Monday, January 05, 2009

BUDDY, I HARDLY RECOGNIZED YA...



When all of this stuff was going on in Chicago,
with Blagojevich, I would think back to my old
state of Rhode Island. It wasn't the governor.
But the mayor of Providence.

It was the 1970's and Providence was being Providence.
For those who don't live on the East Coast, R.I. had
a reputation of being the little mafia state. There was
a mafia guy who was always being taken into court.
He would show up in a wheelchair, or even a gurney.
When he finally died, I told my mother they should
have on his stone..."See I told you I was sick".

There was constant newspapers articles of investigations
in to the government programs and kickbacks, with names
like Rocco, and several other nicknames.

But during this time there was one Buddy Cianci Jr.,
mayor of Providence. He was actually in there twice.
There was always stories about his life. Seems he beat
up a guy who he thought was messing with his wife..and
even hit her or something like that.
Buddy was quite a character in all the meaning
of the word.

He WAS Mr. Providence. And in spite of all of his shady
doings, he did do good by Providence. He brought up the
city by its bootstraps and did a fine job of it. It was by all
means, by the time he was ousted and jailed, a city to be
proud of. The hotels, the buildings, the park and the river.
Probably the best city, money could buy.

But today I got my Yankee magazine and there was a short
article on Buddy. Was I ever flabbergasted. Not by what he is
doing. After getting out of prison for racketeering conspiracy,
he is now the of the talk of the town again. He is a radio show
host. A talk show host for Providence. Who better to talk about
the town. And there is going to be a movie about him. Prince of
Providence.

But what surprised me is ... He is old and baldheaded.
See Buddy use to look very much like Blagojevich. You know
the young, full head of wild hair. The cockiness of him.

Boy, Buddy, I hardly recognized you...

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