The Life and Death of Captain Lou Albano

The Popular Wrestling Manager and Former Wrestler Passes Away at 76

Oct 15, 2009

On October 14, 2009, pro wrestling manager and Hall of Fame Member Captain Lou Albano, real name Louis Vincent Albano, died at age 76. He died from natural causes.

Captain Lou Albano was first a wrestler in his long and storied career in professional wrestling, and then a manager. He managed some of the most successful tag teams in wrestling history, and boasted that he had managed the most tag team champions of all time. As a wrestler, he won the Midwest Tag Team Championship in 1961 with Tony Altimore, and the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) tag team championship with Altimore in 1967.

Lou Albano’s Early Life

Louis Vincent Albano was born on July 29, 1933, in Rome, Italy. His family later moved to New York. He was one of five children in his family. He decided to become a wrestler around age 20, and made his debut in the 1950s with his tag team partner Tony Altimore. They were known as The Sicilians.

Lou Albano’s Managing Career

Albano was better known for his managing skills than his wrestling skills, however. During his career he managed fifteen tag teams, all of which were tag champs at some point. Among others, he managed The Yukon Lumberjacks, the Wild Samoans, The Executioners, the Valiant Brothers, The US Express, the Moondogs and The British Bulldogs. The last World Wrestling Federation tag team he guided to the tag titles were the Headshrinkers, Samu and Fatu in 1994.

Captain Lou’s appearance and loud demeanor also made him more noticeable, as managers generally needed to be when they were the spokesmen for their teams. And with his long gray beard full of rubber bands and his Hawaiian shirts, Albano made for a flamboyant figure, yet he was tough and not afraid of mixing it up with another manager or wrestler.

Lou Albano’s Acting Career and Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection

In the 1980s, Captain Lou was instrumental in solidifying the relationship between rock ‘n’ roll of the MTV variety and professional wrestling. It was called the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection. He became associated with pop singer Cyndi Lauper when he insulted women, which angered her. He then apologized to her and thus became a fan favorite. He appeared in three of Lauper’s music videos, including the popular 80s anthem “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”

Albano also acted in several television shows and movies. His most lasting role was that of Mario in the Super Mario Bros Super Show, a series that aired from September 1989 to December in 1991, with 52 episodes. He played Mario in the live action part of the show, before and after the cartoon that aired. He also acted in the movies Body Slam, and Stay Tuned, which starred John Ritter.

The Passing of Captain Lou Albano

On October 14, 2009, Lou Albano passed away at age 76, reportedly from natural causes. He left behind a legacy of superb managing and entertaining in professional wrestling. He has done much more than wrestle. He has managed, acted and amused. He will be remembered for many years to come, and will continue to be acknowledged as one of the best managers in sports entertainment history.

Sources:

The copyright of the article The Life and Death of Captain Lou Albano in Wrestling is owned by Jillian Bost. Permission to republish The Life and Death of Captain Lou Albano in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.