Captain Lou Albano, RIP
by Daniel J. FlynnWhen Captain Lou Albano entered the ranks of professional wrestlers in 1953 their “sport” ranked somewhere above pornography and below football betting cards in cultural respectability. When he departed more than three decades later, professional wrestling was a global phenomenon attracting viewers on closed-circuit TV pay per views, MTV, and Saturday morning cartoons.
Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan had something to do with this. So too did the overlooked Captain Lou Albano, who, along with Cyndi Lauper–a live-action cartoon character as unusual as Albano–launched the pop-culture non sequitur ”Rock and Wrestling Connection” that strangely catapulted rather than killed the careers of its participants.
Just as Albano’s partnership with Lauper brought wrestling from UHF to network television, it transformed Albano from in-ring thespian to mainstream actor on such ’80s-era fare as Miami Vice, Wise Guy, and The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. Today, I remember Captain Lou at the American Spectator, and dangle rubber bands from my face in his honor. Often imitated, never duplicated, Captain Lou Albano rest in piece.
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19 Comments
Hearing Captain Lou Albano died made me sad. Not just for the loss of the man, but because it reminded me of what professional wrestling used to be. I miss the professional wrestlers of the 80s and 90s – where there were "good guys" and "bad guys" and the behavior of everyone was something even a 10 year old could watch. Now everyone is a "bad guy" and they have amped up the violence and sex. It sickens me to see the little kids in the audience at wrestling events now.
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Found some cell phone video of and SEIU rally. Check it out quick because the video keeps going up and down on youtube. These people are rowdy and a distraction to society!
http://myfreepress.net/2009/cell-phone-video-1199...
Found some cell phone video of and SEIU rally. Check it out quick because the video keeps going up and down on youtube. These people are rowdy and a distraction to society!
http://myfreepress.net/2009/cell-phone-video-1199...
I partied one time with Captain Lou, really was a good guy, not just a good entertainer.
He was Super Mario to me, when I was in grade 4, that was my life. Thank you Captain Lou Albano for contributing to my childhood, when I heard the news, it hit me man. Me and my friends miss you.
I remember one show where Captain Lou was knocked out with a chair and taken away on a stretcher. During the second half of the show they had a doctor come in and show an X-ray of Captain Lou's skull. The X-ray was of a gorilla. I was so stupid I laughed for an hour….and I was probably only 10.
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I grew up in a city called Van Nuys and there was a small bar on the corner of Sherman Way & Hazeltine called Ujpest. As a little kid I loved wrestling and occasionally skating by the bar I’d see Lou Albano and some wrestlers with him hanging outside in the parking lot. This hole in the wall was 3 blocks away from Hot Traxx, which is the club in the opening scene [or scene early on in the movie] of Boogie Nights.
R.I.P Lou.
I grew up in a city called Van Nuys and there is a small bar on the corner of Vanowen & Hazeltine called Ujpest. As a little kid I loved wrestling and occasionally skating by the bar I’d see Lou Albano and some wrestlers with him hanging outside in the parking lot. This hole in the wall was 3 blocks away from Hot Traxx, which is the club in the opening scene [or scene early on in the movie] of Boogie Nights.
R.I.P Lou.
unsaved heathen is probably in hell. Blah ah ah ahahaahah.
Oh Captain Lou. There will never be another like you. The wrestling we grew up with is through. But your contribution to the longest running television mainstay of all time will never be forgotten. Wrestling will only die when the totalitarian state outlaws it. It is the free market at work: if you make them want to see the fight enough, they will come. Thank you, Lou, and I mourn you.
The troll thinks it's being clever you realize that even dead Capt. Lou is still smarter then you right?
Oh man, professional wrestling was at its best when Captain Lou was around. I read that during his career, he guided 15 different tag teams and four singles competitors to championship gold — that's incredible. RIP.
Sadly,more to remind me that I'm getting old. RIP Captain Lou.
As a former avid wrestling fan, I will never forget the contribution you made to the sport, or your silly antics. I have donned a rubber band in my goatee in honor to you as well sir. RIP
Sure, whatever you say.
Cap'n, you should have been made an Admiral…
Requiescat in pace!
For me he will always be the one and Mario
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