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Paul Basilio, who made one of Central New York’s best-known Italian sausage brands for 61 years and was the longest-serving vendor at the New York State Fair, died Wednesday. He was 92. He was a member of a big and prominent Italian-American family — one of his brothers was former boxing champion Carmen Basilio, who died in 2012. Basilio operated t...

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Italian Americans in Syracuse will gather in Columbus Circle Monday, to pay tribute to the Italian explorer, possibly for the last time. And they're not happy about it. After years of controversy and discussion, Mayor Ben Walsh made the final decision on the future of the controversial statue last week. The statue will be coming down. "The city of...

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Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh’s decision Friday to remove the statue of Christopher Columbus from downtown Syracuse was applauded by some and frowned by others in the community. Members of the Onondaga Nation applauded the decision. “I commend the mayor for taking this. It had to be quite a challenge for this. I know the Italian community might not agre...

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Columbus Day is just over three weeks away, and Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh says this may be the year the city decides on concrete action to take with the controversial Christopher Columbus statue downtown. "I've indicated the status quo at Columbus Circle is not acceptable so change is going to come," said Walsh. In June, the city announced the forma...

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A Syracuse police surveillance camera is standing watch over the city’s Columbus monument as demonstrators battle over its future. The Italian explorer -- and statues depicting him nationwide -- have become a lightning rod as the country grapples with its history of conquest and racism. Columbus statues in other cities have been removed or torn dow...

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We, as residents of the United States, including those of us from the City of Syracuse and the County of Onondaga, do hereby petition Honorable Ben Walsh, Mayor of the City of Syracuse, to leave standing at Columbus Circle in the City of Syracuse, the statue of Christopher Columbus that was paid for by contributions from the Italian immigrants of t...

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After reading the commentary by Philip Arnold’s and Sandy Bigtree in Sunday’s Post-Standard (“Embrace democratic values. Remove iconic fascist memorials”) , we would like to respectfully respond. From Syracuse’s Columbus’s Monument unveiling in October 1934, we have had 86 wreath ceremonies and countless luncheons celebrating the Columbus Monument...

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Italian-Americans and others bent on saving the statue of Christopher Columbus in downtown Syracuse issued a call for support today, saying they prefer to focus on the history of the statue itself rather than the controversial explorer it depicts. More than 100 people gathered in Columbus Circle to cheer speakers including former state Sen. John De...

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Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh on Tuesday announced he has appointed a committee to take a closer look at the statue in Columbus Circle. The 23-member Columbus Circle Action Group will give the mayor recommendations on how they think the city should create an all-season, education and learning site at the downtown park space that has been home to a statu...

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The Christopher Columbus statue in Downtown Syracuse is still standing tall, despite requests from a local group calling on Mayor Ben Walsh to take it down. We’ve heard from both the group and the Mayor but there are also some people who want it to stay. The statue has changed the landscape of Syracuse since October 1934. This particular area would...

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