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On the 100th anniversary of Sophie Masloff’s birth, Barbara Burstin reflects on the unlikely career of Pittsburgh’s first female and Jewish mayor

Barbara Burstin reflects on the unlikely career of Sophie Masloff, Pittsburgh’s first female and first Jewish mayor, to commemorate Masloff’s 100th birthday.

The late Sophie Friedman Masloff was born 100 years ago this month, the youngest of four children of poor Romanian immigrants. Her father died when she was 6, and Sophie grew up in poverty in the Hill District. Her mother, who never spoke English, struggled to support the family by working in a stogie factory.

Sophie, who died in 2014, never talked much about her childhood; it was too painful and she didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for her. But coming from that crucible of the Lower Hill, Sophie profoundly appreciated the struggles of working-class families, of people down on their luck, of people living from paycheck to paycheck, worrying about the future. It was an empathy that would inspire her efforts as mayor and guide her policies.

When her way was blocked by critics and she faced scorn and ridicule, she wasn’t fazed. She said those were nothing like what she experienced growing up. “Tough is when your mother is sick, your brother is sick, your two sisters are sick and you have no money to buy medicine for any of them and you’re scared,” she once told a close friend.

Her upbringing and values endeared her to so many Pittsburghers. She could interact with all of them, young or old, rich or poor, black or white. She was one of the people. She wanted to know how your family was. She even remembered names. When she was mayor, one associate didn’t care to have lunch with her because meals continually were interrupted by well-wishers saying hello.

Sophie was city council president when Mayor Richard Caliguiri died, putting her in the city’s top spot. She was called the “accidental mayor.” Sometimes that was said matter-offactly and sometimes it was said with a sneer or a smirk, but it was true. Certainly her background did not lend itself to a very promising political career.

• She was a longtime clerk for Common Pleas Court, where young lawyers appreciated her because she was so helpful to them as they learned their trade. She was diligent and efficient, but that was it. No one could ever imagine she would become mayor.

But when Amy Ballinger was retiring from city council in 1976, Sophie made her move. She prevailed upon the Democratic establishment to support her in the election and off she went. With an overwhelming Democratic registration, she was assured victory and won re-election three times. She worked hard, engineered the cable franchise agreement for the city and wholeheartedly supported Mr. Caliguiri’s Renaissance II initiatives. But she sat quietly, unwilling to get involved in the city council “circus,” particularly incidents involving fellow members Michelle Madoff and Eugene “Jeep” DePasquale .

As Mr. Caliguiri’s health declined due to amyloidosis, Sophie was the choice to be council president, first in line to become mayor in case he couldn’t finish the job. They met regularly those last few months to discuss what needed to be done and how to do it. He knew that Sophie would be willing and able to carry out his agenda, and he pushed council to elect her president.

Most council members doubted Sophie had any mayoral ambitions, and they viewed her as a compromise candidate who could hold the fort until the next election cycle when others would have the opportunity to duke it out for mayor. It all seemed to make sense.

Despite his poor health, Mr. Caliguiri’s death in May 1988 came as a shock. Suddenly thrust into the limelight, Sophie was shaky at first. But soon her attitude began to shift. “I can do this job!” she confidently told a close associate a few weeks later.

She realized that her longtime experience on council and in Democratic politics, her comprehensive understanding of city government and her extensive web of contacts, all combined with her deep-seated commitment to public service, had prepared her for this job for a long time.

So, in 1989, she decided that she would run for mayor in her own right. She was up against four men — Byrd Brown, Tom Murphy, Frank Lucchino and Tom Flaherty. Mr. Lucchino, the county controller, was especially well-funded and the favorite son. Sophie didn’t have much money, but this spunky grandmother won.

• Sophie carried into office values that had been forged in childhood. She wanted to make the city an attractive place for young and old, build on Mr. Caliguiri’s legacy, and provide honest and efficient government. Her campaign to lower the wage tax was intended to keep young families in Pittsburgh, something she felt was desperately needed.

When she was verbally attacked at a hearing filled with senior citizens opposed to a hike in the property tax to offset the lower wage tax, she held her ground, standing up for the structural health of the city. The economy at the time was in the tank. The steel industry had collapsed, and the city coffers were empty. The population had dwindled. Any ambitious plans had to be put on hold.

Sophie knew what she knew, and she knew what she didn’t know, and she made sure that she had the best people working for her. Critics said they were her “handlers” and that she really wasn’t running the show. But any of her advisers would give you a totally different account. They insisted that Sophie was a strong and determined personality who sought advice and listened to all sides before making a decision. Her staff loved working with her because she was forthright, honest, fun to be with and determined to do the right thing. They agreed: Sophie didn’t take herself seriously, but she took her job seriously.

Challenges along the way included a Port Authority strike, which dragged on for several weeks. Sophie instructed her driver and bodyguard, Pat Lehney, to pick up some of the stranded commuters who needed rides. She also had her solicitor, Mary Conturo, petition for Court intervention in the strike. That infuriated Tom Foerster, the Allegheny County commissioners’ chairman who had been leading the negotiations with the union. But Sophie argued that the city had the right and duty to protect the people of Pittsburgh. The court issued an injunction forcing the striking bus and trolley drivers back to work, and Sophie saw an outpouring of support for the city’s action.

Balancing the city budget was getting to be an impossible task. The solution was to spin off some major attractions that drew people from the suburbs yet left the city footing the expenses. Under her administration, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and other attractions were established as independent nonprofits, allowing the city to conserve its resources. To help sustain these amenities, however, Sophie played a major role in convincing a reluctant Legislature to establish the Regional Asset District, funded with a 1 percent county sales tax.

Perhaps Sophie’s most controversial proposal was to build a baseball stadium on the North Side. It was to be called Clemente Field. Plans were drawn up. But Sophie was laughed at for proposing such a preposterous idea — two stadiums, one for football and one for baseball? It was ridiculous, they said. So Sophie withdrew the proposal, bowing on this occasion to the public uproar. However, she always felt that if she had been a man, there never would have been such disdainful and mocking boos.

• Sophie decided not to run for a second mayoral term. Her energy and work ethic had impressed all those around her. She had attended all kinds of meetings lasting well into the evening and had made it to events in all parts of town. But the job was taking its toll, and she felt it was time for a younger face. The stage was set for Mr. Murphy, who would pursue the stadiums she had first envisioned.

Sophie’s celebrity only grew with her retirement in 1994. She even managed to stop a robbery at her apartment house, the Maxon Towers in Squirrel Hill. Cartoonists Tim Menees and Rob Rogers had a field day drawing Sophie. She was the gift that kept on giving with her bouffant red hair and many malapropisms, which she continued to repeat because they played so well to the crowd.

Just a month ago, the city dedicated a fire rescue boat named for Sophie. At the ceremony, I asked fire Chief Darryl Jones why the name was a good fit. First, he said, Sophie was tough, just like the work of the fire rescue crew. Second, she had a vision for the city and particularly for the North Shore. Now that so much was going on there, this new boat would ply the Allegheny River to guard and protect an area she had sought to develop.

Sophie would have loved that fire boat. It’s unpretentious but steady. It’s dedicated to the city of Pittsburgh — its mission to provide for the wellbeing of her citizens. And it was accented in red! This first female and first Jewish mayor loved this city, and in return, the city loved her back. Happy Birthday, Sophie!