This has been brought up before and is always an excellent debate. A few years ago my vote was for Casino. But for about two years, I give the nod to Goodfellas. For me, it's a few things: the acting of Paul Sorvino is superb, the smaller characters like Morrie, Spider, Frenchie, et. al gives Goodfellas an added dimension and depth over Casino. Plus I like the flashback scenes with the younger Henry & Tommy. My favorite character is Jimmy Conway, portrayed wonderfully by DeNiro.
All that said, there's not much to dislike about Casino. There is less humor than in Goodfellas. Ginger is a character that the viewer grows to despise, whereas there is no such character in Goodfellas. I love the beginning hour of Casino, especially the scene where they catch the two guys cheating. I like the lesser characters like Gaggi, Frankie, and the casino boss played by Don Rickles.
Couldn't have said it better myself. The two movies are so well casted and so beautifully put together that it's almost impossible (for me at lest) to choose one over the other.
