Friday, June 18, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

JOHN L. SMITH: Galardi friend shifts from DA's office to county public defender's post

Embattled Chief Deputy District Attorney Gary Guymon, whose name has surfaced in the Michael Galardi political corruption investigation, is moving to the Clark County Public Defender's office.

His last day is today. He is scheduled to start at the public defender's office July 1.

Earlier this year, Guymon's name was listed on an FBI search warrant seeking information from Mordecai Yerushalmi's The Jewelers store in connection with the political corruption case. Agents were said to be looking for information linking gifts from Galardi to Guymon, former County Commissioner Lance Malone, former City Councilman Michael McDonald, former city aide Rick Henry, and City Councilman Michael Mack.

Although Guymon has admitted a friendship with Galardi and Malone, he's denied any association with the case.

This remains one to watch.

PURCELL'S JOURNEY: Renowned Southern Nevada artist Roy Purcell has sold his home and studio in Henderson and is moving to the Arizona artist colony of Tubac, 45 miles south of Tucson. The move ends a three-decade relationship with Las Vegas for the prolific Purcell, who is best-known for his Western etchings and for the exotic Chloride, Ariz., murals.

PRISON PUN: Don't tell me I'm the only one who smiled at the news Irwin Molasky has been approved to build a large apartment complex/prison transition facility called "Casa Grande." That's right. Inmates will go from one "Big House" to another.

GOODMAN'S JAB: Mayor Oscar Goodman apparently got more satisfaction from sparring with the letters editors at The New York Times than from having his letter printed. After three rewrites and the deletion of this line, "I know things haven't been the same at your paper since the Jayson Blair incident," Goodman withdrew his attempt to have a letter printed criticizing the Times' recent coverage of Las Vegas.

CONFORTE CONFETTI: A recent column on exiled Mustang Ranch brothel baron Joe Conforte generated a range of responses, including a good scolding by a few of his old sycophants and those on the receiving end of his charity.

But by far the most entertaining letter came from former Mustang Ranch employee-turned-writer Jessi Winchester.

"I worked for Joe at Mustang," she said. "What a slime ... a sleazy, oily weasel. He gave me the creeps and couldn't put an entire intelligent sentence together."

Winchester is author of the wickedly entertaining "From Bordello to Ballot Box."

FOOLISH FIORENTINO: Respected local attorney Mark Fiorentino, who represents the owners of Treasures topless cabaret, continues to eat his words after his 2001 promise to the City Council that the Davari brothers' club would remain free from criminal activity. Topless clubs are havens for borderline behavior and outright prostitution solicitation, and the Davaris' Houston topless clubs, which now face a money laundering investigation, have gained notoriety for their naughty business practices.

Fiorentino sounded like a hopeless sap three years ago, and he's dying a slow death now that a few Treasures dancers have been arrested for soliciting. This week, he finally called himself a moron for making a promise he couldn't keep.

To date, no one has contradicted his self-assessment.

BOOK `EM: The Vegas Valley Book Festival has just signed novelists Walter Mosley and Charles Johnson as keynote speakers for the third-annual event scheduled for Oct. 21-23. Mosley is best-known as author of the Easy Rawlins mysteries. Johnson won the National Book Award for his novel "Middle Passage."

ON THE BOULEVARD: More trouble between "Buffalo Jim" Barrier and landlord/topless mogul Rick Rizzolo of the Crazy Horse Too. Now Barrier, owner of Auto and Marine Electric, has had a work van vandalized and is attempting to get his neighbor to pay for the damage. Meanwhile, those anticipating the NBC Dateline feature on Rizzolo's club will have to wait a while longer. ... Ward 2 City Council candidate Bob Genzer is announcing that he has the support of former Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald, who liked the job so much she jumped at the chance to fill an opening on the County Commission.

Have an item for the Bard of the Boulevard? E-mail comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0295.