Famous New York Bridge's Name Is Actually 52-Year-Old Typo

We've all been guilty of a typo or two, but usually they don't cost $4 million to fix. CBS New York reports a Brooklyn college student is petitioning to correct the 52-year-old misspelling of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The bridge, which opened in 1964 and connects Brooklyn and Staten Island, was named after the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, whose name, eagle-eyed readers will notice, has two z's. Sadly, the second z was lost to history due to a "typographical error."

Robert Nash, 21, wants to change that. His petition, which has received more than 200 signatures since June 1, claims Giovanni da Verrazzano's name has been "disgraced" by "one of New York's greatest landmarks." Despite the importance of Italian-Americans in this country's history, "they have been persecuted, disgraced, stereotyped, and discriminated against," the petition states. Nash wants all signs mentioning the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to be corrected. “Italian-Americans have a right to be present in the history of the United States," the petition declares. Unfortunately, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority says that would cost $4 million, which means it's not going to happen. At least Italian-Americans will always have the Rocky statue. (More typographical error stories.)