 The character of K.K. Ichikawa (Nobu Matsuhisa (qv)), the Japanese  highroller, is based on the life of high roller Akio Kashiwagi.  During the 70s and 80s, Kashiwagi was a big scene at Las Vegas  casinos. By the end of the 1980s, however, Kashiwagi had used up his  casino credit, owing many casino executives, among them  Donald Trump (qv), millions of dollars. He was murdered in his  home in Tokyo by the yakuza (Japanese mafia) in 1992.