7 Men Who Shaped Pittsburgh

History of Downtown Pittsburgh

Here are just seven of the many legendary men in Pittsburgh, from H.J. Heinz to Mr. Rogers.

1. H.J. Heinz

Men Who Shaped Pittsburgh

H.J. Heinz was a German-American businessman who founded the H.J. Heinz company in Pittsburgh. He developed it into a company of over 60 food products, including ketchup of course. He was known for introducing high sanitary standards for food manufacturing.

2. Joe Manganiello

Men Who Shaped Pittsburgh

Joseph Michael Manganiello was born in Mount Lebanon. He attended Pitt and later CMU’s School of Drama. It paid off, as he has been seen in movies like Magic Mike, Magic Mike XXL and What to Expect When You’re Expecting. He also played the Werewolf Alcide in the HBO series True Blood. He was married to Sofia Vergara of Modern Family fame.

3. Dan Marino

Men Who Shaped Pittsburgh

Dan Marino played quarterback for the Miami Dolphins for 17 seasons. He was born in Pittsburgh, attended Central Catholic and later Pitt. His four-year college career included nearly 8,000 passing yards, 74 touchdowns and 64 interceptions. In August 2014, Marino announced he would return to the Dolphins team as a “special adviser” role.

4. Mike Ditka

Men Who Shaped Pittsburgh

Mike Ditka was born in Carnegie, PA and is a member of both the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is a three-time Super Bowl champion. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years. His early life included attending Aliquippa Junior/Senior High School and later the University of Pittsburgh.

5. Perry Como

Men Who Shaped Pittsburgh

Pierino Ronald aka “Perry” Como was born in Canonsburg, PA in 1912. His career spanned sixty years where he received five Emmys, a Kennedy Center Honors and much more. Como was the seventh of 10 children from an Italian household. Before he made it big in singing, acting and TV, his primary goal was to be a barber in Canonsburg.

6George A. Romero

Men Who Shaped Pittsburgh

George Romero was a filmmaker who attended Carnegie Mellon University. He is best known for his 1968 horror hit Night of the Living Dead. The movie is considered the first in zombie culture. Other movies of Romero’s include Day of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead and Creepshow.

7. Fred Rogers

Men Who Shaped Pittsburgh

Fred Rogers was the host of the children’s TV series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 through 2001. Rogers was born in Latrobe and graduated from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1963. He since went on to become a TV personality, musician, writer, puppeteer and producer. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was known for its slow, calm manner.

 

 

Scroll to Top