PITTSBURGH -- The legal battle between the owners of the Locker Room Bar and Grille on East Carson Street in Pittsburgh's South Side continued on Monday.

One owner, Nicholas Lettieri, has accused two co-owners, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward and Kimberly Pitts, of draining the company accounts of nearly $1.5 million.

At a motions hearing on Monday, Judge Kristine Ward ruled the bar would stay open until another hearing set for Oct. 31. Ward said she would not shut down the bar, because it would put about 40 workers out of work. The judge said a decision on the bar's future would be made at the October hearing.

Lettieri said false invoices were created with the help of Pitts' husband. He accuses Pitts' husband of sucking nearly $300,000 in insurance money out of the bar and restaurant.

The insurance was paid out after the bar was flooded earlier this year.

Lettieri said the restaurant made more than $1 million in profits but its bank accounts recently totaled only about $19,000, which Lettieri said he withdrew because he claims the money is owed to him.

A judge last week ordered that Lettieri return the money, and that the Locker Room's business records be opened to him.

Attorney Thomas Castello, who represents the company, said the allegations are "baseless, ridiculous and unfounded."

Lettieri, Hines Ward and Pitts each invested $60,000 under a November 2005 operating agreement and Lettieri was named the bar's operating manager, according to the court filings. Lettieri resigned as operating manager in October 2006 and was replaced by Pitts. Lettieri has since feuded with the others about his share of the profits and access to the bar's financial records.

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