The Mob Museum

Mob Museum's $300,000 grant largest in county: March 13, 2009; By Cy Ryan; The so-called Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas is going to receive a $300,000 grant toward restoration from the state Commission on Cultural Affairs. The museum in the old Las Vegas Post Office received the largest grant from the commission, which approved money for 28 projects. The Mob Museum originally asked for $900,000 but then pared back the request to $500,000.

Suggestion Box: Oscar, stop cutting off your nose: Feb. 12, 2009; By Las Vegas Weekly Staff; We’re as fascinated by our mayor as the rest of the free world, but we really feel the need to call him on his latest comment on the arts, specifically that he doesn’t see an art museum as necessary for Downtown. Really, Oscar?

Several cities seek stimulus money for museums: Feb. 3, 2009; By Brian Eckhouse; Turn on “This Week with George Stephanopolous” or visit the National Press Club in Washington, and there’s Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky again questioning the use of potential stimulus dollars for “things like mob museums and water slides.”

Mob museum walks on public tightrope: Feb. 3, 2009; By Sam Skolnik; Las Vegas’ proposed mob museum has taken some hits of its own in recent weeks, targeted on late-night talk shows and Capitol Hill as an absurd showcase for the likes of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, Meyer Lansky and Anthony “Tony the Ant” Spilotro. Museum backers say the critics don’t get it. This won’t be some sideshow exhibit celebrating the mob’s role as a storied part of Las Vegas’ past. Rather, it will offer a serious examination of organized crime and law enforcement’s efforts to combat it.

Lawyers, guns ... and money: Jan. 22, 2009; By Steve Friess; A legitimate mob museum at the beautiful, restored historic old federal building Downtown would be an enormous success for Las Vegas.

Got stimulus? We’ve got a project list: Jan. 17, 2009; By Brian Eckhouse; As debate over the size and scope of a federal stimulus bill intensifies in Washington, regional leaders could soon be engaged in a turf war for their piece of the pie.

Mayor returns fire over mob museum funding: Jan. 12, 2009; By Sam Skolnik; One of Mayor Oscar Goodman’s favorite downtown development projects, the mob museum, riled up a few Republican U.S. senators last week after they learned that the mayor had requested federal funds for the project.

Mob museum is Exhibit A for GOP leader: Jan. 6, 2009; By Lisa Mascaro; Las Vegas’ proposed mob museum is a subject ripe for ridicule, and the Republicans here have held it up as just that. “We would like, on the spending side, obviously, to avoid funding things like a mob museums or water slides,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate.

Property owner gets a break on fine, but others shouldn’t expect the same: Oct. 3, 2008; By Sam Skolnik; City inspectors visited the dilapidated site on Jackson Avenue 44 times over a three-year period.

Oh, the irony: The former mob lawyer gets FBI support for mob museum: Aug. 17, 2008; By Sam Skolnik; In 2002, Mayor Oscar Goodman’s suggestion that the historic post office near City Hall be turned into a mob museum caused a minor uproar.

Henderson museum plans taking shape: May 20, 2008; By Kristen Peterson; Henderson wants a museum and the city is in the middle of a nearly $200,000 study to determine its content, location and funding. City officials say they want a nationally recognized institution that will cater mostly to residents.

Let’s build a museum for heroes, not thugs: Jan. 14, 2008; Jeannie Jackson, Las Vegas; Regarding John Tominsky’s Jan. 8 letter, “Mob museum sends wrong message to kids”: