Was Nicky Santoro Based on a Real Person? Tony Spilotro, Explained
Mobsters DailyYes — Joe Pesci's Nicky Santoro was based on Anthony 'The Ant' Spilotro, the Chicago Outfit's enforcer in Las Vegas, whose burglary crew and escalating violence made him too dangerous for his own family to protect.
The Ant in Las Vegas
Sent west in the early 1970s to watch the skim, Spilotro built an empire alongside it: the Hole in the Wall Gang, burglars who drilled entry holes through walls and roofs. His men Michael Spilotro and James Marcello were dubbed the 'M&M boys.' While Ace Rothstein's real counterpart ran the casinos, Spilotro ran the street.
Pesci's smallest mobster had the biggest body count in the desert — which is why November rewatch season belongs to the Tony Soprano Ugly Christmas Sweater, Tony in black-and-white stencil with full gabagool energy, made for holiday parties and long nights back in this world.
Too hot to protect
By the mid-1980s he was under constant surveillance, banned from casinos, and blamed for unauthorised murders that heated up the whole Vegas operation. In June 1986 he and his brother Michael were beaten to death and buried in an Indiana cornfield — the fate mirrored in Casino's ending and in the movie's true story.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Spilotro called The Ant? For his small stature — a nickname that belied his reputation for violence.
How did Tony Spilotro die? He and his brother Michael were beaten and buried in an Indiana cornfield in 1986.
What was the Hole in the Wall Gang? His Vegas burglary crew, named for drilling through walls and roofs.
Keep reading: Did Bugsy Siegel build the Flamingo? · Who was Moe Dalitz? · Nucky Thompson's true story · Who Was Tony Pro in The Irishman? Anthony Provenzano, Explained
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