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PA Judges Unanimously Revive Lawsuit That Would Prevent the Removal of Pittsburgh’s Christopher Columbus Statue

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PA Judges Unanimously Revive Lawsuit That Would Prevent the Removal of Pittsburgh’s Christopher Columbus Statue


In appeal, a panel of Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court judges ruled 7-0 to send the lawsuit back to lower court for reexamination, stating that City Hall does not have “…’free reign’ to act as it pleases in defiance of the law.”

PITTSBURGH, April 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court on Friday overturned the dismissal of a lawsuit that was filed to block the planned removal of Pittsburgh’s Columbus statue, writing in a 24-page opinion that a lower court “erred” in its dismissal of the case in 2022.

Philadelphia litigator George Bochetto filed the lawsuit, and subsequent appeal, on behalf of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), a not-for-profit cultural and fraternal organization that was founded in Pittsburgh in 1930; ISDA is a member of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO).

“I am delighted the Commonwealth Court agreed that the dismissal of this lawsuit by the lower court was plain error and that, while the mayor of Pittsburgh has certain First Amendment rights, he does not have free reign to violate the law,” said Bochetto. “I am also hopeful that the new mayor will sit down with me to reach a resolution without further costly litigation and a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

The reinstated case will now go back before Judge John T. McVay, Jr. of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas “for further factfinding and decision,” per the opinion.

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“The bronze Columbus statue in Schenley Park, casted in 1958 after years of meager donations from poor Italian immigrants, symbolizes the contributions and sacrifices of not only Italian immigrants, but of all immigrants, to the growth and success of the city of Pittsburgh. This history has the same right to be preserved and celebrated as does the history of all other groups,” said Basil M. Russo, who is president of both ISDA and COPOMIAO.

In December 2022, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court — in a separate lawsuit — sided with Bochetto when it blocked Philadelphia’s former mayor from uprooting the city’s 148-year-old Columbus statue from a public plaza. The outcome of that case weighed heavily in yesterday’s Pittsburgh ruling (see pages 17 – 19).

Columbus’ History

In 1892, U.S. President Benjamin Harrison organized the first national Columbus Day parade in New York City to ease a diplomatic crisis between the U.S. and Italy, which surfaced a year prior when the largest lynch mob ever to assemble on American soil murdered 11 innocent Italian immigrants in the streets of New Orleans. 

Given the massive success of President Harrison’s NYC parade (attended by more than one million people), Italian Americans built Columbus statues across the U.S. through the 1900s to help fuel their assimilation. Pittsburgh’s Columbus statue was constructed to pay tribute to this history. Today, the holiday honors Italian American pride and heritage.

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Over the past two years, Basil Russo and his Italian American peers have worked directly with White House officials to develop Columbus Day proclamations that explore the history behind the holiday. 

See the 2022 and 2023 Columbus Day Proclamations for further context.

About COPOMIAO

Formed in 1975 and based in NYC, the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) is a collective of 63 of the most influential, cultural, educational, fraternal and anti-defamation groups in the nation. https://copomiao.org

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George Bochetto, Esq.
[email protected]

Basil M. Russo
[email protected]

SOURCE The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations



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Pittsburg, PA

Pittsburgh Steelers veteran linebacker suffers unexpected knee injury

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Pittsburgh Steelers veteran linebacker suffers unexpected knee injury


PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers veteran linebacker Tyler Matakevich suffered a knee injury against the Baltimore Ravens and would have missed practice on Sunday, the team estimated on their Sunday injury report.

Matakevich missed multiple games with a hamstring injury earlier this season but has returned and become a core part of the special teams room. If he can not play, the Steelers have inside linebacker Devin Harper on the practice squad, or they could turn to someone else, like Jonathan Ward, to encapsulate what Matakevich does on special teams.

Matakevich plays on all units, including both coverage teams. The Steelers re-signed him this offseason from the Buffalo Bills to help bolster their special teams units with the new NFL kickoff rules. He has four tackles in nine games for the team on those units.

With just four days until the Steelers face the Kansas City Chiefs, any new injuries will have a tough time healing before that game, and it seems likely that those players will have to sit or play through the injury on short rest.

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  • BETTING: Check out our guide to the best PA sportsbooks, where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks.



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Texans Release Former Steelers WR

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Texans Release Former Steelers WR


Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Steven Sims is searching for a new NFL home after the Houston Texans cut ties with the 27-year-old WR and kick returner. The Texans announced the move following the elevation of another receiver to their 53-man roster for their Week 16 matchup.

This was the former Steelers receiver’s second season in Houston. In seven games as the team’s returner, he returned seven kick-offs for 195 yards but failed to find the end zone. He wasn’t factoring into then offense at all, with just one carry and three receptions through his seven weeks of action.

The Steelers are quite familiar with Sims. During the 2022 season, he became the team’s primary kick and punt returner. He also became a fixture in the offense as a slot receiver. As a receiver, he hauled in 14 receptions on 23 targets for 104 yards and zero touchdowns. He also added on 13 rushing attempts for 70 yards.

He was much more productive in the return game. The speedy receiver fielded 19 punts over 12 games with the Steelers, collecting 105 yards. On kick-offs, he had 17 attempts for 434 yards, including a season-long of 89 yards.

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In his career, Sims has made a name for himself on special teams. He broke into the league with the Washington Commanders and had a sensational rookie season in 2019 as a returner. That year he had 32 return attempts and collected 819 yards, including a 91-yard return for the sole return touchdown of his five-year career.

Sims went undrafted in the NFL following his collegiate career at Kansas. With the Jayhawks, he hauled in at least 50 catches in three straight seasons. His career best came as a sophomore, when he racked up 859 yards and seven touchdowns over 12 games.

It’s been a tough week for former Steelers receivers. Sims joins former star receiver Diontae Johnson in the free agent market. Johnson had recently been acquired by the rival Baltimore Ravens but lasted just a few weeks before being released.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI to get all your daily Pittsburgh Steelers news, interviews, breakdowns and more!



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Icy roads, snow across Pittsburgh area leads to several crashes

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Icy roads, snow across Pittsburgh area leads to several crashes


Icy roads, snow across Pittsburgh area leads to several crashes – CBS Pittsburgh

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Snow across the Pittsburgh area on Saturday morning made a mess of the roads. KDKA-TV’s Ricky Sayer was out tracking some crashes and shares some close calls.

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