Mojave desert, about 42 Million People every year visit the city for its many casinos, shows and restaurants. With the help of our Cox Communications cable partners, for the next two hours well learn about the history of the city and tap into the literary scene here with local authors. We begin our special feature with its former mayor, Oscar Goodman. Mayor goodman, how did you become a lawyer for the mob . Oh. The refuted mob, of course. All by accident. Its the most amazing thing in the world. I came out to las vegas with my beautiful wife in 1964 and, basically, i would take anything after i passed the bar that would walk in the door. I had a motto in my office where theres a fee, theres a remedy. And carolyn was, believe it or not, one of the first card counters even they they didnt call them that at that time. And my dad sent us 25 a week for pleasure. We couldnt use it for rent, for gasoline, it had to be for pleasure. So we went out to a place called the charcoal room at the Hacienda Hotel which is now imploded. After dinner carolyn would take whatever we had left over and play blackjack. And i knew they werent building this Beautiful Hotels because people were winning. So i would stand behind her, and just like were talking although it looks like i do all the talking just like were conversing with each other, i spoke to the dealer. And he was a very nice guy. One day he called me up at my office, and he said, you know, oscar, im a little financial difficulty, im going to have to file bankruptcy. Would you do it for me in i didnt know bankruptcy from a speed bump at the time. But i learned how to fill out a bankruptcy petition. I did it by hand. And he was happy. I charged him 250. And i was happy. So a couple weeks later a phone call comes into the pit at hacienda, and its from a reputed mobster. And his brother had been arrested, and he wanted to know whos the best criminal lawyer in las vegas . Well, nothing changes over all the years. The fella who lifted up the phone cups it, and he said whos the best criminal lawyer in las vegas, and the guy i did the bankruptcy for said call oscar. And thats how it all started. And i represented the brother, and i could try the case a thousand times, and i would lose it 999 times, but i got lucky and i won it. And from that point whenever somebody got arrested who was connected with the allege mob, it was call oscar. What was it like trying that first case . I was scared to death. I didnt know how to pick a jury. I went to the judges clerk the morning of the trial, and i said to her, you know, i dont want a jury, because i didnt know how to pick one. I said this is a case that its a legal case for the judge to decide, not for a jury. She said ill ask the judge, and she comes back, and she said, mr. Goodman, the jurys been summoned in. Well, i got so nervous, i walked down the stairs of the federal courthouse, and i parked it all over the second step. And i went back to my office, and i said, okay, were all set to pick the jury and try the case, and the jury went out to deliberate after all the ed was in and the all the evidence was in and the closing argument. And my clients brother, the alleged mobster, while were walking back to my office which was two blocks away from the federal courthouse, says is it better if the jury takes a long time . I said, the longer they take, the better. We walk into my office, the phones ringing, the jury has a verdict. Well, you can imagine how i felt. We went back this, i think they felt so sorry for me that they came back with a not guilty. What were some of the after that first case, what were some of the crazier cases that you were given . Well, i became an expert, believe it or not, in, of all things, wiretap cases because the wiretap statute just went into effect, and i was involved with the first wiretap case down at the Miami International airport. A wiretap was set up of two fellas who were bookmakers, and they would call a brander here in bartender here in las vegas to get the line information from the sports books here and they were all indicted, and i was hired to represent this bartender. And we went down there, and i asked for a severance. Thats when you ask to have your case separated from the other defendants. He was an incidental figure. And finally after two weeks the judge said, mr. Goodman, go home, take your client with you. Youre right, i should give you a severance because they havent mentioned his name. So my client went home, but the other lawyer said why dont you stick around and help us with this wiretap case. So i stayed there, and they were all found guilty. But the word went out, oscar won the case because my client is back in las vegas on the severance. Had nothing at all to do with winning the case. But after that on december the 12th of 1970, 26 cities were raided of alleged bookmakers who they all said were mobsters, and i was hired in 19 out of the 26. And because i had more than one case, i had all my papers strewn around my office. And one of my clients said, look at this, oscar. I said, dont bother me, im working. He said, no, look at this. I said, dont bother or me. He said, youre going to want to see this. I said, okay. And i picked up two different authorizations for the wife t. A. R. P. , and the wiretap has to be authorized by either the attorney general himself or one of nine, and the signatures even though they bore the same name were different. So i filed some motions, and ultimately took the deposition of the attorney general of the United States in my law office, and he was smug. He really was smug. Smoking his pipe. He finally said, okay, youre right. We didnt authorize this properly, and i want all 19 won all 19 of the cases, therefore, i was the wire persian for the United States. How familiar were you with the mob before coming to las vegas . And that is the only contact i had with anything that resembled crime. Of the 19 was there any case that you said no . Most of them. When i became the mayor this has to be so confident. And active years of practicing criminal law. This is a cakewalk. If i lost the case with the kind of clients i had, i never saw my client again. I hope i didnt make many mistakes. Instead of having a wet bed, i slept like a baby as the mayor. Host in the midst of you defending these alleged mobsters guest all right. Host that they were being targeted by the federal government . Guest yes. In my opinion. And i hadnt been actively practicing law but for a lot of reasons, not actively in the court room. Many federal prosecutors, the state wasnt that bad but federal prosecutors play the game where the ends justify the means. They would do anything to get them and i cant think of a case where everybody goes he is always saying the same thing where i didnt catch an fbi agent or irs agent in ally and tried to govern in my cases. I rarely allow the client to take the witness stand unless they insisted they wanted to do it. I didnt want them to do it because i could talk better than they could. They werent pros and i did this has a professional. I think the government overstepped its bounds. The way i defended my case with making sure they adhere to the constitution. In particular the prohibition against unreasonable searches and seniors and did not engage in prosecutorial misconduct. Just about every case i had they violated those provisions. Give us an example of a case you thought was particularly egregious. These big shots i represent there was a fellow who was a big shot. I will give you his name because he became a friend of mine. A reputed heroin dealer named manny baker. Manny was an africanamerican fellow who was a stereo typical, if you were going to talk about an africanamerican and try to characterize him and make them into a caricature he was that, but he was a very decent person aside from allegations and manny went down, and giving money to this fellow. And by the curb by the cadillac, ultimately was arrested and a hearing in federal court, there were three, and the exclusionary role. The first guy gets on the stand, raises his hand and says the truth and the whole truth and nothing like the truth. He went up to manny in the car, and roll down the window, he said sir, a little tail here. He said manny rolled down the window, manny complied, and this is in the manny i knew and when you get out of the car, give us the key here is, and open up the truck. Look at this bag in the trunk. I said manny, you are black belt. That cop was a redfaced cracker. The judge couldnt believe the cop. But they are lying a. Let me do my job. Next guy gets a. I swear to god to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me god. Word for word for word. Manny is saying to me they are lying. I said i cant do two thing that once, cant listen to you say they are lying and listen to the witness testified. But they are lying. I said take it easy. Next one. Same thing. They are lying, they are lying. The people of america tell you that. What are you talking about. The pilot and flight attendants come in a plane and get into a van and go to the motel. They saw the whole thing. I said what are you talking about . I know they saw the whole thing. Timeout, judge. Dont waste our time. I said no. I may have something important here. Give me a couple days to investigate. I will start again tomorrow morning. You cant get a little bit and go for more because of a little bit. Went back to my office and said to one of my associates, we know the flight number, we know the airline, find out who the pilot was and he found it out, in san francisco, i said would you mind coming down and tell the judge what you saw that day . I will buy you dinner. You do that, i will buy you dinner. Comes into court, put him under oath, same guy, he says i was there and saw this, 3 redneck cops. Opened up the door, sitting next to you, mister baker is his name, picked him up by the scrub of his neck, put cuffed behind his back, put it on their head, started kicking him, went in and cook the key, you are under arrest. It was like miami vice. Maybe that is the most egregious story in the book. Defending these people what makes you want to get into politics . I have done everything. I tried all these cases and it got to a point i wasnt liking myself. I would see how much i could charge and i said i am not about this. This is and why i became a lawyer, this is not why i represent people, not to make money, i did it because i believed in what i was doing. I made money in the process. I said to my wife i got to do something different. I am not liking what im doing. We were on a cruise in the caribbean in 1998 and i said to my wife and four children, i will do something different, what do you have in mind . I am going to run for mayor. We have a very democratic family and took a vote on anything that affects one another. That is a lot of money for a lawyer. As the mayor you made 40,000 and they were going to take a hit. We had the vote. The four children voted numfour0 against me. There were no Outstanding College loans. There is no way you can win. You have more baggage out of the airport. And sports folks around here are not allowed to put out a line on politics but sports folks in london made 171 underdog and i was fortunate enough to win and i tell you a funny story, the day after the election i go to my office, two messages in particular, one at 5 00, president clinton congratulating me being elected of the fastestgrowing city of the United States, at 5 00, at 5 05 manny baker the reputed heroin dealer congratulated me on being elected. Were you concerned, was your reputation with the alleged mob, did that come up at all in the election ordering your term . I have a little bit of a temper. He had a little cartoons, Holding Money back, holding hypodermic needles, holding guns. That was supposed to be me representing all of them. I represented these alleged mobsters, somehow i was doing something bad. I thought i was defending everything good about the country and it all came together when i went to the cumberland area that has sun city for affluent older folks. I would knock on the doors and have a campaign and i went to one door early on and this was the complete lesson. There was a woman who answered the door, has a bathrobe on at 3 00 in the afternoon, has her hair in curlers and she says guess who is out here . The mafia lawyer. I got milk and cookies for you. They were good too. That said it all to me. What were your platforms . I didnt know where city hall was. It was tough to have a platform. I wanted to be honest guy who would do his best and make sure, the same way i protected my clients. Everything comes into focus. And the mayor you see little tuft of grass coming up. In a state of malaise. My whole night point was easy. It created a renaissance, downwn las vegas vitality. One problem, didnt know how. A friend of mine was not a friend of the time but was very vocal opponent of my running, he came up to me, can i help you . I will let bygones be bygones. He was president of a major real estate firm. Give me a one on one baby course on how to develop downtown and he brought out the ceo of a major west Coast Development firm in baltimore. They did the seaports in new york and these were firstclass developers and spend an hour with me and after i poured my heart out to him what i wanted to see happen was you cant do it. What do you mean . You dont have what you need. I said what are you talking about . He said you need land. I looked out my window. That piece. He said land. I said we have that piece. He said no, land. I went home that night distraught. I had a busy life as a lawyer. The phone wasnt ringing when i was the mayor but a light bulb went on. There was a piece of land. An old Railroad Site and i called up the ceo of Union Pacific railroad the next day and said sir, i want to buy your Railroad Site, he said not for sale. Called him again, not for sale. I said everything is for sale, everything has a price. He said there are 61 acres in that site that we dont own. It is owned by Lehman Brothers and i went to new york and said you got to buy 61 acres and they quoted me a 30 million price. The city didnt have the money but i knew that would be the future of las vegas if i could acquire that without eminent domain. I was fortunate to be able to trade land in an affluent part of the city for 61 acres downtown. Then let johnny by the door and started to develop all the wonderful things we now have. The downtown casinos, this mayor is serious and they began to fix up their place. One place downtown i would not have gone into for fear of getting a lung disease. Everybody has fixed up their places. Look at the restaurant here. This was a broken down place. I wouldnt come here for fear of getting blood on my shoes and now look at it. Host as any decca did you ever think of running for another guest running for the county line. Host no lacerations . Guest this is what happened. I spent the time in washington, washington is a very funny city. I was so proud of myself as i was doing cspan every night. They named a drink after me. I was a big shot in washington. There he is, Oscar Goodman the lawyer. I came home and said sweetheart, i am the cats me out. You got to come back with me. I will show you a town like you have never seen a town before. The capital is going to get on their knees. Six weeks after i left, it was oscar who . That turned me off of washington. I need a little adulation. I like to be the rockstar. Carson city there is not enough to keep me happy for more than a couple weeks so i passed on money for governor and we had an experience because people were telling me to run for this, run for that. I am a nonpartisan and i will see whether or not a pretty funny political year. We took a poll and it shows i would have carried Clarke County where las vegas is and then you win the states and reality set in. I said i dont want to be anything but what i am, ambassador for the Convention Authority for tourism. Chairman of a permanent post committee. Get woken up every morning by my wife who comes to my side of the bed to get the juices flowing, got two shoulders to the front door, they have a martini for me. Im have floated by 12 00 every day. What is better than that . You are watching booktv on cspan2. This weekend we are visiting las vegas, nevada to talk with local authors and tour the citys literary sites with the help of our local cable partner Cox Communications. Next we discuss son, sin and suburbia, with author geoff schumacher. When people think about las vegas they typically think about the las vegas strip, the big casinos, the show, gambling, restaurants, they might think about downtown las vegas where we have the older casinos and fremont street with the spectacle of the promenade. That is what i think people immediately think of, someone who lives here, someone who writes about las vegas i dont necessarily think of that first. I think about the people, the 2 Million People who live here, the neighborhoods where i live, where my friends and relatives live. So much more nuanced and complicated story than a typical person from outside town imagines. Las vegas has been growing and 1905 when it was founded as a railroad town. Certain decades when things accelerated and one of those was the 1940s. During world war ii, saw the arrival of a huge magnesium production plan grew thousands of workers to las vegas and at the same time the development of an Army Airfield which became an air force base, thousands and thousands of people descending on this valley quadrupling the population in a matter of years coinciding with that was development of the casino business on a larger scale. Tourists and las vegas, the 40s were huge, the 50s you saw the rise of the iconic casinos on the las vegas strip. That coincided with the rise in atomic testing 60 miles north of las vegas so a lot of scientists and others who needed to work at the atomic testing site came to live in las vegas. Tourists came to las vegas to witness these spectacles, aboveground atomic explosions was the 40s and 50s were a pivotal time for las vegas and its growth. Las vegas face a lot of challenges it grew so quickly. What was transportation. Another was education, building enough schools to accommodate all these kids. Transportation for example, the building of the airport. We relate on getting caught up, the development of Mccarran Airport was open and already talking about expanding expanding