American lawyer and politician (born 1939)
Oscar Goodman
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Oscar_Goodman_%289260381470%29_%281%29.jpg/220px-Oscar_Goodman_%289260381470%29_%281%29.jpg) |
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Assumed role
July 6, 2011
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Mayor
| Carolyn Goodman
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Preceded by
| Carolyn Goodman (as First Lady)
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In office
June 8, 1999 ? July 6, 2011
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Preceded by
| Jan Laverty Jones
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Succeeded by
| Carolyn Goodman
|
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|
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Born
| Oscar Baylin Goodman
(
1939-07-26
)
July 26, 1939
(age 84)
Philadelphia
,
Pennsylvania
, U.S.
|
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Political party
| Independent
(2009?present)
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Other political
affiliations
| Democratic
(1989?2009)
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Spouse
|
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---|
Children
| 4, including
Ross
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Residence(s)
| Las Vegas
,
Nevada
, U.S.
|
---|
Education
| Haverford College
(
BA
)
University of Pennsylvania
(
JD
)
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Profession
| Attorney
,
politician
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|
Oscar Baylin Goodman
(born July 26, 1939) is an American
attorney
and
politician
. A
Democrat
-turned-
independent
, Goodman was the
mayor
of
Las Vegas
,
Nevada
from 1999 to 2011.
[1]
His wife,
Carolyn Goodman
, succeeded him as mayor in 2011.
Early life and education
[
edit
]
Goodman was born and raised in a
Jewish
family in
Philadelphia
. After attending
Central High School
[2]
for a time, he graduated from
The Haverford School
.
[3]
He graduated from
Haverford College
in 1961, then received his
J.D.
degree from the
University of Pennsylvania Law School
in 1964. He and his wife Carolyn have four children.
Career
[
edit
]
Defense attorney
[
edit
]
During his career as a defense attorney, Goodman represented defendants accused of being some of the leading
organized crime
figures in Las Vegas, such as:
Meyer Lansky
,
Nicky Scarfo
,
Herbert "Fat Herbie" Blitzstein
,
Phil Leonetti
, former
Stardust Casino
boss
Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal
, and
Jamiel "Jimmy" Chagra
, a 1970s drug trafficker who was acquitted of ordering the murder of Federal Judge
John H. Wood, Jr.
One of his notorious clients was
Chicago
mobster
Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilotro
, who was known to have a short and violent temper. In the semi-factual 1995 movie
Casino
, the character of Nicky Santoro was based on Spilotro, and was portrayed by actor
Joe Pesci
. Goodman had a
cameo appearance
in the film as himself, where he was depicted defending “Ace Rothstein,” a character closely based on Lefty Rosenthal, and played by
Robert De Niro
.
[4]
Goodman also represented former San Diego Mayor
Roger Hedgecock
, who was convicted of accepting illegal campaign contributions, and eventually forced to resign. Hedgecock was later cleared of all charges on appeal. Goodman was a senior partner in the law firm of Goodman & Chesnoff.
[5]
Civil service
[
edit
]
In 1964, Goodman and his wife became active in the local Jewish federation soon after they moved to Las Vegas. Carolyn eventually served as head of the federation's women's divisions.
[6]
Through the years of 1980?81, he served as president of the
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
.
[7]
Goodman was also a member of the
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
.
Mayor of Las Vegas (1999?2011)
[
edit
]
Elections
[
edit
]
On
June 8, 1999
, Goodman was elected mayor of Las Vegas after he received 63.76% (32,765) of the votes, while his opponent, then-Las Vegas City Councilman Arnie Adamsen, received 36.24% (18,620).
In 2003
, Goodman was re-elected to a second four-year term, and defeated five opponents after he received 85.72% (29,356) of the votes.
On April 3, 2007
, he was re-elected to a third and final term, with 83.69% (26,845) of the votes, and once again defeated five opponents.
[8]
Despite having been called Las Vegas’ “most popular mayor,”
[9]
the city has
term limit
laws that restrict mayors to a maximum of three terms.
In 2011
, Carolyn Goodman was elected to succeed her husband as mayor, after she earned 60% of the votes.
[10]
Tenure
[
edit
]
On June 28, 1999, Goodman was the first mayor of Las Vegas to have his image placed on $5 and $25
casino chips
issued by a Las Vegas casino. The two chips were issued by the
Four Queens Hotel and Casino
in Downtown Las Vegas. In 2006, the Four Queens put out a $200 Silver Strike with the likeness of Goodman on it.
Goodman has been vocal about having a
Major League Baseball
team relocate to Las Vegas. In 2004, the city failed to secure a move by the
Montreal Expos
to the city. Instead, the team relocated to
Washington, D.C.
, and became the
Washington Nationals
. Later that year, Goodman met with officials of the
Florida Marlins
. The
Chicago White Sox
had considered a move, but negotiations failed after
Chicago
officials provided incentives for the team to stay.
[
citation needed
]
Goodman worked to get a
National Football League
team to relocate to Las Vegas. On April 24, 2006, he called the
San Diego Chargers
, and asked if they would be interested in moving. Because of a contract, the city could not talk about a possible move. On January 4, 2007, he called again, since the team was not allowed to talk to other cities about a possible move. Again, Goodman was turned down “for the time being.”
[11]
According to Mark Fabiani, the Chargers’ general counsel, Goodman was a longtime season ticket holder of the Chargers, and a fan of the team.
[12]
The Chargers ultimately decided to relocate to
Los Angeles
instead. In 2017, under the tenure of Carolyn Goodman as mayor, the
Oakland Raiders
agreed
to relocate to Las Vegas
.
In 2003, Goodman was voted the “Least Effective Public Official” in the
Review-Journal'
s annual reader's poll.
[13]
In July 2006 Goodman criticized the
Ubisoft
game
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas
for its premise of terrorism in Las Vegas, because he thought it may tarnish the city's image. He stated, "It's based on a
false premise
.... It could be harmful economically, and it may be something that's not entitled to free speech (protection).... I will ask... whether or not we can stop it."
[14]
In 2009 and 2010, Goodman was angered by
President
Barack Obama
's allegedly negative remarks about Las Vegas.
[15]
After winning the mayoral election in 2007, Goodman, like his counterpart
Michael Bloomberg
in New York City, looked into a means to change the city charter to remove term limits.
[16]
He ultimately did not pursue changes to Las Vegas law.
Currently,
prostitution is legal in Nevada
only in rural counties with fewer than 400,000 residents, a requirement which excludes
Clark County
and the city of Las Vegas from allowing the practice. Goodman supports legalizing prostitution in the city's downtown area as a revenue generator and tool for revitalization.
[17]
Some journalists have criticized this position.
[18]
[19]
Post-mayoral career
[
edit
]
Goodman currently serves as Of Counsel to Goodman Law Group, a Las Vegas law firm formed by his son,
Ross C. Goodman
.
[20]
His memoir,
Being Oscar: From Mob Lawyer to Mayor of Las Vegas
,
[21]
written with
George Anastasia
, was published in 2013.
[22]
Speculation of candidacies for other offices
[
edit
]
Goodman had entertained the idea of seeking the Democratic nomination in the
2006 United States Senate election in Nevada
, in order to run against incumbent Republican Senator
John Ensign
. He ultimately announced that he would not run for the nomination, which went to
Jack Carter
, the son of President
Jimmy Carter
.
Goodman fueled speculation that he might run as an independent in the
2010 Nevada gubernatorial election
against incumbent Republican
Jim Gibbons
and presumptive Democratic candidate
Rory Reid
.
[23]
However, Goodman decided not to run for governor, citing his desire to stay close to his family, and objections to moving to
Carson City
.
[24]
Las Vegas commentator
Dayvid Figler
wrote in 2009 that Goodman might become the first Jewish president of the United States.
[25]
In popular culture
[
edit
]
Goodman in 2003
Goodman appeared as himself in the 1995
Martin Scorsese
film
Casino
, reprising his real life role as a lawyer for both Frank Rosenthal and Anthony Spilotro, respectively renamed Sam Rothstein (
Robert De Niro
) and Nicky Santoro (
Joe Pesci
). Later on, he made another brief appearance in the film
Looney Tunes: Back in Action
in the DVD extras. In 2006, he appeared as himself in the
Direct-to-DVD
film
Bachelor Party Vegas
.
In 2000, a
bobblehead doll
of Goodman was issued as a promotion during a
Las Vegas 51s
baseball game.
As a celebrity photographer for the Playboy Cyber Club, Goodman shot a topless pictorial of Miss January 2001
Irina Voronina
for the website.
In 2002, Goodman became a spokesman for
Bombay Sapphire
gin. He donated his $100,000 salary to charity, including $50,000 to
The Meadows School
founded by his wife. He would later generate controversy in 2005 when he joked about his love of the gin before an elementary school class.
[26]
[27]
In 2003,
Las Vegas Review-Journal
columnist John L. Smith wrote a book chronicling Goodman's life, titled
Of Rats and Men: Oscar Goodman's Life from Mob Mouthpiece to Mayor of Las Vegas
.
Goodman guest-starred as himself three times on the
CBS
series
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
.
The episodes Goodman was featured in included: “Early Rollout,” as a lawyer for a suspect during an interrogation; “Sqweegel,” where he defended Ann-Margret's character from being harassed by the LVPD; and “Maid Man,” where he was shot while emceeing the opening of the
Mob Museum
, which was re-created for the show in advance of its opening.
[28]
Goodman was interviewed for the television programs
The Making of the Mob: New York
and
The Making of the Mob: Chicago
in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Bibliography
[
edit
]
- Being Oscar: From Mob Lawyer to Mayor of Las Vegas
(2013)
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Goodman Switches Party Affiliation. KXNT, Ret. December 16th 2009
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
List of alumni of Central High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- ^
Oscar Goodman, "Being Oscar: From Mob Lawyer to Mayor of Las Vegas ? Only in America", (Weinstein Books, 2013), p. 277
- ^
"Oscar Goodman portrays himself, along with Robert De Niro as Sam "Ace" Rothstein, in "Casino." …"
.
Las Vegas Review-Journal
.
- ^
"Las Vegas Review-Journal"
.
Las Vegas Review-Journal
. 18 May 2024.
- ^
"How the mayor of Las Vegas succeeded her husband, the Jewish 'Donald Trump'
"
. 23 February 2016.
- ^
"NACDL - Past Presidents"
.
www.nacdl.org
. Archived from
the original
on 2014-02-03
. Retrieved
2014-03-01
.
- ^
"Three mismatched mayors find common ground downtown"
. lvrj.com. 2011-04-03
. Retrieved
2011-10-07
.
- ^
"MID-August '06 Celebrity Scene Column"
. Vegascommunityonline.com. Archived from
the original
on 2011-07-17
. Retrieved
2010-08-21
.
- ^
Goldberg, Delen (June 7, 2011).
"Carolyn Goodman easily wins race for Las Vegas mayor"
.
Las Vegas Sun
. Retrieved
January 27,
2018
.
- ^
"Chargers turn down offer to move to Vegas"
.
North County Times
. 2007-01-05
. Retrieved
2007-01-05
.
- ^
Powell, Ronald
(2007-01-05).
"Las Vegas woos Chargers"
.
San Diego Union-Tribune
. Archived from
the original
on 2007-10-14
. Retrieved
2007-01-05
.
- ^
"BOLV Long Return"
. Reviewjournal.com
. Retrieved
2010-08-21
.
- ^
McCauley, Dennis
(2006-07-13).
"What Happens in Vegas Stays in Rainbow Six ...maybe"
.
GamePolitics.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2007-01-23
. Retrieved
2006-12-31
.
- ^
"Mayor criticizes Obama"
.
NPR
. 2010-02-03
. Retrieved
2023-06-08
.
- ^
"Mayor eyes longevity"
. 9 January 2009.
- ^
Neff, Erin (2003-10-24).
"LEGALIZED PROSTITUTION: Vegas brothels suggested"
.
Las Vegas Review-Journal
. Retrieved
2007-09-10
.
- ^
Herbert, Bob
(2007-09-04).
"City as Predator"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
2007-09-10
.
- ^
Ralston, Jon (2007-09-05).
"Jon Ralston thinks New York Times columnist Bob Herbert has a pretty good take on Goodman"
.
Las Vegas Sun
. Archived from
the original
on 2007-10-14
. Retrieved
2007-09-10
.
- ^
"About Ross C. Goodman"
.
www.GoodmanLawGroup.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2011-09-25
. Retrieved
2011-03-18
.
- ^
Goodman, Oscar (21 May 2013).
Being Oscar: From Mob Lawyer to Mayor of Las Vegas
. Hachette Books.
ISBN
978-1-60286-189-3
.
- ^
Glionna, John M. (May 25, 2013).
"Las Vegas tales from Oscar Goodman: mob lawyer, mayor, showman"
.
The LA Times
. Retrieved
January 27,
2018
.
- ^
Ball, Molly (2009-6-11), Goodman Eyes Race for Governor.
Las Vegas Review-Journal
http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/47891957.html
- ^
Powers, Ashley (January 25, 2010), Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman decides not to go for Nevada governor. "Los Angeles Times
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/01/oscar-goodman-nevada-governor.html
- ^
Figler, Dayvid HEEB Magazine, Issue 18,
The First Jewish President
Archived
2009-09-08 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Koch, Ed.
"Stories published March 2, 2005 Las Vegas Sun"
. Lasvegassun.com. Archived from
the original
on December 2, 2007
. Retrieved
2010-08-21
.
- ^
"Here's Looking at You, Kid"
.
Wired
.
AP
. March 4, 2005
. Retrieved
2012-08-12
.
- ^
"Photos: Oscar Goodman is shot tonight on CBS hit 'CSI'
"
. Retrieved
2012-07-07
.
References
[
edit
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External links
[
edit
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International
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National
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Other
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