Oscar Goodman on His New Book, the Mayor’s Race, and Why He Doesn’t Like To Talk About His Legacy

City Cast Las Vegas has been following the Las Vegas mayoral race closely this year — especially since it’s the first time since 1999 that Oscar Goodman or wife Carolyn Goodman won’t be on the ballot. For the latest edition of Mayoral Mondays, we caught up with Oscar Goodman, former mob lawyer and three-term mayor, to discuss the current state of the race, current events, and what he’s up to lately.

Tell me about the new book you're working on. I know you've released an autobiography before, so what’s different with this one?

"Everything is new because I'm telling you the truth now."

What can readers expect when they buy this?

"A whole new look at Las Vegas."

Anything you want to share at the moment or do you prefer it be a little mysterious?

"Let it get published first. Let's sell it first and then we'll see whether I'm right or wrong about the quality of it. The first one was a light, airy memoir. This one is getting pretty deep into my feelings about government, law enforcement, cheating, and lying — and those who think the white hats are really the good guys. They're really wearing the black hats. So I think it can be very, very good, but we'll see."

It sounds like you're going to focus on your mob lawyer years a little more.

"Well, it’s a little bit of everything about why I became what I am — whatever that is — and what I did for 35 years on an almost daily basis, and how my marriage was able to survive that and my children were able to overcome it. I was able to stay alive. It should be interesting to anybody who is interested in Las Vegas, criminal law, the mob, and justice."

Brittney Palmer just unveiled a new portrait of you at your namesake restaurant, Oscar’s Steakhouse. What were your impressions of it?

"My parents were very cultured people and my mother was an artist … I think what Brittney created here was excellent. Even though I'm not the most handsome guy ever portrayed on canvas, I think the colors are bursting out. The location of it is very special … I think it brings a certain joyfulness to the restaurant that it didn't have before."

We're in an election year and we’re not going to have a Goodman on the ballot for the first time in more than 20 years. How would you define the collective legacy of Oscar and Carolyn Goodman in the mayor's office?

"Well, I think my wife would agree with me on this: We don't believe in legacies. We believe in carpe diem. We seize the day and we try to live every day to its fullest. Our legacy will be our children and their success, and right now we're getting an ‘A-plus’ on that due to my wife's wonderful way of raising them. And that will be our legacy.

"Ultimately, I think the city is probably unique in that I'm the only mayor who ever swore in his spouse to succeed him in the history of the United States. My wife nor myself ever brought anything but positive attention to our community here. There were no embarrassments. I was asked years ago by the United States Conference of Mayors to speak at Harvard to newly elected mayors and the topic was ‘How not to be indicted’ … The job has to be a love affair between the city and its mayor … The only reason a person should be the mayor is to make their city a better place and not to reward themselves."

Who are you endorsing for mayor in Las Vegas?

"At this point in time, I'm not endorsing anybody. Carolyn has to work with certain people and I'm not going to put her in a position of jeopardy. So I told her I wasn't going to back anybody. She's not going to back anybody because she has a job to finish and there's no reason to start spats in City Hall. And if there comes a time that I feel that the job is done, although it's never done, I may tip my hat towards somebody."

So an endorsement might come later in the year?

"Well, I get the pitch from the candidates that lending my name to their campaign would be beneficial to them. And I said, ‘I don't think so.’ The public is smart enough to vote for the person and not because somebody else is saying that person's going to be a good mayor or a bad mayor. They can make up their own mind — and Las Vegas does a pretty darn good job at that."

And now that we're down to a runoff with the final two (Shelley Berkley and Victoria Seaman), without making an endorsement, do you have any thoughts on how the race has gone in general?

"I think so far, unlike some other races, it's been a very clean race. I don't know what happens behind the scenes, but as far as being Joe Citizen, I don't see anything that upsets me as far as any unkind comments."

Under both of your mayorships, Las Vegas has grown dramatically as a sports community. Do you still believe the A's should build their stadium in the City of Las Vegas instead of on the Strip?

"I'm very clear about how I feel. I believe the A’s should be building at Cashman Field. The city would be willing to make a sweetheart deal with them. There wouldn't be any taxpayer money involved. It would be a mixed-use development, which would change the face of Las Vegas. It would be like what happened in the Gaslamp district in San Diego. It could have a tremendous effect on improving the neighborhood."

What are your thoughts on Elon Musk’s Vegas Loop? Do you think that's something that should expand into Downtown?

"Whenever you have transportation, which is either free or subsidized, it's good for the community because it gets people out and about. It’s safe and it lets them see what surrounds them. I don't like the Tesla project at all. They've never completed one to my knowledge (elsewhere). I don't think it satisfies any particular need. … I don't know why these millions of dollars are being spent to dig a hole underneath our entire city. I'm not high on that whole concept."

Do you think it would be better off as a subway — something that could effectively transport more people in a single vehicle?

"I don't think we need it. I don't think we need a subway here. When I was first elected, a gentleman came to me and said, ‘I think you should build a subway.’ And I said, ‘I have no problem with that if it goes from the airport to Downtown’ … I don't think there's any need for anything that fancy, just a simple rail going from place to place would be great.

"Or have a free bus like they do in Downtown. It overflows with people who can get on and off. They're visiting various stores and restaurants and they love coming Downtown. They don't have to drive. They don't have to pay those extraordinarily high parking fees. That's the kind of traffic an urban area needs. You try to get from place to place easily, preferably by walking, but because Las Vegas is so darn hot, sometimes you don't feel like walking. But to have that little bus Downtown, it’s been a tremendous, tremendous idea. And Carolyn, she's the one who started it — and it's always, always crowded."

The city limits cover not just Downtown, but also a lot of rural areas as well. There's a big controversy now with an LDS temple proposed for Lone Mountain — and there's kind of a push and pull between keeping it rural in nature and allowing this very large landmark to come in. Do you have a stance on that controversy?

"No. I never criticized an elected official because I'm not being briefed on the topic. I'm not at the meetings concerning the issue. I don't know the reason certain things are done. All I know is that you can't please all the people all the time, but you try to be as polite and understanding of what they're trying to accomplish. And when it comes to something like a religious institution, people feel very close to it."

Do you think broadly speaking, it's important to keep an eye on preserving rural and natural spaces within the borders of Las Vegas?

"I think it's important to keep certain areas rural because there's a certain lifestyle that goes along with it. Carolyn and I were driving around last week, not too far from the center of the city. People still had their horses. There weren't curbs and gutters. There weren't streetlights. And I can see people wanting to live in that kind of environment. It's not for me, but they're certainly entitled to that. I think that people should always be given a choice and the community should make areas accessible for a choice such as that."

I'm a big fan of Oscar's Steakhouse. When Life is Beautiful comes to the Plaza this year as a block party, are you going to be hanging around? Are you going to be enjoying the party?

"Let's put it this way: If it's after five o'clock, I'll be drunk at home."

And when you’re dining at Oscar’s Steakhouse, what’s your go-to meal?

"Well, I love Oscar’s. I love the ambiance of it. I love the food. And my favorite is a bone-in ribeye with a Caesar salad. It satisfies me completely."

And what makes a perfect martini?

"It’s very simple. Bombay Sapphire — very, very, very cold. Very cold. And then ice on the side (from the shaker) with a jalapeno on the ice so it doesn't take up any room in the drink. You eat the jalapeno along with the Bombay Sapphire and you're in seventh heaven."