Question of the Day - 04 May 2024

The Mob Museum was originally the brainchild of Oscar Goodman, the longtime Las Vegas criminal-defense attorney who specialized in organized-crime-related clients and cases, then served three terms as the city's mayor. In 2002, as mayor, Goodman proposed a museum that would "tell the story of how Las Vegas got started" (never mind that Las Vegas got started between 40 and 100 years, depending on how you're counting, before gangsters arrived here).

Goodman said that he'd donate mob memorabilia from his personal collection, accumulated from when he defended the likes of Meyer Lansky, Nick Civella, Tony Spilotro, Philip Leonetti, Natale Richichi, and Charles Panarella, to name a few. 

The Museum is set up as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. It cost a little more than $40 million to construct and open. The funding came from numerous local, state, and federal grants, particularly from the National Park Service, Nevada Commission for Cultural Affairs, the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Money from the city's General Fund was allocated in 2004. 

Along the way, the idea attracted a team of world-class museum designers, whose credits also include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

As for controversy, while it didn't necessarily court it in development and when opening, it did spark some debate about its portrayal of organized crime. Some critics argued that it might glamorize or sensationalize the Mob. Some Italian-American groups raised concerns about the portrayal of Italian-American heritage and culture in relation to organized crime; they were worried that the museum might perpetuate negative stereotypes in terms of associations with organized crime. 

The "controversy" blew over fairly fast, when it became clear that the museum was presenting a balanced and nuanced view of the history of organized crime, highlighting the contributions of law enforcement in combating criminal organizations, while also acknowledging the cultural context in which these activities occurred.