Related story: Cianci keeps reelection hopes alive during trial

By Scott MacKay
Journal Staff Writer

I'm writing this before the verdict of the century, so excuse me if any of this sounds naive or just plain foolish.

Whether you loathe, fear or love him, the thing about Providence Mayor Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci Jr. is that he is rarely dull. When the assignment is to follow him at night during the first week of his federal corruption trial, one realizes pretty quickly how resilient a figure he is.

The thing that struck me about Cianci is the way in which he tried not to let the trial interfere with, well, Being Buddy. Most people -- even politicians -- would be fairly freaked out if they were facing years in a federal pen. Many would be hunkered down in hiding somewhere, fending off reporters and the public.

When it comes to Cianci, there is a Clintonesque disconnect between the media in this city and the mayor. The polls show it and so does an evening spent following him around the city. Buddy is the rogue lots of people root for; at every stop, people lean in close to offer encouraging words.

This is not a universal sentiment -- some who live in Providence and actually pay the high taxes are not so enamored of our WaterFire mayor. But the charismatic and entertaining Cianci has slipped the noose for so long that he has woven his own legend. And he really is a CETA program for reporters and photographers.

Colleagues told me the best thing about this story was the perspective it gave on Cianci's career and Providence politics.

Sometimes it is a good thing to have been here for a few years and be an old, burned-out reporter.

I remember the reign of King Buddy I. I remember the Recall attempt of 1984. I know what both Raymonds -- Patriarca and DeLeo -- represent. I remember "Buckles" Melise. I know where the 7th ward (Silver Lake) is. I know that the two biggest voting wards in the city are the 5th (Mount Pleasant) and the 2nd (College Hill).

I tried to weave some of this perspective into the Buddy story. I think we ought to try to do that as much as we can in the newspaper business. TV has pretty much abandoned serious journalism and putting context into stories, so we must.



Editor's note: For the outcome of the Cianci trial, visit: projo.com/trial/