Lou Albano facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lou Albano
Albano in June 2009
Birth name	Louis Vincent Albano
Born	(1933-07-29)July 29, 1933 Rome, Lazio, Kingdom of Italy
Died	October 14, 2009(2009-10-14) (aged 76) Westchester County, New York, U.S.
Cause of death	Heart attack
Spouse(s)	Geraldine Tango ​ (m. 1953)​
Children	4
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Lou Albano The Captain
Billed height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Billed weight	350 lb (159 kg)
Billed from	Carmel, New York
Trained by	Arnold Skaaland Soldier Barry
Debut	1953
Retired	1969 (as wrestler) 1996 (as manager)

Louis Vincent Albano (July 29, 1933 – October 14, 2009), known as "Captain" Lou Albano, was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager, and actor. He was famous for his wild look, loud outfits, and funny interviews.

Albano started wrestling in 1953 and later became one of the most famous managers in wrestling history. He helped many wrestlers win championships. He was also a big part of the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection" in the 1980s, working with pop star Cyndi Lauper. Later, he became well-known to kids as the voice and actor for Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

Early Life and Beginnings

Lou Albano was born in Rome, Italy, on July 29, 1933. His parents were American but had Italian roots. His mother was a talented pianist and later a nurse. His father was a doctor.

Lou was one of nine children, and his family settled in Mount Vernon, New York. He went to Archbishop Stepinac High School where he was great at sports. He became the captain of the football team. This is where he got the idea for his famous wrestling name, "Captain" Lou Albano.

He was so good at football that he got many scholarship offers for college. He chose the University of Tennessee. After a short time in the United States Army, he decided to try a different path.

Wrestling Career Highlights

Lou Albano first trained as a boxer. But a family friend suggested he try professional wrestling instead. Lou's father had been an amateur wrestler, so Lou was already familiar with the sport.

Becoming a "Bad Guy" Wrestler

In his early wrestling days, Lou was known as "Leaping Lou Albano." He was seen as a "pretty boy." After an injury left a scar on his forehead, he decided to keep it. This helped him become a "heel," or a bad guy, in wrestling. He was then called the "Mount Vernon Mauler."

He teamed up with Tony Altomare to form "The Sicilians." They pretended to be a tough gangster team. They even won the Midwest tag team championship.

The Famous Manager

Lou Albano realized that wrestlers couldn't stay in the ring forever. In 1970, he decided to become a manager. A manager in wrestling helps a wrestler by speaking for them and making the crowd excited. Lou was a great talker, so this job was perfect for him.

His first big success as a manager was with Ivan Koloff. In 1971, Koloff, with Albano by his side, shockingly defeated Bruno Sammartino to win the championship. This caused a huge reaction from the fans!

For the next 15 years, Captain Lou Albano became the top "bad guy" manager. He grew out his beard and hair and wore wild outfits. He even put rubber bands in his beard and sometimes wore one hanging from his cheek. He managed many famous wrestlers and helped 13 tag teams win the WWF World Tag Team Championships.

Albano (right) as manager for Jimmy Snuka in 1982

One time, he managed Jimmy Snuka. Even though Albano was a bad guy, fans started to cheer for Snuka. Albano then helped Snuka become a fan favorite by attacking him in a storyline. This made Snuka even more popular.

The "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection"

Albano (left) and Cyndi Lauper (right), circa 1983

In 1984, Lou Albano met pop star Cyndi Lauper on a plane. Her manager thought Lou would be great for her music video. Lou appeared as Cyndi Lauper's father in her famous music video for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

This led to a huge event called The Brawl to End it All, shown live on MTV. Lou Albano and Cyndi Lauper each picked a female wrestler to represent them. Cyndi Lauper's pick, Wendi Richter, defeated Lou's pick, The Fabulous Moolah, for the championship. This event brought wrestling to a much bigger audience, especially young people.

After this, Lou Albano changed from a "bad guy" to a "good guy." He started supporting charities, especially for multiple sclerosis. He continued to manage wrestlers, but now he managed fan favorites like The U.S. Express and The British Bulldogs, helping them win tag team championships.

Acting and Other Roles

Besides wrestling, Captain Lou Albano had a successful acting career.

Albano, c. 1988

• He played Mario, the famous Nintendo character, in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! This made him very popular with a younger generation.
• He appeared in movies like Wise Guys and Stay Tuned.
• He was also in TV shows such as 227 and Miami Vice.
• He appeared in several more of Cyndi Lauper's music videos, including "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" and "Time After Time".

Personal Life

In 1953, Lou Albano married his high school sweetheart, Geraldine Tango. They were married for 56 years until his death. He was known for being very loyal to his wife.

Lou wrote a book about his life called Often Imitated, Never Duplicated. His good friend Cyndi Lauper wrote the introduction for it.

He had four children. His son, Carl Albano, later became a local politician. Lou also had four siblings who became teachers.

In his later years, Lou focused on his health and lost a lot of weight.

Death

Captain Lou Albano passed away on October 14, 2009, at the age of 76. He died from a heart attack. He is remembered as a unique and unforgettable character who left a big mark on wrestling and entertainment.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Awards and Honors

Lou Albano received many awards for his contributions to wrestling:

• He was named "Manager of the Year" multiple times by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
• He was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.
• He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996.
• He also won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship with Tony Altomare.