Museum is work of art for mayor

Mayor Oscar Goodman's latest defense of the mob museum is certain to create some powder burns in the arts community.

The heat has been on the mayor's pet project since Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, last week mocked the museum as an example of earmark projects that should not be part of the economic stimulus package.

Interviewed after McConnell's comments, Goodman, a former mob attorney, was asked how he got the idea for the museum, which is officially known as the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement.

Goodman, who has predicted the museum would attract 250,000 visitors a year, noted that the federal government required that the old post office and federal building be used for a cultural/museum attraction. In 1950, the building was the site of some organized-crime hearings held by mob-busting Sen. Estes Kefauver, D-Tenn.

"I'm saying to myself, although my mother was a great artist, nobody's going to come to downtown Las Vegas to look at paintings. They're not going to look at watercolors. They're not going to look at porcelain. They're not going to look at miniature trains," Goodman told blogger Steve Friess of VegasHappensHere.com.

"What will they look at? They'll look at something that's really embedded in history, that makes us unique and distinctive from any other city, that has a historical nexus, a keystone because of the Kefauver hearings, and I said, 'A mob museum!' And I think it's a natural."

Set to open next year, the $50 million museum project has seen only $15 million raised since 2001. That includes about $3.6 million in federal grants and a nearly equal amount in state and local money. The rest was to come from a fundraising campaign later this year.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Bob Knight, college basketball's winningest coach, and basketball analyst Billy Packer are making a March Madness announcement Monday at the Wynn Las Vegas race and sports book. ...

KTNV-TV, Channel 13 anchor Tricia Kean shared some exciting news. She's expecting her first child in August. She and businessman Rick Hergott got married March 8 at Anthem Country Club. ...

Joanne Downey, promotions/events manager at the Review-Journal since 1994, has started a company, Las Vegas Celebrity Services.com. Her first client was Tony Award winner Anthony Crivello, the phantom in "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular." Before moving to Las Vegas in the 1970s, Downey created "The Tiger Tom Fan Club" and was recruited by Parrot Records, Tom Jones' label, to set up fan clubs for him.

SIGHTINGS

Adult film star Tera Patrick and husband Evan Seinfeld, frontman for Biohazard, renewing their vows Friday on their fifth anniversary in one of the three Sky Villa suites at the Las Vegas Hilton. The Verona, Tuscany and Conrad suites are in the general area where Elvis Presley's suite was during his Hilton reign. Barry Manilow uses the Conrad suite when he performs there. ... At the Playboy Club (Palms) on Friday: Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter, Boston Red Sox slugger David "Big Papi" Ortiz and the Florida Marlins' Hanley Ramirez. ... Dave Navarro and Patrick, co-hosting the first Pornstar Ball at Tao on Friday. Wilmer Valderrama arrived about 1 a.m. with a group that included UFC champ "Rampage" Jackson. Also at Tao: Joey Fatone, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and actor Ashton Holmes.