Anthony Spilotro FBI Files927 pages of FBI files covering Anthony “The Ant” Spilotro. La Cosa Nostra enforcer Anthony Spilotro was well known for his involvement in organized crime in the 1970's and 1980's. Spilotro was the model for Joe Pesci's character, Nicky Santoro, in the Martin Scorsese film "Casino," (1995) starring Robert De Niro.
Files contain approximately 800 narrative pages dating from 1968 to 1993. Memos show FBI discovery of plans by Spilotro to kill Jimmy "The Weasel" Fratianno. Files contain information about a late 70's, early 80's interstate transportation of stolen goods investigation and prosecution.
Files contain 80 pages of cross refences from the FBI files of Frank Rosenthal related to his association with Anthony Spilotro.
Frank Lawrence "Lefty" Rosenthal (1929 – 2008) was a professional sports bettor, former Las Vegas casino executive, and organized crime associate. The film Casino, co-written by Nicholas Pileggi from his biography Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas, is largely based on Rosenthal's time in Las Vegas. Robert DeNiro’s character Sam "Ace" Rothstein is based on Rosenthal.
Tony "The Ant" Spilotro was sent to Las Vegas by the Chicago branch of La Cosa Nostra, known as the "Outfit," after proving his skills at conducting mob business. Often with the use of an ice pick or the placing of someone's head in a vise.
Under Joey Aiuppa, a leader of the Chicago Outfit, Spilotro had watched over much of the Syndicate's criminal operations during the 1970’s and early 1980's. Spilotro led a cadre of key Outfit personnel in Southern California and Las Vegas who were heavily involved in bookmaking and loansharking.
In the early 1980’s Spilotro's power and influence in the Chicago Crime Syndicate eroded because of a series of legal battles. In a Las Vegas U. S. District Court, Spilotro faced burglary, racketeering and conspiracy charges. In another case, he faced civil rights charges in a 1979 contract killing of a government informant.
In June 1986, he and his brother Michael Spilotro were victims of a gangland-style slaying and were buried in an Indiana cornfield.
There are several possible motives behind Spilotro's murder, including a possible feud between Anthony Spilotro and Outfit member Joseph Ferriola, and the Chicago Crime Syndicate's dissatisfaction with Spilotro's performance in Las Vegas. In addition, several people allegedly under Spilotro's control, testified against the Chicago Crime Syndicate's leaders during their Kansas City racketeering trial that ended in 1986.
In 1990, Albert Tocco, a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit was sentenced to 200 years in prison. His wife testified that she drove her husband from an Indiana cornfield where he told her he had just buried Spilotro.
In 2007, mob hitman Nicholas Calabrese became a government witness against 14 Chicago mob figures. Calabrese , pleaded guilty to taking part in a conspiracy that included 18 murders, including the killings Anthony and Michael Spilotro. In September 2007, Frank Calabrese, Sr., the brother of Nicholas and four other men, Chicago Outfit boss James Marcello, Joseph Lombardo, Paul "The Indian" Schiro, and former Chicago police officer Anthony "Twan" Doyle, were convicted of mob-related crimes. On September 27, 2007, Marcello was found guilty by a federal jury in the murders of both Spilotro brothers. On February 5, 2009, Marcello was sentenced to life imprisonment.