| Lou Albano | |
|---|---|
 Albano in June 2009 | |
| Birth name | Louis Vincent Albano |
| Born | July 29, 1933 Rome, Lazio, Kingdom of Italy[1][2] |
| Died | October 14, 2009 (aged 76) Westchester County, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Spouse(s) |
Geraldine Tango (m. 1953) |
| Children | 4 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Lou Albano The Captain |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[3] |
| Billed weight | 350 lb (159 kg)[3][4][5] |
| Billed from | Carmel, New York[3] |
| Trained by | Arnold Skaaland[5] Soldier Barry[5] |
| Debut | 1953[3] |
| Retired | 1969 (as wrestler)[6] 1996 (as manager)[7] |
Louis Vincent Albano[8] (July 29, 1933 – October 14, 2009) was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager and actor, who performed under the ring/stage name "Captain" Lou Albano. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1969, before becoming a manager until 1996.
Over the course of his 42-year career, Albano guided 15 different tag teams and three singles competitors to championship gold.[8] 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. Working first with NRBQ and later 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 younger generation of fans as the actor and voice of Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
- ^ "Pro wrestler, music video icon Albano dies at 76". Associated Press. October 15, 2009. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
- ^ "Wrestler, Pop Icon Captain Lou Albano Dies at 76". cbs5.com. October 14, 2009. Archived from the original on July 28, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference
wweprofilewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Shields, Brian (2006). "Captain Lou Albano". Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s. Pocket Books. p. 120. ISBN 9781451604672.
- ^ a b c Solomon, Brian (2006). WWE Legends. Pocket Books. pp. 38–43. ISBN 978-0-7434-9033-7.
- ^ "l'CAPTAIN' LOU ALBANO July 29th, 1933 – October 14th, 2009 76". October 14, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Hollywoodreporterwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Van der Griend, Blaine (October 14, 2009). "Captain Lou Albano passes away at 76". Slam! Wrestling. Retrieved October 14, 2009.