Vic Cianca
Encyclopedia
Victor S. "Vic" Cianca, Sr. (1918–2010) was a famous traffic police officer
from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Police Bureau retiring January 4, 1983 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1ahRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uVUDAAAAIBAJ&dq=james%20slusser&pg=6914%2C5692902 His flamboyant style of directing traffic led to appearances on the television program Candid Camera
in 1964, and Allen Funt
was so impressed he invited Cianca to direct traffic in New York City's Times Square
. He also appeared on Charles Kuralt
's CBS News documentaries, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
and Real People
. He also guest conducted the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
in 1981. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1ahRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uVUDAAAAIBAJ&dq=james%20slusser&pg=6914%2C5692902 He later appeared in Budweiser
commercials and was featured in the movie Flashdance
, playing himself.
Upon his retirement in 1982, The Pittsburgh Press said that "A Downtown traffic jam without Vic Cianca is a traffic jam with no redeeming qualities."
Following his death, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
described him as a "Pittsburgh icon" with "affectionate yinzer spirit" on par with Fred Rogers and Myron Cope
.
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Police Bureau retiring January 4, 1983 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1ahRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uVUDAAAAIBAJ&dq=james%20slusser&pg=6914%2C5692902 His flamboyant style of directing traffic led to appearances on the television program Candid Camera
Candid Camera
Candid Camera is a hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as Candid Microphone June 28, 1947...
in 1964, and Allen Funt
Allen Funt
Allen Funt was an American television producer, director and writer, television personality, best known as the creator and host of Candid Camera from the 1940s to 1980s, as either a regular television show or a television series of specials...
was so impressed he invited Cianca to direct traffic in New York City's Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. He also appeared on Charles Kuralt
Charles Kuralt
Charles Kuralt was an American journalist. He was most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and later as the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning, a position he held for fifteen years.Kuralt's "On the Road"...
's CBS News documentaries, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
and Real People
Real People
Real People is an NBC reality television series that aired from 1979 to 1984, on Wednesday and then Sunday nights. Its initial episodes aired live in the Eastern and Central Time Zones.-Synopsis:...
. He also guest conducted the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.-History:...
in 1981. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1ahRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uVUDAAAAIBAJ&dq=james%20slusser&pg=6914%2C5692902 He later appeared in Budweiser
Budweiser
Budweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
commercials and was featured in the movie Flashdance
Flashdance
Another song used in the film, "Maniac", was also nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac. The lyrics about a killer on the loose were rewritten so that it could be used in Flashdance...
, playing himself.
Upon his retirement in 1982, The Pittsburgh Press said that "A Downtown traffic jam without Vic Cianca is a traffic jam with no redeeming qualities."
Following his death, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
described him as a "Pittsburgh icon" with "affectionate yinzer spirit" on par with Fred Rogers and Myron Cope
Myron Cope
Myron Cope , born Myron Sidney Kopelman, was an American sports journalist, radio personality, and sportscaster who is best known for being "the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers."...
.
