Everyone's Buddy

When he came to office during the mid-1970s, the city was in the throngs of its darkest days. Many historic buildings were darkened, the streets were gritty and there were few jobs to be had among what had once been a vibrant city.

Somewhere along a political career that spanned the better part of three decades, he helped turn things around. The 66-year-old’s political longevity continues to baffle even the savviest of political pundits, given the sheer number of court cases and investigations that surround him. Born and bred in the city, he wielded a brash attitude and abrasive behavior throughout his tenure in office, which led some to revere him as a savior and many others to characterize him as a dubiously corrupt official. In the end, his service to the city stands testament to how one politician can indeed make a difference.

His name is Buddy Cianci. And love him or hate him, his career as mayor of Providence is often credited with turning Rhode Island’s capital around. What’s this have to do with the Spa City? Simply put: not too much. But the political career of Vincent Cianci Jr. harkens very closely to that of Thomas G. McTygue, a man recently dubbed the “mayor of Saratoga Springs” who could very well be his political doppelganger.

For those unfamiliar with Cianci, he is one of the longest-serving “big city” mayors in the nation and he was just recently released from federal prison after serving four years for a conspiracy conviction. But despite this record –one that includes using a fireplace log and a lit cigarette to brutalize a gent who was screwing his wife –he’s absolutely loved by most Providencians. His time in office was remarkable enough to spur both a major motion picture and Ciani's own line of marinara sauce.

Not even a month removed from a federal penitentiary, the deposed mayor was handed a Friday morning radio talk show. His almost unwavering base of support was never more evident than during his first day on the air.

“Welcome back to the airwaves –my husband and I really missed you,” chimed in one caller. “We think you took a really bum rap.”

Among his many achievements, Cianci is credited with luring a minor league hockey team to the city, building the Providence Mall and being the main force behind the annual Waterfire celebration, an event that draws thousands to Providence. More importantly, he’s largely thought of as the leader who changed the city from a burned-out industrial port into the polished metropolis it is today.

Then there was his other side. Cianci made more than a few enemies along the way.
His oft-heavy handed tactic, dogged determination to crush his opponents and generally shifty manner of conduct made him an easy target for a federal investigation. In June 2002, he was found guilty of masterminding a criminal enterprise that took bribes in exchange for tax breaks, favors and jobs. Twenty-seven years after rising to power, Cianci landed himself in jail.

“I’m struck by the parallels of this case and the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” remarked U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres during his sentencing. “There appear to be two very different Buddy Ciancis that have come across here…my job is to sentence the second Buddy Cianci, because the first wouldn't be here.”

This sort of duplicity seems equally prevalent in the man who seems more of a fixture in the city’s Public Works Department, than elected official. For 16 terms now, the Spa City’s electorate has affirmed McTygue’s job, even though there have long been allegations of corruption, coercion and conduct unbecoming of an elected official. Simply, put, he is the white whale and there hasn’t been an Ahab in more than three decades to take him down.

But to sell McTygue as a bully that has maintained a Stalinesque grip on power is to sell short the transformation the city has undergone during his time in office. When McTygue came to power, there was no city center, the open-air city hockey rink existed over a toxic waste dump, the municipal library looked more like the homes in Geyser Crest and Congress Park was a mere shadow of its former grandeur. Saratoga Springs was quite literally in the process of demolishing itself and its historic character one building at a time.

Pan to the present, Saratoga Springs is quite literally the envy of cities throughout the state. It is a booming city that has an almost ever-changing skyline. The streets are clean, the business is robust and the only local politician that has stayed in office as it transformed from trash to treasure is Tom McTygue. Of course, this isn’t to say the city’s modern renaissance is because of McTygue; such a statement would be vastly incorrect. Rather, McTygue has offered a veritable war chest of accomplishments that have added to the collective city revival.

Today, this legacy is generally overshadowed by McTygue’s detractors, many of whom are propelled by first-term Mayor Valerie Keehn. They often argue these accomplishments occurred not because of the commissioner, but rather in spite of him. They argue McTygue’s bullying tactics have maligned his department so bad that his employees work under constant fear of retribution. And now that he’s facing what is perhaps his toughest re-election campaign, rumors of a federal investigation into his office have conveniently surfaced.

So where does the truth lie? Well, more than likely right in the middle. Investigate any politicians with three-decades of longevity and you’re almost bound to find a graveyard worth of skeletons. This is how the game is played in politics; it’s the rankest game in the nation and those who don’t stink don’t stand much chance of winning at it. McTygue is no exception to this rule. The real question is does the endgame justify the means and does McTygue’s blustering overshadow the accomplishments he’s overseen in office? It’s difficult to answer ‘yes’ without taking a good hard look what Saratoga Springs has become while he’s been in office.