‘Crimetown’ drops a dime on Providence
Who knew that four decades of corruption and mob violence in Providence existed primarily for your listening pleasure?
I’m of two minds about “Crimetown,” the hit podcast about Providence that wrapped up its first season with its 20th and final episode this week. You might be, too. On one hand, the show, hosted by Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier, is as addictive as a bottle of pep pills — a series of true-crime half-hours that alternates legends of wise guy malfeasance with the over-arching saga of the late Vincent “Buddy” Cianci, the six-term mayor, two-time convicted felon, and a walking embodiment of the city’s contradictions. (You can catch up with the series at www.crimetownshow.com.)
On the other hand, “Crimetown” represents the latest wrinkle in packaging and selling criminal enterprise as ghoulish, diversionary fun while arguably soft-pedaling the human misery left in its wake. Thursday night, in Brooklyn, the show’s producers will celebrate their final episode with a live “Evening in Crimetown,” featuring figures from both sides of the law. They’ve been teasing the event for weeks, even hinting that one of the show’s “most popular wise guys” might attend.
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