Casino Page #6

NICKY (V.O.)

Listen...

INT. TANGIERS CASINO FLOOR, 1972 - NIGHT

Camera swoops from a woman cheering as she wins at a slot-

machine to a blackjack table, then to a roulette table and

over to a craps table.

Montage of very short cuts of chips being picked up, dice

thrown, money being poured from a bucket, stacks of money.

NICKY (V.O.)

...with me protecting Ace, he made a

fortune for the bosses. I mean that's

what got him to Vegas. He was a money

machine. A tremendous earner for

these guys. As soon as he took over,

he doubled the f***in' drop. With

Ace the casino never saw so much

money. And the bosses, they couldn't

be happier.

INT. TANGIERS CASINO FLOOR - NIGHT

Camera moves in on ACE as he looks out over the casino.

Dealers deftly stack chips, scoop up losses and pay off

winners. Chips and money are everywhere.

In extreme close-up slow motion a die falls on to a table.

INT. TANGIERS CASINO SLOT-MACHINE AREA - NIGHT

ACE and SHERBERT are walking down a casino aisle by the slot-

machines. Dealers immediately snap to attention at their

approach.

ACE (V.O.)

In Vegas, I had to keep a few juiced-

in local cowboys working. They were

close to the, you know, good old

boys.

ACE:

(To SHERBERT)

Pay him six hundred a week, tell him

to walk around and look smart.

ACE (V.O.)

I mean, without us, these guys, they'd

still be shovellin' mule sh*t.

ACE points at paper cups, empty glasses and the debris of

silver dollar wrappings on the floor. DON WARD, the Slots

Manager in Western garb, immediately starts picking up the

debris. ACE looks at WARD sternly.

ACE:

Ward, you gotta keep a cleaner

station. If you need 'Mr Clean',

page him, all right?

WARD bends down and picks up some trash.

WARD:

It won't happen again, Sam.

ACE:

Mr Rothstein.

ACE:

(To SHERBERT)

Is this guy just another dumb f***in'

white man, or what? What's his story?

SHERBERT:

We need this guy.

ACE:

We can't get rid of him?

SHERBERT:

He's juiced in. He's the County

Commissioner's cousin.

ACE:

I wouldn't give the bum a mop job.

They exit.

INT. TANGIERS BACCARAT TABLES - NIGHT

A card shoe slides across the baccarat table. A state SENATOR,

a little drunk, tips the dealer, kisses the blonder HOOKER

with him, fills his pockets with his winnings and walks over

to see ACE.

ACE (V.O.)

These yokels ran the state.

DEALER #1

Thank you very much, Senator.

ACE (V.O.)

They passed the laws, they owned the

courts.

SENATOR:

Hi, Ace.

ACE:

Hello, Senator.

They shake hands.

SENATOR:

(To ACE)

Hey, I need a room. Need a room.

ACE:

Good to see ya.

(To SHERBERT)

William would you...

The SENATOR shakes hands with SHERBERT as the HOOKER joins

them.

ACE (V.O.)

I had dozens of politicians and state

officials comin' through that place

every week.

SHERBERT:

Nice to see you, Senator.

ACE:

(To SHERBERT)

Help the Senator, give him whatever

he wants.

SHERBERT:

Certainly.

(Leads the way.)

Senator.

ACE (V.O.)

Why not make them happy?

SHERBERT:

We have some nice penthouses you'll

enjoy. Maybe the Presidential Suite.

INT. TANGIERS PRESIDENTIAL SUITE - DAY

The SENATOR unzips the HOOKER's dress, kisses her and walks

through the bedroom doorway, looking over his shoulder to

her as she takes off her dress and walks out of his sight.

ACE (V.O.)

For politicians...

INT. TANGIERS BACCARAT TABLES - DAY

ACE smoking a cigarette by the baccarat tables.

ACE (V.O.)

...like our state senator up there,

everything was on the house.

INT. TANGIERS PRESIDENTIAL SUITE - DAY

The SENATOR opens a bureau drawer and takes out a small velvet

pouch and pours black $100 into his palm.

ACE (V.O.)

These guys won their comped life

when they got elected. So, hey, why

not take advantage of it? Still, the

politicians come cheap. We could

handle them.

INT. TANGIERS, ICHIKAWA LUXURY SUITE - DAY

K. K. ICHIKAWA a Japanese businessman, and a male associate

pick up towels and soap from about the bedroom of their suite.

A blonde woman checks herself in the mirror.

ACE (V.O.)

It's a whale like K. K. Ichikawa,

who plays thirty thousand dollars a

hand in baccarat. That's the one you

really gotta watch.

ICHIKAWA and his associate walk into the the suite's living-

room and join a Japanese woman seated on a couch.

ACE (V.O.)

He plays fast and big and he has the

cash and the credit to turn out your

lights. About a year ago, he cleaned

out a couple of casinos in the Cayman

Islands.

They begin to stuff Tangiers soap and towels into their

luggage.

ACE (V.O.)

Downstairs, he takes us for two

million... and upstairs he takes

free soap, shampoo and towels. Another

billionaire cheapskate who loves his

free rooms...

EXT. TANGIERS JET, LAS VEGAS AIRPORT - DAY

The Tangiers jet with the Tangiers logo on its side as

ICHIKAWA shakes ACE's hands before boarding. SHERBERT follows

him and his associates aboard.

ACE (V.O.)

...free private jets, and two million

of our money.

ACE:

Nice to see you again.

ACE (V.O.)

But we got him back. I had our pilot

tell him the plane was on the fritz.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. TANGIERS JET, STILL IN THE SAME SPOT - NIGHT

Rate this script:2.3 / 6 votes