‘Buddy’ Cianfrani, 79; Pennsylvania Senator Served Prison Term

Henry “Buddy” Cianfrani, 79, a powerful and flamboyant former Pennsylvania state senator imprisoned for corruption in the 1970s, died Wednesday at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia. He had suffered a stroke in May.

In 1977, at the height of his power, Cianfrani was convicted of racketeering and mail fraud for putting two ghost employees on the Senate payroll. He served 27 months of a five-year federal prison sentence.

Cianfrani regained his ward seat in 1988 and had returned to power by the early 1990s. He remained a Democratic ward leader until his death, winning reelection three weeks ago.

Born in Philadelphia, Cianfrani served in the Army during World War II. He took over his father’s seat in the state House of Representatives in 1962. In 1966, he moved to the state Senate, where he headed the Appropriations Committee.