Being Oscar - by Oscar Goodman (Paperback)

About the Book

Now in paperback: the candid autobiography of legendary lawyer Oscar Goodman--defender of Meyer Lansky and Mike Tyson--and Las Vegas mayor.

Book Synopsis

In Being Oscar, one of America's most celebrated criminal defense attorneys recounts the stories and cases of his epic life. The Mafia's go-to defender, he has tried an estimated 300 criminal cases, and won most of them. His roster of clients reads like a history of organized crime: Meyer Lansky, Nicky Scarfo, and "Lefty" Rosenthal, as well as Mike Tyson and boxing promoter Don King, along with a midget, a dentist, and a federal judge.
After thirty-five years as a defender, he ran for mayor of Las Vegas, and America's greatest Mob lawyer became the mayor of its sexiest city. He was so popular his image appeared on the 5, 25, and 100 chips. While mayor of Vegas, he starred on the screen in Rush Hour 2 and CSI. He is as large a character in the history of organized crime as any of his clients and as legendary a figure in the history of Las Vegas as the entrepreneurs (his friends and clients) who built the city. This is his astonishing story--the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Review Quotes

Praise for Being Oscar

"Former Las Vegas mayor Goodman delivers a fast-paced, entertaining account of his over-the-top life." -- Publishers Weekly

"'Being Oscar' is a fun read and sensational from first page to last." -- Las Vegas Review-Journal

About the Author

Oscar Goodman, the former mayor of Las Vegas, is now the official spokesperson for the city, a director emeritus of The Mob Museum, and the namesake for the restaurant "Oscar's Beef, Booze & Broads." His wife is the current mayor of Las Vegas, serving until 2016.