By Charlotte Shields-Rossi
a&e editor | shieldsrossic@duq.edu

On the Capo’s bar door, under a promotional poster for discounted chicken wings and alcoholic beverages, is a temporary injunction paper from the City of Pittsburgh.

The heavily trafficked South Side bar will be closed pending a court hearing Dec. 7. This court order comes after a stabbing inside the establishment on Oct. 30. After the stabbing, the District Attorney’s office shut down the bar citing they violated a prior consent agreement that allowed them to remain open under certain conditions because of previous incidents, according to an official statement from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office.

“These legal steps were taken because of the violation of the prior Consent Agreement and were independent of any outside campaign. While we are always happy to collaborate with local groups, we must conduct an independent investigation gathering the facts and follow the legal process,” the statement reads.

Capo’s owner, Nathan Presutti and his attorney, Lou Caputo did not respond to calls for comment. Attempts to call the bar were unsuccessful.

Although the temporary injunction was based on an independent investigation, various South Side community groups have been vocal about their feelings on the bar.

Following the stabbing, community groups and Pittsburgh City Councilman Bob Charland published an open letter to the Allegheny County District Attorney as well as public officials and the media.

“A consent agreement must carry consequences. If its conditions are violated, public officials must enforce them. Another round of promises cannot substitute for accountability. At some point, remediation stops being a remedy and becomes another postponement of accountability. We believe that point has been more than reached,” the open letter said.

South Side Community Action Network was one of the organizations that signed the open letter. President Don Berman said that Capo’s and the incidents that have occurred have given an unfair reputation to the area, hurting residents and businesses.

“[South Side] is a great place to live, but would I be out at 2 a.m. on East Carson and 14th street when Capo’s is open? No,” Berman said.

Crimes like theft from motor vehicle, aggravated assault and drunkenness all decreased from 2024 to 2025, according to the Pittsburgh Police Data Portal. Other crimes like shoplifting, simple assault and disorderly conduct increased.

Berman calls the bar scene in the South Side “unusual,” meaning that there are numerous high-occupancy clubs adjacent to where people live. He said that this is not an issue as long as clubs and bars work with the residents to create a positive environment. He said that most establishments do this well, but Capo’s does not.

“It’s been a problem for as long as it’s been open,” he said. “I understand that people need to make money, but that can’t be on the back of people that live in the community.”

One of those people is Melanie Vaughn, who has lived in the South Side for the past 25 years. Vaughn said that Monday through Friday, the South Side is a normal residential area, but things change over the weekend.

“Living here and finding garbage thrown on my porch, people are way over intoxicated, they are overserved. I can’t say that they all came from Capo’s, but they are definitely a large problem,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn said that the issue with Capo’s lies in their problems with security, letting too many people in the bar and overserving their patrons.

“I think they just don’t care,” she said. “They are just a giant nuisance.”

Both Berman and Vaughn said Capo’s needs to close for good.

Zia Bogaski, co-owner of Palette Nail and Lash Bar, opened her store front in the South Side in March. Palette Nail and Lash Bar is next to Capo’s and although her business is not directly affected by the bar because of the difference in their operating hours, she still finds it frustrating.

“It’s annoying seeing my sign on the news, not because it’s supporting small businesses but because there was a stabbing,” Bogaski said.

Evan Budz usually frequents the North Shore on the weekends, but on Halloween night he decided to follow his friends to the South Side. After getting a couple of drinks at Capo’s, it began getting crowded.That’s when the friend group decided to leave.

They headed to Finn McCool’s, and after a while noticed police presence around the venue they were just at.

“I think it’s best that they are closing down,” Budz said. “It’s a long time coming.”

For the foreseeable future, Budz does not plan on going back to the South Side.

“For anyone alone at night, I don’t think it’s a viable place,” Budz said.

Zack Halpert, senior sports and information major, was on the South Side the night of the incident. Halpert was with his friends in Gennaro’s pizza shop, less than 150 feet from Capo’s.

He said a Pittsburgh Police officer walked into the pizza shop and told the owner to shut the establishment down because there was fighting. When Halpert walked out, he saw police officers lined up and down East Carson Street.

“I wouldn’t really say I was scared. I was with a friend. I was just trying to make sure that we got home safe,” Halpert said. “It was a relief that nobody [I knew] got hurt.”