Geri Rosenthal, whose story was dramatized in Martin Scorsese's "Casino," was far more complex than her on-screen portrayal suggested. Originally Geraldine McGee, she was a single mother who built financial independence before meeting mobster Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal.

Prior to Las Vegas, Geri supported her daughter Robin, born in 1958, while living in Sherman Oaks. After moving to Las Vegas in 1960, she worked as a cocktail waitress at the Dunes and later as a showgirl at the Tropicana. By the time she met Lefty, she owned her home and had established investments.

Unlike Robert De Niro's portrayal in "Casino," the real Lefty Rosenthal was described as "a menacing Fred Astaire" - an unremarkable-looking man who perspired constantly. Geri married him not for love but for stability, though they had two children together.

Her affair with Tony "The Ant" Spilotro, Lefty's boss, became a crucial factor in the mob's eventual departure from Las Vegas. The FBI used this scandal, which violated mob code, to increase pressure on the criminal organization.

The marriage ended dramatically when Geri pulled a gun on Lefty, emptied their safe deposit boxes, and fled to Los Angeles. She died of a drug overdose in 1982 at age 46. Lefty survived a car bombing attempt that same year and lived until 2008, dying of heart failure at 79.

Related Articles

Previous Articles