The Mob Is the Message

What would a corporate spin-meister do given the task of trying to repackage Ken Lay and the Enron gang? “Nothing can be done,” says Eric Dezenhall, a master of spin who once worked for Ronald Reagan. Mobsters, he continues, would be easier to represent.

Dezenhall, who was in town to give 800 attorneys some pointers on dealing with Enron-like P.R. problems, has just found an easy transition from current events to his favorite subject: guys like Tony Soprano.

Mobsters are the focus of his recently published “Money Wanders” (St. Martin’s Press), a novel in which Mario Vanni, a mob boss, hires a spin doctor to improve his image. “It’s a comical autopsy of how smear and disinformation campaigns work.” The gist of the campaign: The mob you know is better than an unknown quantity. “They might even be good for you.”

Dezenhall knows them well. He grew up near Atlantic City, N.J., in a neighborhood where people worked in, um, “waste management,” or as Dezenhall puts it, “as cigarette salesmen.” It was a childhood that today makes him identify strongly with teen character Meadow Soprano. “On the one hand, they wanted you to succeed,” Dezenhall says. “But if you got too big for your britches, they would knock you down.”

He eventually left New Jersey for Washington, D.C., to work in Reagan’s White House communications office. Later, he uncovered mobster Meyer Lansky’s diaries, excerpted in the New Republic. He got the diaries through family connections, he says.

His family seems to have had many connections.

“You remember in the beginning, when one of Soprano’s [associates] gets killed?” Dezenhall says, unable to bring himself to mention the character’s name, which contains a vulgarity. That character, he says, was based on a friend of his family’s, and as a child, Dezenhall was introduced to him. “I asked my uncle, ‘Don’t people make fun of his name?’ And my uncle, cigar hanging from his mouth, simply said, ‘No.’”

Stories like that surfaced as Dezenhall researched his book, seeking out wise guys and old family friends. Since “Money Wanders” was published, “I’ve gotten calls from mob people, they want to know if it’s based on them.”

But he counsels them against seeking the spotlight. If Tony Soprano called him for image advice, the message would be Meyer Lansky’s simple admonition:

“Stay out of the press.”

Vegas Calls the Oscars, Unofficially

It’s illegal to bet on the Oscars in Las Vegas, but that hasn’t stopped John Avello from setting odds, just for fun.

“It’s hard to get a gauge on them, but I just kind of go by what I read and what the hype is out there,” said Avello, the director of race and sports book operations for the Bally’s and Paris hotels in Las Vegas.

That isn’t always a foolproof method, however. In December, director Michael Mann’s “Ali” was Avello’s odds-on favorite for best picture. Then he saw the movie. Post-viewing, the film didn’t even make his top five. Everyone, it seems, is a critic.

After the nominations were announced on Tuesday, Avello posted this year’s odds. The safest bets on his list are “A Beautiful Mind” for best picture (2-1), best director (Ron Howard, 2-1), best actor (Russell Crowe, 1-1) and best actress in a supporting role (Jennifer Connelly, 2-1). Jim Broadbent in “Iris” is a sure thing for best actor in a supporting role (1-1). Nicole Kidman in “Moulin Rouge” has a 2-1 shot at best actress.

The longshots are “Gosford Park” for best picture (12-1), David Lynch for best director of “Mulholland Drive” (10-1), Will Smith in “Ali” for best actor (10-1), Renee Zellweger in “Bridget Jones’s Diary” for best actress (10-1) and Ethan Hawke in “Training Day” for best actor in a supporting role (15-1).

Wagering on the Oscars is prohibited by the Las Vegas gaming control board because the outcome is known in advance (by the famous pair of PricewaterhouseCooper accountants), Avello said.

Still, many gamblers can’t resist trying to bet on the awards ceremony. “Starting Friday night [before the Oscars], I’ll probably get 50 to 100 calls from people asking if they can wager on this,” Avello said. “A lot of people don’t like to read that fine print.”

So how reliable are Avello’s odds? “I was three out of six last year,” he said. “I’m around a 70% to 80% range. But there’s always a surprise in there.”

Jury Is Out in

James Brown Case

Jurors began deliberating in the James Brown sexual harassment lawsuit this week. The mostly female jury met for several hours Tuesday and Wednesday and was ordered to return to court Tuesday after the Presidents Day holiday.

Lisa Ross Agbalaya, who managed Brown’s West Coast operations, is suing Brown for $2 million. She has testified that from July 1999 to August 2000, Brown made unwanted sexual advances while she worked for New James Brown Enterprises. Inc. Agbalaya claims she was fired for refusing Brown’s overtures.

Brown has said he fired Agbalaya because his company was having financial troubles.

Last week, Brown spent several days on the stand, testifying in his own defense. His wardrobe seemed to grow more glamorous from one day to the next. The first day of testimony he wore a shiny electric blue suit, black cowboy boots with silver tips and his trademark coiffure. He followed that ensemble the next day with a silver lame suit.

City of Angles runs Tuesday-Friday. E-mail: angles@latimes.com