Filed by  TrustCo  Bank  Corp NY  Pursuant  to Rule 425
                    under the  Securities  Act of 1933 and deemed filed pursuant
                    to Rule 14d-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Subject
                    Company:   Cohoes   Bancorp,   Inc.(Commission   File   No.
                    000-25027)







TRUSTCO
Bank Corp NY                                                    News Release
192 Erie Boulevard, Schenectady, New York, 12305
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(518) 377-3311   Fax: (518) 381-3668

Subsidiary:  Trustco Bank                                       NASDAQ -- TRST


                    Contact:        William F. Terry
                                    Secretary
                                    518-381-3611



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



              TRUSTCO NOMINATES CANDIDATES FOR COHOES BANCORP, INC.
                               BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Schenectady, New York - September 21, 2000



TrustCo Bank Corp NY (TrustCo)  announced today that it has nominated  M. Norman
Brickman,  formerly President of D. Brickman,  Inc., a wholesale dealer of fruit
and  produce,  and  Peter A.  Pastore,  partner  in  McNamee,  Lochner,  Titus &
Williams, an Albany law firm, as its third and fourth candidates for election to
the  Board of  Directors  in the 2000  annual  meeting  of Cohoes  Bancorp  Inc.
(Cohoes). TrustCo previously announced on August 25, 2000 that it was nominating
Thomas O. Maggs,  and Thomas P.  Collins,  CPA as candidates for election to the
Cohoes board.

On June 26, 2000,  TrustCo announced its intention to offer Cohoes  shareholders
$16 in  TrustCo  stock for each  share of Cohoes.  On August  17,  2000,  Cohoes
shareholders  rejected  a  proposal  from the  Cohoes  management  and  Board of
Directors to sell Cohoes to Hudson River Bancorp, Inc.

"In light of the recent  rejection  by the Cohoes  shareholders  of the proposed
sale of the company to Hudson River Bancorp, Inc., we believe it is important to
elect directors who understand that the owners of the company (the shareholders)
must have their interests  considered." Mr. McCormick added: "Our nominees will,
consistent  with their fiduciary  duties,  seek a friendly merger of Cohoes with
TrustCo.  We believe that a combined company should remain a community  oriented
financial institution based in the Capital District."

TrustCo is a $2.4  billion  bank  holding  company,  and through its  subsidiary
banks,  Trustco Bank, N.A. and Trustco Savings Bank, operates 54 bank offices in
Albany, Columbia, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren,
and Washington counties. In addition, Trustco Bank, N.A. operates a full service
Trust  Department  with $1.34  billion of assets  under  management.  The common
shares of TrustCo  are traded on the Nasdaq  National  Market tier of the Nasdaq
Stock Market under the symbol TRST.

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