Sophie Masloff

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Sophie Masloff (born December 21, 1917 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American politician.

Born to Romanian Jewish parents, she spoke only Yiddish until she began attending school in Pittsburgh's Hill District neighborhood.

[edit] Political career

Masloff began working as a civil servant in Pittsburgh government at the age of 18 and continued working for the city until she was elected to Pittsburgh city council in 1976. During her time on council. she was elected City Council President.

When Pittsburgh mayor Richard Caliguiri died in office on May 6, 1988, the city charter dictated that the city council president was next in line to assume the office of mayor. Masloff assumed the office, and served out the remainder of Caliguiri's term. She was reelected in November 1989. She was the first woman and the first Jewish person to hold the post.

Masloff, who was 70 years old when she took office, was characterized by her short stature and raspy, nasal voice, along with her ability to speak Pittsburghese (the local dialect). These attributes were quickly caricatured by political cartoonists. Her image as a "little Jewish grandmother" made her a well liked figure, even by those who disagreed with her administration. Masloff is best remembered for pop-culture malaprops. She once referred to Bruce Springsteen as "Bruce Bedspring". When the Grateful Dead came to Pittsburgh, she called them the "Dreadful Dead" and their fans "Deadenders".

[edit] Accomplishments in office

Masloff's administration was forced to deal with problems such as urban flight, a shrinking industrial sector, and crumbling infrastructure.
She put forward several proposals to keep the financially troubled Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team from moving to another city, and was the first public figure to suggest that the city's baseball and football teams each have their own stadiums, a plan that was ultimately implemented years later. The success of retro-style ballparks such as Cleveland's Jacobs Field and Baltimore's Camden Yards validated her proposal and caused many fans to wish PNC Park had become a reality sooner.
She also proposed several controversial plans which became known as the Fifth and Forbes Project, a failed plan to revitalize the downtown Pittsburgh retail area. Similar plans by her successor, Tom Murphy, also failed to draw support.
Masloff made fiscal responsibility the centerpiece of her term in office. During her administration, she privatized numerous costly city assets including the Pittsburgh Zoo, the city aviary, Phipps Conservatory and the Schenley Park Golf Course.

[edit] Retirement and other achievements

Masloff declined to run for a second full term in the 1993 election and retired to her home in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood in 1994.

After stepping down as mayor, she has served as a Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania in 1996 and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania in 2000 and 2004.

See also: List of Mayors of Pittsburgh