Long, pointed, locked collars separated the older, more traditional Wise Guys from the up-and-comers.

And, though the 30-plus outfits worn by hustler-turned-trophy-wife Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone) were a mix of vintage and custom-made, all of Rothstein’s 70 costumes-not to mention those worn by Joe Pesci, Don Rickles, Alan King, Kevin Pollak and James Woods-had to be “built” from scratch. More than 7,000 extras-from go-go girls to hotel clerks-had to be clothed at a cost of $150 to $200 each, much higher than the Hollywood norm. Though things got a lot more civilized by the time the set moved to Sam’s house, we still went violently over budget.” We were really punchy, crying a lot and quitting several times a day.

and shopped and fitted the rest of the time. “It was triage,” recalls Ryack, whose credits also include “Apollo 13” and Scorsese’s “Cape Fear.” “The first three weeks we shot in the casino from midnight to 10:30 a.m. And since no one thinks of the 1970s as “period,” says costume designer Rita Ryack, the challenge was greater than anyone had assumed. Casting directors combed the streets of New York and New Jersey to round up background players and secondary characters-each of whom had to be outfitted. For this three-hour portrait of the underbelly of Las Vegas, he hired more non-actors-regular folks-than he had for any previous film. Decked out in a coral jacket with matching apricot shirt, tie and socks, the Vegas mobster fairly radiates “cocky” and “flamboyant.”įrom costumes to casting, the look of “Casino” was crucial to Scorsese, a director renowned for his dazzling visual sense. During the opening credits of “Casino,” Martin Scorsese serves up an image of Robert De Niro nearly as memorable as the car bomb that hurls his character, Sam (Ace) Rothstein, into the air moments later.

Casino 1995 poster