He wants Ginger to marry him despite her not reciprocating his feelings. And he gains the romantic attention of Ginger, a hustler who's equally interested in turning a profit.īut there's something not quite right. He works side-by-side with his childhood friend, Nicky Santoro ( Joe Pesci), a mob man who attacks first and asks questions later. Robert de Niro shines as Ace Rothstein in Casino. Or, in other words, a lot of power as he builds its revenue while feeding back cuts of the cash to the Chicago Mafia. All this gets him in the unofficial position of running the Tangiers Casino. He gets involved with people on both sides of the law. And yet, it surmises Ace's entire being and the nature of Casino's story: this is a film about ego.Īce Rothstein has ambition. Ace says it in the middle of a rant over the most profitable machines sitting in the wrong spot.
This line, spoken by Robert De Niro's protagonist Ace Rothstein, isn't part of a defining moment. There's three ways to do things: the right way, the wrong way, and the way I do it.