May 30, 2007 6:04 pm US/Eastern
Cianci In Boston After Release From Federal Prison
BOSTON (AP) ―
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Cianci reported to the Coolidge House in Boston about 9:30 a.m.
CBS
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Cianci on May 14, 2002. He has reportedly lost 65 pounds in prison.
AP
Former Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci was released from a federal prison in New Jersey on Wednesday and traveled to Boston, where he'll spend his days promoting a luxury hotel and his nights sleeping in shared quarters at a halfway house.
The former mayor -- known for his showmanship and array of toupees -- was released about 3 a.m., Fort Dix officer Tim Lewis said. Cianci has been held there since December 2002, after his conviction on a charge of racketeering conspiracy for reigning over what prosecutors said was rampant corruption at City Hall.
Cianci, 66, reported to the Coolidge House in Boston about 9:30 a.m. He was accompanied by his daughter, Nicole, and wore a baseball hat and sunglasses as he slipped in through a back door without answering questions from reporters.
He is scheduled to be in federal custody through July 28, but could be released from the halfway house to home confinement before then.
Cianci's nephew, Brad Turchetta, drove Cianci and his daughter to Boston from Fort Dix.
"He's glad to be back, and he has a lot to say ... probably at the end of July," Turchetta said.
Cianci was ever-present in Providence for three decades and oversaw an economic and cultural resurgence in New England's second-largest city. He trumpeted Providence as the "Renaissance City," and was known for making half a dozen public appearances a day -- no neighborhood barbecue was too small for a visit from Cianci.
Many residents miss his colorful style and quick wit, but others say the city is better off without him because he allowed corruption to run rampant.
Cianci was first elected in 1974 as a Republican, after making his name as a mob-busting prosecutor. But he was forced out of office 10 years later after pleading no contest to a felony assault charge for brutally attacking a man he believed was having an affair with his estranged wife.
Cianci moved to radio, where he hosted a popular talk show, then made a comeback in 1990, winning back his old office as an independent. He remained in office until 2002, even staying on the job as he went to trial on a slew of corruption charges.
He held office for 21 years, making him one of the longest-serving mayors of a large city in U.S. history.
With his larger-than-life personality, Cianci managed to grab the spotlight last week even before his release from prison with news that he landed a sales and marketing job at Fifteen Beacon, an expensive boutique hotel down the street from the Massachusetts Statehouse.
He is expected to begin working there next week after an initial period of adjustment at Coolidge House. A spokesman for the hotel's owner said Cianci was an "expert in sales and marketing" due to his work as a booster of Providence, and said the hotel's owner hoped the arrangement would continue after Cianci completes his sentence.
However, at least one radio station in Providence has said it would like to bring him back to the airwaves.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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