Frank Rosenthal Former casino manager in Las Vegas Date of Birth: 12.06.1929 Country: USA

1. Biography of Frank Rosenthal
2. Early Life and Career
3. The Rise of Lefty
4. Controversies and Challenges
5. Life After Las Vegas
6. Later Years and Death

Biography of Frank Rosenthal

Frank Rosenthal, also known as "Lefty", was a former casino manager in Las Vegas, a gambler, and a sportsbook organizer. He gained popularity in the late 1970s as the host of popular talk shows that were broadcasted from the 'Stardust' casino. His life has long been a legend, not only among gambling enthusiasts but also in the entertainment industry. Rosenthal became the prototype for Sam Rothstein, nicknamed Ace, the main character in Martin Scorsese's film "Casino," brilliantly portrayed by Robert De Niro. Scorsese based the screenplay for the 1995 movie on the book of the same name by Nicholas Pileggi and Larry Shandling, inspired by Rosenthal's life story.

Early Life and Career

Frank Rosenthal was born on June 12, 1929, in Chicago. According to his own recollections, he began making sports bets at the age of 13-14, thanks to his father, who owned several racehorses. To attend the races, the young gambler often skipped school. His main source of information was newspapers. He would read and review 30-40 daily newspapers. If there were publications he couldn't afford, he would read them in public shop windows. By 1961, Rosenthal had gained a reputation as a professional gambler and one of the best sportsbook specialists in the United States. His extravagant profession did not go unnoticed by the authorities, and Rosenthal was arrested multiple times. In the late 1970s, he decided to move to Las Vegas, the hub of the American gaming business.

The Rise of Lefty

In Las Vegas, Rosenthal started from the bottom, working as a dealer, and soon became a casino manager. He set a record by managing four casinos and three hotels simultaneously. The US Department of Justice believes that Rosenthal achieved such success with the help of his friends from the Chicago syndicate, who made and laundered huge amounts of money in Nevada. However, Rosenthal was indeed a revolutionary manager who introduced many innovations. Thanks to him, Las Vegas casinos introduced sportsbooks. It was Rosenthal's insistence that led to the introduction of female dealers for blackjack tables, which doubled the profits of casinos like 'Stardust.'

Controversies and Challenges

Naturally, such a powerful manager associated with the mafia had enemies. In 1982, a bomb was attached to the underside of Rosenthal's car. The bomb exploded, but Rosenthal escaped with only a leg burn. In 1976, authorities discovered that Rosenthal, by then the most influential casino manager in Las Vegas, did not have a license to conduct gaming business. This led to a long string of investigations and lawsuits, and by the end of the 1980s, Frank Rosenthal was finally removed from his position and landed on the "black book" - a list of individuals prohibited from engaging in the gambling business in the state of Nevada and even entering casinos.

Life After Las Vegas

However, the enterprising Rosenthal did not settle for this fate. He moved to Florida, where he embraced new technologies. By registering his website on the Internet, he continued his favorite activity - organizing sportsbooks - and became a consultant for several offshore gaming companies. Rosenthal's wife, Jerry McGee, earned a living as a beautiful woman. In the film "Casino," she was portrayed by Sharon Stone. Rosenthal turned a blind eye to his wife's affairs, but her addiction to drugs and alcohol greatly worried him. And he turned out to be right - a year after their divorce, Jerry died in a run-down motel room, having consumed too much whiskey, Valium, and cocaine. Rosenthal paid for her funeral expenses and spent a considerable amount of money on investigations to prove his innocence in her death.

Later Years and Death

Frank Rosenthal passed away from a heart attack on October 13, 2008, at the age of 79, in his home in Miami Beach, Florida.