LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Former Las Vegas Councilman Michael Mack has died, his business announced on Instagram.
Mack, who was initially appointed to the council in 1999 during a power struggle over control of the body, was best known as the proprietor of Max Pawn, a business that specialized in high-end goods.
He was also known as the councilman who organized a contest to name the growing northwest area "Centennial Hills."
The cause of death was suicide by gunshot, according to the Clark County coroner's office.
After his appointment, Mack was elected to the council in his own right in the primary election in 2001, defeating three other candidates.
His appointment came after voters decided to expand the council from five to seven members in 1999. Then-Councilman Michael McDonald pushed for Lawrence Weekly and Orlando Sanchez, two city employees. If they both had been appointed, McDonald would have become the "shadow mayor" with a voting bloc of four members, including himself and close ally Gary Reese.
But then-Mayor Oscar Goodman thwarted the scheme, persuading then Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald to support Mack instead of Sanchez. The acrimonious period ended after Goodman and McDonald made peace.
Mack ran into ethics issues while serving on the council. He accepted a loan from car dealer Joe Scala, which he didn't disclose while voting to reject a rival car dealer's application to open a shop that would have competed with Scala's.
Mack went before the city's now-defunct Ethics Review Board, which concluded he'd violated the law, but a Municipal Court judge ruled the charges hadn't been proven.
Mack later accepted a job doing public relations and marketing for the strip club Treasures, which left him unable to vote when the controversial club's liquor license came up for review. But Mack did sit in on city meetings about the license as a representative of the club.
The headlines may have persuaded Mack not to run for re-election in 2005, when he was replaced by Councilman Steve Ross.
Mack contemplated a comeback in 2012, after then-Councilman Steve Wolfson was elected district attorney, but ultimately did not run.
Goodman on Wednesday recalled that Mack was "full of life and laughter" and said he contributed significantly to Goodman's efforts to revitalize downtown Las Vegas.
Whether working in his ward or helping other council members in theirs, Mack was a good councilman and, Goodman recalled, "a good fella."
On Instagram, Max Pawn mourned Mack's death.
"Michael was a fourth-generation pawnbroker who built Max Pawn Luxury into a thriving business," a statement reads. "He had a unique passion and expertise for the luxury pawn business and was committed to his customers, his family, and to the Las Vegas community. His warmth, philanthropy, and generosity will be well-remembered and greatly missed."
If you need to talk to someone about thoughts of harming yourself or others, help is available 24/7. Call the Suicide Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, or text "HOME" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
