Buddy Cianci
What will it take for the good people of Providence to quit Buddy Cianci? In 1984 the hometown boy had to cut short his first term as mayor of the Rhode Island capital when he pleaded no contest to assaulting his wife's alleged lover with a lit cigarette, an ashtray and a fireplace log. In 1990, after a stint as a radio host, Buddy ran again for election and was installed in the mayor's office a second time. Though he was wildly popular, his second tenure also ended in ignominy: in 2002 the tough-talking, toupee-sporting mayor was convicted of racketeering following a federal probe and served more than four years in prison. Now the longest-serving mayor in Providence's history is mulling another comeback. On Jan. 11 Cianci said he was considering mounting a challenge to either Representative Patrick Kennedy or Mayor David Cicilline in November. Even if Rhode Islanders aren't fed up with his antics, legal hurdles could prevent him from running for local office in November.