6/25/14, 8:42 PM His Earlier Stints Ended by Felonies, Ex-Mayor of Providence Announces Hell Run Again - NYTimes.

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http://nyti.ms/1qbSelG
POLITICS
His Earlier Stints Ended by Felonies, Ex-Mayor of
Providence Announces Hell Run Again
By JESS BIDGOOD JUNE 25, 2014
Ending months of self-generated suspense, Vincent A. Cianci Jr., the garrulous
and polarizing former mayor of Providence, R.I., whose two stints in office
collapsed in felony convictions, announced on his radio talk show Wednesday
that he wanted his old job back.
Mr. Cianci, 73, said he intended to run as an independent, startling those
who assumed that his protracted public weighing of a mayoral bid could not
possibly be serious. They are now left to contemplate the fact that, in a crowded
field and with a devoted following, a victory by Mr. Cianci is not entirely out of
the question.
Widely known by his nickname, Buddy, Mr. Cianci, who has never lost a
mayoral election, won his first term as a Republican in 1974. He held the job for
nearly a decade, before he was convicted of assaulting a friend with a fireplace
log, an ashtray and a lit cigarette.
He ran again in 1990, and brought parks and construction to downtown, but
was indicted, again, in 2001 on charges that included racketeering and extortion.
Mr. Cianci joked about the investigation but nevertheless was convicted in 2002
of one charge of racketeering conspiracy, and imprisoned until 2007.
Since his release, Mr. Cianci has been a familiar presence on radio and
television in Providence. He hosts a daily talk show on WPRO, and it was here
that he announced his news before 4 p.m., nearly an hour into the show and
minutes before the official filing deadline.
Help me make my mind up, said Mr. Cianci, who said he had signed
6/25/14, 8:42 PM His Earlier Stints Ended by Felonies, Ex-Mayor of Providence Announces Hell Run Again - NYTimes.com
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declaration papers and written a speech but was still undecided on what to do.
A caller named Nicholas told him: Providence is in an existential crisis right
now. I can think of one prescription, and thats Buddy Cianci.
At 3:30, Mr. Cianci asked the news anchor, Kim Kalunian, for a news
update. Well, Buddy, she said pointedly, were still waiting on you.
In his announcement speech, Mr. Cianci presented himself as an
experienced candidate who had brought new self-esteem to Providence through
economic development and promotion of the arts in the 1990s.
We were proud to be from Providence, said Mr. Cianci, who said he would
seek solutions for the citys blight, areas of economic stagnation and violence,
but mostly glossed over his troubles with the law.
Wendy Schiller, a political scientist at Brown University, said that Mr. Cianci
would benefit from a multicandidate race, but that his odds were long because of
the changes in Providences demographics.
Its much more Latino, younger, and a lot of the people who loved him and
voted for him before dont live here anymore, she said. And with a Latino
running for governor and another one for mayor, that base will be energized.
Moreover, Ms. Schiller said, he was responsible for some of the pension
problems the city faces today.
On the other hand, she said, If Newt Gingrich is still around, and Bill
Clinton is still around, theres no reason Buddy Cianci cant still be around.
Katharine Q. Seelye contributed reporting.
2014 The New York Times Company