Salvatore DiMasi Cancer: Convicted Ex-Massachusetts House Speaker Has Rare Form Of Disease

Former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi walks out of the Federal courthouse in Boston, Wednesday, June 15, 2011 afternoon, after his conviction on conspiracy and other charges in a scheme to steer two state contracts worth $17.5 million to a software firm in exchange for payments. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

BOSTON -- A former Massachusetts House speaker who's in federal prison on a corruption conviction has been diagnosed with cancer.

Debbie DiMasi, the wife of former Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, says he was diagnosed last month with a rare form of cancer in his tongue and lymph nodes.

The 66-year-old DiMasi was convicted last year of steering state contracts to a software firm in exchange for payments of $65,000. He's serving an eight-year sentence in Lexington, Ky.

It's not clear where DiMasi will be treated. The Globe reports that statistics show the fatality rate within five years for tongue cancer that spreads is more than 40 percent.

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Comments

[satyawakti]

12:53 PM on 07/15/2012

Democrat or Republican, when a criminal is serving time for his deeds he does not need to be punished even more by the Feds nor re-judged by the readers with vitriolic comments. His treatment by the Feds was atrocious and horrible. He was transported in chains from town to town for no reason, was denied treatment when he was in pain and officials were instructed no to respond to his wife's calls about his health. If our Department of Justice is so bad at mis-treating prisoners what moral right do we have to question other countries of their human rights violations? DOJ needs to be accountable for their own mistreatment of prisoners.

[kmmappraisals]

01:45 PM on 06/01/2012

I was locked up with Sal Di Masi and I must tell you he's a great guy and a devoted family man. If you want to judge him based on his conviction then there's nothing I can write that will ever change your mind. Don't think for a moment that this is as simple as the good guys (the DOJ/USA) vs. the bad guys (Sal Di Masi and others). This is more like David (Sal Di Masi and others) vs. Goliath (DOJ/USA). Sal opposed certain legislation and got in the way of some well connnected folks who sigged the Feds on him. To know Sal is to love Sal and no conviction by an agency run by Eric Holder will tarnish his reputation in the eyes of his friends.

[fcmean]

05:46 PM on 05/20/2012

another product of the seething cesspool that is massachusetts politics, where politicians and judges are routinely convicted of high crimes and misdemeanors and the last THREE house speakers are convicted felons (thanks for keeping the streak alive, sal!). thats what you get under one-party rule.

[omnimax]

05:37 PM on 05/20/2012

Gee I just got finished reading about the Lockerbie bomber. As they going to let this guy out too?

[firstamendment3]

05:19 PM on 05/20/2012

I'm sure all those people who were cheated out of an equal chance to do business with the Commonwealth are crying as are the taxpayers who were equally defrauded.

[cne43]

04:37 PM on 05/20/2012

I shouldn't say it but I will because corruption has no place in politics. "Ex-Speaker of the House jailed for 8 years for Bribery comes down with Tongue Cancer". He has probably had "tongue cancer" ever since he was voted into office.

[The Cupcake Kid]

07:47 PM on 05/20/2012

I was thinking that but you are braver than I to write it!

[dhartson]

03:17 PM on 05/20/2012

It's called Karma!

[lchickh]

02:35 PM on 05/20/2012

I guess this will get him out of jail for his crimes and then he will by a miracle be healed after he is released. I can see it now. remember I told you so.

[jgamble28]

01:14 PM on 05/20/2012

That really breaks my heart that a lying politician has tongue cancer. Seems like justice was served.

[csmomo]

11:58 AM on 05/20/2012

Not newsworthy and not really worth commenting on--a crook has cancer--so what?

[hunglow5569887]

01:02 PM on 05/20/2012

He must be a Democrat because they dont say what party he is in...........

[dhartson]

03:17 PM on 05/20/2012

Mass???? you kidding? of course!

[byronic]

04:54 PM on 05/20/2012

Spot on. He was a Democrat...

[rlg2232]

08:37 AM on 05/20/2012

What goes around comes around

[badboyzs]

10:36 PM on 05/19/2012

Talk about being silenced...................check out the new menu item..........beef tongue!

[97034Leftofcenter]

09:14 PM on 05/19/2012

As I retired cancer nurse, I wouldn't wish his illness on anyone. It's not going to be a pleasant life for him.

[mary collins finn]

08:10 PM on 05/20/2012

Thank you. Your simple compassionate statement is a stand-out among the cynical posts that surround it on this page. In March I lost a dear friend to metastatic tongue cancer, the mother of daughter's best friend through el-hi. I am a retired surgeon so I was acutely aware of the fortitude she showed throughout her 2 year battle. It is a horrible form of cancer. To endure this battle while incarcerated is indeed something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

[Eagleman]

08:16 PM on 05/19/2012

You can call this Karma

[ydnas639]

06:56 AM on 05/20/2012

I already have.

[red dog1]

04:44 PM on 05/19/2012

funny no mention of his political party affiliation

[judge jake]

07:45 PM on 05/19/2012

no mention means dem

[KickstandCat]

10:18 PM on 05/19/2012

He was a democrat. They like to weed out the trash before it festers.