Tony Altomare
| Tony Altomare | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
July 24, 1928 Stamford, Connecticut, United States |
| Died | February 18, 2003 (aged 74) Stamford, Connecticut, United States |
| Cause of death | Heart failure |
| Children | 2 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Tony Altomare The Stamford Stomper |
| Debut | 1960 |
Anthony C. "Tony" Altomare (July 24, 1928 - February 18, 2003) was an American professional wrestler, trainer, and marketer. He is perhaps best known as one half of the tag team "The Sicilians" with Lou Albano, from his debut in 1960 to 1970.
Anthony C. Altomare was born on July 24, 1928 in Stamford, Connecticut to Frank and Pauline Altomare (née Vescio). He was the oldest of four children: brothers Peter and Robert and sister Madeline. At the age of 18, Altomare enlisted in the United States Army's 82nd Airborne Division, where he served for two years. It was during this time that his mother died, and he became something of a parent to his youngest brother Robert, who was only three at the time. Anthony and Peter, later joined by Robert, became lifeguards for Stamford's West Beach, where he would eventually rise to become the city's chief lifeguard for a 25-year tenure. During this time, he instituted free swimming lessons to the public and saved at least several lives. He married Mollie Gawitt of Stamford, and had two children, Brian and Donna.
Altomare's work as a lifeguard led to a career in entertainment. He appeared in 1964's The Horror of Party Beach, which was shot at West Beach. More importantly, he was recruited into the world of professional wrestling by a promoter who noted his impressive physique.
As a wrestler, Altomare was paired with Lou Albano, another Italian, in a stereotypical Italian gangster duo known as "The Sicilians." The pair won the Midwest tag team championship on the undercard of the June 30, 1961 Comiskey Park event starring Pat O'Connor and Buddy Rogers that set the all-time record gate in the United States to that point. Their realistic depiction of gangster characters caught the attention of actual mafiosi in 1961. In Chicago, Tony Accardo and two associates "requested" that Albano and Altomare cease using the word "mafia." During their run as Midwest tag team champions, personal differences with bookers and other wrestlers resulted in the pair abandoning the territory quickly enough that they did not lose the title before leaving. In July 1967, they won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship from Arnold Skaaland and Spiros Arion. Albano and Altomare held the championship for two weeks.
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