It has been reported that the man on which the film ‘Casino’ was based, Frank ‘Lefty’ Rosenthal has died at the age of 79 at his Miami Beach home. Those who have seen the film into his life will know that Frank Rosenthal led a colourful life to say the least and was a man few in Las Vegas ever crossed twice – he had links with every group and criminal association going!
Frank Rosenthal ran the Stardust, Fremont, Hacienda and Marina Casinos in Las Vegas in the 1970s and 1980s but it was his strong links with the Chicago mafia which made him stand out from the rest. He was handed the top honour of being crowned the best expert on sports handicapping the industry had ever seen only then to be banned from every casino in Vegas because of his mafia links.
It is claimed that only after Frank Rosenthal left Vegas did we see the emergence of the new Las Vegas we see today, such was his control over the state’s casino industry. Loved and disliked in equal measures we will no doubt hear many more tales about the man who even at the age of 79 still ran his own online gambling operation. This legend will be sorely missed, they don’t make em’ that way anymore. I wonder if he ever played any casino online or always at land based.