Buddy Cianci facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Buddy Cianci
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 32nd and 34th Mayor of Providence | |
| In office January 7, 1991 – September 6, 2002 |
|
| Preceded by | Joseph R. Paolino Jr. |
| Succeeded by | John J. Lombardi |
| In office January 7, 1975 – April 25, 1984 |
|
| Preceded by | Joseph A. Doorley Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Joseph R. Paolino Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Vincent Albert Cianci Jr.
April 30, 1941 Cranston, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Died | January 28, 2016 (aged 74) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (until 1982) Independent (after 1982) |
| Spouse |
Sheila Bentley
(m. 1973; div. 1983) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Fairfield University (BA) Villanova University (MA) Marquette University (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1966–1969 (active) 1969–1972 (reserve) |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | Army Military Police Corps |
Vincent Albert "Buddy" Cianci, Jr. (born April 30, 1941 – died January 28, 2016) was an American politician and lawyer. He was also a radio talk show host and political commentator. Buddy Cianci served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. He held this office from 1975 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 2002.
Cianci was the longest-serving mayor of Providence. He was also one of the longest-serving mayors in United States history. He held office for over 21 years. He was elected Mayor of Providence twice. Earlier in his career, he worked as a state prosecutor. Buddy Cianci had to leave his mayoral office two times because of legal issues. The first time was in 1984, and the second time was in 2002. After his second time leaving office, he spent some time in federal prison.
Cianci was first elected mayor as a Republican. While in office, he later became an independent politician. In 2014, he announced he would run for mayor again. However, he was defeated by Democratic candidate Jorge Elorza.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Buddy Cianci was born on April 30, 1941, in Providence, Rhode Island. His family lived in Cranston, Rhode Island. His parents were Dr. Vincent Albert Cianci and Esther Cianci. They got married in 1937.
He married Sheila Bentley McKenna in 1973. They later divorced in 1983. They had one daughter named Nicole, who passed away in 2012.
Education and Military Service
When he was seven, Cianci started appearing on a radio show called Kiddie Revue. He went to Moses Brown School, a private school in Providence. Later, he earned a bachelor's degree in government from Fairfield University.
Cianci also earned a master's degree in Political Science from Villanova University. He received a law degree from Marquette University Law School in 1966. He also had honorary doctorates from several universities.
Cianci joined the United States Army in 1966. He became a second lieutenant in the Military Police Corps. He served on active duty until 1969. Then he was in the Army Reserve until 1972.
Becoming a Lawyer
After becoming a lawyer in 1967, Cianci worked for the Rhode Island Attorney General. He was a special assistant attorney general starting in 1969. This job was part-time but important.
In 1973, he became a prosecutor for the Anti-Corruption Strike Force. He held this job until he was first elected mayor in 1974. In this role, Cianci investigated Providence Mayor Joseph A. Doorley Jr.. He became known for fighting corruption.
During this time, Cianci also gained political experience. He worked on campaigns for Attorney General Herbert DeSimone.
Mayor of Providence (1974–1984)
In 1974, Cianci won the election for mayor. He ran on a promise to fight corruption. He beat the current Mayor, Joseph A. Doorley Jr.. Many Democrats were unhappy with Doorley's government.
Cianci promised to improve the city's economy. He planned to rebuild the waterfront and create parks. He also wanted to improve schools. He won his first election by a small number of votes.
Cianci became the first Italian-American Republican mayor of Providence. He was 33 years old, making him the city's youngest mayor at the time. He was also the first Republican mayor since 1939. Cianci was known for being very charming and good with the media. He often attended many public events, like parades and weddings. People joked that he would go to "the opening of an envelope." Many residents admired him. They said he helped bring new life to Providence's economy and image.
In the late 1970s, Cianci became a rising star in the national Republican Party. He spoke at the 1976 Republican convention. There was even talk of him becoming the first Italian-American vice president. Cianci was also considered for a federal job in the Gerald Ford administration.
Cianci ran for governor in 1980. He lost to the current governor, J. Joseph Garrahy. After this, he moved away from the Republican Party. In 1982, he was re-elected as Mayor of Providence as an independent.
During his first time as mayor, Buddy Cianci often disagreed with the Providence City Council. They argued about things like the city's budget.
First Time Leaving Office (1984)
Cianci had to leave office for the first time in 1984. This was because of a legal issue. He pleaded "no contest" to a charge. This means he neither admitted nor denied the charge. Providence city rules say that someone with a felony conviction cannot hold public office.
After Cianci left office, a special election was held. The Rhode Island Supreme Court decided that Cianci could not run in this election. Joseph R. Paolino Jr. won the special election.
Talk Show Host (1984–1991)
For the next few years, Cianci worked as a radio talk show host. He was on Providence AM station 920 WHJJ. He also worked as a television commentator.
In 1990, he ran for mayor again. His campaign slogan was, "He never stopped caring about Providence." He won the election. In the early 2000s, Cianci also appeared on the TV show Providence as himself.
Mayor of Providence (1991–2002)
During Cianci's second time as mayor, starting in 1991, Providence began its "Renaissance phase." This means the city started to grow and improve a lot.
Providence became much cleaner and more welcoming to tourists. Cianci helped bring the Providence Bruins hockey team to Rhode Island. He also supported many city projects. These included new hotels and the Providence Place shopping mall. He also helped create the summer festivals called WaterFire. These events bring many people to downtown Providence.
Mayor's Own Marinara Sauce
In 1995, Cianci started selling his own brand of tomato sauce. It was called "Mayor's Own Marinara Sauce." It was said that the money from sales would help Providence school children. It was supposed to help students go to college.
However, a report in 2014 found that no money from the sauce sales had gone to his scholarship fund recently. Over four years, the sauce made a very small profit.
Arts-Friendly City
In 1996, Cianci worked to create an arts and entertainment district in downtown Providence. He offered tax breaks to artists to encourage them to move there. Cianci believed these tax breaks would help the city's economy.
The idea was to make Providence known as an "artist-friendly" city. This would attract artists, educated workers, and new businesses. It would also bring more tourism. Other cities, like Baltimore, copied this idea.
In 1998, Cianci ran for re-election without any opponents. He had never lost a mayoral election until 2014.
Legal Challenges and Resignation (2002)
In April 2001, Cianci faced federal criminal charges. These charges included racketeering and conspiracy. Several other Providence city officials were also charged. A judge said that corruption seemed to be accepted in Providence city government.
A video tape was shown during the trial. It showed a top Cianci aide taking money. A reporter aired the tape and was put under house arrest for not revealing his sources. Cianci made jokes about the investigation, which was called "Operation Plunder Dome".
Nine people, including Cianci, were found guilty in the trials. Cianci was found not guilty of most charges. However, he was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy. This meant he was running a corrupt organization.
In September 2002, Cianci was sentenced to five years in federal prison. He had to leave his job as mayor right away.
After his sentencing, Cianci went back to hosting a radio show. His lawyers worked to have him sent to a prison closer to Rhode Island. He served his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix. Cianci tried to appeal his conviction, but he was not successful. In 2005, his request for early release was denied.
Later Life
Cianci was released from prison on May 30, 2007. He went to a halfway house in Boston.
.jpg)
After his release, he got a job in marketing and sales for a hotel in Boston. But he decided to return to Rhode Island. He then started working at the 903 Residences in Providence.
The animated TV show Family Guy, which is set in Rhode Island, named a school after him. One episode was even called "Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High".
Political Commentator
On September 20, 2007, Cianci returned to radio on station WPRO. He hosted a weekday talk show. He said he did not plan to run for political office again.
He also joined WLNE-TV ABC6 as a political analyst. He moderated a weekly political segment. This segment was later renamed The World According to Buddy. He also hosted the station's public affairs program On the Record with Buddy Cianci.
2014 Campaign for Mayor of Providence
Cianci became able to run for mayor again in 2012. This was three years after his probation ended. The next election he could run in was in November 2014.
In May 2014, Cianci's doctors said he was healthy enough to run for mayor. He had been treated for cancer. On June 25, Cianci announced he would run for Mayor of Providence as an independent. His campaign was not successful. He lost to Democrat Jorge Elorza on November 4.
Illness and Death
In January 2014, Cianci was diagnosed with colon cancer.
Buddy Cianci died on January 28, 2016, at age 74. He had gone to the hospital the day before with stomach pain. This happened while he was filming his TV show.
Thousands of people came to see Cianci's open casket. His body was in Providence City Hall for two days. He was the first mayor to be honored this way since 1886. A horse-drawn carriage carried his casket through the city during a snowstorm. It went to the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul for his funeral mass. The procession then passed through areas where Cianci grew up. He was buried at St. Ann's Cemetery in Cranston next to his parents and daughter.
Images for kids
-
Buddy Cianci, Mayor of Providence.
-
A 1974 campaign poster for Buddy Cianci.
-
Buddy Cianci's official portrait in Providence City Hall.
-
Buddy Cianci in 2009.
