GRIF MAG

After spending years evading authorities worldwide, apowerful Mexican cartel leaderwas killed during a military operation, Mexican officials announced on Sunday, Feb. 22.

Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, commonly known as "El Mencho," rose through the ranks and launched a deadly coup to become the leader of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The criminal enterprise rapidly grew into a continent-spanning empire that rivaled its former allies in the Sinaloa Cartel, run by kingpinJoaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who is serving life in prison.

In 2024, the U.S. Department of State offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Oseguera's arrest and/or conviction. After reports of his death surfaced, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau described "El Mencho" in asocial media postas "one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins."

Here's what to know about the Mexican drug lord:

What was his real name?

He was bornRubén Oseguera Cervanteson July 17, 1966, in the small farming city of Aguililla in the western state of Michoacán, according toThe Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. He later adopted the name Nemesio, some say to honor his godfather. It was shortened to "El Mencho" and has no other known meaning.

Why was 'El Mencho' so dangerous?

A powerful drug kingpin with 5,000 members spread across every continent except Antarctica, Oseguera's brutal cartel is blamed for kidnappings, torture, murders, cannibalism, and the spread of fentanyl — which surpassed heroin as America's deadliest illicit drug.

"More recently, CJNG operatives, allegedly under Oseguera Cervantes' direction, were involved in assassination attempts of Mexican government officials," the State Department said in December 2024.

Targeting 'The Last Frontier':Mexican cartels send drugs into Alaska, upping death toll

How did 'El Mencho' rise to power?

Unlike some cartel leaders who inherited leadership positions from family dynasties, his parents were farm workers who carved out a living in Aguililla, a city of fewer than 20,000 people in Michoacán, known as the world's avocado capital. Oseguera dropped out of school after the sixth grade to pick avocados.

"El Mencho" eventually made his way to Tijuana, the prominent border town for American tourists and feuding Mexican cartels. There, he grew his drug-smuggling business in San Diego. Court and prison records show he has entered the United States at least three times and was repeatedly deported.

After being ordered to leave the area by another organization, "El Mencho" joined the police force in Tomatlán, a small city south of Puerto Vallarta in the western state of Jalisco.

Eventually, Oseguera returned to his native Michoacán, where he joined the Milenio Cartel, an entrenched criminal organization operating since at least the early 1990s. Milenio eventually tapped "El Mencho," a skilledsicario— or assassin — to lead one of its cells in Guadalajara as a cartel lieutenant.

As Oseguera rose through the ranks of Milenio, he expected to be rewarded with the top position. But when some of the cartel's leaders were arrested or killed in 2008 and 2009, "El Mencho" wasn't promoted.

Advertisement

Incensed, Oseguera plotted revenge in 2009 and 2010 with others who were unhappy with Milenio's new leadership and spearheaded a deadly coup. He emerged victorious in early 2011, and his new cartel was christened the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación.

What did 'El Mencho' control?

Oseguera controlled several key drug trafficking routes and hubs in Mexico and gave orders to the "capo," or plaza boss, similar to a mafia lieutenant.

His cartel dominates much of Guadalajara and controls the outskirts of Jalisco, as well as other states such as Colima and Michoacán. CJNG has spread to most of Mexico's 32 states, with an increasing presence in Tijuana and Mexico City.

As the boss, "El Mencho" set thepiso, or tax, that business owners and independent drug traffickers had to pay the capos for protection. Oseguera also assumed control of corrupt police officers and politicians.

"El Mencho's Jalisco New Generation Cartel was one of the biggest buyers of politicians and political campaigns, which has given it an enormous social base," Edgardo Buscaglia, an organized crime expert at Columbia University, toldReuters.

What was 'El Mencho' charged with in the United States?

Oseguera was the lead defendant in a federal indictment returned in the District of Columbia in 2017, accusing him of leading a continuing criminal enterprise. He was also charged with conspiring to send large amounts of drugs into the United States and using firearms during these drug trafficking crimes.

Oseguera also faced meth trafficking charges from a 2013 federal indictment in Gulfport, Mississippi.

'That level of violence is terrifying':Mexican cartel targets tranquil Puget Sound city

How did 'El Mencho' avoid capture for so long?

Despite a $15 million bounty, Oseguera stayed on the move for years and dodged manhunts that began within a year of his rise to power in 2011. He was rarely seen, staying in remote compounds that made it harder for police to breach, and didn't do drugs or drink alcohol to avoid slip-ups, the Courier Journal reported in 2019.

U.S. drug agents and Mexican authorities teamed to root out El Mencho's hiding spots at least three times. Police raided his secret compounds in 2012 and 2018, but he escaped, the newspaper reported.

According to the Courier Journal, the Mexican military also learned Oseguera's hiding spot and headed to get him in two military helicopters in May 2015. But his menshot down one of the helicopterswith a Russian-made rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'El Mencho' killed in Jalisco, Mexico. Who was the cartel leader?

A powerful nor'easter is expected to intensify into a "bomb cyclone" this weekend, bringing blizzard conditions, heavy snow, and damaging winds from the mid-Atlantic to New England.

Blizzard warnings have been issued across the East Coast from Virginia to New Hampshire, including all five boroughs of New York City.

You can track Winter Storm Hernando's movementshere. We're recommending that anyone in the region avoid travel, as dangerous road conditions are expected through Monday. As snow piles up and winds rise, power outages and flight cancellations are expected.

We'll be bringing you live updates of the storm as they happen, covering every angle of this storm.

(06:45 p.m. EST) Scenes From New Jersey

Fort Lee, New Jersey, was reporting heavier snow as sunset crept closer this evening. Here are a couple more photos from the town:

(06:32 p.m. EST) Outages Rising In New Jersey

Well, here we go. We likely will have hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power by the time this winter storm is done. According toPowerOutage.us, more than 12,000 customers have already lost power as the winds pick up and knock down trees and power lines.

(05:58 p.m. EST) Why Do Bridges Freeze First?

From digital meteorologistRob Shackelford:

We have all seen the signs: "Bridge freezes before roadway."

Here's why.

The ground acts as a natural insulator, so cold air only impacts the top of the road.

For bridges and overpasses, cold air surrounds them from all sides. This leads to the bridge or overpass losing heat faster, which allows any water on the bridge to freeze faster as well.

(05:26 p.m. EST) Heavy Snow's About To Start In NYC Area

From digital meteorologistRob Shackelford:

While only light snowfall up to a half-inch has been reported so far in New York City, that will change in the coming hours.

Heavier bands of snowfall are approaching from the south, and snowfall rates up to an inch per hour are possible through 8 p.m. With temperatures dropping, roads will quickly become covered. Please get home as soon as possible and prepare for a prolonged and "potentially historic" blizzard in the city.

(05:19 p.m. EST) Is That An Eye?

Captured on satellite, check out how Winter Storm Hernando started clearing out its center about 90 minutes ago as it strengthened off the coast:

Though it's not quite like an eye like you'd see in the center of a hurricane, it is an eye-like feature.

"This isn't uncommonin the strongest nor'easters," Bob Henson wrote for UCAR in 2013. "Although extratropical cyclones typically have cold cores, a small pocket of warm air can be pulled from the warm side of the circulation and pinched off at the center of the cyclone."

(04:53 p.m. EST) Power Outages Will Be Widespread In These Areas

Here are some resources you'll want to reference if you lose power:

-How To Preserve Heat In Your Home When You Lose Power

-Don't Store Food Outside During Winter Power Outages

-5 Tips For Staying Warm When The Power Is Out

-How To Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

(04:32 p.m. EST) New Jersey Bus Service Will Be Suspended Tonight

Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced that all buses, light rail and Access Link will be suspended in New Jersey at 6 p.m. The last departure from Port Authority Bus Terminal was scheduled to happen at 4 p.m.

"Currently, we expect trainsto run into this evening," said Sherrill in a post to X. "We are likely to suspend service some time tonight, and that will be announced."

(03:57 p.m. EST) Nearly 8,000 Flights Canceled Today And Tomorrow

Already, there are nearly 1,000 flights into and out of New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport canceled tomorrow, according toFlightAware. Those cancellations are in addition to the 724 flights canceled into and out of the airport today.

And it's a similar story up and down the Eastern Seaboard. From Washington, D.C., and Baltimore up to Boston, we're approaching 8,000 flight cancellations today and tomorrow combined. If you're flying to this region, check with your airline before heading to the airport and be on the lookout for vouchers or the ability to reschedule your flight without charge.

(03:40 p.m. EST) 70 Million Under Winter Weather Alerts

That's a lot of people. Here's a look at the current alerts map (which can be found alongside several other handy mapson our tracker page):

(03:00 p.m. EST) And Here ... We ... Go

Hey all, this is managing editor Sean Breslin here to take you the rest of the way this evening. We're starting to see the snow picking up in intensity in the Northeast, just as expected. It'll be one devil of a storm before the night is over, and it will persist into tomorrow. Here's an early look at Somerset County, New Jersey:

Our top snow total so far: 6 inches near Wintergreen, Virginia.

(02:50 p.m. EST) Snow Piles Still Persist From Last Winter Storm

As New Yorkers brace for what could be 20 inches of snow from Winter Storm Hernando, massive snow piles still persist from the last major winter storm only a few weeks ago.

(02:35 p.m. EST) Massachusetts Declares State Of Emergency

Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts has declared astate of emergency, including "activation of up to 200 Massachusetts National Guard members to support storm response operations."

(02:15 p.m. EST) Shovel Smart, Not Hard

From Content Writer Toby Adeyemi

A quick reminder for snow shovelers out there:

Push, don't lift. Slide snow to the side instead of picking it up, this will save your back and your energy. Bend with your knees, not your back. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, and let your legs do the work. Don't twist your body. Move your feet to face where you're tossing the snow, twisting is how people get hurt. Go light. Only fill the shovel halfway, especially if it's wet or packed. Shovel often. Clear snow early and frequently before it gets heavy or icy. Clear around fire hydrants. Keep a 3-foot radius open so emergency crews can access them fast if needed.

(01:45 p.m. EST) Transit To Halt In New Jersey

New Jersey Transit has announced that bus and light rail service will be halted at 6 p.m. tonight.

(01:20 p.m. EST) Delays Mount At Airports Along The East Coast

We began the day with hundreds of flight cancellations at each of the New York City area airports and now delays are beginning to mount along the East Coast. More than 15,000 delayed flights have already been reported today across the country. Expect that number to continue to rise as gridlock begins to cascade across airports.

Advertisement

Some travelers, like this one below at LaGuardia Airport, are settling in for a long wait.

(12:54 p.m. EST) NYC Announces Travel Ban

A travel ban will go into effect at 9 p.m. tonight in New York City, with all roads and bridges closed to non-essential traffic.

(12:48 p.m. EST) Cutting It Close

As Winter Storm Hernando slowly inches toward the coast, shoppers at a hardware store in Quincy, Massachusetts were seen picking up last minute essentials this morning, including snowblower fuel, rock salt, and this snow shovel. If you still need supplies before this blizzard, there isn't much time left.

(12:22 p.m. EST) Schools, Broadway Announce Cancellations In New York

Closures and cancellations are just beginning to roll in across New York City. All Broadway performances at 6 p.m. have been cancelled ina joint announcementAfter a small delay, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has also announced that public schools will be closed on Monday.

(11:55 a.m. EST) How To Save On Heating During A Blizzard

From content writer Toby Adeyemi

During Winter and especially during Blizzards, people tend to see an uptick in their energy bills. Here's how to save some coins during the winter months

Don't ignore your heating system!

Get the maintenance done, it'll save you in the long run! Change air filters regularly, clear vents of dust, and schedule a professional tune-up.

Close the doors and vents

Keeps warm air circulating in the spaces you actually live in

Smart Thermostat = Smart Heating

Program your thermostat to lower while you're asleep or away, then warm up before you return.

(11:25 a.m. EST) New York City Hiring Locals To Shovel Snow

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford

New York City has had its fair share of snowstorms, and they have a creative idea to help keep the city from completely shutting down.

They are offering people part-time jobs paying 19 dollars an hour to help shovel snow.

(10:53 a.m. EST) Grocery Lines Stretch Down City Blocks

New Yorkers were lining up for groceries early on Saturday morning to gather supplies and prepare for the blizzard.

(10:21 a.m. EST) Boston Facing Historic, Destructive Winds

It isn't all just snow. The NWS forecast for Boston includes some extremely dangerous wind gusts, potentially reaching as high as 70 mph.

(09:55 a.m. EST) Snowfall Forecast To Reach Between 16 And 24 Inches

The latest snowfall forecast from the National Weather Service includes some eye-popping totals, including 20 inches in New York City.

(09:30 a.m. EST) Things To Do For Your Car Before Going Outside In A Blizzard

If you absolutely have to get in your car during blizzard conditions, don't forget these essential safety tips.

Check your lights. Test headlights, brake lights, turn signals, and flashers because visibility will be low. Top off windshield wiper fluid. Use winter-grade fluid with de-icer and replace worn blades. Check your coolant. Make sure it's full and meets manufacturer specs. Stock an emergency kit. Pack a snow shovel, ice scraper, sand or kitty litter for traction, jumper cables, flashlight, flares, first aid kit, and blankets. Keep your tank full. For gas vehicles, stay near full; for electric/hybrid, keep your battery charged so you're not stranded.

(09:05 a.m. EST) Sanitation Workers Outfit Garbage Trucks With Plows, Chains

New York City Department of Sanitation workers were up late last night outfitting garbage trucks with tire chains and snow plows in preparation for Winter Storm Hernando.

(08:50 a.m. EST) National Weather Service Predicts Extreme Impacts

It doesn't get higher than that folks. As the NWS is warning, we're expecting "widespread disruptions to daily life" as this storm passes through.

(08:35 a.m. EST) Timing of Snowfall For Major Northeast Cities

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford

For New York City and Philadelphia, the heaviest snowfall is expected through the overnight hours. Snowfall rates could exceed 1 inch per hour and winds could gust to 55 mph.

For Boston, the heaviest snowfall is expected through the day on Monday, specifically between 5 am and 4 pm. Snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour are possible with some areas potentially seeing snowfall up to 3 inches per hour.

(08:05 a.m. EST) Rhode Island Expecting Biggest Snowfall Of The Season

From Content Writer Toby Adeyemi

Rhode Island is about to catch its biggest snowstorm of the season. A winter storm watch is in effect from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday morning, with Providence potentially seeing 15 inches of snow. Rhode Island has been warned to expect possible blizzard conditions, total accumulations between 14 and 18 inches, and wind gusts up to 55 mph. The snow's expected to be wet and heavy, so power outages are definitely on the table. Right now's the time to lock in your prep.

(07:42 a.m. EST) Flight Cancellations

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford and Wyatt Williams

Flight delays and cancellations will be a major issue as Winter Storm Hernando moves up the East Coast. As of this morning, New York City leads the way with more than 60% of flights into JFK and Laguardia airports already canceled for the day. Boston Logan International, Philadelphia International and Ronald Regean National in D.C. are also seeing hundreds of flight cancellations.

So far, delays have yet to stack up, but we expect to see major issues as the day goes on. We'll update you when we know more.

(07:05 a.m. EST) What Is A Blizzard?

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford

A blizzard is defined as meeting the following criteria:

• Blowing and/or falling snow

• Winds at least 35 mph

• Reduction of visibility to quarter mile or less

• These conditions last at least 3 hours

Blizzard warnings are in place for New York City from Sunday morning to Monday morning. Snowfall totals over a foot and winds gusting to 55 mph will cause major impacts on commutes.

(07:15 a.m. EST) It Has Been A Snowy Winter

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford

If you are wondering if this winter has been snowier than average, you would be correct. Some major metropolitan areas have seen above-average snowfall this year and crushed last years snowfall.

The most impressive is Boston, which has seen over 40 inches of snowfall this year so far. That is more than 8 inches above average and greatly tops last year's 28.1 inches.

New York City is also above average this year with a snowfall total of 22.3 inches. They only saw 12.9 inches all of last winter, so it looks like the city will double their snowfall from last year.

Details are emerging about the armed man who allegedly breached a secure perimeter at PresidentDonald Trump's Mar-a-Lago property before being fatally shot by law enforcement officials on Sunday, Feb. 22.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office identified the man as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, from North Carolina. Martin was reported missing within the last few days, Reuters reported.

Martin was allegedly seen near the property's north gate at about 1:30 a.m. and was stopped by a Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy and two Secret Service agents. The president was in Washington during the incident and not at his Florida club.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw alleged that Martin was carrying a shotgun and a fuel can, and the officials ordered him to drop the items. Martin put the gas can down, but the sheriff said he "raised the shotgun to a shooting position" and authorities fired their weapons at him in response.

As more information is released, here's what we know about Martin.

Have officials identified the man?

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office confirmed Martin was killed on Feb. 22. Before confirming his identity, authorities described him as a White male in his early 20s.

Advertisement

Bradshaw told reporters that law enforcement officials were not aware of Martin before the incident.

The sheriff also said he couldn't confirm how many shots were fired because the case is still under active investigation, with the FBI taking lead. No law enforcement officials were injured in the shooting, but Martin was pronounced dead at the scene.

What else have authorities said?

Authorities asked people who live in the area to look at any security footage they may have from around their homes and report anything suspicious to the FBI or local officials.

Trump has not addressed the incident publicly. In aposton social media, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Secret Service "acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person."

She also slammed Democrats for the ongoingpartial government shutdown,during which the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, has faced a lapse in funding.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Mar-a-Lago shooting. What we know about Austin Tucker Martin

AsJeff Probststood in front of the"Survivor 50" caston the Mamanuca beaches of Fiji last summer, looking directly at 24 contestants across the show's more than 25-year run, he was mesmerized by what his career has become since he was pitched the series decades ago.

The milestone game brought back players like Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, who played in the debut season in Borneo in 2000, and newer breakouts likeSavannah Louie, who just won the season prior.

"It wasn't my life passing before my eyes. It was a series of turning points in my life," Probst says ahead of the historic three-hour Season 50 premiere on Feb. 25 (8 p.m. ET/PT, CBS and Paramount+ Premium, available to stream the next day with any Paramount+ plan). "I never thought of 'Survivor' as a job or a game show. I thought of it as an adventure of the human spirit, and people still to this day think I'm a little over the top with it. It's never changed."

A year ago, the host and producer still had a short list of 50 former players who could return. Each cut since was excruciating, he says. Ultimately, the team landed on 24 all-stars who will outwit, outplay and outlast each other for the $1 million prize and bragging rights that come with winning the show'smost competitive season to date.

The new season, titled "Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans," is a love letter to all viewers, whether they tuned in just a few seasons ago or have watched every time since Probst first uttered, "The tribe has spoken." Probst spoke with USA TODAY about the grandiosity that only decades of reality‑TV storytelling can create. He reveals a plan for the premiere that didn't end up happening, the first player he personally called to cast and the contestant he's most crushed didn't make it.

This conversation has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Season 20 premiere, which is still my favorite season, opens up with those helicopters, with the hero tribe on one side and the villains on the other. How will the Season 50 premiere compare?

We actually wanted to do helicopters for 50, but we couldn't find enough in Fiji. We even went to the Fiji military to see if we could pull it off, because we wanted to recreate that epic moment. But we were unable to do it.

But "Survivor 50" had the same gravitas that you're talking about. The question was, would the players show up to make it great? And just like in Season 20, they did.

This is the first time we're having three tribes of eight. I'm assuming we'll see two tribes go to tribal council in an episode. How much can you tell us about how this will work with so many players?

We did not initially set out to have 24 players. We thought we were going to have 20 because that's a really good number for us in terms of how the episodes work and the math that comes from eliminating players. Honestly, we were struggling to make cuts. And there was no easy cut. It was really a question of this person or that person.

Suddenly, we went to three tribes of eight. What are we going to do with all of them? How are we going to get rid of them? From a producing standpoint, that is what made it so exhilarating. There were a lot of very fun problems to solve.

We have so many interesting combinations on each tribe, like Q and Aubrey on Vatu. You have Ozzy and Cirie reuniting on Cila. How did you decide who goes on which tribe?

The best way to explain how we approached all of this was to imagine the biggest whiteboard you've ever seen, with every possible idea on it.

Advertisement

What we really want is just an array of different types of players, different eras, and success or lack of success in the game, so that we can represent as much as possible the entire tapestry of our 25 years. And so in that sense, we just started putting people together.

There's no combination you can look at that doesn't have intrigue. So all of the tribe pairings worked, and ultimately, at one point, we just said, "OK, shall we just stop here?"

There was a lot of speculation that someone from Season 1 would return. How did y'all land on Jenna Lewis specifically, and are there other names that were in the mix?

The first person I called about playing was Jenna Lewis, and I didn't know what she'd say, but everybody agreed.

She kind of embodied everything about the first season: a young mom out there who didn't get a loved one video, who played a very kind of new-era game 25 years ago, and Jenna said, "I couldn't be more honored, yes." And that was the first moment where I thought, this might work.

There are rumors of pre-gaming alliances made before the season was filmed. How does that impact things once it starts?

There's way too much emphasis put on pregame alliances and all that. They really are giving that too much weight because there is one winner, period. And if you stand in my way, it doesn't matter. I'm taking you out.

You're going to see that this season. What may start out as something that appears to be a friendship from 20 years ago might mean everything in a positive way. It might mean everything in an unexpected way. These are players. This is not a picnic.

You're working on Season 51 and possibly Season 52. Is there any chance we'll have another returning player season soon, and maybe some of the people who didn't make the cut for 50 can come back?

One hundred percent. We love returning player seasons. The only reason we waited this many years is that you had to find players you wanted to see come back.

After Season 40, we thought, now we need to go get a new crop of players, and then we'll do a returning player season. I would definitely expect another returning player season before five years. And, yes, there are players we would love to invite back that we would have had in Season 50 if we had room. Hopefully, when we call in the future, their feelings won't be hurt and they'll say yes.

Hopefully, Amanda Kimmel's schedule clears up, because I need her back.

That was a big disappointment, probably my biggest personal disappointment. When she initially said yes, I was ecstatic.

And then we gave her the shoot date, and she said, "I can't make it happen." And she was disappointed. But what I loved about Amanda is that she just called us and said, "Look, I'll tell you right now, it's not going to happen." And so that opened up the spot for somebody.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Survivor 50' – Jeff Probst reveals nostalgic idea that didn't pan out

In 1976,Rockywas the top movie of the year. StarringSylvester Stallone, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, andTalia Shire, the film about scrappy Philadelphia boxerRocky Balboa(Stallone) raked in a box office total of $225 million globally, and became thehighest-grossing filmof 1976, perThe Numbers.

Rocky,which wonAcademy Awardsfor Best Picture, Best Editing, and Best Director, was made on a small $1 million budget—and it made newcomer Stallone a star.

One of themost famous scenesinRockyis a training montage in which the beloved boxer runs through the streets of Philadelphia in preparation for his upcoming boxing match with Apollo Creed (Weathers). The famous scene culminates with Balboa bounding up the 72 steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art as the movie's theme song, Bill Conti's "Gonna Fly Now," plays.

But the scene wasn't originally planned as it was shown. During a 2025 appearance onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,Stallone, 79, admitted he hadn't even thought about shooting a scene at the Philly landmark and didn't have a location permit.

"When I got to Philadelphia and did the movieRocky, I wasn't even thinking about the steps. We didn't have any money to shoot there. We didn't have the license," he told hostJimmy Fallon. "I just got out of the car, I said, 'Let me just run up the steps, get a shot of it, and we'll get out of here before the police come.' "

Stallone noted that his real-life dog, Butkus, who appeared in the film, was almost in the scene. "The first take, I said, 'Let me carry my dog up the steps,'" Stallone recalled. "My dog is a buffalo; it's a 130 lb. bull mastiff. I get halfway up, my knees buckle. We're like, 'Dog, out. Back in the car, pal.'"

Advertisement

"Anyway, we did it, and it became a very famous scene," the actor added.

Sylvester Stallone was always 'fascinated' by steps

Stallone talked about the significance of the art museum steps scene in a 2021 interview posted byThe Philadelphia Inquirer on YouTube.

"Ever since I was 10 years old, I've always been fascinated with steps," the actor admitted. "I felt like you could see the whole world from up there, which basically you're seeing your own future. It's like look, this is what I have to survive and surpass to make a life. The symbolism on those steps …it's like unbelievable; it's like it's almost a pathway to your life. So that has always been an incredibly monumental image in my eyes. Plus it's so filled with challenges and symbolism, so people come, they're not running theRockysteps, they're running like the steps of their life. Like, this is. If he can do it, I can do it.'"

Fifty years after the firstRockyfilm—there would be five sequels and threeCreedspinoffs—the art museum steps remain a major tourist attraction in Philadelphia.

Per theVisit Phillywebsite, thousands of fans annually recreate the famous scene as they make the trek up the 72 "Rocky Steps" steps leading to the art museum entrance. Stallone also donated a bronze Rocky statue, which was created in 1980 by artist A. Thomas Schomberg for a scene inRocky III,to the City of Philadelphia.

🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬

This story was originally published byParadeon Feb 22, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.