I came out of the cinema, after seeing this when it was released, and I wanted to whack someone! Thought it was a great film, but after this, and the later Casino, and then having kids, I tried to watch both of them again, about 10 years later, and realised that the characters in this film are utterly unlikeable. Damn, they're some mean mothers, who'd sell their own mothers!
It is, however, a really good film, but the characters are absolutely distasteful. This is of course due to the great job done by the cast. One isn't meant to like these guys - at all.