It was a average Thursday morning here at Vibco before news broke that Vincent 'Buddy' Cianci, the two-time Providence mayor and icon of the state of Rhode Island passed away.

For many of us it was the end of an era. Many of us at Vibco remember the first time Mr. Cianci ran for and won mayor of Providence and witnessed the changes he brought to the city and his second mayoral bid and victory almost a decade later. For many of us here, Buddy was Rhode Island; he was Providence.

Karl Wadensten, Vibco's president and CEO, was a frequent guest on The Buddy Cianci Show, Mr. Cianci's radio show he began in the late '80s and early '90s and started up again in 2007. The two would discuss Rhode Island's important, recurring issues including taxation, infrastructure and roads in addition to current events and immediately pressing topics. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Cianci family.

Read the Providence Journal's full 7-page piece on the legacy of Buddy Cianci