Joe Scarpa
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| Birth name | Luke Joseph Scarpa |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 4, 1928 Nutley, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | April 3, 2012 (aged 83) Griffin, Georgia, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Falling |
| Children | Mark Young |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Jay Strongbow Joe Scarpa |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Billed weight | 260 lb (120 kg) |
| Billed from | Pawhuska, Oklahoma |
| Trained by | Don Eagle |
| Debut | 1955 |
| Retired | 1985 |
Luke Joseph Scarpa (October 4, 1928 – April 3, 2012) was an American professional wrestler who was best known by the ring name Chief Jay Strongbow. Scarpa portrayed a Native American wrestler, who wore a war bonnet to the ring and would "go on the warpath" when the fans started cheering him against an opponent. Scarpa's in-ring persona is routinely listed as one of the "most racist gimmicks" in professional wrestling history with even his New York Times obituary placing Chief Jay Strongbow alongside such infamous "ethnic caricatures" as the Iron Sheik and Mr. Fuji.
Scarpa's wrestling career began in 1947, under his real name. He was a standout in the Georgia and Florida territories of the National Wrestling Alliance throughout the 1950s and 1960s, winning several championships and becoming a fan favorite.
In 1970, Scarpa began working for Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation as Chief Jay Strongbow, a Native American gimmick complete with a traditional headdress and Native themed wrestling moves. He feuded with the likes of "The Golden Greek" Spiros Arion, "Handsome Jimmy" Valiant, and Superstar Billy Graham, nearly winning the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. A memorable match against "Iron Mike" McCord featured Strongbow applying his sleeper hold. But Lou Albano, McCord's manager, interfered by smashing a cast on the Chief's forehead. It was alleged that Strongbow had previously jumped Albano in the locker room, breaking his arm. McCord was disqualified, but Strongbow was cut wide open by Albano's blows. Strongbow settled the score in front of a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden, beating Captain Lou Albano convincingly.
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