Henry Cianfrani

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Henry "Buddy" Cianfrani
Member of the Pennsylvania State Senate
from the 1st district
In office
1967 – 1976
Succeeded by Vince Fumo
Born March 19, 1923
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died July 3, 2002 (aged 79)
Political party Democratic
Spouse Laura Foreman
Children 3 daughters
Religion Roman Catholic[1]

Henry "Buddy" Cianfrani (born March 19, 1923 – July 3, 2002) was a former Pennsylvania state senator for the first district.

Prior to holding elective office, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was a delegate to Democratic National Convention in 1956 and 1960.

He was elected to his father's seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1963, where he served until his election to the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1967. He eventually attained the chairmanship of the powerful Appropriations Committee from which position he worked closely with Speaker of the House Herbert Fineman to appropriate money to Philadelphia. [2]

In 1977 he was convicted on federal charges of racketeering and mail fraud for padding his Senate payroll. He was sentenced to five years in federal prison. After serving 27 months, he was released in 1980.[3]

In the mid 1970s, he began dating political reporter Laura Foreman of the The Philadelphia Inquirer. The two moved in together and she reportedly accepted money and gifts from him while she was reporting on him for the newspaper.[4][5][6] After the affair became public in 1977 she was fired by her new employer, The New York Times. She and Cianfrani married in 1980 after his release from federal prison.

Years after his release from prison, his political career enjoyed a resurgence. In 1988 Cianfrani won back his old position as Philadelphia ward leader and regained a measure of clout within Philadelphia politics.[7]

He was considered a mentor to many Philadelphia politicians, including Congressman Bob Brady and Senator Vince Fumo.

Cianfrani died of a stroke in Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 3, 2002.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Churchman to Ciro
  2. ^ New York Times obituary for Cianfrani, July 4, 2002
  3. ^ The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Churchman to Ciro
  4. ^ Smith, Ron F. 2003. Groping for Ethics in Journalism. 5th ed. Blackwell. pp. 168-169. ISBN 0813810884
  5. ^ NYT obituary
  6. ^ Bartlett, Donald L. and James B. Steele. "The Full Story of Cianfrani and the Reporter". Philadelphia Inquirer, Oct. 16, 1977
  7. ^ NYT obituary


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