Oscar Baylin Goodman (born July 26, 1939) is an American
attorney and
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
. A
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
-turned-
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
, Goodman was the
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
from 1999 to 2011. His wife,
Carolyn Goodman
Carolyn Goodman (née ''Goldmark'') is an American politician who has served as mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada, since 2011. She is the second female mayor of Las Vegas and is married to former mayor and attorney Oscar Goodman. She is the founder, pr ...
, succeeded him as mayor in 2011.
Early life and education
Goodman was born and raised in a Jewish family in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. After attending
Central High School for a time, he graduated from
The Haverford School
, motto_translation =
, address = 450 Lancaster Avenue
, location =
, region =
, city = Haverford
, county =
, state = Pennsylvania
, ...
,
Haverford College
Haverford College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), began accepting non-Quakers in 1849, and became coeducational ...
, and received his
J.D. degree from the
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (also known as Penn Law or Penn Carey Law) is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is among the most selective and olde ...
. He and his wife Carolyn have four children.
Career
Defense attorney
During his career as a defense attorney, Goodman represented defendants accused of being some of the leading
organized crime
Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...
figures in Las Vegas, such as:
Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky (born Maier Suchowljansky; July 4, 1902 – January 15, 1983), known as the "Mob's Accountant", was an American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the ...
,
Nicky Scarfo
Nicodemo Domenico "Little Nicky" Scarfo Sr. (March 8, 1929 – January 13, 2017) was a member of the American Mafia who became the boss of the Philadelphia crime family after the deaths of Angelo Bruno and Phil Testa.
During his criminal ca ...
,
Herbert "Fat Herbie" Blitzstein,
Phil Leonetti
Philip Michael Leonetti (born March 27, 1953) is an American former mobster who became the underboss of the Philadelphia crime family under his mentor, uncle and former boss, Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, before becoming a government informan ...
, former
Stardust Casino
The Stardust Resort and Casino was a casino resort located on along the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. The Stardust was conceived by Tony Cornero, and construction began in 1954. Cornero died in 1955, and the project was taken over by his ...
boss
Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal
Frank Lawrence Rosenthal (June 12, 1929 – October 13, 2008), also known as "Lefty" Rosenthal, was an American professional sports bettor, former Las Vegas casino executive, and organized crime associate. Rosenthal, who was once called "the gre ...
, 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 reputed
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
mobster
Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilotro, who was known to have a short and violent temper. In the semi-factual 1995 movie ''
Casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
'', the character of Nicky Santoro was based on Spilotro, and was portrayed by actor
Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank Pesci ( , ; born February 9, 1943) is an American actor and musician. He is known for portraying tough, volatile characters in a variety of genres and for his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese in the films ''Ra ...
. Goodman had a
cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...
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
Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...
.
Goodman also represented former San Diego Mayor
Roger Hedgecock
Roger Allan Hedgecock (born May 2, 1946) is an American politician and conservative talk radio host, who served as 30th mayor of San Diego between May 1983 and December 1985. His show is syndicated by Radio America.
Early life
Hedgecock was bor ...
, 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.
Civil service
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.
Through the years of 1980–81, he served as president of the
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is an American criminal defense organization.
Members include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, active U.S. military defense counsel, law professors, judges, and d ...
. Goodman was also a member of the
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is a government agency and the official destination marketing organization for Southern Nevada. It was founded by the Nevada Legislature in 1955. The LVCVA owns and operates the Las Vegas ...
.
Mayor of Las Vegas (1999–2011)
Elections
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. Despite having been called Las Vegas’ “most popular mayor,” the city has
term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...
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.
Tenure
On June 28, 1999, Goodman was the first mayor of Las Vegas to have his image placed on $5 and $25
casino chip
Casino tokens (also known as casino or gaming chips, checks, cheques or poker chips) are small discs used in terms of currency in casinos. Colored metal, injection-molded plastic or compression molded clay tokens of various denominations are us ...
s issued by a Las Vegas casino. The two chips were issued by the
Four Queens Hotel and Casino
The Four Queens Hotel and Casino is located in downtown Las Vegas on the Fremont Street Experience. The 690-room hotel and casino is owned and operated by TLC Casino Enterprises, which acquired the property from the Elsinore Corporation in 20 ...
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
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
team relocate to Las Vegas. In 2004, the city failed to secure a move by the
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
to the city. Instead, the team relocated to
Washington, D.C.
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, and became the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
. Later that year, Goodman met with officials of the
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
. The
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
had considered a move, but negotiations failed after
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
officials provided incentives for the team to stay.
Goodman worked to get a
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
team to relocate to Las Vegas. On April 24, 2006, he called the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
, 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.”
According to Mark Fabiani, the Chargers’ general counsel, Goodman was a longtime season ticket holder of the Chargers, and a fan of the team.
The Chargers ultimately decided to relocate to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
instead. In 2017, under the tenure of Carolyn Goodman as mayor, the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
agreed
to relocate to Las Vegas.
In 2003, Goodman was voted the “Least Effective Public Official” in the ''Review-Journals annual reader's poll.
In July 2006 Goodman criticized the
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', '' ...
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
A false premise is an incorrect proposition that forms the basis of an argument or syllogism. Since the premise (proposition, or assumption) is not correct, the conclusion drawn may be in error. However, the logical validity of an argument is ...
.... 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."
In 2009 and 2010, Goodman was angered by
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
's allegedly negative remarks about Las Vegas.
After winning the mayoral election in 2007, Goodman, like his counterpart
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
in New York City, looked into a means to change the city charter to remove term limits. 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. Some journalists have criticized this position.
Ethics investigation
In February 2004, Robert Rose, an ethics watchdog, filed a complaint with the
Nevada Commission on Ethics The Nevada Commission on Ethics is a commission that investigates ethics violations by government officials or employees in the state of Nevada in the United States. It has jurisdiction over public officers and employees at the state, county, and ci ...
claiming that during the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Goodman handed out to fellow mayors, conference attendees and other political figures invitations to a cocktail party Goodman was hosting. Rose alleged that this was nothing more than the mayor abusing his power of office to help promote a business that is owned by his son,
Ross Goodman, and Las Vegas Councilman Michael Mack. The Nevada Ethics Commission opened an investigation on April 14, 2004, and on May 13, 2004, the members of the commission found the mayor in ethics violations, although no fine was rendered. Goodman sued the commission and won; the commission's ruling was reversed by the court.
On September 16, 2004, Rose again filed a complaint with the Nevada Commission on Ethics, this time asking the commission to clarify Goodman's affiliation with his son Ross's law firm. In a statement, the mayor explained his name on the letterhead is a way of informing out of state law firms that Ross Goodman is his son. However, a person serving as an elected public official in Nevada may not have his name listed on a law firm letterhead, and Goodman removed his name under protest after several newspaper articles noted the infraction.
On July 18, 2005, the Nevada Commission on Ethics concluded insufficient cause for a hearing and recommended the allegations be dismissed, clearing Goodman of the ethics complaint regarding his name listed as "Of Counsel" to Goodman Law Group.
On September 11, 2007, the
Supreme Court of Nevada
The Supreme Court of Nevada is the highest state court of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the head of the Nevada Judiciary. The main constitutional function of the Supreme Court is to review appeals made directly from the decisions of the distric ...
ruled that Goodman did not violate any ethics laws during the 2004 cocktail party that he hosted on behalf of his son Ross C. Goodman.
Post-mayoral career
Goodman currently serves as Of Counsel to Goodman Law Group, a Las Vegas law firm formed by his son,
Ross C. Goodman.
His memoir, ''Being Oscar: From Mob Lawyer to Mayor of Las Vegas'',
written with
George Anastasia
George Anastasia (born February 5, 1947) is an American author and former writer for ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. He is widely considered to be an expert on the American Mafia. He was an organized crime investigative reporter, who was once ta ...
, was published in 2013.
Speculation of future campaigns
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
John Eric Ensign (born March 25, 1958) is an American veterinarian and former politician from Nevada. A member of the Republican Party, Ensign was a Congressman and United States Senator from Nevada; he served in the latter seat from January 2001 ...
. He ultimately announced that he would not run for the nomination, which went to
Jack Carter, the son of President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
.
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. However, Goodman decided not to run for governor, citing his desire to stay close to his family, and objections to moving to
Carson City
Carson City is an Independent city (United States), independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the List of cities in Nevada, sixth largest ...
.
Las Vegas commentator
Dayvid Figler
Dayvid Figler (born August 18, 1967, Chicago, Illinois, United States) is an American performer, author and trial lawyer. He successfully took the Nevada bar exam at age 23. In 2003, he began and served a short term as a Las Vegas municipal court ...
wrote in 2009 that Goodman might become the first Jewish president of the United States.
In popular culture
Goodman appeared as himself in the 1995
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...
film ''
Casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
''. 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
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...
film ''
Bachelor Party Vegas
''Bachelor Party Vegas'' is a 2006 American direct-to-video comedy film written and directed by Eric Bernt in his directorial debut. It stars Kal Penn, Jonathan Bennett, Charlie Spiller, Diora Baird and Donald Faison. In was released by Sony P ...
'', and made another brief appearance on the DVD version of ''Looney Tunes: Back in Action''.
In 2000, a
bobblehead doll
A bobblehead, also known by common silly nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible action figure. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to ...
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
Irina Vadimovna Voronina (russian: Ирина Вадимовна Воронина; born December 19, 1977) is a Russian stand-up comedian, actress, and model. As a model, she was also the Playboy Playmate for January 2001.
Biography
Voronina ...
for the website.
In 2002, Goodman became a spokesman for
Bombay Sapphire
Bombay Sapphire is a brand of gin that is distilled by the Bombay Spirits Company, a subsidiary company of Bacardi, at Laverstoke Mill in the village of Laverstoke in the English county of Hampshire.
The brand was first launched in 1986 by En ...
gin. He donated his $100,000 salary to charity, including $50,000 to
The Meadows School
The Meadows School is a non-profit, coeducational, nonsectarian, independent college preparatory day school located in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas, Nevada. The campus serves just under 900 students in grades pre-k through 12 spread among four ...
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.
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
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
series ''
CSI.'' The episodes Goodman was featured in included: “Sqweegel,” where he defended Ann-Margret's character from being harassed by the LVPD; “Maid Man,” where he first appeared at the opening of the
Mob Museum
The Mob Museum, officially the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, is a history museum located in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
Opened on February 14, 2012, the Mob Museum is dedicated to featuring the artifacts ...
, which was re-created for the show in advance of its opening; and “Last Rollout,” as a lawyer for a suspect during an interrogation.
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
* ''Being Oscar: From Mob Lawyer to Mayor of Las Vegas'' (2013)
See also
*
List of mayors of Las Vegas, Nevada
The following is a list of people who have served as mayors of the city of Las Vegas in the U.S state of Nevada .
List of mayors of Las Vegas
See also
* Las Vegas history and timeline
References
{{Reflist
External links
City of Las Vegas Off ...
Notes
References
Goodman rules out Senate bid (Las Vegas Review Journal)
External links
*
"Mob Trial Riles Las Vegas," APBnews.com, May 17, 1999by
Cathy Scott
Cathleen "Cathy" Scott (born c. 1950) is a ''Los Angeles Times'' bestselling American true crime writer and investigative journalist who penned the biographies and true crime books ''The Killing of Tupac Shakur'' and ''The Murder of Biggie Small ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodman, Oscar
1939 births
Living people
Chicago Outfit
Haverford College alumni
Jewish mayors of places in the United States
Jewish American people in Nevada politics
Mayors of Las Vegas
Nevada Democrats
Nevada Independents
Nevada lawyers
Politicians from Las Vegas
Politicians from Philadelphia
First Ladies and Gentlemen of Las Vegas
University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni
21st-century American Jews
American politicians of Italian descent
American lawyers and judges of Italian descent
Central High School (Philadelphia) alumni