Release of cellular numbers reveals little information

Erin Neff

Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2000 | 11:29 a.m.

A Nevada Supreme Court decision about county records prompted the city of Las Vegas to release unedited versions of mayoral aide Bill Cassidy's cell phone bill.

But little of the mystery lifted Monday when the six previously blacked-out numbers were released.

Speculation had run rampant when Cassidy, Mayor Oscar Goodman's assistant, asked the city to block out certain numbers he called on his taxpayer-paid cell phone before the records were released to the Sun. When the city complied with his request, citing Cassidy's "personal safety," many wondered exactly whether the calls were in some way connected to his work for the defense team in the Ted Binion murder trial.

Reporters grilled Goodman at his Thursday press conferences for information about Cassidy. Former attorneys for convicted killers Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish had also been interested in finding out what Cassidy was doing for them during the two-month trial.

Even more questions arose when Cassidy was subsequently suspended for one month without pay when city officials learned he had used the cell phone while on leave to work on the Binion trial.

Was he talking to private investigators? Attorneys? Families of the defendants?

Only Cassidy and those who were on the other end of the phone seem to know. And they aren't talking.

The six calls in question involve two numbers in Los Angeles, two in Santa Ana, Calif., one in Tampa, Fla., and one in Las Vegas. Cassidy made 348 calls to those numbers during the first six months of this year, racking up $367 in charges in 983 minutes.

None of the six numbers are listed and four were disconnected sometime after June 27 -- the last time Cassidy phoned one of them in the records that have been made public.

The other two numbers -- both to numbers in Santa Ana -- shed little light on the Binion murder trial or the mayor's office.

A woman who answered one number said she didn't know Cassidy. She refused to say how long she has had the phone number.

At the second Santa Ana number, a man who identified himself as Tony Nguyen, said Cassidy has visited his home recently.

"He knows one of my older brothers," Nguyen said.

It was unclear why the number posed a security threat to Cassidy.

Cassidy could not be reached for comment Monday.

City spokesman Erik Pappa said the city decided to release the unedited versions of the report to comply with the high court's decision.

The court decision, written by Justice Bill Maupin, said "the names of persons with whom government officials have consulted are not protected from disclosure under a deliberative process."

Cassidy took a voluntary leave of absence from his city job from March 5 to May 13 during the trial. But he did not stop using his city cell phone and city computers during the time.

In addition to using the phone while on leave, Cassidy also was disciplined for failing to reimburse the city for his personal calls for the first six months of the year until after the Sun requested the bills in early July.

Cassidy has since paid for the entire $1,686 bill.