What to Do About Buddy?

Photo courtesy of Connie Grosch-USA TODAY NETWORK

If you’ve walked, talked or turned on a radio or TV in Rhode Island, you’ve heard his name: Buddy Cianci, the six-time former Providence mayor Rhode Islanders love to hate, and hate to love. A popular local radio host with a flair for theatrics, Buddy was never one to let a scandal get in the way of a good campaign. While his supporters attribute him with resurrecting Providence (can he really take credit for WaterFire?), critics point to decades of City Hall corruption and a federal racketeering probe that cemented Providence’s reputation for generations — plus there was that little incident of a local contractor and a fireplace log at the end of his first mayoral run. An old-school politician to the end, Buddy might have something to teach us yet about the power of personality in politics. So why is he in this story? Buddy’s career coincided with Providence’s organized crime machine, from his initial run as the “anti-corruption candidate” to the system of political (and, according to a federal investigation, monetary) favors that made his administration run, and eventually proved its downfall. Idolize him or despise him — he may have been gone these past nine years, but Buddy’s legacy in Providence is forever.

Photo courtesy of Steve Szydlowski-USA TODAY NETWORK.