CBS, 'GoodFellas' Writer Developing Las Vegas Period Drama

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Nicholas Pileggi

CBS wants its part of the Mad Men pie.

The network is teaming with GoodFellas writer Nicholas Pileggi to develop Ralph Lamb, a potential drama series set in Las Vegas and revolving around the former Clark County sheriff, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Lamb, who served as sheriff from 1961 to 1979 helped form the Las Vegas Metro Police Department. He’s known for confronting the Mafia and Hell’s Angels, who in his 18-year legal career, never shot anyone. While often engaging in fistfights with crime personalities, Lamb grew up working on ranches.

From CBS Television Studios, Pileggi will pen the script for the project with Without a Trace scribe Greg Walker.

Walk the Line director James Mangold is on board to direct and executive produce with his partner, Cathy Konrad, and film producer Arthur Sarkissian.

Ralph Lamb revisits a familiar territory for Pileggi, who reteamed with Martin Scorsese for the 1995 Mob drama Casino, starring Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone, based on his book of the same name.

Mangold, meanwhile, directed CBS’ pilot The 2-2.

The project marks the latest in the wave of 1960s-set dramas, with The Playboy Club set at NBC and Pan Am at ABC. Both involve crime/espionage tales.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit