Judge comes clean on behind-the-scenes help for ‘Casino’ star

Finally, U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence Leavitt's Hollywood connections are publicly revealed.

Nearing retirement on Oct. 7, he is now comfortable talking for public consumption about how he was interviewed by Robert De Niro in 1994, when the actor was developing his character for the movie "Casino," based on the relationship between Frank Rosenthal and mobster Tony Spilotro.

Only now would Leavitt go on the record about how director/producer Michael Mann based a character in the critically acclaimed television series "Crime Story" on him.

Leavitt, 74, is a great storyteller with an eye for detail and an enviable memory. He was a respected prosecutor in the Clark County district attorney's office, the U.S. attorney's office, and the Las Vegas Strike Force. He prosecuted corrupt public officials in Operation Yobo and mobsters, including Spilotro, who was murdered on the eve of his second trial.

After 15 years as a prosecutor, the natural evolution was a federal judgeship for Leavitt in 1987, where he has balanced civil rights with justice. That's the job that restrained him from blabbing to anyone but friends and family about his Hollywood connections. Until now.

At 3 p.m. Friday at the Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse, there will be a public event where they will talk about Leavitt's big cases and judicial skills and his likability.

But I sought the untold story in an interview Thursday: Why would one of the greatest actors of our times want to interview Larry Leavitt?

It started in 1975, when Leavitt was in the DA's office working with investigator Chuck Adamson, a fellow Chicagoan. Before Las Vegas, Adamson had been a Chicago police detective with a partner named Dennis Farina, and they were always talking about ideas for movies.

Adamson was friendly with Mann, also of Chicago, known later for movies such as "Heat," "The Insider," "Ali," "Last of the Mohicans" and "The Aviator."

When Mann came to Las Vegas for research, Adamson introduced him to Leavitt and they talked about ideas for movies.

In 1986, the TV show "Crime Story" made it on the air, a series about a prosecutor, a cop and a bad guy.

"The wiseguy is Tony Spilotro, the cop was a combination of Chuck and Dennis, and the Jewish prosecutor was modeled after me, played by Steve Lang," Leavitt said.

Mann introduced De Niro to Leavitt in 1994 when work was under way on "Casino" and asked if Leavitt would talk to the actor. Mann vouched for De Niro, calling him "a real button-down guy," not an irresponsible jerk like some actors.

During the lunch interview at Larry and Camille Leavitt's home, and another interview with Leavitt and his brother, who worked at the Stardust and Fremont hotels during the Rosenthal era, the actor looked for details to incorporate into his performance.

"Here's an icon sitting there and interviewing me. He was quite wonderful and low key. For a guy who is so powerful in the industry, he was quite humble," Leavitt said. "De Niro was completely nonjudgmental about everything. I gave my perspective on things; he absorbed it."

Leavitt was offered a part in "Casino," but turned it down as inappropriate for a federal judge.

De Niro invited the Leavitts to come to the set during filming several times and took the couple out to dinner at Charlie Trotter's in the MGM Grand as a thank you.

When Nobu opened at the Hard Rock in 2000, the Leavitts were invited and assumed they would be part of a big crowd of dignitaries. Instead, the Leavitts and the Goodmans sat with De Niro and his wife at a table for six.

"I'm private and to some extent De Niro's private," Leavitt said. "There were a couple of conversations where he was fairly open with me, and I wouldn't repeat those."

By saying that, Leavitt was obviously trying to torture movie-mad me. What makes it worse, he doubtlessly remembers every word.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Email her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0275. She blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/morrison.