Of Rats & Men

Milwaukee Phil. The Wizard of Odds. The Brain. Nicky Crow. Tony Ripe. Cork. Uncle. King Rat. Tony Ducks. DeBe. Tuffy. Mad Sam. Vinny Nip. The Rifleman. Jimmy the Weasel. Billy Jack. The Midget. Crazy Phil. Joey the Clown. Toots. Vinnie Ocean. Charlie the Moose. Richie the Fixer. Big Chris. The Count [...]
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Milwaukee Phil. The Wizard of Odds. The Brain. Nicky Crow. Tony Ripe. Cork. Uncle. King Rat. Tony Ducks. DeBe. Tuffy. Mad Sam. Vinny Nip. The Rifleman. Jimmy the Weasel. Billy Jack. The Midget. Crazy Phil. Joey the Clown. Toots. Vinnie Ocean. Charlie the Moose. Richie the Fixer. Big Chris. The Count. Little Pussy. Fat Vinnie. Chicken Man. Chicken Wing. The Ant. Jimmy Blue Eyes. The Mad Bomber. Minor characters from the "Sopranos"? Forgotten roles from the Godfather series? Hardly. More like Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman's former clientele and cohorts. Find out about these colorful figures and many more in John L. Smith's Of Rats and Men. For more than 35 years, Oscar Goodman was the country's pre-eminent defense attorney for alleged gangsters. His endless client list included Meyer Lansky, Nick Civella, Anthony Spilotro, Frank Rosenthal, Jimmy Chagra, Natale Richichi, Nicky Scarfo, and Vinny Ferrara, along with many others. Though no further connection between Goodman and the Mafia has ever been proved, the famous litigator has often been accused of being more than just a mouthpiece for organized crime.Was Oscar Goodman only what he claims, an attorney who defended his clients based on the simple principle that they, too, have constitutional rights? And if so, how did he manage to mingle with the mob for decades without becoming part of it? After scores of unlikely courtroom victories, Goodman pulled off an even more unlikely career change. Twice elected mayor of Las Vegas, he went from legal spokesman for the most notorious crime figures of our era to political spokesman for the most notorious city in the country. Of Rats and Men is the story of Mafia informants, made men, over-zealous government agents, a courtroom wizard, and the "happiest mayor in America." It's the biography of Oscar Goodman.