A:
Hmm. Our mayor's a pretty shy and retiring type, verging on the reclusive, in fact. He's very seldom seen in public...
Hahahahaha! For we locals, sometimes it seems like you just can't get away from Oscar Goodman (not that we'd want to, of course). Not that we'd want to encourage any Mayor-stalking, either, but we can pass on some suggestions in the hope that, should you get lucky, you'll act thoughtfully and not just barge up to him brandishing a book to sign in the middle of his dinner or an important speech. Unless you're a showgirl, of course, in which case that would be just fine.
Tips for a live sighting:
- We can confirm that our Mayor has good taste in food, since we've regularly been at adjacent tables in two of our favorite restaurants, namely Diamond China and Lotus of Siam. In fact, there was a time when we couldn't tell who was stalking who. Fellini's was also a haunt of his (and a number of other prominent attorneys and their clients), which we dined at less frequently, but that's now closed.
- Another good bet is any kind of downtown celebration, particularly if it involves the opening of a bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin (in fact, the opening of a bottle is often reason enough in itself, our Mayor being an official and dedicated spokesdrinker for the brand). It's actually the City of Las Vegas that Oscar Goodman is Mayor of (i.e., downtown) and he's always looking for ways to support and promote his 'hood, although he will venture south to Stripland if the greater good of Las Vegas in general calls for it. Or if there's a martini in it for him.
- Las Vegas 51s games are a good bet. He's a fan and has been immortalized more than once as a uniformed Bobblehead.
- Our final, and probably most potent tip, is that anywhere where there are some live showgirls provides prime Mayor-spotting possibilities -- much like hoping to catch sight of a lionness in the vicinity of a zebra watering hole. We don't have official confirmation, but are under the strong impression that a brace of showgirls is actually part of his official mayoral uniform.
In support of the above thesis, we did a quick trawl through the press releases in our "in" box for recent mayoral acitivity and here's what we came up with.
- April 14: Oscar Goodman was among the celebrity guests at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Palms tower.
- April 18: Our beloved mayor was at the big ceilidh (party) on Fremont Street celebrating the 5th Annual Las Vegas Highland Games.
- May 1: Oscar was to be found performing a "carrot breaking" ceremony in the Fremont East Entertainment District, celebrating the debut of the downtown Las Vegas Farmers Market.
- June 23: Mayor Goodman was at the Minus 5 Experience ice bar in Mandalay Place to unveil a life-sized "ice portrait" of himself.
- July 31: Oscar celebrated his 70th birthday with a street party outside the Golden Nugget, featuring complimentary "Good-Man Martinis" and a line-up of celebrity guests and performers including Wayne Brady, Zowie Bowie, and the girls of Fantasy, the topless revue at the Luxor.
- August 11: Ever-game, our rockin' mayor braved the 100+ degree temperatures – in his suit! – and donned a guitar to join in the attempt to beat the Guinness World Record for the most people playing "Viva Las Vegas" beneath the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, in honor of Vegas Rocks magazine's 5th anniversary.
Whatever you might think about our notorious "Mob" Mayor, you can't accuse him of not pulling his weight when it comes to doing everything in his power to promote the city he loves (ditto his favorite brand of gin).
For his pre-showgirl-flanked past, check out Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith's biography of Oscar Goodman, referenced by this questioner. Of Rats and Men will give you a no-holds-barred window on Oscar Goodman's previous but equally colorful life as a defense attorney who specialized in cases involving characters who went by names like Jimmy the Weasel, Joey the Clown, Richie the Fixer, Fat Vinnie, Chicken Man, The Mad Bomber, and, of course, Tony "the Ant" Spilotro.
Spot the theme?
Martini Mayor
Happy Birthday
Rockin' Oscar
Festive Mayor
Bobbleheads
Update 04 September 2009
- "This is not a question, but 'Monday with the Mayor' hosted by Allen Stock. People can call in and speak with him. He's usually on after the 7:30 am news although sometimes that changes depending on his schedule.
- "As a follow-up on today's QoD, I too have a completely new level of respect for Mayor Oscar Goodman, having just completed The Battle for Las Vegas, written by Dennis N. Griffin."
09/03/2009 A prequel rather than an "update," seeing as this one hasn't even gone live yet!
- "I see tomorrow's QoD is about Mayor Goodman. I just wanted to share an experience I had.
"I was here in downtown Chicago and working on a Saturday morning about 3 or 4 years ago. I left work to go home and as I crossed the street I saw him and his wife. I said 'Hi, Mr. Mayor' and we had a nice little conversation. What a pleasant couple. He happened to be in town for a mayor's conference and was just walking along Michigan Ave.
"I mentioned that my mom lived in Vegas and he said if she needed anything to have her call him. I know he was not working at the time and probably had more time available than if he were actually back in Vegas, but it was great that he took the time to have a nice chat with me. From what I've seen in Vegas, he seems to be about the most accessible mayor around."
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