Oscar Goodman
Encyclopedia
Oscar Baylin Goodman is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

 and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

. He was the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

 from 1999 to 2011. Mayor Goodman is an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...

 and a former member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

.

Biography

Goodman was born to a Jewish family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

. He graduated from the Haverford School in Haverford, PA in 1957 and then matriculated at Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...

, from which he graduated in 1961. He received his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 (J.D.) from the University of Pennsylvania Law School
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, it is among the oldest and most selective law schools in the nation. It is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report,...

 in 1964. He was admitted to the Nevada Bar Association in 1965 and he served as Chief Deputy Public Defender
Public defender
The term public defender is primarily used to refer to a criminal defense lawyer appointed to represent people charged with a crime but who cannot afford to hire an attorney in the United States and Brazil. The term is also applied to some ombudsman offices, for example in Jamaica, and is one way...

 in Clark County, Nevada
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...

 from 1966 to 1967. He and his wife Carolyn have four children.

During his career as a defense attorney he represented defendants accused of being some of the leading organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...

 figures in Las Vegas, such as Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky , known as the "Mob's Accountant", was a Polish-born American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the "National Crime Syndicate" in the United States...

, Nicky Scarfo, Herbert "Fat Herbie" Blitzstein, Phil Leonetti
Phil Leonetti
Philip "Crazy Phil" Leonetti is a Philadelphia gangster who became the underboss of the Scarfo crime family under his uncle, Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo before becoming a government informant. At the time, he was the highest-ranking member of the American Mafia to break his blood oath and turn...

, former Stardust Casino
Stardust Resort & Casino
The Stardust Resort & Casino was a casino resort located on along the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada.The Stardust opened in 1958, although most of the modern casino complex was built in 1991. At its March 13, 2007 demolition it was the youngest undamaged high-rise building to ever be...

 boss Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal
Frank Rosenthal
Frank Lawrence "Lefty" Rosenthal was a professional sports bettor, former Las Vegas casino executive and organized crime associate. The film Casino is loosely based on his life.-Early years:...

, and Jamiel "Jimmy" Chagra
Jamiel Chagra
Jamiel Alexander Chagra was a Lebanese-American drug trafficker. He was implicated in the May 1979 assassination of John H. Wood, Jr. in San Antonio, Texas....

, a 1970s drug trafficker who was acquitted of ordering the murder of Federal Judge John H. Wood, Jr.
John H. Wood, Jr.
John Howland Wood, Jr. was an American lawyer and judge from the U.S. state of Texas. He served on the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas before being assassinated by Charles Harrelson outside Wood's home in San Antonio, Texas, in 1979. Wood's killing was the first...

 His most notorious client was reputed Chicago mobster Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilotro
Anthony Spilotro
Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro was an Italian-American mobster and enforcer for the Chicago Outfit in Las Vegas during the 1970s and 1980s. His job was to protect and oversee the Outfit's illegal casino profits...

, 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
Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks...

. Goodman had a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...

 in the film as himself while defending "Ace Rothstein", which was a character closely based on Lefty Rosenthal and played by Robert DeNiro. Goodman also represented former San Diego Mayor Roger Hedgecock
Roger Hedgecock
Roger Allan Hedgecock is a conservative talk radio host and former mayor of San Diego, California. His show is syndicated by Radio America. Hedgecock still resides in San Diego...

, 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. Goodman currently serves as Of Counsel to Goodman Law Group, a Las Vegas law firm formed by his son, Ross C. Goodman
Ross C. Goodman
Ross C. Goodman is an American attorney noted for handling high-profile cases. He is the son of Oscar B. Goodman, Las Vegas, Nevada Mayor for 12 years, who was succeeded by his wife Carolyn after term limits prevented another run.-Background:...

. Goodman was elected mayor of Las Vegas on June 8, 1999, receiving 32,765 (63.76 percent) votes while his opponent, then-Las Vegas City Councilman Arnie Adamsen, received 18,620 (36.24 percent). Goodman was re-elected to a second four-year term in 2003, defeating five opponents and receiving 29,356 (85.72 percent) of the votes. On April 3, 2007, he was re-elected to a third and final term with 26,845 votes (83.69 percent), again defeating five opponents. Las Vegas law prevents the mayor, who has been called the town's "most popular mayor", from serving more than three terms.

Goodman was a member of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is a public/private partnership that owns and operates the Las Vegas Convention Center, Cashman Center, and Cashman Field and is responsible for the advertising campaigns for the Clark County, Nevada area....

 before being elected mayor.

Significant events

Goodman appears as himself in the 1995 Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...

 film Casino
Casino (film)
Casino is a 1995 crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Scorsese...

. Later on, he made another brief appearance in the film Looney Toons: Back in Action on the DVD extras.

On June 8, 1999, he was elected mayor of Las Vegas.

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
Four Queens
The Four Queens Hotel and Casino is located in downtown Las Vegas on the Fremont Street Experience. Home to the Queen's Machine, the world's largest slot machine, the 690 room hotel and casino is owned and operated by TLC Enterprises, which acquired the property from the Elsinore Corporation in...

 in Downtown Las Vegas. In 2006, the Four Queens put out a $200 Silver Strike with the likeness of Oscar on it.

In 2000, a bobblehead doll
Bobblehead doll
A bobblehead doll, also known as a bobbing head doll, nodder, or wobbler, is a type of collectible toy. Its head is often oversized compared to its body...

 was issued as a promotion during a Las Vegas 51s
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...

 baseball game.

In 2002, he became a spokesman for Bombay Sapphire Gin, receiving a $100,000 salary which was donated to charity, including $50,000 donated to The Meadows School
The Meadows School
The Meadows School is a private school in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Meadows School is a college preparatory private school in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas. The school offers education for grades PK-12.- Early History: Meadows Lane Temporary Campus :...

, a private school in Las Vegas founded by his wife Carolyn.

In April 2003, he was re-elected for a second four-year term, winning 86% of all votes, and becoming one of the most popular politicians elected to office in Las Vegas.

In 2003, Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith wrote a book titled Of Rats and Men: Oscar Goodman's Life from Mob Mouthpiece to Mayor of Las Vegas, which chronicles Goodman's life, including 35 years spent defending notorious U.S. crime figures, including, among others, Meyer Lansky, Anthony "Tony The Ant" Spilotro and Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal (The last two were portrayed respectively, and under different names, in the film Casino by Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro).

In 2003, Goodman was voted the Least Effective Public Official in the Review-Journals annual reader's
poll.

Goodman has been vocal about having a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 team relocate to Las Vegas. In 2004 the city failed to secure a move by the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...

 to the city. Instead, the team relocated to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 and became the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...

. Later that year, Goodman met with officials of the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...

. The Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...

 were considering a move but talks fell through after Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 officials provided incentives for the team to stay.

In recent years, Goodman has tried to get National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 teams to Las Vegas. On April 24, 2006, he called the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 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 is a longtime season ticket holder of the Chargers and a fan.

On October 10, 2011, he guest starred in the CSI
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...

 episode Maid Man on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

, first appearing at the opening of the Mob Museum, which was re-created for the show in advance of its opening.

Seeking Higher Office

Goodman briefly entertained challenging presidential son Jack Carter for the Democratic nomination to run against incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John Ensign
John Ensign
John Eric Ensign is a former United States Senator from Nevada, serving from January 2001 until he resigned amid an investigation of an ethics violation in May 2011...

 in 2006. However, on April 20, Goodman announced that he would not run but instead would run for a third term as mayor. After winning the mayoral election in 2007, Goodman, like his counterpart Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...

 in New York City, looked into a means to change the city charter to remove term limits. In the absence of that change, Goodman fueled speculation that he might run as an Independent in the 2010 gubernatorial race against embattled incumbent, Republican Jim Gibbons
Jim Gibbons
Jim Gibbons may refer to:*Jim Gibbons , Republican governor of Nevada*Jim Gibbons , Irish Fianna Fáil politician and government minister...

, and the presumptive Democrat candidate, Rory Reid
Rory Reid
Rory Jason Reid is an American lawyer and politician. He served as elected Chairman of the Clark County Commission in Clark County, Nevada, and was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Nevada in the 2010 gubernatorial election. Reid is a member of the Democratic Party and a son of United...

. However, Goodman decided to drop out of the race for governor, citing his desire to stay close to his family and objections to moving to the capital Carson City. Goodman has appeared interested in higher office and was the focus of a story (perhaps tongue-in-cheek) about being the First Jewish president of the United States by Las Vegas commentator Dayvid Figler
Dayvid Figler
Dayvid Figler is a performer, author and trial lawyer in the United States. He became one of the youngest lawyers in Nevada history after successfully taking the bar exam at age 23. In 2003, he began and served a short term as a Las Vegas municipal court judge after being appointed by Mayor Oscar B...

.

Ethics investigation

In February 2004, Robert Rose, an ethics watchdog, filed a complaint with the Nevada Commission on Ethics
Nevada commission on ethics
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....

 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
Ross C. Goodman
Ross C. Goodman is an American attorney noted for handling high-profile cases. He is the son of Oscar B. Goodman, Las Vegas, Nevada Mayor for 12 years, who was succeeded by his wife Carolyn after term limits prevented another run.-Background:...

, 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 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
Supreme Court of Nevada
The Supreme Court of Nevada is the state supreme court of Nevada. It is the highest judicial body of the Nevada state government.There are seven Justices of the court, who are elected to six-year terms in officially nonpartisan elections. The Governor appoints Justices in the case of a vacancy...

 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.

Remarks to schoolchildren

On March 3, 2005, Goodman spoke to a group of fourth-graders at Jo Mackey Elementary School. When asked what he would take with him if marooned on a desert island, the mayor replied, "A bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin." When asked about his hobbies, the mayor named drinking Bombay Sapphire Gin as a favorite. Later, when asked to comment about his statements, Goodman was unapologetic: "I'm the George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

 of mayors. I can't tell a lie. If they didn't want the answer, the kid shouldn't have asked the question." This caused an outcry from parents whose children heard the remark, and school officials said the remark was inappropriate.

Thumb amputation and caning

On November 3, 2005, Mayor Goodman suggested that those who deface freeways with graffiti should have their thumbs cut off on television. Goodman, appearing on the "Nevada Newsmakers" TV show, said, "In the old days in France, they had beheading of people who commit heinous crimes", "You know, we have a beautiful highway landscaping redevelopment in our downtown. We have desert tortoises and beautiful paintings of flora and fauna. These punks come along and deface it", I'm saying maybe you put them on TV and cut off a thumb", and "That may be the right thing to do."

Goodman also suggested that whippings or canings should be brought back for children who get into trouble.

"I also believe in a little bit of corporal punishment going back to the days of yore, where examples have to be shown," Goodman said. "I'm dead serious. Some of these (children) don't learn. You have got to teach them a lesson, and this is coming from a criminal defense lawyer." But, he added, "they would get a trial first."

Playboy

Mayor Goodman was an invited celebrity photographer for the Playboy Cyber Club
Playboy Cyber Club
The Playboy Cyber Club is the subscription based premium service portion of Playboy Online that serves as an online complement to Playboy magazine, the U.S. and World's biggest selling men's magazine. It debuted in 1995 as part of Playboy Online and continues as its premium service today...

. He shot a topless pictorial of Miss January 2001 Irina Voronina
Irina Voronina
Irina Voronina is a Russian model and Playboy Playmate for January 2001.- Biography :...

 for the website.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas

In July 2006 the mayor criticized the Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....

 game Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas is the fifth game in the Rainbow Six series of video games. It was released for the Xbox 360 on November 21, 2006 and Windows on December 12, 2006. The PlayStation Portable version was released on June 12, 2007, while the PlayStation 3 version was released on June...

 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
False premise
A false premise is an incorrect proposition that forms the basis of a logical syllogism. Since the premise is not correct, the conclusion drawn may be in error...

.... 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." Publication of the game has not been hindered.

Legalized prostitution

Currently, prostitution is legal in Nevada
Prostitution in Nevada
Nevada is the only U.S. state to allow some legal prostitution, in the form of regulated brothels. Prostitution outside these licensed brothels is illegal....

 only in rural counties with less than 400,000 residents, a requirement which excludes Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...

 and the city of Las Vegas from allowing the practice. Mayor Goodman supports legalizing prostitution in the city's downtown area as a revenue generator and tool for revitalization, although a majority of Nevadans polled in 2003 opposed the mayor's position. Goodman's views on prostitution have been criticized by New York Times columnist Bob Herbert
Bob Herbert
Robert “Bob” Herbert is an American journalist op-ed columnist who wrote for The New York Times. His column was syndicated to other newspapers around the country. Herbert frequently writes on poverty, the Iraq war, racism and American political apathy towards race issues...

, as well as Las Vegas Sun
Las Vegas Sun
The Las Vegas Sun is a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper. It is one of Las Vegas, Nevada's two daily newspapers. It is owned by the Greenspun family and is affiliated with Greenspun Media Group....

 columnist Jon Ralston.

"They should break her legs"

Goodman was criticized for saying of a journalist "I said to someone, they should break her legs".

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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