Pat Cortellessa and a very suspicious fire in Providence

Gene Valicenti just reported a story on TV 10 news at 6 o'clock that I had read about earlier in the day in The Providence Journal: "Cianci critic Cortellessa charged with assault", All this over the former "corrupt" Mayor of Providence, Vincent "Buddy" Cianci. "An assault on a woman!" The lowest thing!", later commented "Buddy".

Cortellessa assaulted a female Cianci worker last Wednesday at a mayoral forum at the South Side Community Center.

At another mayoral forum on October 7 Cortellessa is pictured sitting next to his buddy, Antonio R. Freitas of Plunder Dome fame. These two crusaders for ethics in Providence City Hall, supporters of the highly ethical Democratic mayoral candidate, Jorge Elorza, in the news photo LOOK like characters in the gangster movie "Good Fellas".

The George C. Arnold Building, on Washington Street,
Providence, shown damaged after a 2009 fire. The
building was owned at the time by Pat Cortellessa)
Photo Credit: Dylan Weisser

The short article by Richard Salit hints that Pat Cortellessa loathes Cianci for less exalted reasons than his own high ethical standards: "Cortellessa had run- ins with Cianci and his administration over his real estate investments in Providence.... He himself wanted to offer his oh-so-ethical self to the voters of Providence for the position of HONORABLE MAYOR.

It seems that his real estate in Providence includes the George C. Arnold Building on Washington St. There is a story about a fire there a few years ago but the building "was not damaged so badly that it can't be repaired. The owner PAT CORTELLESSA has insurance. Even before the fire he was fixing the building (erected in 1923)"

Under this story– a CYNICAL post: "Not trying to libel anyone but really? He was fixing it up! Uh-huh. Maybe he was– I'm just saying" (October 1,2009, DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE ).

I love it when slum lords and bum politicians debate ETHICS. And the Providence Journal endorses INTEGRITY.