The opulence of Las Vegas is the backdrop for Casino, Martin Scorsese’s epic account of the mob’s last days in the desert city. The film lays out a complex web of corruption with tendrils reaching into casinos, politicians, the Teamsters union, and Chicago’s mafia. Casino is the first movie that makes us feel like eavesdroppers on an illegal operation.

The movie focuses on three key characters: Sam “Ace” Rothstein, Ginger McKenna, and Nicky Santoro. Rothstein is a gambler with a genius for numbers who attracts the attention of the mob and becomes their go-to man for running casinos. He is a master at squeezing the most out of every dime, but his success comes with a heavy price. Ultimately, his greed and treachery get him caught up in the mob’s wrath, and he’s forced to turn to violence to survive.

The film’s opening scene shows a car bomb blast and the figure of Ace floating through the air, and it’s an action-packed thrill ride until the credits roll. At nearly three hours, it’s one of Scorsese’s longest movies, but it never lags and remains a lean, mean thriller until the very end. With sharp editing and taut narration, it’s one of the best films about organized crime ever made. Casino also provides a fascinating look at how the mafia lost control of a city that once was minting money in the billions. Today, it works like Disneyland.