Casino (1995) · 42 quotes
2nd most-quoted character in Casino (1995): in 21 of its 42 quotes
Most scenes with: Nicky Santoro (5)
When you love someone, you've gotta trust them. There's no other way. You've got to give them the key to everything that's yours. Otherwise, what's the point? And for a while, I believed that's the kind of love I had.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein No matter how big a guy might be, Nicky would take him on. You beat Nicky with fists, he comes back with a bat. You beat him with a knife, he comes back with a gun. And you beat him with a gun, you better kill him, because he’ll keep coming back and back until one of you is dead.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein In the casino, the cardinal rule is to keep them playing and keep them coming back. The longer they play, the more they lose. In the end, we get it all.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein You can spot these assholes by watching the way they bet. Like this guy. He's betting lavender chips at five hundred each with only one little problem: He's always guessed right. If he wasn't so ****in' greedy, he'd have been tougher to spot. But in the end, they're all greedy.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein Alright, I'm going to give you a choice: You can either have the money and the hammer, or you can walk out of here. You can't have both.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein In Vegas, everybody's gotta watch everybody else. Since the players are looking to beat the casino, the dealers are watching the players. The boxmen are watching the dealers. The floormen are watching the boxmen. The pit bosses are watching the floormen. The shift bosses are watching the pit bosses. The casino manager is watching the shift bosses. I'm watching the casino manager. And the eye in the sky [the CCTV cameras] is watching us all.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein We all have a past! You have a past, I have a past, and my past is no worse than yours, but you guys think you have the right to pass judgment on me!
Sam "Ace" Rothstein Meeting in the middle of the desert always made me nervous. It's a scary place. I knew about the holes in the desert, of course, and everywhere I looked, there could have been a hole. Normally, my prospects of coming back alive from a meeting with Nicky were 99 out of 100. But this time, when I heard him say "a couple of hundred yards down the road," I gave myself 50/50.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein Yeah, but I've been told that before, "We're working it out." You think that you're home... after what you just put me through with Amy, is a favor to me? So, counting the watch, let's say another four thousand for expenses over the weekend... of which you must have had a good time. I know he did. That's for sure. I know that... ****in' piece of shit had a good ****in' time. On my money. You might as well have **** him, which you probably did anyway. (Ginger glares at him) You're lookin' at me a certain way. You - you're teary-eyed, huh? You're upset. You're a good actress, you know that? Good ****in' actress. You can ****in' get that pity out of people. I'm not a john, you understand? You always thought I was, but I'm not. And I'm not a sucker. That ****in' pimp ****. He's lucky I didn't kill him last time. Lucky he's ****in' livin'. And if you would've stayed with Amy... and you would've ran away... you would've been ****in' dead. Both of you. Dead. Dead.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein You wanna get rid of me? Here I am. Go ahead, get rid of me.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein After all the threats and all the bullshit, it turned out Ginger didn't tell 'em anything. But by then, the Feds didn't need her, anyway. They had all the pieces they needed. And everybody began to tumble, one after the other... just like dominoes. Between Piscano complaining on a wire. Between Nicky, Ginger, me and my license... paradise... we managed to really **** it all up.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein After Ginger took off, she wasn't much help to anybody. She found some pimps, lowlifes, druggies and bikers in L.A.. And in a few months, they went through all the money and all the jewels. After they found her body, I hired a private doctor to do another autopsy. He said they gave her a hot dose. In the end, all she had left was $3,600 in mint-condition coins.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein No matter what the feds or the papers might have said about my car-bombing, it was amateur night - and you could tell. Whoever it was, they put the dynamite under the passenger side. But what they didn't know - what nobody outside the factory knew - was that that model car was made with a metal plate under the driver's seat. It's the only thing that saved my life. The bombing was never authorized, but I suspect I know who lit the fuse. [cut to Nicky meeting up with his gang in the cornfield] And so did the powers that be.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein The word was out. The bosses had enough of Nicky. They had enough. How much were they gonna take? So they made an example of him and his brother. They buried them while they were still breathing. They had other ideas for me.
Sam "Ace" Rothstein The town will never be the same. After the Tangiers, the big corporations took it all over. Today, it looks like Disneyland. And while the kids play cardboard pirates, Mommy and Daddy drop the house payments and Junior's college money on the poker slots. In the old days, dealers knew your name, what you drank, what you played. Today, it's like checking into an airport, and if you order room service, you're lucky if you get it by Thursday. Today, it's all gone. You got a whale show up with four million in a suitcase, and some 25-year-old hotel school kid is gonna want his social security number. After the Teamsters got knocked out of the box, the corporations tore down practically every one of the old casinos. And where did the money come from to rebuild the pyramids? Junk bonds. But in the end, I wound up right back where I started. I could still pick winners, and I could still make money for all kinds of people back home. And why mess up a good thing? And that's that.
Ace Rothstein Before I ever ran a casino or got myself blown up, Ace Rothstein was a hell of a handicapper, I can tell you that. I was so good that when I bet, I can change the odds for every bookmaker in the country. I'm serious. I had it down so cold that I was given paradise on earth. I was given one of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas to run: the Tangiers, by the only kind of guys that can get you that kind of money. Sixty-two million seven hundred thousand dollars. I don't know all the details.
Matter of fact, nobody knew all the details. But it should have been perfect. I mean he had me, Nicky Santoro, his best friend, watching his ass. And he had Ginger, the woman he loved, on his arm. But in the end, we **** it all up. It should have been so sweet, too. But it turned out to be the last time that street guys like us were ever given anything that ****in' valuable again.
Think he got the point?
Ace Rothstein What are you doing? He's a square guy, for Christ's sakes. You can't treat him like that. He's gonna run to the FBI.
**** the FBI! That prick's been dodging me for three weeks. And what is it with you? All of a sudden, you're trying to tell me what to do all the time.
Ace Rothstein I'm not trying to tell you what to do. But you were way out of line, Nick. What're you doing? Where's your head?
Where's my head? Where's your **** balls? Huh? You know I'm trying to put something really big together out here. You know what I'm talking about, huh? You know! If you're acting like this now, how can I depend on you? There's a lot of things going to change out here. And if you wanna be there with me, Sammy, you're going to have to go my **** way.
Ace Rothstein Listen, Nick, you got to understand my situation. I'm responsible for thousands of people. I got a hundred million a year going through the place. It's all over, I'm going to tell you, it's all over, if I don't get that license. And believe me, if it goes bad for me, it's gonna go bad for a lot of people, you understand?
Yeah, forget about your **** license. I plant my own flag out here, you ain't gonna need a **** license. [pause] You know, I don't know what it is, Sammy, but the more I talk to you, the more I feel like you just don't want to go along with me, is that it? You should say so.
Ace Rothstein No, I don't want to come along with you. I'll be honest with you.
Just say so- All right, fine.
Ace Rothstein I don't want to be involved in anything you're talking about, okay? I just want to run a square joint. That's it. I just want my license. I want everything nice and quiet. That's it.
You mean, quiet like this? [holds up a magazine] "I'm the boss." That's quiet?
Ace Rothstein That's all taken out of context. I have no control over that. Ronnie and Billy were right there. They'll tell you exactly what happened.
Well, back home they don't know about **** control. That looks bad.
Ace Rothstein Looks bad? I'm going to tell you what looks bad. Every time you're on television, I get mentioned. That looks bad. That looks bad!
What the **** happened to you? Will you tell me?
Ace Rothstein What happened to me? What happened to you? You lost your control.
I lost control? Look at you! You're **** walking around like John Barrymore! A **** pink robe and a **** cigarette holder? I lost control? You know, I didn't want to bring this up, but you have treating a lot of people with a lot of disrespect. Even your own wife.
Ace Rothstein My wife?
Yeah.
Ace Rothstein Now, what does she have to do with all this?
Well, she comes to see me. She was upset about a lot of things, especially that whole ****in' Diamond - that Lester Diamond incident.
Ace Rothstein All of a sudden, you're the shoulder to cry on? Did you at least tell her about your little role in that whole situation?
No, I didn't. What good would that do? That's not the **** point. The point is that she's upset. She's - and you got a **** problem.
Ace Rothstein Listen, I would appreciate it if you'd stay out of my personal life, okay? You wouldn't like it if I did it to you.
Where the **** do you get off talking to people about me behind my back, going over my head?
Ace Rothstein What people?
What people, d'ja think I wasn't gonna find out?
Ace Rothstein I don't even know what you're talking about Nick...
No? You said I'm bringing heat on YOU? I gotta listen to people because of your ****in shit? You're orderin me out? You better get your own ****in army pal!
Ace Rothstein I didn't do anything, I mean, I didn't order you or anybody. I only told Andy Stone that you had a lot of heat on you and that was a problem.
You want me to get out of my own ****in town?
Ace Rothstein Yeah I said l-let the bullshit blow over for a while, so I can run the casino. Anything goes wrong with the casino it's my ass, it's not yours, it's my ass!
Oh I don't know whether you know this or not, but you only have your ****in casino because I made that possible. I'm what counts out here, not your ****in country clubs or your ****in TV shows! And what the **** are you doing on TV anyhow? You know I get calls from back home every ****in day, they think you went bat shit!
Ace Rothstein I'm only on TV because I got to be able to hang around the casino. You understand that, you know that, come on.
Your ****in ass! You coulda had the food and beverage job without going on television. You wanted to go on TV.
Ace Rothstein Yeah I did want to go on TV. That way I have a forum, I can fight back. I'm known. People see me. They know they can't **** around with me like they could if I was an unknown, that's right, yeah!
You're making a big ****in spectacle of yourself!
Ace Rothstein Me? I wouldn't even be in this situation if it wasn't for you. You brought down so much ****in heat on me, I mean every time I meet somebody the big question is "do I know you?"
Oh sure now you wanna bring your ****in license on me, is that it?
Ace Rothstein No, Nicky, when you asked me if you could come out here, what did I tell you? I mean you asked me and I know you were gonna come out no matter what I said, but what did I tell you? Do you remember what I told you? Do you remember what I told you?
Back- Back up, back up a ****in' minute here. One minute. I asked you? When the **** did I ever ask you if I could come out here? Get this through your head, you...
Ace Rothstein You never...
Get this through your head you Jew mother****er, you. You only exist out here because of me. That's the only reason. Without me, you, personally, every ****in' wise guy skell around'll take a piece of your ****in' Jew ass. Then where you gonna go? You're ****in' warned. Don't ever go over my ****in' head again. You mother****er, you.
You call this guy and tell him I'm comin'?
Of course.
But I saw it another. I saw it as untouched. I mean, they had bookies, pimps and drug dealers I could shake down. Who the **** were they gonna run to? So, I started getting everybody in line. Best of all, for the first time in my life, I figured out a way not to lose.
Ace Rothstein Yeah, he had a foolproof scheme, all right. It wasn't very scientific, but it worked. When he won, he collected. When he lost, he told the bookies to go **** themselves. What were they gonna do, muscle Nicky? Nicky was the muscle.
Nicky!
How you doin'?
How you doin'?
All right, yeah. You got that thing for me?
What thing? Oh, Nicky, I thought you was layin'.
I was layin'? No, no, I'm takin' it. I was takin' it.
You sure?
I'm positive.
Well, I'm a little confused here.
You're a little confused?
Yeah.
Maybe if I stick your ****in' face through this window over here, like, you know, you'll-you'll get unconfused. Give me the ****in' money!
I'm sorry, Nicky. I didn't mean anything by it.
Yeah, I know. That's why you had it ready. You thought I was ****in' layin' it?
Ah! My ****in' head!
Your ****in' head, huh? Don't **** around, Tony.
Smarten up.
You jagoff.
Ace Rothstein I don't give a shit who he's connected to. Tell him to take his **** feet off the table. What does he think this is, a goddamn sawdust joint?
Sir, would you mind taking your feet off the table and put your shoes on, please?
Yeah, I would mind. I'm having a bad night.
**** asshole won't budge.
Ace Call security. [to cowboy] How are you?
Good. How are you?
Ace Good. Want to do me a favor? You want to take your feet off the table and put your shoes back on?
**** you!
Ace I want you to exit this guy off the premises, and I want you to exit him off his feet and use his head to open the **** door.
Sir, you're gonna have to leave. You mind coming with us outside?
Bullshit. I ain't going anywhere.
Bullshit, you're outta here!
**** you! **** you! You know who you're **** with, huh? Do ya? [to Ace] You **** ****! You know who you're **** with? Leave me alone!
Ace Sure enough, an hour later, I get the call.
Ace, what happened over there? I mean, did you know that guy you threw out was with me?
Ace No, I didn't know that, but you know what he did?
No.
Ace He insulted Billy, then I walk over to him politely, and he tells me to go **** myself.
What?
Ace Then he called me a ****, so what do you think I did? I threw that **** out.
Wha-? Ho-hold- [to cowboy] Hey, come here. You called my friend a ****? You told him to go **** himself?
I- I didn't-
Is that what you did, tell him to go **** himself? [beating him down with the handset] You **** hick! You **** hick, you! Come here. Come here! [to Marino] Get him up. [to cowboy] Come here. You go over there right now and you apologize. You better hope he lets you back in. If you ever get out of line there again, I'll smash your **** head so hard, you won't be able get that cowboy hat on! You hear me? **** hick. [to Ace] Sammy, listen. This guy obviously doesn't know who he was talking to. You understand? He doesn't know that, uh, we're dear friends. I mean, he's already very sorry but, uh, if you could do me a favor: let him back in, I swear to you, he'll never get out of line again. I promise you that.
Ace If he does it again, he's out for good. I don't care what it is, Nick. I'll never let him in the place again.
I'm sorry about this, really. All right, Ace? Thanks, pal. [Hangs up and turns to the cowboy] You took your boots off? You put your feet on the table? You shit-kicking, stinky-horse-manure-smelling mother****er, you! You **** me up over there, I'll stick you in a hole in the **** desert. You understand? [slapping him] Go over there and apologize! Get the **** out!
Ace Rothstein First of all, what they did was totally unconstitutional. We're on the list to be heard before the Supreme Court of the United States--
These guys don't give a **** about the Supreme Court! They want you to walk away.
Ace Walk away? Andy, you can't be serious. How can I walk away? Don't you see what's at stake?
The old man said "maybe your friend should give in". When the old man says "maybe," that's like a papal bull. Not only should you quit, you should run.
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