John Cionci, 85, osteopath who had mended his ways

John L. Cionci, 85, a once-successful osteopath who turned his life around after he was jailed in 1984 for his role in a phony auto-accident insurance scam, died Friday of congestive heart failure at his daughter's Fort Washington home, where he had lived for five years. He was a longtime resident of Dresher.

"Prison made my father a better man," said Valerie Lofton. "Before that, he was a jerk - materialistic, greedy, a thief, always drove a brand-new Lincoln - he was really into status. Jail humbled him, and he then devoted his life to helping the underprivileged. He found God through the experience."

Dr. Cionci was found guilty in U.S. District Court of mail fraud after he received insurance reimbursements for treating fake accident victims who were not injured and for office visits that never took place.

U.S. District Judge Marvin Katz sentenced Dr. Cionci to two months in Allenwood federal prison and five years' probation, fined him $10,000, and ordered him to pay $15,425 in restitution.

He was one of five doctors and two lawyers who were convicted or pleaded guilty in the two-year investigation.

"It was a huge case that really grabbed the headlines," said Linda Hoffa, chief of the criminal section of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia. "I'm glad the prison system worked for Cionci. Prison can be a life-altering event and great learning experience."

Dr. Cionci, who had medical offices in Hunting Park and Northern Liberties since 1950, returned to practicing medicine for a few years after being released from prison. He began to volunteer in community clinics treating victims of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases before retiring in 1988.

He spent the rest of his life volunteering in AIDS organizations, inner-city rehabilitation centers, and homes for runaway boys, and was cohost of a religious radio program. He testified as an expert witness in court cases involving AIDS and was chairman of the Montgomery County AIDS Task Force.

"My father's mission after prison was to bring together people of different races - African American, Chinese and Korean," said Lofton. "He didn't have much money because he worked pro bono. He and my mother eventually had to move in with my family."

Dr. Cionci told The Inquirer in 1998 that he first felt himself called to Christ in 1984. He served as cochairman of the Greater Philadelphia Promise Keepers, and worked to reach out to minorities.

Dr. Cionci grew up in South Philadelphia. His father worked for the Italian Consulate. His father took him to Italy in 1930, where he visited and had his picture taken with fascist leader Benito Mussolini, Lofton said.

After graduating from Central High School in 1940, Dr. Cionci earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1944 and a doctorate from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1947.

He married Josephine Olsewski in 1953, and the couple raised a son and daughter in Dresher.

In addition to his daughter, Dr. Cionci is survived by a son, Dirk, and five grandchildren. His wife died in 2007.

Friends may visit at 6 p.m. tomorrow at Freed Funeral Home, 124 N. Easton Rd., Glenside. The funeral will follow at 7. Burial is private. Memorial donations may be sent to Abington Hospice, 2540 Maryland Ave., Willow Grove, Pa. 19090.