July 14, 2006

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

Posted by D-Mac on July 14, 2006 03:10 PM
Posted to Books , Crime , Lawyers , Rick Mariano

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