Friday, Dec. 5, 2003 | 5:58 a.m.
Jon Ralston hosts the news discussion program Face to Face on Las Vegas ONE and publishes the Ralston Report. He can be reached at (702) 870-7997 or at [email protected].
WEEKEND EDITION Dec. 6 - 7, 2003
IT'S MID-2006, a year after the Legislature has assented to Oscar Goodman's wish for a strong-mayor form of government, where he can hire and fire and pretty much do whatever he pleases.
His schedule is even busier now. Take a look:
7 a.m. -- Meeting at The Omelet House with City Manager Joey Cusumano. Cusumano has a list of mutual friends and former Goodman clients he wants to bring into City Hall. Goodman must fill jobs after dozens of city employees were fired by His Honor in mid-February in what became known as The St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
8 a.m. -- Meeting in mayor's office with city Finance Director Lefty Rosenthal. There was an outcry when Goodman brought Rosenthal back to Vegas. But Goodman explained that no one has a better head for numbers than his old client. Rosenthal also signs on as Goodman's co-host on the popular "Las Vegas Town Hall." Today's topic: Putting a sports book on the ground floor of City Hall, with Rosenthal setting the line and half the proceeds going to the city and the rest to a company called Mayorforlife LLC. Goodman is interested.
9 a.m. -- Attend announcement of new director of The Goodman Academic Medical Center. The mayor will appear with other city officials and the oncologist from New York City who will be taking the reins, since Goodman made the appointment a condition of the project's final approval. His prepared remarks include this snippet: "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the new director of this clinic, Oscar Goodman Jr. But make no mistake: This clinic isn't named for him; it's named for me."
9:30 a.m. -- News conference in front of new, gigantic, multicolored, neon art in the shape of Goodman's visage festooning wall of City Hall and with the sign above: "Oscar's Place." It is here that the mayor will announce that he has officially taken over the jobs of city attorney and city spokesman as part of his strong-mayor form of government. His prepared remarks include the line: "I'm the mayor, I'm a lawyer and I can spin with the best of 'em. Why shouldn't I do all the jobs?"
10 a.m. -- Goodman meets with new head of the city jail, a former client named Giovanni Degagna. Degagna, who served 25 years for a contract killing, was a controversial choice. But Goodman touted Degagna's experience behind bars as qualifying him for the job.
10:30 a.m. -- Press conference with Bob Stupak to announce the formation of an Internet gaming site sponsored by the city. The site will feature a picture of the mayor at www.oscargambles.com. One-third of the proceeds will go to the city, one-third to Mayorforlife LLC and the other third to the financially strapped Meadows school.
11 a.m. -- Meeting to discuss a new venture in the city's redevelopment district called "Rapping with Oscar." The enterprise will be helmed by Death Row Records founder and convicted felon Marion "Suge" Knight. Goodman law partner David Chesnoff, who represents Knight, will also attend.
Noon -- Lunch with city Fire Chief Bill Cassidy, the Goodman crony whose recent hiring was incendiary because of his guilty plea on first-degree arson. In announcing Cassidy's appointment, Goodman joked: "Who better to discover whether a blaze was intentionally set than a guy who has done it."
1 p.m. -- The mayor is to appear at the recently completed "Oscar's Mob Museum" to have a new Bobblehead dedicated in his honor. The doll features the mayor in his trademark pinstriped suit with his trademark martini glass in one hand and a Tommy gun in the other. On the back, it reads: "Property of Station Casinos."
2 p.m. -- Meeting with Councilman Marty Keach. Keach, Goodman's law partner, was appointed by His Honor to fill the vacancy when Michael Mack was forced to resign after he was found to be using city stationery to solicit business.
3 p.m. -- Meeting with sons Eric and Ross to discuss various business endeavors, including the Goodman Family Billboard Company and Las Vegas Previews, a partnership with a Hollywood outfit. When he was asked recently at his news conference whether doing business with his sons on items that might come before the city was kosher, His Honor laughed and replied: "I asked the city attorney and that's me and I say it's OK."
4 p.m. --- Strategy session with Neighborhood Services Director Salvatore Molto. Molto's methods of removing the homeless from downtown, taken from his mob enforcer days, have proven effective, albeit controversial. Goodman has sanctioned his actions in what he calls "The Offer They Can't Refuse" campaign and expressed disbelief that anyone would hold Molto responsible for any of the badly beaten homeless men dumped out of cars over the North Las Vegas city line.
4:30 p.m. -- Stop by to greet construction workers building new City Hall basement that is to house relocated council members now that Goodman has taken over the entire 10th floor. The button in the elevator for the top floor now simply says: "Oscar's Floor."
5 p.m. -- Mayor scheduled to turn on gigantic red light to announce opening of "Oscar's Little Amsterdam." Goodman plans to open the ceremony with a joke: "Some people say downtown already has one brothel on the corner of Stewart and Fourth." Appearing with Goodman is the former client with whom he has reconciled so he can run the brothel district and its showcase property, Oscar's Ranch: Joe Conforte.
6 p.m. -- Dinner at Piero's with Business License Director Rick Rizzolo to discuss revoking the licenses of Treasures, Cheetahs, Olympic Garden and Club Paradise. The business license director has recommended the action.
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