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                      Cohoes Bancorp, Inc.
        (Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

                               TrustCo Bank Corp NY
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)


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The following  press  release was issued  October 3, 2000 with respect to Cohoes
Bancorp, Inc. by TrustCo Bank Corp. NY.


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
                    Senior Vice President and Secretary
                    518-381-3611


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

           TRUSTCO INCREASES OFFERS FOR COHOES AND HUDSON RIVER BANKS


Schenectady, New York - October 3, 2000


Robert  A.  McCormick,  President  and CEO of  TrustCo  Bank  Corp NY  (TrustCo)
announced today that TrustCo had filed revised documents with the Securities and
Exchange Commission regarding its proposals to acquire both Cohoes Bancorp, Inc.
and Hudson River Bancorp,  Inc. for combinations of stock and cash. The proposed
offer for Cohoes  totals  $18.00,  and  consists  of $7.20 in TructCo  stock and
$10.80 in cash. The Hudson River proposed offer amounts to $17.00, consisting of
$6.80 in TrustCo shares plus $10.20 in cash. TrustCo has previously  announced a
slate of four candidates who will oppose the Cohoes management slate at the next
Cohoes Bancorp, Inc annual meeting.

"Since  the board and  management  groups  from both  Cohoes  and  Hudson  River
declined  to  enter  meaningful   discussions  with  us  concerning  a  business
combination,  we will make our offers directly to the shareholder  groups," said
McCormick.  "We believe that both of these banks are likely to be sold, and we"d
like to merge them into TrustCo to retain control locally," continued McCormick.
"Too many of our Capital  Region banks are  controlled by companies  with out of
area headquarters," McCormick said.

TrustCo's  registration  statements  with respect to its exchange offers contain
important  information  regarding the offers,  including the conditions to those
offers,  and investors and security holders are advised to read the registration
statements  carefully.  Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of
the registration  statements and other documents filed by TrustCo,  Cohoes,  and
Hudson  River  with the SEC at the  SEC's  Internet  site at , or from  TrustCo.
TrustCo has not yet commenced the proposed exchange offers, and the registration
statements are not yet effective.

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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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