Pittsburgh Entrepreneur Mails U.S. Legislators Coins Ahead Of National Immigrants Day

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A 91-year-old Pittsburgh entrepreneur is coining his appreciation for the United States by mailing over 500 fifty-cent coins to U.S. Congressmen and Congresswomen.

Irwin Kotovsky is a first-generation American citizen, who also built a Pittsburgh-based custom lighting business, Modular international.

On Monday, Kotovsky and his staff packaged coins with a personal letter to send to each U.S. Representative and Senator.

Kotovsky hopes it reminds legislators that immigrants are what made the United States into the country it is today.

"I think we became that way because of all the immigrants that came from elsewhere in the world, to come to a better place," Kotovsky said.

The coin is minted with a graphic of the Statue of Liberty and inscribed with the words 'A Nation of Immigrants.'

Kotovsky hopes the coins get there for National Immigrants Day on October 28.