Martin Scorsese's "Casino" has grown in stature since its middling 1995 theatrical release and has become something of a mob classic. Some feel it is on equal par with hsi other mob film, "GoodFellas" while others think it is not as great, etc. Director Joseph F. Alexandre shot this often absorbing documentary, "Back Home Years Ago: The Real Casino," and interviewed a few of the people who knew the real-life characters that "Casino" was based on. It is fascinating doco but somehow too short for its own good.
"The Real Casino" has a split structure, one focusing on the Chicago natives who knew these mob guys (some of what they say is repetitive and cut-off abruptly before they start saying something of interest). We do get what amounts to probably less than 2 minutes of Frank Buccieri whose own brother, Fiore, was partly the basis for Remo Gaggi, the mob boss in "Casino." Obviously there isn't much he wishes to say or disclose though I would've loved to learn more about him placing Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal ("Ace" Rothstein as played by Robert De Niro in "Casino") at the Stardust casino in Vegas. All these guys, the mob connections or friends of those in the know how, are shot in shadow to obviously hide their appearance. The second half is of Alexandre himself who knew some of these guys while working at a Chicago pizzeria. Then there is the documentary film crew who think this is all Hollywood gloss until they hear the witnesses actually speak and know this is the real deal. Joseph F. Alexandre is far animated than the crew, and when was the last time you heard about the crew discussing the documentary you are watching? Still, I would have liked less footage of the crew overall.
Mike Guardino is one talking head I found mesmerizing if only because he is not abruptly cut off when he speaks. Mr. Guardino once owned a strip club, car dealership and other businesses and talks about Tony "The Ant" Spilotro (the mob muscle character, Nicky Santoro, as played by Joe Pesci) as a "bad man with no conscience." Guardino is the most fascinating presence in the film, if only because he seems natural and authentic in his speech and clarity (he makes it clear that these mob guys are nothing without their guns). I think a whole short film about him would've made for an exceptional documentary. His recollection of the mob and how they tried to infiltrate everyone's businesses, the "street tax" as it were, is a prime subject that needs more exposure. His observations of this underworld are memorable and chilling. Overall, if you are a fan of "Casino" or have an avid interest in the mob underworld, give "The Real Casino" a shot.
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