Former Providence Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci, Jr., who oversaw a revival of Rhode Island's capital city but also served five years in prison over federal corruption, died Jan. 28. He was 74.
Longtime friend Artin Coloian confirmed Cianci's death, according to The Associated Press.
Cianci spent more than two decades as mayor, in two separate stints that both ended in resignation. His final attempt to recapture City Hall ended in failure in 2014, when voters elected former Housing Court Judge Jorge Elorza. He returned to hosting a local radio talk show.
A Providence native, Cianci first took office in 1975, then resigned in 1984 after pleading no contest following an assault on a man he thought was involved with his then-wife. Elected again in 1990, he resigned in 2002 after his conviction on federal racketeering charges related to the FBI's "Operation Plunderdome" sting operation. He served five years.
"We have lost our self-esteem, not only as a city, but as a state," he said in 2014, announcing his mayoral run.
During his second tenure at City Hall, Cianci oversaw such revitalization projects as the downtown Providence Place Mall and the relocation of the Providence River.
