He took care of her as best he could," recalls Phil Cisneros Jr. "It took a toll on him and the entire family." When Phil Sr. was finally forced to place Lucy in a nursing home, he took a handyman job at the home to be close to her — she would eat only if he was feeding her.

It was a difficult time, a time that would drive many men to drink. Cisneros was one of them. He'd never been a teetotaler; prosecutors say he'd been busted for DUI in 1980. But with his wife's health declining, a one-time problem became a frightening pattern. Cisneros got popped for no fewer than four DUIs from 1989 to 1992, barely getting out of jail for one before he was charged with the next.

Lucy died in 1993. Five years later, Cisneros was arrested for drunken driving one more time. He was 75.

It is, indeed, a terrible track record.

Paris discovers its playboy President

For many, Sarkozy's defiance of the rules is refreshing in a country still governed by a rigid social structure and an unspoken adherence to class etiquette. In a nation that prides rarefied intellect and venerates philosophers, Sarkozy portrays himself as a bruiser, a scrapper, a contender. One photographer recently commissioned to take his portrait for an American newspaper recalls that he spent the entire interview tilting his chair back on two legs, like a bored teenager. 'There was a sort of vulgarity to him and you felt he enjoyed it. He had a large plate of sliced saucisson in front of him that he ate all through the interview without offering it to anyone else.'

For all his gumption and glitz, Sarkozy's dramatic transformation of presidential office has been met in some quarters by a snobbish disapprobation of 'la peopolisation' of French politics.

UPI NewsTrack Sports

NEW YORK, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- The New York Mets completed a trade Friday that brought them pitcher Johan Santana, who reportedly will receive $150 million over seven years.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner comes to the Mets from Minnesota, where in 2007 he produced his worst season since becoming a full-time starter.

New York agreed this week to send the Twins prospects Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Kevin Mulvey and Phil Humber. The deal was contingent on the Mets coming to terms with Santana on a contract extension and that was achieved Friday.

The New York Daily News reported the terms of the contract.

Santana went 15-13 last year with an earned run average of 3.33. But after the All-Star break he was just 5-7 with a 4.04 ERA.

Since moving into a starting role four years ago, Santana has won 70 games with a 2.89 ERA and 983 strikeouts.