Monday, June 24, 2002

Sadly, the Bud-I, master pasta sauce chef, and very colorful mayor of Providence, RI, was convicted on one count of racketeering conspiracy.

It is important to note that he was innocent of all specific charges against him, and that the judge has left the door pretty open for the possibility that he'll set aside the conviction.

Buddy is a mayor who loves his city, one filled with all of the small city corruption cliches, including the mob. He has quite the interesting past - having been mayor previously, but having to resign after he had his bodyguard (a policeman) drive him to where his ex-wife's (whose name was, get this, Nancy Ann Cianci...say that a couple of times) lover was, and then he proceeded to assault him with a fireplace log.

But, nonetheless Buddy really did manage to transform a dump of a city to a thriving one during the 90s. I'm still pulling for him.