Oscar Goodman
Downtown advocacy and the public image of Las Vegas
The mayor from 1999 to 2011, associated with downtown promotion and the effort to create the Mob Museum.
A distinctive public role
Goodman took office in 1999 and served three terms. Las Vegas Weekly’s 2011 retrospective examines his public persona and controversies alongside the city’s development ambitions. [2]
An old courthouse becomes a museum
The city’s museum history dates his advocacy to the beginning of his mayoralty. The federal government transferred the historic courthouse to the city in 2002 for preservation and cultural use; the Mob Museum opened in 2012, after his term. [1]
A city larger than its image
Goodman’s museum project is one part of a municipal history that also includes neighborhoods, public services and downtown investment. Follow his predecessors and successor to compare the changing priorities of City Hall. [1] [2]
Key dates
- 1999
Begins his mayoralty. [2]
- 2002
The city acquires the federal courthouse for cultural reuse. [1]
- 2011
Carolyn Goodman succeeds him. [3]
- 2012
The Mob Museum opens. [1]
People in the same story
Jan Jones Blackhurst
Read the profileCarolyn Goodman
His wife and successor in office. [3]
Read the profileIn the archive
5 matching entries in the saved collection.
Oscar Goodman discusses a career defending mob figures
A Sun profile revisits the attorney’s work for clients including Meyer Lansky and Tony Spilotro.
Tracing the mob’s places on the Las Vegas map
The Sun assembles a tour of locations connected with the city’s organized-crime history.
Who would play Oscar Goodman in the musical? How about Clint Holmes?
Indexed press reference · View the bibliography. The original report has not been independently read for this entry.
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John L. Smith: A Veteran’s Death And A Toast For Oscar Goodman
Publisher page and article metadata checked · Oct 3, 2026
40 years later: Oscar Goodman on the Jimmy Chagra murder trial
Publisher page and article metadata checked · Oct 3, 2026
Go deeper into the record.
Sources for this profile and starting points for further research. Access notes mark links we could not open directly during the October 3–4, 2026 checks. Historical accounts describe their own period; they do not necessarily describe current operations.
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- 2
That’s all folks! A look back at Oscar Goodman
Subscription or access restrictions may apply. Access check: Oct 4, 2026. Search for this source (search results)
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Carolyn G. Goodman — mayoral biography
This page preserves Carolyn Goodman’s earlier biography. Shelley Berkley is the current mayor; the old page title does not establish current office.
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