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The Grimaldi name, which has been associated with Italian restaurants in Syracuse, Utica, and Albany since 1943, will soon disappear from the Central New York culinary landscape. The family is selling Grimaldi’s Ristorante near Carrier Circle, the last remaining location for the business founded by Fred and Rita Grimaldi on Bleecker Street in Utica...

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An Italian American group filed a petition in court Sunday to thwart the city of Syracuse’s planned removal of its Christopher Columbus statue, claiming the move is illegal under local law. The petition — filed in Onondaga state Supreme Court by 29 petitioners including the Syracuse-based Columbus Monument Corporation, former Onondaga County Execut...

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Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh has appointed two new committees to guide the relocation and preservation of the Christopher Columbus statue in Syracuse. In October, Walsh announced that the statue would be removed from its current place in downtown Syracuse. Recommendations and design concepts from the committees are expected early next year. The Heritag...

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Renewed political debate continues over Christopher Columbus and the explorer’s legacy. Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh is detailing plans to move forward with the removal of the statue at Columbus Circle. Walsh says the city is assembling a task force of Italian-Americans to decide how to respectfully relocate it. “As painful as it’s been at times, it’s...

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Former county executive Nick Pirro is the vice president of the Columbus Monument Corporation. The group is continuing to push back on Mayor Ben Walsh's decision to remove the statue, which Pirro sees as a symbol of Italian American pride. Who owns this area that the monument sits on and who owns the monument? That's a good question. We have not be...

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Last year, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh invited community members and others to participate in a dialogue about the Columbus statue and monument. One of the outcomes was a decision to remove the statue. I strongly agree with the mayor’s decision to remove the Columbus statue. This decision has upset some Italian-Americans in our community, understandab...

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A group of politically powerful Columbus statue supporters have ramped up their fight against Mayor Ben Walsh, who last year announced he will remove the Christopher Columbus statue from downtown Syracuse. The Columbus Monument Corporation sent letters to leaders of every permanent political party in Syracuse in recent weeks. Those letters outlined...

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A group of people who oppose removing the statue of Christopher Columbus from downtown have filed legal papers announcing their intention to sue to block the city’s plans. The “notice of intent” was filed with the city on Friday, according to Nicholas Pirro, a former Onondaga County Executive who’s also part of the Columbus Monument Corporation tha...

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As the Columbus Monument Corporation Board was preparing for the 86th Annual Columbus Day Wreath Ceremony, our emotions were mixed with thoughts – negative and positive. We were happy to have our Italian American and Central New York communities share the celebration we have always cherished reflecting our heritage and the hard fought “battle” our...

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Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh announced Oct. 9 that the city will move the statue of Christopher Columbus from its current location off East Onondaga Street to a private location yet to be determined. Salina Town Councilors Nick Paro and David Carnie have suggested that Columbus make his next voyage to the hamlet of Lyncourt, an enclave of Italian Ameri...

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