Harry " Pittsburgh " Phil Strauss an unusual name for a Mobster who was never in Pittsburgh

Jewish born Harry Strauss  who became known as " Pittsburgh Phil Strauss"  was one of the most prolific contract killers of the mafias  Murder Inc hit squad said to have killed at least 100 individuals and as high as 500 people he was found guilty of murder in  1940 and electrocuted in the electric chair "old sparky " at Sing Sing Prison in New York.

Records show he was never ever in Pittsburgh at any time in his life time but possibly got the Moniker
Pittsburgh  by saying to an early criminal associate he was like a Minor League
Ball Player  practicing his skills and waiting to be noticed by the big guys one day.

Was he possibly referring to the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team and Honus Wagner who became famous in early days by  starting at the bottom and working his way up?
Did Harry ever get that right becoming the mobs number 1# killer .
 I am sure most people who live in Pittsburgh area like me wished he never adopted our city's name for a moniker.
of course there was never any effort to officially denounce it by proclamation or editorial in local papers  either after his death. But then again Mobsters in Pittsburgh have always been secretly admired even thou they where criminals.

http://www.j-grit.com/criminals-murder-inc-harry-pittsburgh-phil-strauss.php

http://www.carpenoctem.tv/mobsters/pittsburgh-phil-strauss/