Question: Sam and Nicky both refer to "back home" but they do not explain where it is . I thought it was Kansas City because that is where the bosses are, but it's revealed that they are only there because "its as close as they could get to Vegas without being arrested". Does anyone know where in America Sam and Nicky are originally from?
Question: Why would Sam's life be threatened by the Mafia bosses if they find out that Ginger and Nicky are having an affair? I know it's mentioned that they hold marriage in high regard but isn't Sam the victim of being cheated on by his wife and betrayed by his friend? I can only come to the conclusion that they wouldn't approve of a man letting his wife sleep around but still, that seems presumptuous and excessive even for the mob. (02:22:10)
Answer: It's also possible that the "bosses" would be concerned that a rift between Nicky and Sam could bring public (police) attention to the criminal activities going on behind the scenes. These are, after all, two very egotistical individuals.
Answer: Concern about their affair probably has nothing to do with "mob morality" but with the possible complications and unwanted attention that Nick and Ginger, who is a volatile and unpredictable alcoholic and drug addict, could cause for the casino operators, who are being investigated by the F.B.I.
Question: Can somebody explain this skim business to me? Cause it sounds like they're stealing from their own casinos - what's the point?
Question: What did Nicky mean when he said some of the diamonds he was fencing had "n*****s in them"?
Answer: He wasn't referring to the diamonds. He was talking about sending the gems to Las Vegas. He says he has several "sand n*****s" out there, meaning fencers, and clarifies that they are Arabs.
But BEFORE that he did say "some of these stones have a lot of n*****s in them", look it up on youtube.
He's referring to "dark inclusions" or imperfections, which, of course, reduce their value.
Answer: Frank Rosenthal (the basis for Sam Rothstein) and Tony Spilotro (the basis for Nicky Santoro) were both from Chicago, so that is likely "back home".