Vincent “Buddy” Cianci, Jr., 2001 News

mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, was indicted in April on federal charges of racketeering, conspiracy, extortion, witness tampering, and mail fraud. Several other city officials were also indicted. Cianci is revered in Providence, credited with revitalizing the city's economy and image. Rather than maintaining a low profile after the indictment, Cianci went out of his way to poke fun at the investigation, code-named “Operation Plunder Dome.”