Nicky Santoro

Grew up… with his good friend Sam “Ace” Rothstein in the rough part of Chicago. Nicky is from the streets, and doesn’t hesitate to use his old-fashioned wise-guy methods of intimidation.

Living… in Las Vegas. Nicky was flown from Chicago to Vegas in order to protect Rothstein, who now runs the Tangiers Casino for the mob boss Remo Gaggi.

Profession… muscle of Rothstein’s outfit. He’s been assigned to eliminate any possible threats, which means that he’s been digging a lot of holes in the desert recently.

Relationship Status… none, though Sam’s manipulative wife, Ginger, has shown interest in Nicky. Ginger’s strained marriage with Sam has driven her to the one person who’s off-limits.

Challenge… keeping a low profile. Though Sam tells him that Vegas cops don’t take kindly to ostentatious gangsters, Nicky insists on flaunting his illegal activities. “The black book’s a joke,” he says of the infamous black book of banned gamblers. “It’s only got two names in it for the whole country. And one of them is still Al Capone.”

Personality… psychotic and violent. Nicky’s friend Sam describes him best: “No matter how big a guy might be, Nicky would take him on. You beat Nicky with fists, he comes back with a bat. You beat him with a knife, he comes back with a gun. And if you beat him with a gun, you better kill him, because he’ll keep comin’ back and back until one of you is dead.” Nicky has a foul mouth and a bad temper, and he doesn’t even try to pretend otherwise.