Bob Congel, ‘Syracuse’s George Bailey,’ changed city for the better (Commentary)
Updated Feb 08, 2021;
Facebook Share
By Richard Pietrafesa | Special to Syracuse.com
Richard Pietrafesa, a lifelong resident of the city of Syracuse, is a former executive of Destiny USA.
When people ask me about Bob Congel, I often think of the 1946 movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In that film, a guardian angel shows the main character George Bailey how significantly he has touched the lives of others, and how different life would be for the community of Bedford Falls if George had not been born. But for George and his deeds, Bedford Falls would have turned into Pottersville, an unsavory town overtaken by crime, decay and poverty.