Wrestling Legend Dies

There's a scene in the film "The Wrestler" where Mickey Rourke's character, Randy "The Ram" Robinson, cuts his forehead during a wrestling match to ramp up the gory effects.

George Albano drew parallels to the film Wednesday, recalling how his iconic older brother, Louis Albano, cut his head with a razor hundreds of times to earn a "few extra bucks" as a professional wrestler.

"He loved wrestling, but it was the most abusive profession you could imagine," said George Albano, principal at Lincoln Elementary School in Mount Vernon. "It's a hard way to make a living."

But for all of "Captain Lou" Albano's showmanship - his signature long beard, rubber band piercings and screaming rants on TV - his brother remembered Wednesday a devout man who carried rosary beads in his pocket and drove extra slow for the sake of children.

"I remember the kinder and gentler side of him," he said. "My dad died when I was 13, so Lou became my second father. He was someone who would never, never not help someone."

Albano died at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday in his Carmel home surrounded by his wife of 56 years, Geraldine, and his family. He was 76.

He suffered a series of health ailments over the years, including heart valve replacement and more recently a stroke following hip replacement surgery, his son, Louis Albano said.

"A lot of his complications were from wrestling," his son said.

Albano began his wrestling career in 1953 and rose to international fame, mostly as a manager, with the then-World Wrestling Federation, now called World Wrestling Entertainment.

He appeared in the first Wrestlemania at Madison Square Garden in 1985 and was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1996.

"World Wrestling Entertainment was saddened to learn of the passing of one of the company's most popular and charismatic legends," a statement on the WWE Web site read.

In the 1980s, he paired with Cyndi Lauper, appearing in several of her videos, including "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "She Bop."

George Albano said the two met on a plane ride to Puerto Rico. They would work together to help bring professional wrestling to the mainstream, most notably with the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection," various events bridging wrestling with the music industry.

Albano and Lauper also traveled the country and raised millions of dollars for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation through the U.G.L.Y (Understanding, Generous, Lovable You!) Bartender Contest, said Albano's son, Louis. Albano was the chairman of the foundation and became involved in the cause after his sister-in-law's brother was diagnosed with the disease, said Louis Albano.

Albano would parlay his wrestling and pop culture fame into acting, appearing in several films and TV shows, including "Miami Vice" and Brian DePalma's "Wise Guys." He also served as the main character of "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show."

"As successful as he was, he never changed," Louis Albano said. "He always wore his flip-flops and Hawaiian shirts. He kept us very grounded. He knew being regular was important."

For those who may have missed him in the ring, Albano could often be found on the small screen as a cable television pitchman promoting many local businesses in Putnam County.

In 2006, the Steven P. Driscoll Memorial Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police honored Albano with a lifetime achievement award for community service.

Lodge President James O'Neill said the event, a police versus fire department boxing match, included several worldwide boxing champions who were excited to meet Albano.

"He was very community oriented. Everyone was always so happy to see him," O'Neill said. "He had a very colorful life, and we felt that impact in Putnam County."

Albano was born in Rome and was the oldest of five children. His father, Carmen Albano, was a doctor and his mother, Eleanor, a concert pianist.

Albano grew up in Mount Vernon and attended Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, where he was in the first graduating class. He was offered 32 football scholarships and went to the University of Tennessee before enlisting in the U.S. Army.

Albano is survived by his wife, four children and 14 grandchildren.

A wake will be held at Balsamo-Cordovano Funeral Home from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, 15 Church St., Carmel. A funeral Mass will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. James the Apostle Church, 14 Gleneida Ave., Carmel. Interment will follow at Rosehill Memorial Park in Putnam Valley.

The family is asking that donations be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.