He’s Done His Time on the Sofa

--After 90 days under house arrest, John A. Zaccaro Jr., convicted of selling cocaine, will be free to leave his posh apartment in Burlington, Vt., state officials said. Deputy Corrections Department Commissioner Thomas Perras said Zaccaro had to serve only 90 days of the 120-day sentence because he was given credit for “good time.” He began the sentence July 1. Zaccaro, 24, the son of 1984 Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine A. Ferraro, was sentenced in June to four months in jail for selling $25 worth of cocaine to an undercover police officer in 1986, while he was a student at Middlebury College. State corrections officials came under fire when it was learned Zaccaro had been placed in an experimental house-arrest program and was serving his time in a luxury apartment with a color television and maid service. He spent less than 30 minutes at a Burlington correctional facility before being transferred to the apartment. (Gov. Madeleine M. Kunin later closed the house-arrest program to drug offenders, following a review.) Zaccaro will be on indefinite probation, under which he must submit to urinalyses, Perras said. Zaccaro told officials he plans to return to New York City “in the near future,” Perras said.

--Art imitated life as 12 young residents of a New York welfare hotel appeared on “Ryan’s Hope”--portraying young residents of a welfare hotel. The youngsters, who were paid union scale of $97 each, got their parts thanks to Ilene Kristen, a regular on the daytime serial. The actress invited the children to perform on the show when she volunteered in July to teach acting, singing and fitness at the hotel. In the show, they chase a drug dealer out of their neighborhood. The episode is to air Oct. 6.

--Former Maryland Sen. Charles McC. Mathias Jr. is getting some royal recognition. Queen Elizabeth II has awarded the Republican honorary knighthood in recognition of his contribution to Anglo-American relations, the Foreign Office said. Mathias, 66, will receive his award at the British Embassy in Washington on Oct. 20, the office said. According to Buckingham Palace, Mathias will be dubbed an honorary Knight Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. While he will not be allowed to call himself Sir Charles--an honor reserved for British subjects--he will be entitled to use the initials KBE after his name. Mathias retired last year after 18 years in the Senate.