Pink Ray Ban Sunglasses, Pink Linen Mango Blazer

Sharon Stone in Casino. 1995

"I should have never married him. He's a Gemini. A triple Gemini - duality. Gemini's the snake. You know you can't trust the snake. I mean it." -Ginger