Kennedy Plaza , formerly Exchange Place , Exchange Terrace , or City Hall Park , is a rectangular public square that occupies a central portion of Downtown Providence, Rhode Island . Since the mid 19th century, the plaza has served as a civic and transportation hub.
78-520: Today, Kennedy Plaza is bounded by Exchange Street to the northeast, Fulton Street to the southeast, Dorrance Street to the southwest, and Washington Street to the northwest. The plaza's northeastern and southwestern extremities are capped by three civic structures: City Hall , the Federal Building , and the John O. Pastore Federal Building . To the southeast of the plaza is a row of skyscrapers which comprise
156-477: A "true civic heart" of the city, along the lines of New York's Bryant Park . The plans include new traffic patterns, fewer bus stops, and new buildings with food service and bathrooms. Kennedy Plaza will remain retain bus stops, but much of the bus traffic will be dispersed among new "hubs" at Providence Station and in the Jewelry District . The $ 17-million project was expected to begin in summer 2021. The plan
234-538: A World War I Victory Parade was held on Washington Street and Kennedy Plaza, which marched through what was a Victory Arch in the center of the plaza. On top of the arch was a reproduction of the Hellenistic sculpture " Winged Victory of Samothrace ." The inscription on the Victory Arch read: "TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO WENT FORTH AND RETURNED NOT WHOSE SOULS ARE MARCHING ON." John F. Kennedy spoke on November 7, 1960,
312-579: A candidate for one of Rhode Island's U.S. Senate seats, aiming to expand the Republican Party's ethnic votership. Cianci clashed behind the scenes with John Chafee over Rhode Island's Republican nomination for the Senate seat. Chafee was elected to the Senate in 1976 and Cianci was re-elected as Mayor of Providence as a Republican in 1978. Cianci ran for governor in 1980, losing out to incumbent J. Joseph Garrahy . After this loss, Cianci drifted away from
390-403: A charismatic and media-savvy politician. Cianci's propensity to attend parades, weddings, public events, and backyard neighborhood barbecues prompted a common joke that Cianci would jump to "attend the opening of an envelope". Cianci was revered by many residents of Providence, credited with the revitalizing of the city's economy and image. In the mid- to late 1970s, Cianci became a rising star in
468-666: A crowd of about 40,000 to 50,000 people in the plaza. Kennedy's speech was a campaign attack against Republican candidate Richard Nixon. Emotions in the crowd were reportedly high, with many people screaming and chanting. In 1964, after Kennedy's assassination the plaza was renamed Kennedy Plaza in honor of the late US President. In 1983, mayor Vincent Cianci had the plaza redesigned as a central bus depot. City bus stops on Washington, Westminster, and Weybosset streets were consolidated at Kennedy Plaza in hope of reducing congestion and air pollution. Inspired by Rockefeller Center in Manhattan,
546-471: A fire station at the opposite extremity of the plaza. In 1896 Union Station suffered a catastrophic fire. At the time of its destruction, work had already begun on the construction of a new, significantly larger Union Station to its immediate north; this station opened in 1898. The area formerly occupied by the original station was landscaped and opened as City Hall Park. In 1903, the Federal Building
624-546: A full restoration and rehabilitation of the deteriorating building under the guidance of historian and preservationist Antoinette Downing , Frank Mauran III and Irving B. Haynes . The project was completed in the 1990s. "The building's construction is of iron and brick, faced with Westerly granite on the Dorrance and Washington Street sides and New Hampshire granite on the other two sides. The sidewalks are granite blocks, 5 to 6 feet wide and 18 to 20 feet long. The entire structure
702-626: A job in marketing and sales for the XV Beacon, a luxury hotel in Boston. However, he ultimately chose to return to Rhode Island and began work at the 903 Residences in Providence. On the animated sitcom Family Guy (set in Rhode Island), Chris attended Buddy Cianci Junior High School. One episode released in 2005 was titled " Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High ". On September 20, 2007, Cianci returned to
780-515: A lively public square, rich with activity. Providence City Hall Providence City Hall is the center of the municipal government in Providence, Rhode Island . It is located at the southwest end of Kennedy Plaza at 25 Dorrance Street in Providence. The building was constructed between 1875 and 1878, and designed by Samuel J. F. Thayer in the Second Empire style . In 1975, the building
858-484: A skating rink was added to the plaza in 1998. It was designed by William D. Warner Architects & Planners. In 2002, the Intermodal Transportation Center , a $ 12 million bus station, was built in the center of the plaza. In Summer 2014, RIPTA began a redesign effort that changed the configuration of Kennedy Plaza, and included the relocation of current bus stop terminus points formerly located at
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#1732856165464936-406: A song titled "Buddy Cianci" on November 4, 2014. His campaign was unsuccessful and he lost narrowly to Democrat Jorge Elorza , conceding the election on November 4. In January 2014, Cianci was diagnosed with colon cancer. Cianci died on January 28, 2016, at the age of 74. He had been taken to the hospital the previous day after experiencing abdominal pain while filming his television show, On
1014-405: A special assistant attorney general in 1969. The position was part-time but prestigious. In 1972, Cianci backed up lead prosecutor Irving Brodsky in the trial of mob boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca . Patriarca was found not guilty, but Cianci won praise as an Italian American fighting "The Mob" , when the film The Godfather painted an unflattering image of Italian Americans. In 1973, he became
1092-535: A special election was held to name a replacement. Cianci attempted to run in the election under the rubric that he had been convicted of a felony but received a five-year suspended sentence rather than being sent to prison. After a few weeks, it was decided by the Rhode Island Supreme Court that Cianci could not run in the special election, because the legislative intent was that the convicted incumbent could not succeed himself in office. The special election
1170-714: A weekly political segment called Your Attention Please , which was renamed Buddy TV. The timeslot became a daily segment in July 2008, and was renamed The World According to Buddy as of May 2011. His position at WLNE began on November 1, 2007. Cianci also hosted the station's weekend public affairs program On the Record with Buddy Cianci . He began in October 2008 as cohost of the program with WLNE weeknight anchor John DeLuca and became solo host in May 2011. Cianci became eligible to run for mayor again in
1248-487: Is not true that the poor have grown poorer; but some of the rich have grown so very much richer that, where multitudes of men are herded together in a limited space, the contrast strikes the onlooker as more violent than formerly. On the whole, our people earn more and live better than ever before, and the progress of which we are so proud could not have taken place had it not been for the up building of industrial centers, such as this in which I am speaking. But together with
1326-759: The Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix , in Burlington County, New Jersey . Cianci appealed the conviction to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit but was unsuccessful. In August 2005, Cianci made a request for early release but was denied. Cianci was released from prison on May 30, 2007, to a halfway house near Northeastern University in Boston . Upon his initial release from federal prison, he had already secured
1404-472: The Irish-American Democratic machine, Cianci won his first election by 709 votes. Cianci became the city's first Italian-American Republican mayor, ending a 150-year "power monopoly" held by Irish Democrats. At the age of 33 years, 10 months and seven days, he was then the city's youngest mayor and the first Republican to lead that heavily Democratic city since 1939. Cianci was well known to be
1482-775: The Southern New England School of Law . Cianci enlisted in the United States Army on November 29, 1966. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Military Police Corps on April 24, 1967. He served on active duty until 1969 and then in the Army Reserve as a civil affairs officer through 1972. After being admitted to the Rhode Island Bar Association in 1967, Cianci was hired by Rhode Island Attorney General Herbert F. DeSimone as
1560-838: The Spanish–American War , the Boxer Rebellion and the Philippine–American War . The original 1906 sculpture is located at the University of Minnesota . Other sculptures in the Plaza include an 1887 equestrian statue of Ambrose Burnside by Launt Thompson , the Bajnotti Fountain (1899) by Enid Yandell , and, in City Hall Park, The Scout (1911) by Henri Schonhardt. Haven Brothers Diner (located next to City Hall during
1638-495: The 4-year period." In 1996, Cianci pushed to create an arts and entertainment district in downtown Providence by offering income and sales tax breaks to attract artists to downtown. Cianci said the tax breaks were part of an arts-centered economic development strategy. The idea was to develop an image of Providence as an "artist-friendly" city; this would attract not only artists but also well-educated workers, high-technology firms, economic development, and tourism. The strategy
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#17328561654641716-614: The 74-year-old Cianci announced his engagement to model and actress Tara Marie Haywood, then in her 30s. At the age of seven, Cianci began appearing regularly on WJAR 's Kiddie Revue Sunday radio broadcast from the Outlet Department Store on Weybosset Street, downtown Providence. After briefly attending public school, Cianci enrolled in Moses Brown School , a private school on the East Side of Providence . There, he became
1794-474: The Boston and Providence railroad located their Rhode Island terminus in the peripheral Fox Point neighborhood, the Providence and Worcester Railroad fought considerably to establish a rail terminal in Providence's commercial center. In 1846, the city granted the company permission to fill in a portion of the Great Salt Cove and erect a rail yard and terminal facing Exchange Street. Over the following two years,
1872-666: The Downtown Parks Conservancy of Providence started a fundraising effort to restore the monument and the infrastructure immediately around it. A clock occupies space in front of the main doors of the RIPTA Intermodal Transportation Center. A 1911 copy of The Hiker by Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson stands in the center island of the RIPTA facility berths, and commemorates the American soldiers who fought in
1950-464: The East Side tunnel to Thayer, Waterman, Angell, Hope, and Elmgrove Streets. As federal funds became available in the late 1970s for automobile-free zones, all local bus-waiting areas were consolidated to Kennedy Plaza. By the 1950s, the plaza became less central to city transportation needs, as the automobile became the dominant mode of transportation. The Category 3 1938 New England Hurricane flooded
2028-634: The Fleet Skating Center. He also helped to orchestrate the establishment of the summer weekend festivals known as WaterFire in downtown Providence, which continues to bring up to 100,000 people to the downtown area alone on the summer nights it takes place. In 1995, Cianci launched a brand of tomato sauce, "Mayor's Own Marinara Sauce ." It was claimed that proceeds from sales were "Benefiting Providence School Children" and helped hundreds of students attend college. However, an August 2014 Associated Press report found that "in recent years, no money from
2106-469: The Laurel Hill section of nearby Cranston, Rhode Island . Cianci was the younger child of Dr. Vincent Albert Cianci and Esther Cianci, née Capobianco (whose great-grandfather served as mayor of Benevento, Italy ), who married in 1937. His only marriage, in 1973, was to Sheila Bentley McKenna; the couple divorced in 1983. They had one daughter, Nicole, who died in 2012. Shortly before dying in early 2016,
2184-598: The Plaza. The overall plan transformed the Plaza into a pedestrian oriented environment, where bus terminal locations were moved to the periphery of the Plaza and adjacent Burnside Park. RIPTA has noted an 11% increase in ridership of the Statewide system. In anticipation of the July 15, 2014 groundbreaking for the rehabilitation project, on July 12 going forward, Bus terminus locations were found along Exchange Street near One Financial Tower, North Fountain Street, Exchange Terrace along
2262-441: The Providence and Worcester Railroad erected Providence's first Union Station – a Lombard Romanesque building defined by two towering spires. The construction of the station created the area – termed Exchange Place – as the nucleus of rail transport in the city. Between 1875 and 1878, the city of Providence constructed City Hall to the immediate southwest of the station. The municipality contemporaneously erected
2340-618: The Record with Buddy Cianci , at the WLNE-TV studio. Thousands of people viewed Cianci's open casket as his body lay in state for two days in Providence City Hall , the first mayor to be so honored since Thomas Doyle in 1886. A horse-drawn carriage carried his casket through the city during a snowstorm on February 8, as it made its way to the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul where Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Joseph Tobin presided over
2418-517: The Republican Party after he was not given an appointment in the Reagan administration despite his support of Ronald Reagan and intimations by Reagan's campaign manager, John Sears . In 1982, he was reelected as Mayor of Providence as an independent. During his first tenure in office, Buddy Cianci often clashed with the Providence City Council over issues such as the municipal budget. Cianci
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2496-687: The Rhode Island Foundation Building, and on Sabin Street along the Rhode Island Convention Center, beneath the Omni Hotel Towers. RIPTA announced on December 9, 2014, that the Hub would reopen January 17, 2015. In 2016, to combat a growing reputation as a haven for drug dealing, vandalism, and prostitution, RIPTA hired a squad of unarmed private security guards to patrol Kennedy Plaza. Through 2017, Kennedy Plaza served as
2574-497: The World War. Over 20,000 people filled the plaza, to watch him perform his new act in "a straitjacket escape made while dangling high in the air, upside down" hanging from the fourth floor of the "Evening News" Building formerly sited at 50 Kennedy Plaza. The crowd filled the plaza expanse following Fulton Street. In 1917, Houdini returned to Kennedy Plaza to perform his escape act a second time, as "80,000 fedora-hatted folks who thronged
2652-440: The airwaves on local Providence AM radio station WPRO, hosting a weekday talk show. He said that he had no plans to run for political office again, although he had not entirely ruled it out when pressed on the issue. On October 24, 2007, Cianci appeared on WLNE-TV ABC6 to announce that in addition to his radio show, he was joining the television station as chief political analyst and contributing editor. The work included moderating
2730-407: The basic issues of our time, and that is that this country has to go back to work again. Kennedy Plaza is home to three public art works. The most prominent is the 1871 Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument which occupies space directly in front of Providence City Hall . Dedicated originally in 1871, it was sculpted by Randolph Rogers with the pedestal designed by architect Alfred Stone . The monument
2808-533: The building "Our Municipal Palace." President Teddy Roosevelt spoke on the City Hall steps on August 23, 1902, and John F. Kennedy spoke on November 7, 1960, just before he was elected president. In 2000, Friedrich St. Florian designed outdoor plaques for the building. Haven Brothers Diner , a Rhode Island landmark, is mobile cafe situated east of City Hall every evening. In 1975, after concerns began to grow about possible demolition, Mayor Buddy Cianci instigated
2886-450: The case: "Clearly, there is a feeling in city government in Providence that corruption is tolerated. In this mayor's two administrations, there has been more corruption in the City of Providence than in the history of this state." Much of the trial was focused around a video tape showing top Cianci aide Director of Administration Frank A. Corrente taking a bribe. NBC reporter Jim Taricani aired
2964-419: The central structures of the city's skyline. Northeast of the plaza are Burnside Park and Union Station . In 2003, Kennedy Plaza was described by architectural historian Wm. McKenzie Woodward as "[T]he city's most constantly reworked space ... [which] is now virtually a large al fresco bus station. ... Ultimately transcending its flaws, Kennedy Plaza is a compelling open space enhanced by and enhancing some of
3042-406: The city's best buildings." Kennedy Plaza has seen numerous transformations over the 19th and 20th centuries. According to architectural historian William McKenzie Woodword, the site is Providence's "most constantly reworked space, and fully interpreting its history would fill a book that could be a landmark in understanding American urbanism." In the 18th century, the area that is now Kennedy Plaza
3120-429: The council bickered over where to site the new building. The city purchased several lots for the construction of a new City Hall. Construction was delayed, however, and the land was leased to C.N. Harrington, who built a wood frame theater on the site. The theater was notable for lectures, performances and readings that included writer Charles Dickens . In 1869, the building was renamed "Harrington Opera House." In 1874,
3198-472: The day before he was elected president: On other occasions, in other years, this country has elected Republican Presidents and Democratic Presidents. They do it when they make a decision that that party and that candidate will serve a great national purpose. In my judgment and the responsibility ultimately is yours, in my judgment the United States will be best served by a candidate and a party who recognizes
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3276-636: The entire building, which became known as the "City Building." Before long, even this wasn't enough space, and in 1845 the City Council resolved to create a permanent municipal building. The community spent the next 30 years searching for a suitable location, because half the Council votes were on the east side of the Providence River, and half the votes were on the west. This resulted in what some historians have referred to as "Providence's Thirty Years War," as
3354-439: The entire expanse of Exchange Place when it made landfall on September 20. The storm surge hit just at the end of the workday; the water level rose from a few inches to waist deep, then to over 13 feet, with strong currents sweeping people off their feet. Massachusetts senator John F. Kennedy spoke from the front steps of City Hall on Monday November 7, 1960, the day before he was elected president. Kennedy spoke for 13 minutes to
3432-549: The evenings hours), founded in 1888, is one of the oldest restaurants on wheels in America when it was launched as a horse drawn lunch wagon. Clockwise, from the northeast: Greater Kennedy Plaza is a partnership of private and public sector organizations that have come together to transform the downtown Providence area (including Burnside Park, The Providence Rink at the Bank of America City Center, Biltmore Park and Kennedy Plaza) into
3510-551: The fall of 1974, Cianci narrowly beat incumbent Mayor Joseph A. Doorley Jr. on an anti-corruption campaign. Cianci was helped by a revolt of Democrats upset with Doorley's administration. Cianci presented himself as a visionary reformer, outlining plans to revive an economically troubled downtown, rebuild the waterfront, restore blighted neighborhoods, create parks, and improve schools. Positioning himself as "the Anti-Corruption candidate," an Italian-American candidate taking on
3588-613: The fifth floor Archives." "The original main floor included a reception room and the office for the City Messenger. His office contained an elaborate array of communication devices, 50 speaking tubes, 50 electric bells and 50 annunciators which connected to all departments. Next to the Messenger's Office was an ornate reception room, 23 feet by 33 feet, with large mirrors hung at each end of the room. The walls were finished in mahogany and stamped leather." The fifth floor living quarters for
3666-659: The fifth floor where, originally, large batteries were stored to generate electricity for the city-wide fire alarm system and for the operation of the clocks and bells in the building. Another flight of stairs led to a higher area in the mansard dome which was also used for storage." Because of its central location with vast open space before it, City Hall has been the scene of a number of speeches by visiting dignitaries. Vincent Cianci Vincent Albert " Buddy " Cianci Jr. ( / s i ˈ æ n s i / , see- AN -see ; Italian pronunciation: [ˈtʃantʃi] , CHAHN -chee ; April 30, 1941 – January 28, 2016)
3744-434: The good there has come a measure of evil.… Under present-day conditions it is as necessary to have corporations in the business world as it is to have organizations, unions, among wage-workers. We have a right to ask in each case only this: that good, and not harm, shall follow. On March 7, 1914, Harry Houdini brought his show to American audiences and to Exchange Place due to the closure of European performance spaces during
3822-464: The janitor and his family included a kitchen, parlor, two bedrooms and a bath. The remainder of the fifth floor was used by the City Engineer and for storage. The upper levels of the building are within a high, convex, mansard slate roof that rises above the parallel-eaved parapet. Fashioned into the mansard dome are ornamental bulls-eye dormers. The mansard roof area is reached by an iron stairway from
3900-429: The man had been romantically involved with his wife, from whom Cianci was separated at the time. Both DeLeo and Cianci's estranged wife disputed the relationship. Cianci and his driver were charged with kidnaping, beating, and torturing Deleo. Providence municipal regulations prohibit a convicted felon from holding public office. Ironically, Cianci had promulgated that rule a few years earlier. After Cianci's resignation,
3978-410: The men of the first division to assemble upon Exchange Place. A second detachment left from the plaza on April 25, 1861. Crowds gathered at the Plaza when President Teddy Roosevelt spoke on the City Hall steps on August 23, 1902: One of the features of the tremendous industrial development of the last generation has been the very great increase in private, and especially in corporate, fortunes. ... It
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#17328561654644056-406: The modern nexus of the state's public conventional- bus and trolley-replica bus transit services operated by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), as well as a departure point for Peter Pan and Greyhound bus lines. In August 2017, Mayor Jorge Elorza announced plans to transform Kennedy Plaza from its traditional role as a transportation hub into a public space which would serve as
4134-404: The national Republican Party . After being introduced by Bob Dole , Cianci made an address at the 1976 Republican convention. There was talk of him being the first Italian-American vice president. Cianci was also seriously considered for a federal Cabinet seat in the second Gerald Ford administration, had Ford been elected in 1976. After Ford's loss to Jimmy Carter , Cianci promoted himself as
4212-414: The pre-electricity age, "to keep clocks accurate and uniform, a central control mechanism was installed. It operated in a fashion similar to a grandfather clock, and each morning would be wound up by the janitor. It sent battery powered signals to other clocks in the building. Although the building was wired for electricity shortly after its construction, the clock mechanism remains in place and can be seen in
4290-552: The prosecutor of the Rhode Island Attorney General's Anti-Corruption Strike Force, a position he held until his first election as mayor in 1974. As part of this task force, Cianci was involved in an investigation of Providence Mayor Joseph A. Doorley Jr. Cianci gained a reputation as an anti-corruption crusader. During this time, Cianci gained political experience working on Attorney General Herbert DeSimone's unsuccessful campaigns for governor in 1970 and 1972. In
4368-467: The riverfront. Included in the plan are public rest rooms, walkways, riverfront improvements, green landscaping, a cafe, and performance space. On April 20, 1861, at 10:30AM the sidewalks were filled with cheering throngs, who greeted volunteers, of the first division of the First Regiment of Detached Rhode Island Militia leaving for Washington, D.C.. Colonel Ambrose Burnside , in command, had ordered
4446-586: The roommate of Adrian Hendricks, the first Black student to attend the prestigious school. Later, Cianci transferred schools and would earn a bachelor's degree in government at Fairfield University . Cianci earned a master's degree in Political Science at Villanova University and a Juris Doctor at Marquette University Law School in 1966. Cianci also held honorary doctorates awarded by Fairfield University (his alma mater), Johnson & Wales University , Roger Williams University , and, most recently, from
4524-447: The sauce's sales has been donated to Cianci's charity scholarship fund." From 2009 to 2012, the sauce made a total of $ 3 in income, longtime Cianci adviser Charles Mansolillo told the AP. In 2009, they lost $ 2,200 on the sauce, Mansolillo said. The following year, they made $ 2,974, while in 2011, they lost $ 2,969. In 2012, they made $ 2,198 profit, he said. That adds up to a profit of just $ 3 during
4602-403: The sentencing. Between his sentencing and the start of his jail term, Cianci resumed his radio career hosting a midday show with former Providence radio host (and former director of communications to Governor Don Carcieri ) Steve Kass on AM talk station WPRO . After some legal wrangling, Cianci's lawyers managed to have him sent to prison closer to Rhode Island, and Cianci served his sentence at
4680-541: The streets". On June 3, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson called for the nation to ready itself for war in Europe . In response, Providence hosted a 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 -hour World War I Preparedness Parade in response to president Woodrow Wilson's "call for preparedness."A review stand in front of City Hall and a gigantic human mosaic formed a "living flag" on scaffolding above the front steps, lined on each side with Civil War veterans. Over 52,000 people attended. On May 11, 1919,
4758-400: The structure was closed for demolition. An open call for design led to twenty one submissions, and four finalists. Samuel J. F. Thayer 's "Blue Wafer" design was chosen, and he was paid $ 1000.00USD. The building, modified from its original design, would cost the city $ 1,000,000.USD. The cornerstone was laid on June 24, 1875. Inaugurated on November 14, 1878, The Providence Journal called
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#17328561654644836-400: The tape on local television station WJAR , and he was sentenced to six months of house arrest for refusing to reveal his sources to the court. Cianci did not maintain a low profile after the indictment but poked fun at the investigation, code-named " Operation Plunder Dome ". Nine people (including Cianci) were convicted in the trials, which were presided over by Judge Ernest C. Torres . Cianci
4914-545: The television show Providence . During Cianci's second run as mayor, beginning in 1991, the city of Providence entered its "Renaissance phase". During his tenure, Providence became visibly cleaner and more tourist-friendly. Cianci brought the Providence Bruins hockey team to Rhode Island from Maine and pushed to further several projects in the city, including new hotels, the Providence Place shopping mall and
4992-611: The year 2012, three years after his probation ended (due to the provisions of the 1986 Rhode Island constitutional amendment, aptly named "the Buddy amendment"). The next election in which Cianci would have been eligible to run was the November 2014. In 2010, Cianci was quoted as saying that he was "taking a good look" at running for the U.S. House seat to be vacated by Democrat Patrick J. Kennedy . He did not declare his candidacy. In May 2014, Cianci, after being successfully treated for cancer,
5070-499: Was acquitted of 26 out of 27 charges, including bribery, extortion, and mail fraud, but he was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, running a corrupt criminal enterprise. In September 2002, Cianci was sentenced to serve five years in federal prison by Judge Torres, who opted for a higher sentence than the minimum required by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Cianci was forced by law to resign immediately following
5148-506: Was an American politician, attorney, radio talk show host, and political commentator who served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island from 1975 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 2002. Cianci was the longest-serving mayor of Providence, having held office for over 21 years. Cianci was twice elected Mayor of Providence. Earlier in his career, he served as a state prosecutor in the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General. Cianci
5226-423: Was built on an artificial foundation set atop 3,128 pilings driven deep into the underlying hardpan." "Four coal-fired boilers of 50 horsepower each provided heat for the building. The boilers also supplied energy to operate a water-powered elevator, capable of carrying up to 50 passengers at one time. The elevator was built with electric bells at each landing so that it could be summoned to the desired floor." In
5304-401: Was cleared by his doctors to run for mayor in the 2014 November election. On June 25, Cianci declared his candidacy for Mayor of Providence as an independent. In August, he named former Cianci staffer Cyd McKenna as his campaign manager and Dee Dee Witman as his finance chair, alongside other former staffers Charles Mansolillo and Beryl Kenyon. Providence hip-hop artist Zumo Kollie released
5382-520: Was constructed facing City Hall. From 1920 to 1948, the plaza was circled by trolley tracks. During WWII, the United Electric Railway and The Narragansett Electric company (owned by Marsden J. Perry) put "trackless trolleys" into service by installing electric buses in 1943. Employing what was then known as a “WAIT” station in the form of a loop, U.E.R buses served North Main St to Pawtucket and through
5460-522: Was copied as a model by Baltimore and other cities. In 1998 , Cianci ran again for reelection, unopposed on the ballot. The popular Cianci had never lost a mayoral election, until losing to Jorge Elorza in November 2014 . Cianci was indicted in April 2001 on federal criminal charges of racketeering , conspiracy , extortion , witness tampering , and mail fraud . Several other Providence city officials were also indicted. Judge Ronald R. Lagueux said of
5538-469: Was criticized for its expected effects on municipal transport. In March 2021, City Hall and city planners announced an expanded $ 140 million plan, spread out over multiple phases over several years. The newest version of the plan includes relocating the ice rink and expanding use into the summer as a splash park wading pool. Mayor Elorza's Providence Unified Vision public space project was announced in July 2021. The plan includes redesigns of Kennedy Plaza and
5616-542: Was first elected mayor as the candidate of the Republican Party . While in office, he declared himself an independent and, as of 2009 , he said that he had no party affiliation. On his radio show in June 2014, Cianci announced that he would run for mayor again. He was defeated by Democratic candidate Jorge Elorza in the 2014 election . Cianci was born on April 30, 1941, in Providence, Rhode Island . His family lived in
5694-469: Was forced to resign from office during both mayoral tenures due to felony convictions. His first administration ended in 1984 when he pleaded no contest to charges brought against him involving kidnapping and torturing a man Cianci believed was romantically involved with his ex-wife. His second stint as mayor ended when he was forced to resign following his conviction for one count of racketeering conspiracy, and he served four years in federal prison. Cianci
5772-531: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places . It is also a contributing structure to the broader Downtown Providence Historic District . Upon the city's incorporation in 1832, most city business was conducted at the Market House . The City Council, Mayor's Office, and Board of Aldermen were located on the second floor; as the city grew, the city spread to the third floor, and eventually took over
5850-520: Was moved during the City Hall Park/ Exchange Place transformation in 1913 to the center of the plaza, and returned to its present location in 1997. Large bronze plaques on the monument’s base list residents killed in the war. Another plaque honors Rhode Island's African-American veterans. A dedication on a northeastern plaque reads ”Rhode Island pays tribute to the memory of the brave men who died that their country might live.” In late 2016,
5928-540: Was part of the Great Salt Cove—an estuary formed by the confluence of the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket Rivers . Over the two decades of the 19th century, Providence's manufacturing economy experienced rapid growth, outpacing the infrastructure needed to distribute these goods to domestic markets. To address this problem, companies like the Boston and Providence Railroad and Providence and Worcester Railroad . While
6006-416: Was supported by political allies in the Providence City Council's Republican minority. During Cianci's first administration, the Providence City Council tried to create an ordinance for residents of the city to be able to vote their public officials out of office. Cianci was forced by law to resign from office for the first time in 1984 after pleading nolo contendere or "no contest". Cianci claimed that
6084-429: Was won by City Council Chairman, Acting Mayor, and future ambassador to Malta Joseph R. Paolino Jr. Cianci spent the next few years as a radio talk show host on Providence AM station 920 WHJJ and as a television commentator. In 1990, he successfully mounted a reelection campaign with the slogan, "He never stopped caring about Providence." In the early 2000s, Cianci also made several guest appearances as himself on
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