For Pitino Family, bin Laden Death Brings Sense Of Closure

The news that Osama bin Laden was killed by American forces in Pakistan Sunday night was especially comforting to University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino and his family.      Among those killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center was Billy Minardi (right), who worked for the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald.He was the brother of Joanne Pitino-the coach’s wife-and a close friend of Rick Pitino since high school.Rick Pitino says Sunday’s news brought back the horrific memories of 9/11 but also gave the family a sense of closure knowing that the mastermind of the plot was put to death."It’s not the end of the idealogy of what needs to change in the Middle Eastern culture but it certainly puts to rest a person that was behind all of those sickening things that happened to so many people on 9/11," he said today.Pitino says Minardi was among those who urged him to take the U of L coaching job.   A residence hall on the Belknap Campus is named in his honor.Click on the button below to hear Pitino's entire statement.