Lou Albano
| Lou Albano | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Louis Vincent Albano |
| Born |
July 29, 1933 Rome, Lazio, Italy |
| Died | October 14, 2009 (aged 76) Westchester County, New York |
| Cause of death | Myocardial infarction |
| Spouse(s) | Geraldine Albano (m. 1953; his death 2009) |
| Children | 4 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Lou Albano The Captain |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Billed weight | 350 lb (160 kg) |
| Billed from | Carmel, New York |
| Trained by |
Arnold Skaaland Soldier Barry |
| Debut | 1953 |
| Retired | 1995 |
Louis Vincent "Captain Lou" Albano (July 29, 1933 – October 14, 2009) was an Italian American professional wrestler, manager and actor. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1969 before becoming a manager until 1995.
Over the course of his 42-year career Albano guided 15 different tag teams and four singles competitors to championship gold. Albano was one of the "Triumvirate of Terror," a threesome of nefarious WWF managers which included The Grand Wizard of Wrestling and Freddie Blassie. The trio was a fixture in the company for a decade until The Grand Wizard's death in 1983.
A unique showman, with an elongated beard, rubber band facial piercings, and loud outfits, Albano was the forefather of the 1980s Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection. Collaborating with Cyndi Lauper, Albano helped usher in wrestling's crossover success with a mainstream audience. Capitalizing on his success, he later ventured into Hollywood with various television, film, and music projects. He became well-known to a new generation of fans as the actor and voice of Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Albano's parents, Carmen Louis Albano and Eleanor Albano née Morrone, were of Italian heritage but both born in the United States. Eleanor was a classical concert pianist who had performed at Carnegie Hall and later became a registered nurse. Her brother, a physician, introduced her to Carmen in the 1930s, who was training to be an obstetrician. After marrying, they temporarily relocated to Italy while Carmen pursued his medical degree at the University of Bari. He later co-patented a forceps instrument to assist in breech birth deliveries. Louis Albano was born in Italy when his father had three months remaining at the university. He was baptized in the Vatican, and his parents shortly thereafter returned to the New York City area. Lou was one of nine children, of whom five lived to adulthood. The family settled in the Mount Vernon area.
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