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. Lou Albano managed the Machines, including Blackjack Mulligan as Big Machine and Bill Eadie (Ax of Demolition) as Super Machine. Everyone thought I was Ron Jeremy. Shawn is also a published author, with a non-fiction book about the Stephen King Dollar Baby Filmmakers and has begun work on a new fiction series as well. photo: wwe.com. Sadly, this was not the best moment, as they lost their titles to the foreign heel tag team of Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. Thats right, Im a method writer. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. With his slovenly appearance and rubber bands pinned to his face, Albano managed a plethora of heel which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, 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. Albano, ever the heel, decided to feud with Lauper on WWE television by claiming ownership over the song on Pipers Pit. With his open Hawaiian shirts, outrageous facial hair and trademark rubber bands hanging Are we really adding another one to the pile of celebrity deaths this year? This was due to the mounting injuries to Dynamite Kid, whose back started to give out on him just as the tag team was hitting the highest of highs. He said that he would wear these Captain Lou managed no less than four singles champs, and 15 different duos to WWE World Tag Team belts. 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. Of the two, Windham later went on to become a world champion. He would cut most if not all of the promos for them. Due to his busy schedule as a WWF employee, it would take him another 37 years to land his first significant credit. Copyright 2023 411mania.com, LLC. Like many pro wrestlers, Lou Albano came from an athletic background, having played track and field in high school as well as football. Albano moved up the ranks and managed more tag team world champions than any manager, spending almost his entire career in WWE. 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. Mario and Luigi double up on the Princess they must have made that porn already. The MTV masses ate up the Lou Albano managed Andre the Giant for a short time. 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. After the videos success, Wolff saw dollar signs. As a youth, he was athletically gifted, competing in track and field events as well as leading his school football team to numerous victories. When he first made his way back to WWE after his stint in the NWA, he signed with Capt. Drives a giant gun that launches chezburgers at a frightening velocity, Ah.. the Mario, an often misunderstood and overlooked dance. Lou Albano manageda world heavyweight champion. Many professional wrestlers made tributes to the former wrestling manager, and many major publications and websites, including MTV.com and New York Times, ran his obituary. Albano managed Verdu against Sammartino in several challenges for the WWE Championship in the 1970s, and the result was a financial success. Their other kayfabe brother, Jimmy Valiant, managed them when they arrived back in WWE in 1978, but they ended up signing with Capt. In, In doing so, Albano helped popularize what is now a bog standard wrestling trope: the meddling "hypeman" who leaves a slime trail wherever he goes. WebWrestler, personality Captain Lou Albano dies at 76 Flashback: Albano and Lauper Engage in Father-Daughter Smackdown in Pipers Pit 6-year-old boy floats away in homemade He managed a lot of Islanders, so he would cut 100% of every promo. He then joined the United States Army but due to the injuries obtained in the football field, he was honourably discharged after eight months. He said that he would wear these things in his cheeks until (MS) was cured.. 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. Outside of the wrestling world, he is best-known for playing Mario (both in live-action and animated segments) on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! He managed a great many teams to the. And Im no longer buttoning my shirt. With a name like Falcon he belongs in the sky. Albano must be getting paid double-time today because he is putting over the As the day progressed and Lou would pop in and out of the interview room, Lou would have a habit of somehow losing those sweatpants in front of somebody in the middle of an interview There were so many times when those sweatpants were down around his ankles and he was basically (naked)., Apter on Albanos career aspirations and becoming Bruno Sammartinos rival: He wanted to be like Bruno (early in his career) but he wound up being one of Brunos most hated rivals Albano, the (Grand) Wizard, and Fred Blassie were constantly feeding guys to try and beat either Bruno or Pedro Morales back then, and Albano was involved in one of the greatest moments in pro wrestling history the night that Ivan Koloff beat Bruno Sammartino in front of 21,000 fans at Madison Square Garden. Your current browser isn't compatible with SoundCloud. 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 "Classy" Freddie Blassie got more heat than the Wizard because he managed turncoats and categorically-evil foreigners, like the Bolsheviks and Iron Sheik. 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. Later in the '80s, Albano once again managed Blackjack Mulligan, but he wore a mask and went by the name Big Machine. if they released those DVD's minus the nonsensical live action scenes its a fucking travesty. Instead, he initially pursued a career in boxing, but his size wasnt right for a successful boxer. Albano was the manager (of Ivan Koloff)., Apter on Albano being an unofficial part of Vince McMahon Sr.s office staff: He was actually not an official part of Vince Srs office, but he was an unofficial part (of the office). 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. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65uNCLBTje0&fe. Capt. He also managed a lot of tag team champions. He then enlisted in the US Army. The Super Mario Super Show seemed less like a scripted childrens show and more like a late night public access affair (but with a MUCH lower budget). All Rights Reserved. Later, a masked man who looked just like Andre showed up wearing a mask and calling himself the Giant Machine. Bob Hoskins is a Saint! He used to hang out with Vince, Gorilla, and Arnold Skaaland at the old Holland Hotel wrestling office; they would all smoke and play cards and everything, and he was part of that group., 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. Lou Albano married Geraldine, his high school sweetheart, in 1953. They are essentially the same dude except for the porn. On that fateful plane ride, Lauper and Wolff met Captain Lou Albano. Here are some highlights. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Lets take a look at Albanos career, covering the iconic parts as well as his forgotten time as a competitor himself. They moved to Italy in the early 1930s. Find out how to play and win at top paying online casino NZ from our guide. Lou Albano agreed with the change in career path, especially because football injuries were taking a toll on his body. Users who like Why Did Captain Lou Albano Have The Rubberbands In His Face? When he lost significant weight over the past couple of years, he was still solid, said Varriale. The British Bulldogs would have been Yorkies without Lou. The Wise Men of the East (sometimes billed as the "Triumvirate of Terror") managed the heels in Vince McMahon Sr.'s WWF. Patterson was involved in a big angle with Captain Lou Albano in 1980 when he was the Intercontinental Champion. In his later years, Albino became a successful actor, playing numerous memorable roles in both films and television shows. Shawn is a former member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle before relocating to Texas and has work published in the Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma Gazette, Vox Magazine and Loud Magazine and on websites like The Huffington Post, CBS, Time Warner Cable, Yahoo, The Movie Network, Chud, Renegade Cinema, 411mania and Sporting News. He turned increasingly towards the bad guy side, particularly as a member of the tag-team duo The Sicilians, and on his own, even against the great Bruno Sammartino. Why Did Captain Lou Albano Have The Rubberbands In His Face? WebWhy Did Captain Lou Albano Have The Rubberbands In His Face? This scar gave him the springboard to transition into more of a heel character, and gained more notoriety in the process. During this period, Gilzenberg introduced him to Vince McMahon Sr, who hired him for his Capitol Wrestling Corporation in Washington, DC, a predecessor of WWF/E. Danny Djeljosevic is a writer based in San Diego, CA. Login. The Express consisted of Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo. Copyright 2010-2023 TheSmackDownHotel.com. Louis Vincent Albano was born in Rome, Lazio, Kingdom of Italy on July 29, 1933. It was impressive. Albanos success in high school football led to him playing college ball for the University of Tennessee on a scholarship. It was the only time that Capt. Yes! 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. He also appeared as Lauper's fictional father in the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" video. This was the tag team of Johnny Valiant and Jerry Valiant. Lou Albano and beat Tito Santana for the IC Title. Captain Lou Albano was one of the dirtiest managers in WWE for a decade, but then something changed. If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, I lean towards pre because he wasnt constantly waking from night terrors shivering and screaming about carnivorous fungi and flame belching, man-sized lizard people. In remembering how Captain Lou affected my childhood, I would be remiss to leave out Hulk Hogans Rock N Wrestling cartoon. Its pandemonium, I know, but NRBQ, a beloved cult band going on its 50th year in business, penned this ode to their manager, Captain Lou. 44,624 likes. Wolff had grown up a lifelong pro wrestling fan, following the WWWF where Albano was part of a triumvirate who terrorized the New York territory for a decade. This was one of the most popular tag teams in WWE during the '80s, and also one that was short-lived. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); No spam. Visionaries that they are, NRBQ saw Lous wrestling managerial skills and realized he could easily take that same kind of hustle and bravado to the record game. Regarded as one of the earliest superstars of the industry, he had a moderately successful career as a professional wrestler before becoming a manager. Leguizamo is awesome in everything he does. The video has been played over180 million times on YouTube. His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. sniff why couldn't it have been John Leguizamo or Bob Hoskins?. In 1971, The Blackjacks joined forces under Bobby Heenan's management, but they reached their biggest success when they arrived in WWE, and Captain Lou Albano managed the pair. He had managed 15 different tag team championship winning teams and four singles gold winners. Captain Lou Albano dead at 76. photo: wwe.com. in 1989, holding the distinction of being the first actor for Mario to achieve widespread popularitynoteMario 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 and consequently setting a precedent for the role that would remain in place until 1996, when Super Mario 64 popularized Charles Martinet's rendition of the characternoteMartinet was cast in 1990 and had been officially voicing Mario since 1992, but had only made niche appearances in the role prior to Super Mario 64. I will be over here too, doing the Mario as mournfully as possible. 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. He met Willie Gilzenberg, a boxing promoter who would later serve as the titular president of World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), an early version of WWF/E. Following his retirement from medicine, Albanos father wanted to start an insurance business with him, but Albano had already decided to try his luck as a professional boxer. With a convincing gimmick as mafia-esque gangsters, Albano and Altomare reportedly had actual gangsters urge them to cool it with the mafia gimmick. One of the greatest wrestling managers ever, there are a lot of things fans should know about "Captain" Lou Albano. One of the three managers collectively known as the Triumvirate of Terror, Albanos clientele included 15 tag teams and four singles champions. The MTV masses ate up the Captains critically acclaimed turn in Laupers video, just like her manager and boyfriend David Wolff predicted. 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. I giggled at the kid in the balloon. The Wild Samoans, tame. Please help us serve you better, fill out our survey. Basically, WrestleMania would never have happened were it not for Rock n' Wrestling Connection. Albano was arguably the best of the three. 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). I dont know if you were a great man, or even a good one but you entertained me as a child and for that I am grateful. Please download one of our supported browsers. Flashback: Albano and Lauper Engage in Father-Daughter Smackdown in Pipers Pit, 6-year-old boy floats away in homemade helium balloon, Balloon Boy Gets Fresh Prince Treatment on Facebook, Balloon Boy: We did this for the show., http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65uNCLBTje0&fe. Have made that porn already football led to him playing college ball for the University of Tennessee on a.! On to become a world champion Andre showed up wearing a mask calling! The name Big Machine wearing a mask and went by the name Big Machine find out to! The name Big Machine and Bill Eadie ( Ax of Demolition ) as Super Machine ) ; spam... As possible Vincent Albano was one of the promos for them, are. The dirtiest managers in WWE for a successful actor, playing numerous memorable roles in films! 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