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Mariano Serving His Time at Fort Dix

Monday, August 07, 2006

FORT DIX, N.J. (AP) - August 7, 2006 -- Monday night is the first night in a federal prison for former Philadelphia councilman, Rick Mariano. And it will be his home for 6 and a half years.

Up until the last minute, former councilman Rick Mariano was attempting to have his sentence delayed to have surgery on his ailing knees, but the U.S. Attorney's office said no.

And once it was determined that he had to report, he made it clear to his family he did not want to be late. His son, Rick, Jr. who had the task of turning his father over to authorities, spoke with us in this exclusive interview Monday night. Rick Mariano, Jr./SON: "It was a very difficult day, I'm not gonna lie to you'all. This is something that a son never thinks he's gonna do, to turn his father in to the federal detention center." It was by far, the most difficult thing, 25-year-old Rick Mariano Jr. has had to do. But it was something he knew he had to do. Rick Mariano Jr.: "It was like the duty of my life, something I had to do. I mean there's no getting around it, there's no not doing it." Monday afternoon, Mariano Jr., an assistant city managing director, accompanied by his step-mother Susan and father's brother Frank, drove former councilman Rick Mariano to the federal correctional institute at Ft. Dix.

Wearing a Reggie White cap and using a cane due to his bad knees, Mariano surrendered to prison officials and is now known as federal inmate 60043-066. Mariano Jr.: "It's intimidating. It is& The guys that talk to you initially are pretty friendly but when you get to the nuts and bolts and they send their guards out, I mean, they're there to take you." "You're part of the system now, you're not the dad, you're not a wife or a husband, you're part of the system, you're a number and that's hard for a son to watch." Mariano, Sr. is serving 6 and a half years after being convicted of taking bribes in exchange for political favors. He told Action News' Dann Cuellar recently he hopes to use his time in prison to lose some weight, study for law school and write a tell-all book, which he didn't elaborate about.

Most of all he hopes to use his skills as a master electrician to teach other inmates about electrical theory. In his only television interview after his conviction, Mariano told us this: Rick Mariano/FORMER COUNCILMAN: "When you're in there, you see people that never had a chance in life. I had a chance, I messed it up, some of these guys never had a chance and they didn't have the background I have." Mariano will not be allowed any visitors, at least for 3 to 4 weeks. Mariano Jr.: "I got my first letter written and ready to go and I know where it's going. That will be my first consolation to him to get that letter. I'm sure he'll write me back right away." Upon arriving at the Ft. Dix Correctional Facility, officials took Mariano's watch and other personal effects including a number of books he was hoping to read while in prison. About the only consolation is that Mariano has been remanded to a facility nearby so that his family will be able to visit. It is something Mariano had been hoping for.

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