Louis Albano
Louis Vincent "Captain Lou" Albano was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, manager and actor. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1969, then he became a manager, until 1995. Throughout his 42-year career, Albano guided 15 different tag teams and four singles competitors to championship gold. Albano was part of the "Triumvirate of Terror," a threesome of nefarious WWF managers that also included The Grand Wizard of Wrestling and Freddie Blassie. The trio would be fixtures 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! In 1953, Albano married his high school sweetheart, Geraldine Tango. The marriage lasted 56 years, until his death. Albano has been noted by several others for his faithfulness to his wife, a rare characteristic in the on-the-road world of 1970s and 1980s professional wrestling. Albano released his autobiography, Often Imitated, Never Duplicated, on July 20, 2008 through his website. The book includes a foreword by Cyndi Lauper. The other Albano siblings are Vincent, George, Eleanor, and Carl, all of whom became teachers. Albano's brother, Carl, taught health for 32 years at Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and was head of the Ridgewood High health department from 1974 until 2001. Carl's students have noted that he used his brother Lou as an example of the difference between crazy and unique. George served as the Principal of Lincoln Elementary School in Mount Vernon, New York and often brought Lou in to delight the school's students during their lunch hour. Vincent was an art teacher and lived part-time in a lake house in Connecticut. Eleanor was a music teacher for preschool students in Connecticut and impacts the lives of countless students through music. Albano's son, Carl Albano, has been a member of the Putnam County Legislature since 2011. During the 1990s, Albano shed 150 pounds (70 kg) following a health scare. In May 2005, Albano suffered a heart attack, but later recovered. Albano was sent home from the hospital and again began watching his health. The song "Captain Lou" by Kimya Dawson is dedicated to him. In 1983 the band NRBQ wrote a song about Albano called "Captain Lou." Albano was featured as a singer on that song as well on another called "Boardin' House Pie." Both of these songs appear on NRBQ's Tap Dancin' Bats compilation, their Lou and Q spoken-word comedy record, as well as their out-of-print, hard-to-find single which Albano used to sell at his wrestling matches. Albano died on October 14, 2009 of a heart attack while residing in hospice care.He was 76 years old.
Known For
Credits
- 2021 · Biography: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper as (archive footage)
- 2019 · Cyndi Lauper: Japanese Singles Collection - Greatest Hits as Self (archive footage)
- 2019 · Dark Side of the Ring as
- 2014 · WWE Greatest Wrestling Factions as Capt. Lou Albano
- 2011 · The True Story of WrestleMania as Captain Lou Albano (archive footage)
- 2010 · Hot Ice, No-one Is Safe as Frankie the Hat
- 2006 · Born to Controversy: The Roddy Piper Story as Self
- 2006 · WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology as Captain Lou Albano
- 2006 · Legends Never Die as
- 2006 · The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers as Captain Lou Albano
- 2005 · 13th Grade as Lou Albano
- 2005 · Internet Fear as
- 2005 · Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling as Himself
- 2004 · WWE: The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers as
- 2004 · Mafioso: The Father The Son as Doc
- 2003 · Ivan Koloff the Most Hated Man in America as Himself
- 2003 · The Undertaker's Dozen as Lou Costanza
- 2000 · The Boys Behind the Desk as
- 1999 · Heroes of Wrestling as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1996 · WWE Survivor Series 1996 as Capt. Lou Albano (Appearance)
- 1996 · WWE Hall Of Fame 1996 as
- 1994 · WWE Paul Bearer's Hits from the Crypt as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
- 1994 · WWE Survivor Series 1994 as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
- 1994 · German Fan Favorites 2 as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1994 · WWE SummerSlam 1994 as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1994 · WWE King of the Ring 1994 as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
- 1994 · WWE The Countdown to The Crowning as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1994 · Cyndi Lauper: 12 Deadly Cyns... and Then Some as
- 1993 · WWE Raw as
- 1993 · WWE Raw as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1993 · WWE Raw as Capt. Lou Albano (archive footage)
- 1992 · Stay Tuned as Ring Announcer
- 1992 · It's a Complex World as Boris Lee
- 1989 · The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! as Mario
- 1987 · Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1986 · Body Slam as Capt. Lou Murano
- 1986 · The British Bulldogs as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1986 · WWF Wrestling Challenge as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1986 · WWE The Big Event as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1986 · The Macho Man Randy Savage & Elizabeth as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
- 1986 · The Best of the WWF: volume 8 as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1986 · WWE Villains of The Squared Circle as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1986 · The Best of the WWF: volume 7 as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1986 · The Best of the WWF: volume 6 as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
- 1986 · Wise Guys as Frank "The Fixer" Acavano
- 1986 · WrestleMania II as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
- 1986 · The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano as Self
- 1986 · Tag Team Champions as Lou Albano
- 1985 · 227 as
- 1985 · All-Star Rock 'N' Wrestling Saturday Spectacular as Self
- 1985 · The Best of the WWF: volume 4 as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
- 1985 · Cyndi Lauper: The Goonies 'R' Good Enough as Cyndi's Father
- 1985 · WrestleMania as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
- 1985 · Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps and Bodyslams! as Self
- 1985 · Best of the WWF Volume 1 as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
- 1985 · Best of the WWF Volume 2 as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
- 1985 · WWF's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest as Captain Lou Albano
- 1985 · The WWF's Most Unusual Matches as Captain Lou Albano
- 1984 · WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: October '84 as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
- 1984 · Miami Vice as
- 1984 · WWE The Brawl to End it All as Capt. Lou Albano
- 1980 · WWE Showdown at Shea '80 as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)