The Prince of Providence by Mike Stanton

The Prince of Providence: The True Story of Buddy Cianci, America's Most Notorious Mayor, Some Wiseguys, and the Feds, Mike Stanton. Toronto: Random House, 2002, 2003. e-book, 470 pps.

I have never run into Buddy Cianci, the subject of The Prince of Providence and a former mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. Vincent Buddy Cianci Jr. grew up in an Italian family in the Italian section of Providence. He went to law school and at some point ran for mayor on an anti-corruption ticket as a Republican. He was mayor several times and then once more. There was an extensive investigation of corruption and bad things happened.

I have only been to Providence twice and both times the trip was really to the outskirts. Once I went with friends to a dog show. That was pretty neat. I got to hang out with a retired champion. The next day we went to a huge hardware store. That was also pretty neat. But I haven't really been to Providence proper or to any of the places that the book talked about. I'd like to see City Hall and the waterfront and the gay bars and the places that Cianci used to live in. Maybe I will go on tour through some of the old mansions [I like architectural stuff] and then go hang on the beach. There is a beach there, yes? If I'm lucky, I will run into Dennis Aiken and tell him he done a great job!

Buddy Cianci has now published his own book Politics and Pasta, in the year 2011. I read the sample and I will probably read the rest of it and review that one as well.

sapphoq reviews says: I enjoyed The Prince of Providence. Mike Stanton illustrated the two sides of Buddy Cianci. Buddy could be charming or vicious, depending upon whether or not people were doing as he wished, according to Stanton. Highly recommended to anyone who likes a good true political story.