His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. Louis Vincent Albano (July 29, 1933 October 14, 2009) was an Italian-American pro wrestler and dance choreographer best known for his appearances as "Captain" Lou Albano. "Classy" Freddie Blassie got more heat than the Wizard because he managed turncoats and categorically-evil foreigners, like the Bolsheviks and Iron Sheik. One wouldnt have guessed this looking at Captain Lou Albano the manager, but as a young wrestler, Leaping Lou Albano was presented as a handsome babyface character as he competed in the New York wrestling scene. It was never clear how the cartoons and the live-action show were supposed to be related but 8 year olds typically dont ask those sort of questions. Very well played, sir. Captain Lou Albano guests on a 1984 segment of Pipers Pit. All Rights Reserved. It was Bruno Sammartino who suggested to McMahon that Albano, a mediocre wrestler at best, would better serve the promotion if he was attached to a wrestler as a spokesperson. The original stories involving him referred to him as the pretty boy. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. The match established professional wrestling as a mainstream entertainment mode, and heralded its 1980s boom. He trained with Soldier Barry, one of his childhood idols, and they started doing house shows together in New York in 1952. But Lous mark would be made as a leader of men. He died at home in Westchester County, New York. Considered to be the forefather of the 1980s Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection for his elongated beard, rubber band facial piercings, and loud outfits, he played a pivotal role in mainstream audiences embracing professional wrestling. Louis Vincent Albano was born in Rome, Lazio, Kingdom of Italy on July 29, 1933. He was left on hospice care. It didn't last long, and Patterson rejected the new manager, turning babyface due to Albano's notoriety. I distinctly remember getting a little too excited every time SMB came on television. Web76 Lou Albano Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Creative Editorial Video Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 76 Lou Albano Premium High Res Photos Browse 76 lou albano stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. In 1986, Andre took time off from WWE to makePrincess Bride, and a storyline was created that had WWE suspend Andre for no-showing an event. Muraco went on to feud with former Albano wrestler Superfly Jimmy Snuka. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Despite finding a character perfect for pro wrestling, Lou Albano didnt start out wanting to enter the business. You must be logged in to post a comment He soon moved with his parents back to the U.S. A buccaneer before he changed his gimmick, Albano wasn't a great wrestler, but had a couple of high visibility runs in the northeast. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Captain Lou didnt actually voice himself in this short-lived animated ridiculousness (neither did any of the other WWF wrestlers for that matter) but I absolutely LOVED this show. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. If you like wrestling, you should try online games. The idea that all of my favorite wrestlers were driving around in giant Cadillacs and monster trucks and having adventures and doing good deeds appealed to my gullibility. Leguizamo is awesome in everything he does. With a wardrobe of colorful Hawaiian shirts, facial piercings finished with rubber bands, and unruly hair with a beard to match Captain Lou Albano was a man you couldnt help but notice. He used to put rubberbands in his face. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Wrestling/CaptainLouAlbano. Lou pretty much wore his Hawaiian shirt and sweatpants; that was Lous attire 99% of the time. Yes! The grand Wizard managed Patterson, and he sold the contract to Albano for $100,000. His parents Eleanor and Carmen were of Italian ancestry but were born and raised in America. Albanomanaged numerous top name competitors. WebAfter spending several decades as a heel, Captain Lou Albano turned face in 1984 in a memorable segment. Apter on the story behind the rubber band rings on Albanos face: He was very strong into the fight against multiple sclerosis with Cyndi Lauper. On October 14, 2009, at 76 years of age, he passed away due to heart failure. RELATED:10 Best Submission Finishers In TNA History, Ranked. Either way, the duo made it to WWE then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation in the late 1960s and ended up capturing the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship, splitting once Albano transitioned into becoming a manager. Captain Lou Albano also managed the very successful Valiant Brothers in WWE. After a health scare in the 1990s, Albano began to work out earnestly, eventually shedding 150 pounds (70kgs). Web On the latest edition of VOC Nations Wrestling With History, Bill Apter and Ken Resnick discussed the career of WWE Hall of Famer Captain Lou Albano, the story behind In some fun trivia, Albano came out of retirement in 1994 to manage The Headshrinkers to the tag titles, which was Afa's son Samu and nephew Fatu (Rikishi). However, there was , Weve profiled 40 wrestlers who sadly, didnt make it to see age 40, including many enhancement talent names of the , Heart Attack / Heart Failure / Heart Disease, Comprehensive Deceased Wrestlers List (text-only), Comprehensive Deceased Managers List (text-only), 8 Things You May Not Have Known About Rick Rude. Lou Albanos first success in wrestling would be as a tag team specialist, as he teamed with Tony Altomare as a duo called The Sicilians throughout the 1960s. RELATED: 13 Best Wrestlers Managed By Lou Albano, Ranked. He suffered a heart attack in 2005, but made recovery. Login. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); No spam. Mario and Luigi double up on the Princess they must have made that porn already. Copyright 2010-2023 TheSmackDownHotel.com. This angle led to the MTV special The Brawl to End It All, wherein Wendi Richter (representing Lauper) defeated The Fabulous Moolah (representing Albano) for the WWE Womens Championship. In 1986, Captain Lou Albano left the World Wrestling Federation to pursue other interests, but he still occasionally made appearances at ringside. Danny Djeljosevic is a writer based in San Diego, CA. WebLouis Vincent Albano (July 29, 1933 October 14, 2009) was an Italian-American pro wrestler and dance choreographer best known for his appearances as "Captain" Lou Please help us serve you better, fill out our survey. 10 Things Fans Should Know About "Captain" Lou Albano, Encouraged To Be A Manager By Bruno Sammartino, 13 Best Wrestlers Managed By Lou Albano, Ranked, 10 Best Football Players To Ever Wrestle In WWE, Ranked, then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation, ended Sammartinos seven-and-a-half-year run, The 10 Greatest Pipers Pit Segments Of All Time, 10 WWE PPV Endings That Changed Everything, 10 Former Impact/TNA Wrestlers Who Surprisingly Are Still Wrestling. At the time, he was living in hospice care. sniff why couldn't it have been John Leguizamo or Bob Hoskins?. Sadly, a second heart attack would claim his life on October 14th. Captain Lou portrayed what seemed to be a pre or post mushroom kingdom Mario that lived and worked as a plumber in a big city (presumably New York) with his brother-in-overalls Luigi. As a professional wrestler, Albano won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship with Tony Altomare on July 10, 1967. On this page, you find the full wrestling profile of Lou Albano, with his Career History, real name, age, height and weight, the Promotions he worked for, all the Face/Heel turns, the Championship Titles he won, his Finishers, Theme Songs, Tag Teams and Stables, his appearance changes through the years, and more. The have the live-action, the cartoon, the commercial for the next Legend of Zelda episode in some, and of course, the credits featuring Lou doing the Mario. Their other kayfabe brother, Jimmy Valiant, managed them when they arrived back in WWE in 1978, but they ended up signing with Capt. Fanscontinue to watch Captain Lou in the movies that he appeared in during his lifetime, includingBody Slam and in reruns of Miami Vice and The Super Mario Bros Super Show. Albano made his first big splash in non-wrestling pop culture by appearing in the music video for Cyndi Laupers hit single Girls Just Want to Have Fun, which came into play on wrestling television. Captain Lou Albano is best known for managing tag teams to championship gold in WWE, but he was also the manager of some great singles champions. WebBorn Louis Vincent Albano on July 29, 1933 in Rome, Italy, Lou Albano began his professional wrestling career in 1953 and first rose to national prominence in the late Is this something Capt. Hence the title of the comic. Captain Lou Albano used to be a professional wrestler in the WWWF, but he was a tag team wrestler who had limited room to move up the ranks when his tag team ended. Albano, ever the heel, decided to feud with Lauper on WWE television by claiming ownership over the song on Pipers Pit. The MTV masses ate up the Captains critically acclaimed turn in Laupers video, just like her manager and boyfriend David Wolff predicted. All rights reserved.Click here for our privacy policy. Sometimes we would be doing an interview and he would be trying to tell someone a story and you could hear him laughing and wed have to do it over again., Ken Resnick on how Lou Albano would drink and drop his pants during TV tapings: (He was) gregarious, welcoming, fun loving Lou was a great storyteller; (he) was great on the interviews (with) whoever he was managing. Are we really adding another one to the pile of celebrity deaths this year? Louis Vincent "Lou" Albano was an Italian American professional wrestler, manager, and actor, who was prominently affiliated with World Wrestling Federation (WWF/E). Albano spent the rest of his professional career with the promotion and while as a solo wrestler he was quite unimpressive, his work with tag-team partner Tony Altomare did garner him some success, including the WWF Tag Team Championship in 1967. In WWE, a storyline began to build around the two, with Albano claiming that he had written all of Laupers songs and she owed all her success to him. On the latest edition of VOC Nations Wrestling With History, Bill Apter and Ken Resnick discussed the career of WWE Hall of Famer Captain Lou Albano, the story behind Captain Lou Albanos face rings, some Albano drinking stories, and more. This was the tag team of Johnny Valiant and Jerry Valiant. I wonder if Captain Lou's segments are in there with them? Everyone thought I was Ron Jeremy. It might be hard to remember, but Capt. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. They first tried to escape in a taxi but people broke its windows. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. He said that he would wear these things in his cheeks until (MS) was cured.. He had managed 15 different tag team championship winning teams and four singles gold winners. Captain Lou Albano dead at 76. photo: wwe.com. Albano made his screen debut in 1952 in CBS The Jackie Gleason Show. Later, Valentine moved on to Jimmy Hart as his manager, and Albano soon became a babyface. However, he eventually took up wrestling. Users who reposted Why Did Captain Lou Albano Have The Rubberbands In His Face? I never knew when it was on (I found out later that's because it was in syndication after only having one season), but I always enjoyed it, despite supporting the losing side in the console wars (Sega). The 1980s stood in such stark contrast to the 2000s in that a big, fat, hairy, sweaty dude with rubber bands stuck to his face could be a pop icon. Here's a look back at the 13 best wrestlers managed by Albano, ranked! We just watched the show, ate our Ninja Turtles cereal and occasionally did The Mario for hours on end. Patterson was involved in a big angle with Captain Lou Albano in 1980 when he was the Intercontinental Champion. His health again took a sharp decline in 2009. Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com. He was freakin MARIO for Toads sake. The pro wrestling manager is not a new invention, and one of the most iconic of all time was Captain Lou Albano, who spent the 1970s and 1980s as a top heel manager in WWE. Even though Captain Lou Albanos health had been rocky for years, the wrestling community was shocked by his passing. With his slovenly appearance and rubber bands pinned to his face, Albano managed a plethora of heel Lou Albano (October 14, 1959 - June 7, 1997) Captain Lou Albano (May 22, 1972 - October 29, 1986) Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) The Express consisted of Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo. Today, people dont just remember Captain Lou Albano for his work in professional wrestling. Instead, a distant relative, boxing promoter Lou Duva whod later appear at WrestleMania 2 introduced him to Willie Gilzenberg, another promoter who was active in the wrestling business. RELATED: The 10 Greatest Pipers Pit Segments Of All Time. I'd do the google search, but I value my sanity. photo: wwe.com. It got to the point where in the interview room, they would bring him in, (have him) do his interviews, and then take him back to the dressing room because he would distract the other guys. Over the course of the decade, he would lose more than 150 pounds and by 2000 he did seem to have considerably improved his health. With a name like Falcon he belongs in the sky. He debuted in the professional circuit in 1952 and would be active for the next 17 years. As Captain Lou Albano, his brash, bombastic promos earned him much recognition as well as helped his clients leave memorable impressions on the spectators. On the latest edition of Wrestling with History, Bill Apter and Ken Resnick talked about their time with WWE Hall of Famer Captain Lou Albano. Your current browser isn't compatible with SoundCloud. The video has been played over180 million times on YouTube. As a youth, he was athletically gifted, competing in track and field events as well as leading his school football team to numerous victories. Love the viking beard though, Josh. He is also remembered for his appearances in Cyndi Laupers music videos, particularly Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Pat Patterson was the first-ever WWE Intercontinental Champion, and he went on to enjoy a WWE Hall of Fame career before taking a role backstage as one of the top producers. Thats right, Im a method writer. 44,624 likes. WebNick Name: Lou Albano, The Captain Also Known As: Louis Vincent Albano Died At Age: 76 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Geraldine Albano (m. 19532009) father: Carmen Louis mother: A lot of you are too young to remember Captain Lou Albano, but to us children of the late 70s and early 80s he was a pop-culture fixture. Mario had been played in both live-action and voiceover roles by a number of actors in both the US and Japan since 1983, but none of them became as iconic as Captain Lou did, Martinet was cast in 1990 and had been officially voicing Mario since 1992, but had only made niche appearances in the role prior to. He managed a lot of Islanders, so he would cut 100% of every promo. Please help us serve you better, fill out our survey.Use of this site signifies your agreement to our terms of use. He had a heart attack in May 2005. They are essentially the same dude except for the porn. Lou Albano managed the Machines, including Blackjack Mulligan as Big Machine and Bill Eadie (Ax of Demolition) as Super Machine. WebApter on why Albano wore the rubber band earrings on his face: He was very strong into the fight against multiple sclerosis with Cyndi Lauper. Captain Lou Albano, who became one of the most recognized professional wrestlers of the 1980s after appearing in Cyndi Laupers Girls Just Want to Have Fun music video, died Wednesday. WebA unique showman, with an elongated beard, rubber band, facial piercings, and loud outfits, Albano was the forefather of the 1980s Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection. Lou Albano managed Andre the Giant for a short time. He was also featured in the video for Time After Time. In the course of serving advertisements to this site, our third-party advertiser may place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser. Nice touch. One of the most infamous moments in WWE history came in the '70s, and it resulted in a riot that caused property damage and had Captain Lou Albano fearing for his life. Albano led them to only one tag team title reign before Dynamite had to retire. Its not like Captain Lou has constantly been on my mind for the last 25 years, but his recent passing unlocked a flood of memories of being 8 years old and him being EVERYWHERE. Lou Albano manageda world heavyweight champion. Lou and that is when they won the tag team titles from Larry Zbyszko and Tony Garea. He rattles off his list of accolades, including 14 tag team champions, two intercontinental, and one world wide federation champion. Under Albanos management, Fatu and Samu beat The Quebecers for the Tag Team Championship on the 5/2/1994 episode of Monday Night Raw and held the belt for 124 days. He was 76. Please download one of our supported browsers. He then joined the United States Army but due to the injuries obtained in the football field, he was honourably discharged after eight months. However, following a non-wrestling injury that left a gash on his forehead, he purposefully did not let the mark heal completely and turned heel. Recognizable in garish outfits and rubber bands affixed to his face, Albano managed countless legends including Andre The Giant, Pat Patterson, and The British Bulldogs. WebApter on why Albano wore the rubber band earrings on his face: He was very strong into the fight against multiple sclerosis with Cyndi Lauper. WebCaptain Lou was a big, fat reason wrestling blew up to become the pop culture crossover phenom of the mid-80s, back when pile-driving was a fad. Lou 's segments are in there with them wrestler, Albano won the tag team Championship with Tony Altomare July. Began to work out earnestly, eventually shedding 150 pounds ( 70kgs ) on. 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