A gorgeous day. Eighty degrees, bright sunshine and the smell of spring in the air.

But inside "the camp" at Fort Dix, it was just another calendar square to "x" out.

We were happy to see one another. We're grown men, but there was a tear in our eyes as we sized each other up for the first time in more than two years.

He's added a few pounds, and his hair is a little longer. But it was my appearance that drew the laughter.

I was wearing a pair of shorts in a shade I'd never seen before - a fashion statement that cost me $11 and an unplanned stop just outside the prison complex.

See, getting in to see him was itself an ordeal. I'd worn a sport coat, tie and a pair of khakis. But as I checked in, I was told that because my pants were the same color as the inmates', I wouldn't be allowed in. That meant a quick trip to a nearby clothing store, where I bought a pair of shorts.

Walking away from the register wearing my new acquisition, it dawned on me - I'd just bought a pair of khaki shorts! Unfortunately, the only non-khaki thing in my size was something more out of Merion than minimum security, but I had no choice.

The sight of my multi-colored pants broke up the former councilman. Especially because the inmates in his unit wear green, and khakis are permitted after all.

I don't excuse what Mariano did in office. But I've always had a soft spot for him. He wrote to me from prison and told me he was more "stupid" than criminal, which I always believed.

He still strikes me as the kind of guy who could only come from Philadelphia. Grew up in the Northeast, graduated from Northeast Catholic. Became an electrician and a dues-paying member of the powerful IBEW Local 98 union. Ran for Council in the 7th District in 1995 against the man he'd worked to elect in 1991, and arm-wrestled his way into the political mainstream.

In Council, Mariano was noted for his brash political incorrectness and his temper. He once threatened to knock out the teeth of a colleague and throw him out a window. I remember working with Ricky to persuade Mayor Street to proclaim Aug. 8, 2002, Yes Day in Philadelphia in honor of the classic rock band.

In March 2006, Mariano was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in the federal prison in Fort Dix, N.J. A jury had convicted him of 18 counts of bribery and money-laundering, among other charges. Mariano helped arrange tax breaks and ease regulatory burdens for a local businessman in exchange for bribes totaling more than $23,000.

ANOTHER co-conspirator paid for Mariano's gym membership in exchange for a piece of city land at a fraction of market value.

I'd never visited anyone in prison before. It's so damn sad. I can't imagine a fate more devastating to the human spirit than forfeiting your freedom.

Some old friends have visited. Others have crossed him off their list. Some that he thought he'd hear from, he hasn't. Others who he figured would abandon him did not. He wonders if he'll be joined soon by anyone from the old neighborhood.

But nonetheless Ricky seems clear-headed - a far cry from the man who climbed to the top of the City Hall tower a few years ago. These days, he says, he gets by based on his faith.

He doesn't blame anyone else for his problems. Mostly he bides his time doing what he can to keep his family upbeat and his pride intact.

The former councilman is scheduled to be released in 2012. I'm hoping he pays his debt and comes home in good health, both physically and mentally.

And I believe that once released, he won't go back. *

Listen to Michael Smerconish 5-9 a.m. on the Big Talker, 1210/AM. Contact him via the Web at www.mastalk.com.