Louis Albano
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 29, 1933
- Died
- October 14, 2009 (aged 76)
- Birthplace
- Rome, Lazio, Italy
Biography
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
Filmography
Cyndi Lauper: Japanese Singles Collection - Greatest Hits
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Dark Side of the Ring
TV · 1 ep
WWE Greatest Wrestling Factions
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
Hot Ice, No-one Is Safe
Movie · as Frankie the Hat
Born to Controversy: The Roddy Piper Story
Movie · as Self
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
Movie · as Captain Lou Albano
The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers
Movie · as Captain Lou Albano
Legends Never Die
Movie
Lipstick & Dynamite
Movie · as Himself
13th Grade
Movie · as Lou Albano
Internet Fear
Movie
Mafioso: The Father The Son
Movie · as Doc
WWE: The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers
Movie
The Undertaker's Dozen
Movie · as Lou Costanza
Ivan Koloff the Most Hated Man in America
Movie · as Himself
Footlong
Movie · as Self
Man and Cat
Movie · as Additional Cat Dialogue
The Boys Behind the Desk
Movie
Heroes of Wrestling
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
WWE Survivor Series 1996
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Appearance)
WWE Hall Of Fame 1996
Movie · as Self
WWE Paul Bearer's Hits From the Crypt
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
German Fan Favorites
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
Cyndi Lauper: 12 Deadly Cyns... and Then Some
Movie
WWE King of the Ring 1994
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
WWF Countdown to The Crowning
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
WWE SummerSlam 1994
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
WWE Survivor Series 1994
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
Raw
TV · as Capt. Lou Albano, Capt. Lou Albano (archive footage) · 1 ep
It's a Complex World
Movie · as Boris Lee
Stay Tuned
Movie · as Ring Announcer
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Mario's Magic Carpet
Movie · as Mario
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
TV · as Mario · 65 eps
Hey Dude
TV · as Captain Lou · 1 ep
Sid & Marty Krofft's Redeye Express
Movie · as Self
Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
George "The Animal" Steele
Movie · as Captain Lou Albano (Manager)
Wise Guys
Movie · as Frank "The Fixer" Acavano
WrestleMania II
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
Body Slam
Movie · as Capt. Lou Murano
The British Bulldogs
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
The Macho Man Randy Savage & Elizabeth
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
Villains of the Squared Circle
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
The Best of the WWF: volume 6
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
The Best of the WWF: volume 7
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
The Best of the WWF: volume 8
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano
Movie · as Captain Lou Albano
Tag Team Champions
Movie · as Lou Albano
WWE The Big Event
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
WWE Grudge Match
Movie · as Captain Lou Albano
WWF Wrestling Challenge
TV · as Capt. Lou Albano · 5 eps
WWF Superstars
TV · as Captain Lou Albano · 5 eps
WrestleMania
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
The Best of the WWF: volume 4
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
Most Unusual Matches
Movie · as Captain Lou Albano
Best of the WWF Volume 1
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
Best of the WWF Volume 2
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!
Movie · as Captain Lou Albano
Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams
Movie · as Self
All-Star Rock 'N' Wrestling Saturday Spectacular
Movie · as Self
The WWF's Amazing Managers
Movie · as Captain Lou Albano
227
TV · 1 ep
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
TV · as Captain Lou Albano · 7 eps
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: October '84
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
WWE The Brawl to End it All
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
Miami Vice
TV · as Henchman #1
Tuesday Night Titans
TV · as Captain Lou Albano, Captain Lou Albano (Archive footage) · 24 eps
WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
TV · as Capt. Lou Albano · 2 eps
WWE Showdown at Shea '80
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager)
Below the Belt
Movie · as Wrestler (uncredited)
WWF Championship Wrestling
TV · as Captain Lou Albano (Manager) · 37 eps
WWF All-Star Wrestling
TV · as Captain Lou Albano · 12 eps
WWE at Madison Square Garden: June 30, 1973
Movie · as Capt. Lou Albano
WWE Old School
TV · as Capt. Lou Albano (Manager), Captain Lou Albano, Lou Albano (Referee) · 16 eps