Possible Clues:

• Added stiffness to the cards as ordered
• Stiff leading actor (that Italian) died
• (Of fabrics) stiffened
• Shuffled, the cards got harder
• Stiff stone having curves
• The cards (anag.)
• Stiffened with a carbohydrate
• Stiff(ened)
• (Of cloth) stiffened
• The heavenly body he had around the century made him a big stiff, perhaps