Former Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto Named To KSWA Wrestling Hall Of Fame

Bill Peduto was elected Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh in 2013. Here he holds up the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) Championship. Pittsburgh Tribune Review photo.

By Trapper Tom, Editor, KSWA Digest

On December 5, 2009, then Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto walked into the Lawrenceville Moose near the corner of 51^st and Butler Streets (which has been dubbed the “KSWA Arena”) for the 5^th annual KSWA FanFest. He had agreed to serve as the ring announcer for the match between rivals Lord Zoltan and Justin Sane.

Pittsburgh's "KSWA Day" in Pittsburgh City Council, 2010. Photos are from KSWA archives.

Peduto presents Lord Zoltan with a proclamation.

A few months later, on February 10, 2010, the lifelong fan of wrestling returned and presented the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance with its first “KSWA Day” commemorating what was then the professional group’s 10th anniversary.

The day was special for everyone involved, as the burgeoning group was starting to hit its stride with a growing number of events, and fans each year. A small group of the KSWA roster—KSWA Owner Bobby O, Lou Martin, Shawn Blanchard, Lord Zoltan and Trapper Tom—went to Pittsburgh City Council and received the proclamation in City Council chambers. Included in the group was Dominic DeNucci, the legendary grappler and vaunted trainer who would soon become just the 5^th member of the KSWA Hall of Fame. He joined a group that includes Frank Durso, “Killer” Joe Abby, Bill Eadie and Donna Christiantello. Peduto was taken aback when DeNucci strode in and exclaimed in open council, “Dominic’s here.”

Dominic DeNucci came to the KSWA Day celebration in Pittsburgh City Council.

The friendship between politico and pro wrestling continued December 3, 2011, when Peduto attended the lighthearted and charitable “roast” of Dominic DeNucci in Green Tree. No one could say anything nasty about DeNucci, and that included Peduto.

The policy maker would grow up not far from Green Tree. He and childhood friend Ron Russitano (KSWA Hall of Fame, Class of 2024) would play with other neighborhood kids and “Studio Wrestling” would be an activity of choice. Ron would call dibs on imitating Bruno; Bill quickly assumed the role of Dominic.

Russitano, who grew up to own a comic bookstore at the old Parkway Center Mall, served as a Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission agent and earned a spot as one of the most well-respected men in both industries. The two remained the best of friends until Russitano’s untimely passing in September 2023.

Peduto continued as a fan of KSWA wrestling and Lord Zoltan. They were friends and when Zoltan was inducted into the KSWA Hall of Fame in 2012; Peduto presented a city council citation recognizing the accomplishment.

With KSWA Hall of Famer Angie Minelli.

When Peduto won the election to be Mayor of Pittsburgh in 2013, Lou Martin and Shawn Blanchard were among those in attendance to help celebrate. In a remarkable moment, as TV and news photojournalists were preparing to set down their tools of the trade, the KSWA Heavyweight Championship was handed to Peduto, and he raised gold into the Pittsburgh night. The cameras suddenly returned, and lights flashed. The next morning, Peduto and Pittsburgh’s championship were front and center on WPXI TV’s morning newscast. At that moment, the KSWA became the city of Pittsburgh’s identified and undisputed professional wrestling organization.

On March 29, 2014, Peduto arrived right before the main event of the Joe Abby Memorial Tournament, threw ticket money at the door, and took a seat next to the ring. He was just in time for the 7^th Annual Joe Abby Memorial Tournament finals between Zoltan and “Dr. Devastation” Lou Martin. When Martin taunted Peduto, he got up into the ring and the two had a tense, albeit lighthearted moment.

That visit included Peduto taking a cell phone picture of the Joe Abby Memorial Tournament trophy and posting it on Twitter. Kris Maher, a Pittsburgh-based writer for the Wall Street Journal saw the photo and wondered, “What is the Mayor of Pittsburgh doing at a pro wrestling event?”

The KSWA would move its home base (temporarily) to the Teamster’s Temple, also in Lawrenceville. On May 31, 2014, Maher and a videographer visited KSWA, took photos and videos and interviewed wrestlers. On June 20, 214, the KSWA was on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, all because of a Mayor’s fun photo.

The job of the Commonwealth’s second largest city is daunting and kept him from attending any live events for a while. However, his attention was still there.

On December 3, 2016, legendary pro wrestling journalist Bill Apter was surprised with induction into the KSWA Hall of Fame for the Class of 2017. Peduto wrote Apter an official letter acknowledging the award.

"NWA Day" in Pittsburgh, 2018.

During KSWA FanFest in 2018, then-National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis defended the 10-pounds of Gold against KSWA's former 6-time KSWA Champion. Prior to the event, Mayor Bill Peduto proclaimed it "NWA Day in the City of Pittsburgh." Aldis relayed the news to the owner of the NWA, Billy Corgan. 

On Saturday, February 22, 2020, as part of the KSWA’s historic 20^th anniversary and back at the KSWA Arena, Peduto returned to an overflow crowd and once again to proclaim that day “KSWA Day in the City of Pittsburgh”, this time from the Mayor’s Office. Always affable, Peduto had brought a group of friends, including Russitano, to the anniversary. He would later say that he had friends from the west for the weekend. That day they attended a Pittsburgh Penguin game (the home team lost to the Buffalo Sabers 5-2), had dinner at the Roberto Clemente Museum in Lawrenceville and then swung by the KSWA.

Peduto visits KSWA during the 20th anniversary in 2020.

Peduto called himself “Bike Lane Bill” after his penchant for bicycle safety lanes and had a fun time with his friends and took in cheers and jovial jeers. Weeks later, COVID shut down the world.

On May 15, 2021, under a massive tent provided by the Peduto Administration as a rental to the Langley American Legion Post #496 in Sheraden, the KSWA held its second post-COVID outdoor event (the first was the night prior).

Peduto left the public eye in 2021 but remained an ally to the KSWA and a close friend to many of the Megastars.

Peduto with Yinza, the Pittsburgh Luchadore.

As part of the Joe Abby Memorial Tournament and KSWA Hall of Fame, the Championship Committee is proud to announce that Bill Peduto, former Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, February 12 at the American Legion, Langley Post in Sheraden.

“I’m at a loss for words,” said Peduto as he walked in Frick Park along with his beloved bulldog, Bertha. Peduto joins Russitano, along with the likes of Sammartino, DeNucci, “Battman” Tony Marino, Bobby “Hurricane” Hunt, Angie Minelli, “Mad Dog” Tony Lutz, “The Beast” Ken Cerminara, as well as “Chilly” Bill Cardille and an elite roster of others.

Peduto also finds himself in the distinguished company of “Jumpin’” Johnny DeFazio and Chuck Martoni, politicians and local leaders who served on Allegheny County Council after their wrestling careers ended.

The KSWA Class of 2025, the organization’s final season, includes “King” Del Douglas, multi-time champion and former KSWA Heavyweight Champion J-Ru, the KSWA’s first Heavyweight Champion Skippy Hawke, popular former Heavyweight Champion the Latin Assassin as well as veteran and former tag team champion, Sniper.

The Hall of Fame ceremony takes place on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at the American Legion, Langley Post.