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Pedestrians pass by the old courthouse and U.S. post office, the site of the Mob Museum, in downtown Las Vegas on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009.
By Dave Toplikar (contact) 
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009 | 11:21 a.m.
Sun Coverage
- Not yet built, mob museum may get rival (9-11-2009)
- Goodman marks Mob Museum progress (8-4-2009)
- Mob museum contractor at odds with city (8-8-2009)
- Oh, the irony: The former mob lawyer gets FBI support for mob museum (8-17-2008)
The Las Vegas City Council took another step forward this morning on building a mob museum in the city's downtown.
And they also heard it is still on track to be open to the public in a little more than a year in the historic federal office building and post office building at 300 Stewart.
On a 6-1 vote, the council approved spending another $83,020 from the Nevada Commission for Cultural Affairs to continue seismic retrofit measures so the building can be used as the mob museum, officially known as the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement.
The council had approved $330,000 for the retrofit measures in October and that work, which involves intensive construction work, is now under way, said Bill Arent, director for the city's Office of Business Development.
"This funding is meant to actually prepare the interior of the space for the exhibitry that we're going to install," Arent told the council. "So everything from electrical conduit and lighting, that's what the money is going towards."
Arent told the council that the museum, which has a total price tag of about $50 million, would open in a little more than a year.
"We don't have a hard opening date. But as early as the first quarter of 2011, we could see patrons enjoying the museum," Arent said.
Councilman Stavros Anthony was the lone "no" vote. He explained before the vote that he could not justify spending $80,000 on such a museum.
Councilman Ricki Y. Barlow said he supported it because it would help to bring a more diverse type of entertainment to the downtown and compared it to the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.
The museum has been pushed by the city's mayor, former high-profile mob lawyer Oscar Goodman, and also has the support of the FBI.
The museum would relay the tale of how federal and local law enforcers battled the mob and eventually drove it out of Las Vegas.
The exhibits would feature items and other support from the FBI, plus artifacts from mob life, including many from the children and grandchildren of top members of organized crime bosses and their underlings.
In the basement, how about a deli? You know, with hot dogs made from ground up snitches.
and no one wonders why the city is running out of money?
Looks like Mayor Goodman and Stavros Anthony are not on the same page. This could get very entertaining.
So the City of Las Vegas is projected to lose $400 million over the next 5 years and notifying 19 people of pending layoffs this Friday. Yet we have Gazoo and his merry bandits spending money on museums and a City Hall. And people wonder why this city has gone to hell and a hand-basket. Who is going to pay for the bonds when they become due? Will the City default like others throughout the country. Have fun enjoying Gazoo; I've had enough.
The phrase is "to Hell in a handbasket"
me too
We need to put pressure on Congress and the White House about this shameful FBI agency participating in this shameful scheme the people don't want and stop the Mob dead in its tracks.
Stavros Anthony for Mayor!
This is Vegas, so we are going to need something really splashy for the new $50 million Mob Museum. Maybe Oscar can pay out some of that 'artifact' money to have some of his 'associates' dig up Jimmy Hoffa to Headline the place for the grand opening.
Who must be voted out of office?
Mayor Oscar Goodman. We don't want you here, nor do we want you for our governor. Goodman must GO!
Mayor Pro Tem Councilman Gary Reese Ward 3 must GO!
Councilman Ricki Barlow Ward 5 must GO!
Councilman Steven Ross Ward 6 must GO!
Councilman Steven Wolfson Ward 2 must Go!
Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian Ward 1 must GO!
We don't want them here anymore!
Councilman Stavros Anthony Ward 4 FOR MAYOR!
What a big time waste of money.
I take it you are not very familiar with Vegas history. If it wasn't for the mob activities, beginning with Bugsy Segal,you wouldn't have Las Vegas now. Learn your history!