Diverse field challenges Goodman for mayor

Judy Odierna

Monday, March 24, 2003 | 11:05 a.m.

Candidate bios

Allan "Big Al" Smith

Age: 66.

Occupation: Self-employed.

Endorsements: None.

Edward R. Schmitt

Age: 44.

Occupation: Plumbing contractor.

Endorsements: None.

Tom McGowan

Age: 70.

Occupation: Retired musician.

Endorsements: None.

Oscar B. Goodman

Age: 63.

Occupation: Mayor and criminal defense attorney.

Endorsements: Citizens for Responsive Government; City Employees Association; Culinary Union Local 226; Teamsters Union; the Sheet Metal Workers Union;Carpenters Union; stagehands union; Southern Nevada Central Labor Council ; Nevada State AFL-CIO; Police Managers and Supervisors; The Bocce Friends of Italian American Club; The Asian Chamber of Commerce; The Latin Chamber of Commerce; Clark County School District Police Association; North Las Vegas Police Officers Association; Henderson Police Officers Association; Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriffs; Las Vegas Police Protective Association.

Joe Falco

Age: 59.

Occupation: Car salesman.

Endorsements: None.

Carlos "Mazunga" Poliak

Age: 62.

Occupation: Sanitation worker.

Endorsements: None.

Joe Falco, Tom McGowan, Carlos "Mazunga" Poliak, Edward R. Schmitt and Allan "Big Al" Smith all want to be the next mayor of Las Vegas. But many in the group acknowledge that it's an uphill battle against Goodman, who has a war chest brimming with about $1 million in campaign contributions.

Falco, 59, a car salesman who has lived in Las Vegas for five years, says he knows it's tough to beat an incumbent who has so much campaign money and name recognition, but he felt voters needed to have a choice.

"At first I thought Goodman was going to run by himself, so I thought he should have some competition," Falco said. "I always wanted to be a politician and now I have the time. I don't owe anyone favors and I think I would do what's best for Las Vegas no matter what."

McGowan is a 70-year-old Korean War veteran and retired musician who used to perform at the old Flamingo hotel. He is an avid political watchdog and a regular at local government meetings.

He ran against Goodman in 1999 but finished sixth in an eight-candidate race. McGowan collected no campaign contributions for that race and said he won't pursue any campaign money this time either because he says "elections should not be bought."

"I believe we need a change for the better," McGowan said. "I am not running against Oscar Goodman; I am running against the general public, a public that is satisfied with notoriety or notoriety by association by a man who has identified himself as a mob mouthpiece."

Poliak, a 62-year-old sanitation worker, has also run unsuccessfully for several elected positions and said he runs for office because he likes to stand up for the little person and he feels most elected officials with money don't do that.

"I consider aristocrats bullies," Poliak said. "They don't reflect our viewpoint. That's why I'm in it all the time. I don't feel that the public concern is being addressed."

Schmitt, 44, also said he's running because he doesn't see progress and cites downtown redevelopment.

"I don't like Goodman," Schmitt said. "He hasn't done anything for the city. The whole downtown is still dead."

But perhaps the most colorful of the group is 66-year-old Smith, who likes to be known as "Big Al." He wears a campaign costume, a faux fur caveman get-up that he says are the remnants of his ex-wife's coat. That was the only thing left hanging in his closet when she left him, he said.

The sleeves were cut into boots, the bottom half turned into a skirt and the top became a vest. He also used a strip of the coat to adorn his hat.

"I'm running hard. I get my suit on and I get out and talk to people," Smith said. "I am getting good reception, a lot of the banks take my fliers. As I hand them out I get people who call me back and say they really like my ideas."

Smith's ideas include a 100,000-seat stadium built north of Alta Drive and east of Main Street and an 18-story building to house everything from grocery stores and a mall to office space and condominiums. He also wants to see a full-size replica of the Golden Gate bridge built in Las Vegas.