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Summary: The Prince of Sleaze
Review: The Prince of SleazeYou might think that a book about sleaze, cheating, lying, bullying, stealing, bribing and simple bamboozling would be depressing, but instead it's fascinating. Mike Stanton's THE PRINCE OF PROVIDENCE is a jaw-dropping account of Buddy Cianci, the terrible bad boy of politics in Providence, Rhode Island.
Typical of Cianci's abuse of power was his attempt to be admitted to the prestigious University Club. Stung by rejection, he fought back with some well placed calls. The University Club found themselves unable to get building variances, their liquor license threatened and word that police would be out front ticketing every parked car. Incredibly, the mayor was offered a lifetime honorary membership.
The author is well acquainted with the mayor, his office, his cronies and the city of Providence. He describes the "good Buddy", effective administrator, tireless promoter of Providence, with the "bad Buddy", wheeler dealer, bribe taker, but it's obvious the "bad Buddy" prevails. Only the scrupulous reporting and the ebullient personality of Buddy Cianci can keep the reader from wallowing deep in the corruption and dirt of Providence politics. I personally would have liked to see more of Cianci's early life and how the influences of family and school could create such a phenomenon.
If you ever need a reference book of big city politics, this is your how-to Guide to Political Power using methods legal, illegal and every gray area in between.
Rating: 
Summary: Mayor Buddy Cianci: Without a Doubt, One-of-a-Kind
Review: The reviewer, formerly from Providence, actually witnessed first-hand some of the goings-on described in this book and that occurred during the early part of the period defined by the author as Buddy I. Mike Stanton does a journalistically very thorough job of chronologically revealing the true essence of one of the most fascinating and colorful persons to have ever treaded the modern American political landscape. Whether or not you know Providence or Rhode Island, the tale of Buddy Cianci will keep you turning the pages of Stanton's The Prince of Providence until the very end. While the writing and the flow of information could have been a little tighter in places, the Pulitzer Price-winning investigative reporter from The Providence Journal does a phenomenal job of telling the story of Providence (Ex-) Mayor Buddy Cianci, an immensely dichotomous personality who reflected to a tee the history and character of the city-state he ruled for a quarter century, but who now resides in a federal prison in New Jersey. Stanton's incorporation of the history of Rhode Island and its capital city is both fascinating and crucial to understanding just how this surrealistic juxtaposition of corruption and charismatic vision came to be and why it flourished for so long. Rhode Island, which was founded in 1636 as an eccentric assembly of maverick outcasts, boasts on one hand a long and proud history of independence, rebellion, and milestones of progress. At the same time it has quietly nurtured a deep-seated tradition of pervasive, brutal and often murderous corruption. After all, where else could governors, mayors, and state Supreme Court justices all end up behind bars in the same decade? Its capital city was once a national player, a proud and wealthy economic powerhouse that had fallen into desperate straits by the time Buddy was first sworn in as mayor in January 1975. Although there is much debate today about the long-range prospects of the much-ballyhooed Providence Renaissance, no one can deny that this man Buddy almost single-handedly willed into existence the modern transformation of his city. The critics and skeptics of the renaissance openly wonder how much further the city would have gone had the 'Providence For Sale' signs not been posted all over City Hall during the long reign of Buddy. Nonetheless, as you read the pages of Stanton's book, you will find yourself utterly astonished at how the man they called Buddy, the man who substantially reshaped his city's fortunes, was brutal, vindictive, and corrupt, all the while being a seductive charmer who was (and remains) beloved by thousands. You will laugh, as this reviewer did, at the endless stories and antics of Buddy and at the quips and one-liners that were the product of a brilliant intellect. Sadly, you will also understand why the citizens of this historically mob-connected city did not until recently resolve to clean it up. One of the ironies that will certainly strike you is how the man called Buddy would publicly fulminate at the mere mention of HBO's The Sopranos - he maintained it was bad for the image of Italian-Americans and, therefore, bad for the image of Providence. Can one really be so blinded by the reflection in the mirror? On a much broader level, Stanton's The Prince of Providence presents us with one of the most interesting political case studies of character and the human personality. One is left asking why the few who are as brilliantly and uniquely gifted as Buddy was usually end up self destructing by virtue of ruinous flaws of personality and character. This mystery is not answered in Stanton's The Prince of Providence - it is not meant to be a social study - but you will nonetheless find in the book one of the most interesting case studies from which to ponder that question and perhaps arrive at your own conclusion.
Rating: 
Summary: Pass On it -- Don't Bother
Review: This book is the result of what happens when a great story is placed in the hands of a subpar writer. Stanton seems to have no writer's gauge for what his reader cares about and what details he could leave by the side of the road. Instead, everything that ever happened since Buddy was born is included in this book. Stanton's grammar is off, and he seems to not pay attention at times. He makes too many references to Buddy living in a "haze" of "cologne and cigar smoke." He mentions the fact that Cianci sent two aides to Michigan to research a long-forgotten rape accusation two times within three pages. I mean, the two sentences are almost exactly the same! The problem is the pace. Stanton spends 8 or 10 pages on the history of long-dead mayors and town chairs that have nothing to do with why the typical reader is reading this book. Who cares about the Providence Mayor in 1950?? He describes each politico the same way (i.e. a ward healer, an organizer, someone who knew both cops and mobsters) He brings in useless characters -- like concert promoters and long-gone FBI men -- that do nothing to tell us anything about Buddy. It is like he mentions them because he spent time on the research and feels like he has to throw this stuff in there somewhere. The book grinds itself into utter dullness and I cannot figure out why. Stanton knows his subject, and sold TONS of newspapers for the Providence Journal over the years. What happened? He writes aplenty about what happened, but never tells us why. No motivation, no clue as to what made anybody tick. Just one-dimensional characters that all get painted the same way in the mind's eye. It is a completely risk-free book from Stanton's perspective. He re-ryped his notes and memories of a very colorful time in Providence, but did nothing to personalize the book at all. Instead of reading like the book it is marketed as, it reads more like an unedited, 400-page transcription of Mike's notes. You don't care about any of the characters -- and they are characters -- and you can't wait for it to end.
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Summary: Good book, lots of great information
Review: THis book was a good read. Being from RI it was enlightening to see really how corrupt RI politics is. It's sad. I would recommend this book to people who want to know how city hall really works.
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Summary: Fascinating lowdown on Buddy
Review: This is really a fascinating expose on Buddy Cianci. Although Ive lived in the Providence area for a few years, I still had to check myself now and then to realize that this is non-fiction!! Some of the chapters, such as that on the rape accusation, were totally new to me, and it's amazing how they got buried in more recent times. It is also a fascinating look at old-fashioned Northeast political machines, the mob,etc. My only criticism, is that it is a bit choppy with overemphasis on certain episodes and not much filler between. Im guessing this is based on what was available in the Providence Journal archives---so Im thinking the author wa stoo thin on original sources for this book.
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Summary: corruption as entertainment
Review: Usually, municipal corruption is infuriating. But the Buddy Cianci story is highly entertaining, often comical. I was not surprised at all to learn that the book had been optioned for a movie even prior to publication. Unlike other reviewers, I was not familiar at all with Buddy Cianci or Providence or its reputation for mob infestation and deep-seated corruption. "The Prince" held me in thrall for all 400 pages as revelation upon revelation of kickbacks, bribery, intimidation and general malfeasance unfolded. I would recommend this book highly to the most general audience. However, one caveat: it's mostly a book about crime and punishment, not politics. Personally, I would have liked to have learned more about Cianci's failed 1980 gubernatorial campaign. On one page, it appears that Buddy will win by acclamation; on the next, with little explanation, he's a landslide loser, failing to carry one city or even a single hometown ward. Having said that, "The Prince" is still first rate for its pure entertainment value. Definitely five stars.
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