Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - September 19, 2025
Analysis
Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - September 19, 2025
We have expanded the list, and we are going to a GoLocal team approach while encouraging readers to suggest nominees for who is "HOT" and who is "NOT."
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Over the past 14-plus years, more than 7,000 have been tagged as HOT or NOT.
Email GoLocal by midday on Thursday about anyone you think should be tapped as "HOT" or "NOT." Email us HERE
Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - September 19, 2025
HOT
10 Years
Over the past 10 years, President and CEO Iftikhar Ahmad has led Rhode Island International Airport to be one of the best airports in the country.
This year, the airport received a ranking for BOTH the best airport in the U.S. and the fastest growing (nonstop routes increased from 17 in 2016 to 37 in 2025 (good for a 118% increase).
We need more leaders like Ahmad in Rhode Island.
HOT
50 Years
Residential Properties President & CEO Sally Lapides' career was recently celebrated by the Greater Providence Board of Realtors (GPBOR) for a remarkable achievement – 50 years of membership and service to the local real estate community.
“It is humbling to be recognized next to so many talented professionals who share a deep love for this industry and community,” Lapides said. “The real estate business has changed dramatically over the past 50 years, but what has remained constant is the importance of relationships and the trust our clients place in us.”
She co-founded the company in 1981, has been a driving force in shaping Rhode Island’s real estate landscape. Under her leadership, the company has grown to become the state’s largest independently owned real estate firm.
PHOTO: Stephanie Ewens
HOT
Back at It
A Rhode Island restaurant is reopening.
Metacom Kitchen in Warren, which closed last year, had announced it is coming back.
“Metacom Kitchen will be reopening on Thursday, September 18,” announced the restaurant this weekend. It has a new menu.
“Reservations can be made through the link in our bio or on our website metacom.kitchen,” they continued. “We look forward to seeing you all. More details to come soon!”
In April 2024, Metacom’s chef and owner, Richard Allaire, shared a “parting” message regarding the closure.
"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of the people who made Metacom Kitchen a success. The overwhelming news of the restaurant closure was humbling and I felt like it was a testament to the dedication I had for Metacom. I am leaving it with a feeling of pride, exhaustion, and accomplishment - thank you," wrote Allaire.
HOT
There Are Stories and Then There Are STORIES
Over the past 15 years, convicted New England crime boss Raymond Patriarca, Jr., has been embroiled in a legal battle with strip club owner Richard “Dick” Shappy and Joseph Dina, a car dealer in New Jersey, over an alleged stolen Shelby AC Cobra — one of the most sought-after cars in the world. It's estimated to be worth $1 million or more.
The case is a remarkable Rhode Island story, not just by who the litigants are, but also who the lawyers are and what the litigation is over.
Unusual for Mob Bosses to File Lawsuits
Patriarca, Jr., aka Junior, sued Shappy and Dina in Providence Superior Court, alleging that they were involved with the theft of his prized Shelby AC Cobra, and the case is still going.
More about the car in a minute.
Junior claims in his lawsuit, first filed in 2010, that “in or around 1993, the Shelby was stolen, that is, taken without [Junior’s] knowledge and consent from the Rhode Island location where [he] had it stored.”
The car was stolen while Junior was in federal prison. In June of 1992, Junior was sentenced to serve eight years and one month — he was not eligible for parole. Federal District Court Judge Mark Wolf was less than flattering when sentencing him, calling him a “weak” and “ambivalent” leader of organized crime.
Junior was 47 at the time of the sentencing — today he is 80. He led the New England crime family for just a few years after the death of his father — Raymond, Sr. — who dominated organized crime not just in New England, but whose tentacles reached to casinos in Las Vegas and Havana, race tracks in Massachusetts, gold mines in Mexico, and on and on. The senior Patriarca was close with Frank Sinatra, allegedly bribed top politicians in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and even had a close relationship with the President of the American Nazi Party.
According to FBI files first published by GoLocal in 2015, Raymond Sr., who died in 1984, led organized crime in New England and beyond for nearly five decades. His death created the void that led to Junior’s ascent — although it was short-lived.
HOT
Jim Martin
Martin wraps up his career this week. He was a newsman and a spokesman. He was gruff, fair, and trustworthy. His last post was as the head of communications for the U.S. Attorney's office in Rhode Island.
He served the public, not politicians. He was a walking master class in how public PR people should conduct themselves.
PHOTO: Dan4th Nicholas/Flickr Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dan4th/2193513879/in/photostream/
NOT
General Treasurer James Diossa Sleaze By Omission
He announced the new head of the state's pension fund, and forgot to mention a few things in the press release.
1) That the new appointee — Andrew Roos — was previously chief of staff during then-General Treasurer Gina Raimondo's pension reform implementation.
2) The Roos has been a paid consultant to his campaign and has been paid nearly $500,000.
It is unethical for a public relations (PR) professional to intentionally omit facts, a practice known as "lying by omission."
According to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Code of Ethics, intentionally withholding or omitting relevant information is a clear violation of a PR practitioner's duty to promote the free flow of accurate and truthful information.
NOT
WPRI's Parent Company Doing Trump's Dirty Work
WPRI-12’s parent company, Nexstar, led the effort on Wednesday to remove Jimmy Kimmel Live!
President Donald Trump has been a critic of Kimmel and has repeatedly called for ABC to remove him. On Wednesday, Trump got his wish.
Nexstar issued a statement on Wednesday that "the company’s owned and partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight’s show. Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”
“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” said Andrew Alford, President of Nexstar’s broadcasting division. “Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue.”
Nexstar has a major deal before the Federal Communications Commission.
In August, Nexstar announced a proposed $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna Inc. to create the largest local media company in the United States, pending regulatory and shareholder approval. The merger would add Tegna's 64 TV stations to Nexstar's existing portfolio of 200+ stations.
GoLocal reached out to WPRI’s general manager, Patrick Wholey — he did not respond to request for comment.
NOT
Media Slashing
In recent days, buyouts, firings, and retirements have hammered the Rhode Island media market.
Three decades ago, more than 500 worked in newsrooms across the state — now the number is about 125, including digital, TV, newspapers, and radio.
New staff reductions have hit the Providence Journal, RIPBS, and ABC6.
This week, GoLocal first reported that ABC6 was being taken over by WJAR-10’s parent company, Sinclair Broadcasting Group.
With that change, meteorologist Kelly Bates and sports reporter Nick Coit were cut. Bates said in a social media post that other staffers were being let go, too.
