Las Vegas — What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas … unless you’re its Mayor. Oscar B. Goodman, the Mayor of Sin City, took on a heavenly assignment recently as a Celebrity Guest Photographer for Playboy.com. One would think this would be an easy task for the former Mafia lawyer who once defended reputed hitman Tony “The Ant” Spilotro (immortalized by Joe Pesci in Casino) but Goodman remarked to Playboy.com: “I was as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof when I came in here.” Goodman — who enjoys an unbelievable 86% approval rating as the Mayor of Las Vegas — made history as the first politician to be retained as a Playboy.com Celebrity Guest Photographer. He photographed Miss January 2001 Irina Voronina in the luxurious Hugh Hefner suite atop the Palms Hotel & Casino in early May.

“I had a great time shooting this pictorial for Playboy.com,” said Mayor Goodman. “The city of Las Vegas has a terrific relationship with Playboy and the company is even opening a casino here at the Palms early next year. Personally, I have always been a fan of Playboy and the way they celebrate and honor the beauty of women. It was a wonderful experience and I learned a great deal about photography too. Only in Las Vegas folks!”

The Mayor’s pictorial of Irina Voronina plus behind-the-scenes photographs from the sessions can be seen only in the Playboy Cyber Club (http://cyber.playboy.com), Playboy.com’s subscription site, beginning today, Monday, May 16.

Playboy.com’s Celebrity Guest Photographer feature is enjoying increasing popularity with some of today’s top names in entertainment angling to get in on the action. Previous celebrity photographers include multi-platinum rapper Nelly, DMX, Ja Rule, Xzibit, NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carmen Electra, rocker Tommy Lee, Korn frontman Jonathan Davis and Grammy-winning duo OutKast.