City Hall on Trial

The accused • For the defense • The judge • Federal prosecutors • Convicted so far • Witnesses

Vincent A. Cianci Jr.
Mayor of Providence
Cianci, 61, the longest-serving active mayor in the United States, is charged with racketeering, conspiracy, extortion, mail fraud and witness tampering. The allegations include:
--Awarding a $1.3 million School Department lease in return for bribes.
--Taking $250,000 in campaign contributions from members of the Providence Towing Association.
--Attempting to extort a $10,000 bribe to sell city land to businessman Antonio R. Freitas.
--Taking a $10,000 bribe from the estate of a buckle manufacturer to waive $450,000 in back property taxes. --Taking a $5,000 bribe to hire Christopher Ise as a city planner.
--Extorting a free lifetime membership in the exclusive University Club, by holding up city permits.
--Tampering with a witness.

Richard E. Autiello
Member of Providence Towing Association
Autiello, who runs Four A's Enterprises, is charged with conspiring with Cianci and Corrente to collect about $250,000 in campaign contributions during the 1990s from the Providence Towing Association, of which Autiello was an officer. In return, towing companies received a place on the lucrative police tow list. Autiello is also charged with conspiring with Frank Corrente to collect a $5,000 bribe from a police recruit, Joseph Maggiacomo III, to allow him into the Providence Police Training Academy. Since Autiello's indictment last spring, Autiello's company has continued to hold a multi-million-dollar contract servicing Providence police cars.

Frank E. Corrente
Former city director of administration
Corrente, the mayor's longtime director of administration and chief fundraiser, is charged with racketeering, conspiracy, extortion, bribery, mail fraud and witness tampering. The indictment alleges that Corrente was involved in bribery schemes involving city tow-truck operators, property tax breaks, School Department leases and the hiring of a city police recruit. The evidence includes videotapes made by Freitas that purport to show Corrente accepting cash. Corrente is also charged with witness tampering for allegedly trying to influence acting property director Alan Sepe's answers to FBI questions concerning a school lease to Edward Voccola. Corrente retired in the summer of 1999, shortly after Operation Plunder Dome became public.

Edward Voccola
Cranston businessman
Voccola, charged with racketeering, is accused of paying bribes to obtain a School Department lease in a former auto-body garage that netted him more than $1 million in the 1990s. He is also accused of money laundering, for allegedly converting checks from his real-estate company, Jere Realty, into cash for bribes. Voccola is a convicted felon with an extensive criminal record including insurance fraud, stolen automobiles and assaults on insurance investigators. His garage was a known mob haunt before he rented it to the city. It was a federal insurance-fraud case in the 1990s that led investigators to investigate his school leases and helped spawn Operation Plunder Dome.

Richard M. Egbert
Cianci's lead lawyer
Egbert, the Boston lawyer leading the defense of Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr., is considered by many to be one of the top criminal defense lawyers in the Northeast. Over the years, Egbert has represented some of the state's most prominent criminal defendants charged with violent and white-collar crime, as well as public officials accused of ethics violations.

His clients have included the late, Chief Justice Joseph A. Bevilacqua; former Gov. Edward D. DiPrete, who served a year in prison after plea-bargaining on state corruption charges; the late North Providence Mayor Salvatore Mancini, who was acquitted of federal corruption charges; gangsters Frank "Bobo" Marrapese and mob enforcer Gerard T. Ouimette. A masterful cross-examiner who instills fear in many he interrogates, Egbert backs down from no one. He paces the courtroom and grills prosecution witnesses in a raspy voice that often turns into a yell. "He's the guy you don't want to see represent the guy you arrested," says retired state police Capt. Brian Andrews.

Edward J. Romano
Cianci's associate counsel
Romano, local counsel for Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr., has worked with Egbert on several high-profile cases. Their clients have included mobster Frank L. "Bobo" Marrapese Jr.; Ralph N. Shippee Jr., a former state insurance examiner; and now-deceased automobile dealer Jacob Kaplan. Romano, either alone or with veteran defense lawyer John F. Cicilline, has also represented various former city workers who were indicted in Cianci's first administration. He also has represented the counselor of the Patriarca crime family, Ilario M.A. Zannino.

Richard C. Bicki
Autiello's lawyer
Bicki, who is representing Richard E. Autiello, is a former federal prosecutor who represented one of three men acquitted in a controversial sexual assault case on Block Island. Another client, Richard Dvorak, pleaded guilty to swindling the IRS out of $13 million. Bicki currently represents the wife of slain Dr. Hani Zaki, whose murder is being investigated by a grand jury. He also represents some of the plaintiffs who claim in court suits that they were sexually abused as minors by Rhode Island priests.

William J. Murphy
Voccola's lawyer
Murphy, who represents Edward E. Voccola, is a Democratic state representative from West Warwick and ally of House Speaker John B. Harwood. Murphy was a co-sponsor of a failed attempt to cut half the time a felon must wait to have his criminal record expunged. Last fall, his client Anthony W. Ciccone, a one-time Wakefield altar boy, was found not guilty of murder. In 1997, his client April McCoy, who claimed she was a battered woman, was acquitted for the fatal stabbing of the father of her son. After former Gov. Edward D. DiPrete went to prison, Murphy represented him in his bid to get work-release and parole.

C. Leonard O'Brien
Corrente's lawyer
O'Brien, the lawyer representing Cianci's former top aide, Frank E. Corrente, has handled some of the toughest criminal cases that have made their way through Rhode Island's courts -- first as an assistant public defender, now as a private defense attorney. O'Brien has represented pedophile priests; a priest who embezzled tens of thousands of dollars from his parish; big borrowers from Rhode Island's failed RISDIC-insured credit unions; a principal who admitted stealing Ritalin from his students; and a Warwick baby broker who embezzled $87,804 from a dozen couples who never received the babies she had promised to bring them from abroad.

Judge Ernest C. Torres
Chief judge, U.S. District Court, Providence
Torres has presided over the cases of former Pawtucket Mayor Brian J. Sarault and members of his administration who were convicted of corruption charges. He is the only federal judge in New England and one of just a handful in the nation to sentence a criminal to life in prison without the possibility of parole. That was the sentence he meted out to mobster Gerard T. Ouimette. Torres also presided over the case of Stephen A. Saccoccia, who is now serving a 660-year sentence for laundering Colombian drug profits.

A former Republican state legislator, Torres was a Superior Court judge for five years before going to the federal court in 1988. Between the two judgeships, he worked as assistant vice president in charge of national staff counsel at Aetna Life Insurance Co. in Hartford. Torres has a reputation for being a bright, no-nonsense judge who works long hours and expects the same from others. One Christmas Eve, he kept lawyers working in court until 5 p.m., and then remained working in his chambers until 9.

Richard W. Rose
Lead prosecutor
Rose has won a conviction in the Plunder Dome trial of former Providence Deputy Tax Assessor Rosemary Glancy, now deceased. Rose grew up fatherless in South Providence, spent five years in an orphanage and later dropped out of Central High School to join the Marines. He later earned degrees from the Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and Northeastern University School of Law. Last year, he was suspended for 30 days and fined $500 by Judge Torres for showing two close friends and his sister one of the FBI's secret Plunder Dome videotapes. Before going to work for the U.S. Attorney's Office, he was one of the lawyers who represented Dennis L. DiPrete, son of former Gov. Edward D. DiPrete, on state corruption charges.

Terrence P. Donnelly
Assistant U.S. attorney
Donnelly has successfully prosecuted members of the Almighty Latin King Nation in Rhode Island's first case using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) against a street gang. He also handled the state prosecutions of former Cranston Mayor Michael A. Traficante, who pleaded guilty to charges of failing to report $115,000 in campaign contributions. He also helped prosecute fugitive banker Joseph Mollicone Jr., who is now serving 30 years in prison for embezzling millions from his RISDIC-insured bank.

W. Dennis Aiken
FBI investigator
Aiken, the FBI agent who spearheaded the investigation of corruption in Providence City Hall, convinced businessman Antonio R. Freitas to go undercover in 1998. Aiken is an internationally-known expert on public corruption. Working out of FBI headquarters during the 1980s and '90s, he formed policy for and supervised public-corruption investigations throughout the country. He also compiled the FBI Field Guide to Public Corruption. From Hong Kong to Cancun, from Cairo to Kiev, Aiken has led FBI seminars that often focus on public corruption -- particularly in law enforcement.

Anthony E. Annarino
Annarino, a former city tax collector, was indicted in 1999 on charges of conspiracy, attempted extortion and mail fraud. He was accused of conspiring with Pannone to wipe out interest charges on late property tax payments. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

David C. Ead
Ead, who was vice chairman of the Board of Tax Assessment Review, pleaded guilty to arranging bribes with a "high-ranking city of Providence executive" whose identity remains secret. Ead, who has not been sentenced, has cooperated with the authorities. He is expected to testify against Cianci.

Rosemary Glancy
Glancy, who was deputy tax assessor for the city, was indicted in 1999 on charges of attempted extortion, conspiracy and mail fraud. She was convicted at trial and sentenced to 33 months in prison. She became gravely ill and her prison sentence was commuted. She died in Massachusetts General Hospital on Jan. 12, 2001.

Angelo A. "Jerry" Mosca Jr.
Mosca, a Providence lawyer and former State House insider, pleaded guilty in 2000 in federal court to delivering two bribes totaling $25,000 to city tax officials to obtain big tax reductions for his law office and a client. Mosca, who has not been sentenced, is expected to testify in the Cianci trial.

Joseph A. Pannone
Pannone, former chairman of the Providence Board of Tax Assessment Review, was indicted in 1999 on charges of laundering money to facilitate bribes for property tax reductions. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison. Last year, Pannone was indicted again on corruption-related charges. Again, he pleaded guilty to committing several crimes. He is awaiting sentencing on those charges.

John A. Scungio
Scungio, a Providence lawyer, pleaded guilty in 1999 to a charge of lying to FBI agents about delivering a bribe to tax officials in exchange for tax reductions for a client. He was sentenced to six months in prison and disbarred from practicing law.

Antonio R. Freitas
Providence businessman
Freitas, owner of JKL Engineering on Westminster Street, secretly recorded city officials discussing corruption and taking bribes, evidence that has resulted in the conviction of six people and the cooperation of others. He also taped encounters with Frank Corrente, Cianci's top assistant, in which Corrente allegedly accepted bribes. He was the star witness in the only Plunder Dome trial to date, in which former deputy assessor Rosemary Glancy was convicted.

David C. Ead
Former vice chairman, Providence Board of Tax Assessment Review
Ead, the owner of Doris Vending, is an ex-Providence policeman, longtime city Democrat and former vice chairman of the Providence tax board. In 2000, Ead pleaded guilty to six counts of extortion and conspiracy and agreed to cooperate with the government. He has alleged that he met with Cianci to arrange bribes -- $5,000 for a city job for an old family friend, Christopher Ise; $10,000 for a huge property tax break and $10,000 to steer the sale of vacant city lots to Freitas. In return for his cooperation, the government agreed to recommend a more lenient sentence and also to drop the money-laundering charges, which could have resulted in the forfeiture of his vending business.

Steven Antonson
Providence Building Board of Review
As a member of the Providence Building Board of Review, Antonson made the motion to deny building permits to the University Club when Cianci was allegedly threatening to close the club for denying him membership years earlier. At the time, Antonson was chief electrician at the Providence Civic Center. The indictment charges Cianci with two counts of witness tampering for allegedly telling Antonson what to tell the FBI and the grand jury investigating the University Club affair in August 1999, after the matter had become public. Antonson is said to have tape-recorded at least one of his conversations with the mayor.

Patricia McLaughlin
Cianci aide
McLaughlin has been a key aide to Cianci, previously as deputy city solicitor and, since last year, as the first woman administration director in city history. The daughter of a former Providence fire chief, McLaughlin testified to the grand jury regarding her role in fighting building permits for the University Club. Cianci is accused of ordering McLaughlin to oppose the club in retribution for denying him membership, then telling her to help the club open after the mayor received a free honorary lifetime membership. The indictment says that McLaughlin was present when the membership card was presented to the mayor. Although a judge's gag order prevents Cianci from discussing the case with her, McLaughlin continues to work closely with the mayor on other matters.

Steven Antonson

Anthony Autiello

Carolyn Autiello

Lori Autiello

Michael J. Autiello

Paride Autiello

Paul J. Autiello

Robert Autiello

Rose Autiello

Rosemarie Autiello

Stephen A. Autiello

Beverly Bartzer

Cheryl Beaumier

Amanda Belluscio

Giana Belluscio

Providence Police Sgt. Robert Bennett

Joseph F. Branch

Rose Rita Branch

Denise Breckel

Thomas Breckel

Thomas Brechell

Edward Buco

Virginia Buco

James Burchfield

Paul Burman

Karen L. Calkins

Marie A. Camparone

Frank Caprio

Sandra Carlson

Peter Carnevale

Roger Cavaca

Mark Charleson

Cranston Police Maj. Michael Chalek

Joseph Chiodo

Citizens Bank (keeper of records)

Elizabeth J. Civetti

Michael R. Clement

Providence Police Lt. Kenneth Cohen

Anthony Coletta

Michael P. Coletta

Mario Coletta

Nancy L. Coletta

Sandra A. Coletta

Teresa Coletta

Valia Coletta

Joseph Consoli

John Constantino

Norma Conte

Merideth Curren

Ron D'Agostino

Roy Damiano

Arthur DeBlois

Margaret DeFelice

Thomas Deller

Robert DeRobbio

Mary Dettore

Ray Dettore

Thomas Dettore

Dorothy Devereaux

William Dimitri Jr.

Daniel Driscoll

Elizabeth Driscoll

Mark Dunham

David Ead

Linda Eastman

Mary Ann Ferri

First Bank and Trust (keeper of records)

Fleet Bank (keeper of records)

Joan E. Fiorio

William Floriani

Edna Flynn

Edward Flynn

Maria Flynn

Stephanie Flynn

Patricia Forte

Linn Freedman

Anthony Freitas

Alan Gelfusco

Madelyn Germani

Dennis Gerstmeyer

Gary Gherardini

Sandra Ginsberg

Dennis Glancy

John Glancy

Ronald Glantz

Nick Gloria

Clinton Goin

James Hagan

Nancy Hardy

Garret Hunter

Ruth Iacobo

Christopher Ise

Carl Izzo Sr.

John Izzo

Bernard Jackson

Marcia Jennings

Charles Jepson

Chad Johnson

Henry Johnson

William Kite

Louis A. LaChance Jr.

Nicholas S. Leone

Richard Leone Jr.

Richard Leone Sr .

Lorraine Lisi

Ramzi Loqa

Robert Lovell

Ted Low

Edward L. MacDonald Jr.

Edward L. MacDonald III

Edward Maggiacomo

Joseph Maggiacomo Jr.

Joseph Maggiacomo III

Mary Maggiacomo

James J. Malachowski

Kenneth Mancuso

Theofanis Marcos

Jack Marshall

Charles E. Martinez

Cathy J. Martone

Kenneth Martone

Louis A. Martone

Mario Martone

Rose Martone

Gina MacDonald Masciarelli

Jennifer A. Masciarelli

Virginia Masciarelli

Fred Matarese

Kenneth Matarese

Mary Matarese

Sheila Matarese

Vito Matarese

Christopher McCarten

Ed McConnell

Ed McDonald Jr.

Kevin McKenna

Patricia McLaughlin

Vincent McWilliams

Edward Medeiros

Mark Merlino

Joseph Messina

Linda Messina

Joseph Mollicone

Kathleen Moretti

Vincent Moretti

Angelo Mosca

John Palmeiri

Gail M. Paquette

Hubert J. Paquette

Robert Paris

John J. Partington

Ed Pazelli

Georgette Pierce

Lisa Powers

Urbano Prignano

Alex Prignano

Marsha Proffit

Providence Police Dept. (keeper of records)

Roland L. Rainville

Paddy Read

Kenneth Rocha

Frank A. Ronci

Thomas Rossi

Anne M. Russo

Maureen Russo

Michael Russo

Michael A. Russo

Sgt. William Russo

John Ryan

Arthur Salisbury

Gerry Sansiveri

Donna Searles

Alan Sepe

Ahmed D. Shihadeh

Providence Police Maj. Dennis Simoneau

Boyce Spinelli

John Spirito

Julia Steiny

Patricia St. Jean

Paul Sullivan

Providence Police Chief Richard Sullivan

Diane S. Sutton

Mary Swanson

Michael Sweeney

Steven Tanzi

Joseph Tavares

Margaret Tobin

Mario Todisco

Donald Tortoloni

Joseph Tosoni

John Troino

Teresa Troino

Dominic Tudino

Gina B. Tudino

Irene Tudino

Tara Tudino

Linda Verholst

Providence Police Maj. Paul Verrechia (retired)

Anthony C. Vescera

Gianna Voccola

Ida M. Voccola

Janice Dalton Voccola

John M. Voccola Jr.

Lore Voccola

Marjorie Voccola

Michael Voccola

Robert Voccola

Steven Voccola

Virginia Voccola

Karl Wolfsberger