FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
L to R: LeRoy Neiman’s Artworks of Al Capone’s Cadillac and Chauffeur; Charles Fischetti; Bugsy Siegel; Meyer Lansky.
(Photos courtesy of The Mob Museum, Copyright LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation)
THE MOB MUSEUM ANNOUNCES TEMPORARY EXHIBITION OF PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN ARTWORKS OF MOB, LAW ENFORCEMENT FIGURES BY LEGENDARY ARTIST LEROY NEIMAN FRIDAY, MARCH 21
Exhibition to Feature Original Artworks Created Exclusively for the Museum, Donated by LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation
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LAS VEGAS (March 2025) – The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, announces the temporary exhibition “Art of the Mob: The LeRoy Neiman Portraits,” and its unveiling on Friday, March 21 in partnership with the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation. The Museum’s first-ever fine art exhibition features 13 original, previously unexhibited portraits of infamous organized crime and eminent law enforcement figures created by legendary artist LeRoy Neiman, whose vibrant impressionistic works famously immortalized dramatic moments in sports, entertainment and American society. The exhibition will be on view through the end of 2025 in the Museum’s Oscar B. Goodman Room on the Museum’s third floor.
The collection includes 10 mixed media works on paper created specifically for The Mob Museum between 2009 and 2011. Neiman’s portraits depict dynamically rendered likenesses of Meyer Lansky, John Gotti, Bugsy Siegel, Mickey Cohen, Albert Anastasia, Frankie Carbo, “Machine Gun Jack” McGurn, Arnold Rothstein, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Al Capone’s 1928 Cadillac. Donated by the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, these 10 artworks will be accessioned into the Museum’s collection. In addition, three earlier works—portraits of John Dillinger, Al Capone and Frank Costello—will be on loan from the foundation for the exhibition.
Neiman’s work brought him to Las Vegas throughout his life and in 2005 he was asked to commission the poster for the city’s centennial celebration. That oil work “Celebrating 100 Years of Neon” solidified his status as a Las Vegas legend. During the celebration, he interacted with then Mayor Oscar Goodman – The Mob Museum’s chief visionary. In the late 2000s, after Neiman learned about The Mob Museum’s development, he was inspired to create a series of portraits reflecting organized crime’s most infamous characters and their law enforcement counterparts. Though he passed away in 2012 before he could personally gift the 10 works, the foundation has now made his vision a reality.
“Neiman died before having the opportunity to gift the works on paper to the Museum himself, but more than a decade later, the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation is pleased to do so in his honor,” said Tara Zabor, executive director of the foundation.
Known for his signature handlebar mustache, ever-present cigar and unmistakable impressionistic style, Neiman was one of the 20th century’s most recognized and entrepreneurial artists. His bold, colorful paintings graced the pages of Playboy and Sports Illustrated, bringing to life scenes from heavyweight championship fights, Super Bowls and social hotspots worldwide. He was a frequent visitor to Las Vegas, where he captured the city’s distinctive energy, painting showgirls, gamblers and legendary boxing matches.
“LeRoy Neiman’s distinctively bold and energetic style is perfectly suited to portray the most notorious crime figures of 20th century America,” said Geoff Schumacher, vice president of exhibits and programs, The Mob Museum. “We are pleased to be able to display these works of art, including 10 he created specifically for our Museum.”
ABOUT THE LEROY NEIMAN AND JANET BYRNE NEIMAN FOUNDATION
The LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Foundation was established in 1986 by LeRoy Neiman and awarded over $20 million in grants to various educational organizations in support of the arts before his death in 2012. The Foundation continues the legacy and philanthropic spirit of LeRoy Neiman by celebrating his work, supporting opportunities for students to study and appreciate visual arts and promoting the study, improvement and advancement of visual arts education, and continuing the goal of alleviating human suffering and supporting opportunities for the disadvantaged. For more information, follow on Instagram, or visit www.leroyneiman.com or www.leroyneimanfoundation.org.
ABOUT THE MOB MUSEUM
The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides a world-class journey through true stories—from the birth of the Mob to today’s headlines. The Mob Museum offers a provocative, contemporary look at these topics through hundreds of artifacts and immersive storylines. Numerous interactive exhibits include a Crime Lab, Firearm Training Simulator and Organized Crime Today exhibit. The Museum is also home to The Underground, a Prohibition history exhibition featuring a speakeasy and distillery. The Mob Museum has accumulated numerous accolades, including being named one of Tripadvisor’s “Top 25 U.S. Museums” and a 2024 “Travelers’ Choice” Award recipient; one of Las Vegas Weekly’s “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History” and “Best Museum” of 2021, 2023 and 2024; Vegas Magazine’s “Best Historical Museum” of 2024; one of National Geographic’s “Top 10 Things to Do in Las Vegas;” USA Today’s “Best Museum in Nevada,” 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards for “Best Las Vegas Attraction” in 2021 and 2022, “Top Five Best History Museums in the United States” in 2021 and one of its “12 Can’t Miss U.S. Museum Exhibits;” named “A Must for Travelers” by The New York Times and one of “20 Places Every American Should See” by FOX News. The Museum is a two-time winner of the Mayor’s Urban Design Award for Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum is open daily; visit the website for admission rates and operating hours. For more information, call (702) 229-2734, visit themobmuseum.org, or download the Museum’s free mobile app.
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