Rick Mariano Finds Prison System Lacking

We’ve all sort of forgotten about Rick Mariano, since the former City Councilman is still in prison for a few more years. But the Daily News‘ Gar Joseph found his Myspace page — which the Daily News says is some 23-year-old’s page — that a friend updates for him.

And, apparently, if you go to prison, you realize that prisons in America are horribly run and nobody really cares.

The latest, dated Nov. 23, reads, “It still amazes me that in the greatest country in the world we have such backwards penal practices. People who are no threat to society in any way are wasting time, energy and potential in stagnant confinement, denied any opportunity to make some form of restitution for our mistakes.

“We all suffer, family suffers most. The public pays and nobody benefits.

“Bassackwards.”

Yes, Rick Mariano is also talking about himself here, but let’s not be so cynical. He gets it!

Free Rick Mariano [Myspace]

PWD People Of The Year: Rick Mariano

I figured I’d start off with an obvious one. Hey, he’s right in the center of the graphic!

Had Rick Mariano done his City Hall breakdown/non-breakdown in 2006, he’d obviously be a shoo-in for the Person of the Year award. Alas, that happened back in October 2005 — it feels like it was just yesterday! — and so he’s merely one of our many People of the Year.

But that doesn’t mean our pal Ricky didn’t do anything this year, oh no. Early in the year, Mariano was sued by a former assistant who claimed she was fired for cooperating with authorities. Then his trial started — and was liveblogged by the Inquirer.

The trial featured profanity — “If you can’t get this fucking shit done, get the fuck out.” — as well as a side-story where Mariano got police officers to protect him from the media. It all culminated in Mariano’s March conviction, an apology from the councilman and his sentencing in June to 6½ years in prison.

It seems weird that Mariano got 6½ years. Not to make excuses for him, but all he was really guilty of was not figuring out a way to take bribes “legally” and yet he got pulled away from his family and sent to prison. Honestly, it’s a shame. When you can, say, get five years probation for soliciting sex for a minor, well… shit ain’t right.

But they say tragedy plus time equals comedy, and perhaps the story of Rick Mariano will one day become a full-blown comedy. Not that it doesn’t have any comedy in it to begin with. If tragedy plus time equals comedy, then what does comedy plus time equal? Well, even better comedy. Here it is, your Rick Mariano Moment of the Year, Gategate:

Ain’t never gonna get old.

Update: More Gategate goodness.

Prospects for 2007: Uh, in jail.

Philadelphia Will Do People of the Year
Archives: Rick Mariano

Mariano: Electrician, Lawyer, Author

With prison looming on August 7, yesterday Rick Mariano showed up at City Hall and started talkin’ to the press. (This, despite saying, “Never again, to none of youse,” after being sentenced last week to six-and-a-half years in prison.)

He also was wearing a tank top. (If you have photos of this, please, please, please send them may way.) KYW 1060 has the entire interview on their website as an audio file, but they helpfully transcribed a bunch of it, too. Here are the highlights:

“A big mistake. But I’m not going to sit here and tell you what that mistake was because it’s not what everybody thinks it was. There’s much more to the Rick Mariano story. They’re just going to have to wait until I write the book, I guess.”

Mariano said he is now able to find some good in his conviction on fraud and bribery charges:

“It’s the worst thing that could happen to me or anyone, but it’s actually the best thing because I didn’t like this life. I didn’t like being a councilman and I know it now. There was always an inner conflict inside of me, and I didn’t know what it was. And now I know what it was. I really don’t like this life.” [...]

“Most people have been nice and kind and good enough to me to walk up to me on the El and say they’re praying for me and wishing me good thoughts.”

As for the next six years in prison, Mariano said he hopes to lose 25 pounds and take up a new career:

“I’m going to work on taking the LSATs and becoming a lawyer. I think it’s time for me to enter that arena.”

Let me be the first to offer to ghostwrite your book, Rick. I work cheap.

Mariano Reflects on His Trial, Upcoming Prison Term [KYW 1060]
Archives: Rick Mariano

Goodbye, Ricky: Mariano Gets 6½ Years

Our favorite ex-City Councilman, Rick Mariano, was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison.

Mariano was convicted in March of taking $28,000 in bribes in exchange for help securing city business. Since leaving City Council, Mariano had returned to his old job as an electrician.

The prosecution had asked for 8 to 10 years in prison. So, hey, another win for Ricky.

Former Councilman Rick Mariano Sentenced to 6½ Years in Prison [KYW 1060]
A Poem For Rick [Philebrity]
Photo by Jeff Fusco

Leftovers: The, Hey, It’s Friday Edition

• Ahh! World Cup Quarterfinals Round of 16! No U.S., but still lots of fun. [Yahoo!]

• The new Philadelphia marketing slogan is “Forever Independent.” They want it to be the Intel logo of Philly. Can we get one of those catchy jingles, too? [Metro]

• Rick Mariano could get 10 years in prison when he’s sentenced in early July. Better make friends with Corey Kemp now. [Daily News]

• You know what? We’re with Bunch on this one. We’ll probably obsess over it a bit less, though. Maybe. [Attytood]

Mariano Says ‘Union Yes!’

It’s been a while since Rick Mariano’s been mentioned in the news, but Dan Gross takes care of that for us today. Turns out that Mariano has returned to his old job as an electrician.

He even rides the EL to work, or at least he did the other day, when he got off at the Erie-Torresdale stop.

“Rick Mariano is currently working as a union electrician, which is his right as a card-carrying, dues-paying member of IBEW Local 98,” Frank Keel, a spokesman for the union, confirmed for us yesterday. “He has a right to make a living.”

Mariano, 50, has been working for Local 98 for about a month, sources say. He worked for many years as an electrician before being elected in 1995 to Council and has remained an active union member.

Now that’s the kind of moxie we like in a politician. In fact, we think this return to his roots could just help him get elected again once he gets out of prison.

Dan Gross | For Mariano, it’s electric [Daily News]
Archives: Rick Mariano

Rick Mariano: ‘So you don’t think I’m nuts, right?’

Hey, remember Rick Mariano? Sure you do. He climbed to the top of City Hall, got indicted for bribery, convicted of bribery and also got hit by a gate while walking out of City Council.

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with ol’ Ricky, but since the Inquirer notes today some recent unsealed court documents, it’s time to take another look. The key conversation Inky reporter Michael Currie Schaffer recounts is between U.S. Judge Lawrence Stengel and Mariano, concerning the then-City Councilman’s competency to cooperate with investigators after his conviction:

Stengel: I’m satisfied you’re competent to make any decisions that you have to make here.

Mariano: So you don’t think I’m nuts, right?

Stengel: Well, it’s not for me to say.

Mariano: You won’t go that far.

Stengel: The psychiatrist certainly confirmed that you’re competent to make choices about your case and you understand.

Mariano: I assure, Judge, I’m not suicidal or nuts.

Stengel: OK

Mariano: No nuttier than -

Stengel: OK, than the rest of us.

Mariano: Well, than anyone in this position.

Rick’s right. When other standing government officials were indicted for bribery, they weren’t nearly that funny afterward.

What the judge said about Mariano’s sanity [Inky]
Archives: Rick Mariano

Quickies: Perhaps The Boss Will Write A Song About It

• You think Amadou Diallo had it bad? Well, yeah, he died and all. But the Philly PD one-upped ‘41 shots’ and shot a man 42 times! Impressive, boys in blue. [NBC 10]

• Today, if you’re wondering, is Rick Mariano’s last day on City Council, and Action News has an exclusive interview. Aw. [6 ABC]

• The carpenter’s union is on strike! The carpenter’s union is on strike! Oh no! Well, an automated script on their website said it; it must be true. [Inky]

• The boyhood of Chuck Pennacchio: “As an 8-year-old in 1968, Chuck Pennacchio followed Sen. Robert Kennedy’s quest for the Democratic presidential nomination.” Perhaps this is why Pennacchiomentum isn’t sweeping the state like he had hoped. [Doylestown Intelligencer]

Leftovers: Snitchin’ Ain’t Bitchin’

• Ex-Rick Mariano lawyer Nino Tinari is now a consultant with Philip Chartock’s defense team, who are now saying Mariano was simply a thief and not someone who could have been bribed. There are so many stories that you just can’t make up today. It’s been too much. [Inky]

• Despite all this, here’s the headline of the day: “NFL Great’s Relative Admits Having Sex With Student.” Yes, and it’s George Halas’ great-nephew. That’s a bit of a stretch. [NBC 10]

• How do you publicize next month’s Phillymag issue? Why, you publish the article about Donald Trump online, because what we really need is to read more about him! The kicker, though: The article’s effing detailed, well-sourced and actually just tremendously interesting. One of the better things I’ve read in a while. Yes, I know. Black is white, and down is up. I can’t figure out what the hell’s going on, either. [Phillymag]

• Ex-MTV jock Chris Booker is headed to Q102, and the straight ladies and the gay men scream. Meanwhile, everyone else is like, “Holy shit! Q102 still exists?” [Inky]

• This story has everything: A ridiculous interpretation of spelling bee rules, a lot of angry parents, a lot of angry parent backlash and a newspaper editor accusing another newspaper of doing hack jobs on the spelling bee his paper sponsored. It’s the scandal of the century in the Lehigh Valley! [A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago]

• A woman in Bucks County has topped that whole newsstand stealing thing: She stole a whole house. She didn’t get a crane to pick it up or anything, though — check fraud is not nearly as cool. [AP/Inky]

Denoument: Rick Mariano

That’s it? This is how it ends? A simple little letter, an apology and a few months or so to prep for prison? Color me unimpressed. And surprised.

From his climb to the top of City Hall to his gate-induced injury to his extra protection from the media, I sort of expected some sort of super-fun finish where he punched out Johnny Doc and gave John Street a wedgie right before he was hauled off to prison. But, nope, he’s resigning from City Council, effective Monday, and says he’s truly sorry for his actions.

I can’t help but feel sorry for him. Not that I didn’t before. It’s never funny when someone is hauled away from his family and taken to prison. Even when someone really, truly deserves everything he’s gotten, it’s more disappointing than anything else, unless you have some sort of emotional tie to the case.

And, yes, it’s disappointing that a City Councilman would take a bribe — and, really, a small one at that — and it’s disappointing that he now has to go to jail. There’s no schadenfreude here. Especially, well, as The West End points out, with this shit, quoting an Inquirer article:

By waiting until May 1 to make his resignation effective, Verna said Mariano, who says he has discovered he has diabetes and recently had some polyps removed, would keep his medical coverage through the end of the month.

Eh. Get well soon. Really. Thanks for the memories. (And the entertainment.)

Mariano resigns and admits wrongdoing [Inky]
On the workers’ day [The West End]
Archives: Rick Mariano