The Captain passed in the fall of 2009, and is buried in Westchester County, New York. He treated all us kids the same - with respect. Seeing Lou Albano walking down the steps of the church, making the sign of the cross, and stopping to greet his admirers in a time long before it was cool to be a heel, was amazing. Routinely, each month, as I would stake out the Holland with hopes of filling up my autograph books and getting pictures signed, I would keep an eye on the church. Right next to the Holland was a Catholic Church. Gorilla Monsoon, Arnold Skaaland, and Angelo Savoldi were the agents usually manning the office, and greeting those who entered. Wrestlers, working press, anyone associated with the MSG show stopped by during the day to pick up their tickets. Capitol Wrestling had an office in the Holland. Lou Albano was among those who would enter the lobby and was always gracious in signing autographs and posing for pictures.įrom the Edison, walking five blocks west, at 42nd Street was The Holland Hotel. Greg Valentine, Bruno Sammartino, Superstar Billy Graham, Andre the Giant, anyone working the card, in all likelihood got a room for the evening at The Edison. There was the adult movie theater directly across the street that seemed to catch many locals and tourists’ eyes.Īs the cabs would pull up, by mid-morning, wrestlers would begin to arrive. Photo by John Arezzi.Īs a routine, on the day of the First, I would stand outside the Edison Hotel on West 47th Street. As a Catholic, going to church was a priority for him.Īs a teenager in the early and mid-1970s, I witnessed Lou Albano, first-hand, attending church.Ĭaptain Lou Albano and Classy Freddie Blassie. “I got a kick out of what he did,” recalls Albano. However, when in his 20s, the wrestling light bulb went off in Carl Albano’s head. Once, Andre the Giant was with him, and they hit a few bars, while they were traveling through.”Īs a child growing up in Putnam County (NY), Carl Albano didn’t attend many live wrestling matches that featured his father. On occasion dad would bring home wrestlers with him. “When dad was home, and sometimes he’d be away for a week, he treated everyone the same. He is quite proud of the man his dad was, when he wasn’t being photographed or splashed on the cover of wrestling magazines, usually with his face covered with blood.Ĭaptain Lou Albano was on his best behavior when at home. Carl Albano doesn’t shy away from his family’s famous name. Is he related to the wrestling fella they remember growing up? This has been brought up many times. Specializing in real estate and insurance, Carl Albano’s sign outside of his building still brings in inquiring customers concerning his last name. On Route 6, in building # 2, settled in the hamlet of Mahopac, New York, is the Albano Insurance Agency. There was never any thought of following in his dad’s footsteps. “Just when we went into the City, dad would be recognized, and he had a crowd follow him.”Ĭarl Albano, along with his brother and two sisters, saw the wrestling business simply as their dad’s line of work. He was one of the neighbors who everyone knew, and got a kick out of,” explains Carl Albano. In listening to Carl speak from life as a child growing up in Carmel, the Albano household was as normal as their neighbors. The myths and real-life escapades of the Federation’s brawling cornerman are legendary. “And he was a tough dad but a very loving father, as well.” “Yeah, he was a crazy man on TV, just out there in left field when watching him wrestling,” Albano confesses. One of four kids of Lou and Geraldine Albano, who were married for 50-plus years, Carl paints a total opposite picture of his father, from the reckless behavior demonstrated in arenas that made him some one fans loved to hate. With all the TV exposure and arena rants, it was only natural, particularly back in the ’70s when the wrestling game presented itself with a more realistic legit product, that what you saw publicly was what the person privately is. To him, Captain Lou, as he was known during the second half of his career, was simply Dad. “He (Albano) was an amazing guy who marched to a different beat,” said Carl Albano, 65, during a recent telephone conversation.Ĭarl Albano knew who the real Hall of Famer was. Photo by John Arezzi.īut this was only one side of a manager living out of his suitcase, from his Carmel, New York home - an hour’s drive to Manhattan. Handsome Johnny Valiant alongside Captain Lou Albano.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |