PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The city of Cranston is known — sort of — for being the one-time home of the Narragansett Brewing Co., and it scored a mention in the Jim Carrey flick “Dumb and Dumber.”
But the city has suddenly found itself at the center of the universe. The nation’s smallest state has gone big on pride after Cranston native Olivia Culpo snagged the Miss Universe title Wednesday night in Las Vegas, beating out 88 other women from six continents to bring the title back to the U.S. for the first time since 1997.
Cranston Mayor Allan Fung calls it “mind-boggling” to have his city of 80,000 residents, the third-largest in Rhode Island, put on the map for an international audience. He says Culpo’s win is inspirational for the city, state and nation. Fung gave the 20-year-old Boston University student a key to the city after she was crowned Miss USA in June.
