The colorful mafia characters always being their own worst enemy, taking one too many risks for the sake of money. The director, actors, producers, editor, and screenwriter choosing to carry on the same path as that of Goodfellas, but in an entirely different universe in Vegas far from that of the Henry Hill character in New Jersey. However, a straight sequel was never seriously considered. Related: Martin Scorsese Is Making Another Movie About Jesus Because The Pope Asked for It
The film is intended to be excessive and vulgar, veering from emotional tone to tone. The mob culture influenced not just the characters but how he filmed the movie, full of tangents and anecdotes, in and of themselves not crucial to the plot, which Scorsese openly admits were self-indulgent. Scorsese framed it rather as a battle of egos, the “brains and brawn” unable to maintain the necessary balance to keep a lucrative racket going. Casino represented “the top of the mob world,” as Pileggi called it, while Goodfellas was the middle class, suburban stage of mob success.
