The former mayor of Passaic, Sammy Rivera, was sentenced Friday to 21 months in prison on corruption charges. Rivera, 61, admitted to accepting a $5,000 bribe from an insurance firm in exchange for city contracts. But the deal turned out to be an FBI sting that caught the mayor on surveillance tape, bragging that he could easily influence government contracts. His supporters, however, think Rivera is an innocent victim of a set-up.

?You all know in Passaic that Sammy is number one anywhere,? says Tico Luciano. ?He's the best Puerto Rican Mayor we've ever had.?

The former mayor of Passaic was released following the Friday hearing. His attorney says he will back in two months to turn himself in and begin serving his federal prison sentence.

The judge also ordered Rivera to pay a $4,000 fine. He was one of 11 public officials caught in a statewide FBI sting operation.