Special Report: Vice and Virtue

The two worlds of Buddy Cianci

A seven-part series by Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

Part one

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12.8.2002
'A survivor in a wicked world'
No small miracle: A priest from Maryland offers an alibi for the New England mob boss, but prosecutor Vincent A. Cianci Jr. unravels the story.
 
Part two

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12.9.2002
A Providence civics lesson
The boss of Providence politics forms an unlikely alliance with the anticorruption candidate.
 
Part three

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12.10.2002
The only game in town
The City Council plays hardball with the new mayor, but Buddy strikes back in the Wednesday Night Massacre.
 
Part four

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12.11.2002
A heap of trouble
As trash piles up on city streets and the beleaguered mayor's popularity tumbles, Cianci and his commandos set out to stop the Great Garbage Strike of 1981.
 
Part five

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12.12.2002
Nightmare on Power Street
A cigarette, an ashtray and a fireplace log change a mayor's destiny one March night on Power Street.
 
Part six

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12.13.2002
Zorba the mayor
The comeback mayor finds redemption and a renaissance.
 
Part seven

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12.15.2002
'Somebody's gonna leave town'
A felon, an FBI agent and "Mr. Freon" play starring roles in a real-life version of Providence.