Prior to holding elective office, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II where he earned the Purple Heart and the Silver Star.
[4] In 1977, Cianfrani was convicted on federal charges of racketeering and mail fraud for padding his Senate payroll.
[5] In the middle 1970s, he began dating political reporter Laura Foreman of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
[4] He was considered a mentor to many Philadelphia politicians, including Congressman Bob Brady and Senator Vince Fumo.
Cianfrani died of a stroke in Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 3, 2002.