Pittsburgh Mayor in Disguise, Goes Undercover for Reality Show
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto was the latest participant on the CBS reality television show, "Undercover Boss." In the show, CEOs and bosses go undercover to see how things are run on a different level.
During Peduto's episode, which aired this Sunday, viewers got to see their Mayor travel throughout Steel City as 50-year-old Ed Chadwick from Kentucky with the goal of seeing how the city works and how it could be bettered. The Mayor's orange jumpsuit, wig and long, shaggy beard disguise did not fool everyone as one worker noted 'Chadwick's' lack of expertise. Another employee commented on Peduto's guise, nicknaming him "Grizzly Adams," which birthed the hashtag, #GrizzlyAdams.
On the show, the Mayor went from one task to the next. He spent time hauling trash in Wilkinsburg and cutting down trees in Frick Park. He also helped the housing authority with home repairs and trailed behind a self-sufficiency coordinator.
"What I tied into everything was the rebirth of Pittsburgh. I just kept showing people ... this isn't the city you think it is," said Peduto prior to the airing of the episode. "As we're talking about how people's lives change, I'm talking about how cities change. It sort of all came together really well."
Due to the contributions given by local corporate sponsors, Peduto was able to offer money and scholarships to some of the employees. He gave a female worker from the Housing Authority a promotion with a $20,000 raise. He was also able to give Lawrence Smith, a carpenter with the Housing Authority, $5,000. On top of that, the Mayor invested $20,000 toward building a church.
"My hope all along was to highlight what makes Pittsburgh and its workers special, and the show did that in ways I never could have dreamed," Peduto said after the show aired according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "For those who didn't already know, 'Undercover Boss' showed the world the greatness we see and live in our city every day."
