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This is Carolyn Goodman, the major of Las Vegas. On CNN she offered to make the city and its casinos a "control group" for the end of lockdown - in which people may die because of the end of social distancing
This is Carolyn Goodman, the major of Las Vegas. On CNN she offered to make the city and its casinos a "control group" for the end of lockdown - in which people may die because of the end of social distancing
Goodman has been Las Vegas mayor since 2011.
Her predecessor as mayor was her husband, Oscar Goodman. Oscar was mayor between 1999 and 2011. Prior to that he was a lawyer who had previously represented members of the mafia in Las Vegas
Her predecessor as mayor was her husband, Oscar Goodman. Oscar was mayor between 1999 and 2011. Prior to that he was a lawyer who had previously represented members of the mafia in Las Vegas
Oscar represented some of history's most famous gangsters - notably Meyer Lansky, a friend and associate of Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano.
Lansky inspired the Hyman Roth character in The Godfather and was once America's most powerful gangster in America. Here he is in 1958
Lansky inspired the Hyman Roth character in The Godfather and was once America's most powerful gangster in America. Here he is in 1958
Oscar Goodman also represented Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro. The Joe Pesci character in Casino is loosely based on Spilotro. Oscar also appears in Casino - playing himself!
Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel were both instrumental in the development of the modern Las Vegas
I interviewed Goodman a decade ago and asked him about Lansky and the mob. He recalled him with some fondness
I interviewed Goodman a decade ago and asked him about Lansky and the mob. He recalled him with some fondness
He was also nostalgic about his former clients and had an interesting comment about bodies in the desert.
When we met at the beginning of 2010 Las Vegas was still reeling from the Great Recession. It had been the fastest growing city in America, fuelled by the housing boom and cheap credit and it all came to a shuddering halt.
The construction and opening of City Center, MGM Resorts $8.5bn mega casino and hotel complex couldn't have come at a worse time. When I wrote my story a decade ago homeless people were living in tunnels and storm drains below the casinos https://www.ft.com/content/949db5e2-395c-11df-8970-00144feabdc0
City Center would become a big success and Las Vegas bounced back - it always does and it has weathered several storms since. Still, turning it into a control group for the deadliest pandemic in 100 years may not be the best plan.
ENDS
ENDS
PS: this shot from her interview with Anderson Cooper says it all
