Mobster-vision

Back in the '60s and '70s, Vegas PBS would broadcast gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Nevada Gaming Control Commission much like C-SPAN now covers Congress except it was not broadcast live. The film had to be taken back to the studio for broadcast.

Because Las Vegas was pretty much a one-industry town, interest was high, said Tom Axtell, the general manager of Vegas PBS. Casino workers could tune in to see who was buying their casino or where they could apply for new jobs.

As a result, Vegas PBS has archival footage of Frank Sinatra testifying before the board and heated exchanges between much younger versions of U.S. Sen. Harry Reid and Mayor Oscar Goodman. Reid was once chairman of the commission and Goodman made his reputation representing clients with alleged ties to the mob.

To take advantage of its historical assets, the station has applied for an American Archives grant from the federal government to cover the cost of digitizing the old film and videotape. While the new format would be made available for education purposes, the station would be allowed to charge anyone who would like to use the film for “commercial purposes.”

In mob-speak, Vegas PBS would take a “piece of the action.”