Shining a Spotlight 10.15.09: Farewell Good Captain

Posted by Michael Weyer on 10.15.2009

A look back at Captain Lou Albano and what made him so entertaining a figure to watch for fans.




I was midway through another column idea when the word came up the death of Captain Lou Albano. As such, I'm putting that aside so I can look back at a man who was one of the true wrestling greats when I was starting out as a fan.

To younger fans, he's an oddity, a name they've heard from time to time but never really connected to anything special. But back in the late 1970's and through the ‘80's, Lou Albano was one of the most visible people in the WWF. He'd started out as a wrestler, part of the Sicilians with Tony Altimore, their gimmick a pair of stereotypical Italian mobsters. Reportedly, an actual Mafioso "encouraged" them to tone the gimmick down although it was good enough for them to win the US tag team title.

But Albano was one of those people whose true calling was in managing. Encouraged by Bruno Sammartino, he took on a wild over the top personality, verbose to the extreme with a motor mouth style that often had him tripping over his own words. He was one of the biggest heel managers ever, insulting the fans, opponents and anyone else who got in his eyesight with some wild sayings.





What got people's attention was his appearance. While he would occasionally wear the odd full-on shirt, he was usually attired in open vests that showcased his hairy and corpulent body with arms bare. His unkempt graying beard and shaggy hair made him look more like a pirate and he not only wore hoop earrings but even had one pinned through a cheek, which in the late ‘70's was a wild look. The man always stood out, not an easy thing to do in the WWF but he pulled it off. When you're able to create your unique style, you've got money made in the business.

While he was a heel, Albano's presence on the mic was one of those wild voices that fans still enjoyed listening to. So he was at the forefront of the Rock N Wrestling Connection in 1984. It all began with him starting a feud with Cyndi Lauper, making sexist comments and claiming to be her manager. However, things would take a turn when Lauper honored Albano for his contributions for MS research and gave him a special record at Madison Square Garden. Roddy Piper interfered and ended up smashing Albano with the record, making the Captain an instant fan favorite. More importantly, it helped shoot wrestling to the forefront of the mainstream media as the Captain became a great celebrity who contributed to WWF's rise to power.







In terms of wrestling, when you had Lou Albano in your corner, you were automatically given a huge boost. His record speaks for itself. He was the manager of Ivan Kolloff when the man ended Sammartino's record WWF title reign. But when it came to tag teams, his touch was golden as he managed fifteen different teams to seventeen WWF tag team titles, a record that can never be touched. The Moondogs, the Wild Samoans, Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo, the Valient Brothers, the British Bulldogs and more, all reaching gold with the Captain in their corner. Even George Steele, in the goofier phase of his "Animal" persona, shone more with Albano managing him. Despite his crazy mannerisms, Albano still stood out as a fine leader with a sharp mind, aiding his men in promos and helping them rise to fame. While he was a star himself, he gave the rub to his charges, aiding them in their own rise to fame and showed what an asset managers once were.

Naturally, that led him to fame outside the ring as he made appearances in various TV shows. His biggest was playing Mario in The Super Mario Bros Super Show and clearly having fun with it. He also kept up with various charities and busy with smaller promotions. He made a return to WWF in 1994, aiding the Headshrinkers in winning the WWF tag titles and was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1996. He's been a bit quieter over the years but still enjoyed the business and talking about it, featured on 2006's Wrestling's Greatest Managers DVD.

The man was a great talent, funny as hell and always great to watch no matter whether he was a heel or face. He had a true heart as well, giving his voice and talents to various charities and anti-drug campaigns. It's a damn shame to lose him, one of the great personalities of this business whose love for wrestling never faded over the years. From all the millions who watched him, hated him, loved him and laughed with him, farewell Captain. And thank you for all the terrific memories.














For this week, the spotlight is off.