We chatted a bit after I welcomed him back to Salem. He still had a rubber band holding his beard close to his chin with his long gray-black hair pulled back into a ponytail. He looked good, if a lot smaller than I remembered. I spoke with some folks that I knew and when the moment came, I walked over and presented myself. He was seated at the bar with his manager talking with two other men. He had, over the years, become a pop cultural icon. Now, in 2007, I had a chance to meet him again. We stood there for a bit with dropped jaws and watched Lou walk away, a huge loud intimidating man who strode the earth with a purpose. We were each handed a soda as he told us in a loud but suddenly friendly voice, “now get out there and watch the show!” They were handed over and cash was exchanged. “Three cold Coke!” he roared to the vendor. We turned left with Lou as he herded us to the front of the stand. I wondered how long it take for my mother to realize that I may never to return home.Īt the top of the stairs was a concession stand. All three were downcast and resigned to a bleak future. Whatever fate held for us, only Lou knew for sure. Fainting probably wouldn’t help, nor would crying and begging. Escape was impossible without running past this large terrifying man. Many thoughts were racing through my head. “Come with me boys,” he barked as he turned on his heels and walked toward the stairs. Moments passed as we stared upward into what we were sure was the end of our world. I tried to speak to explain, the words did not come, and for one horrible moment I was sure I was going to wet my pants. He was huge, bearded and exuded unrestrained menace. We spun around to see the meanest man in wrestling standing over us. Without warning there suddenly bellowed a huge voice behind us, “What are you boys doing down there?” For two or three minutes we tried to catch a glimpse of their faces but were unsuccessful. Those were the days when all doors had keyholes so we took turns squatting down and peeking into the room. We were too late the two had already gone in to get changed. We were determined to catch a look at the Rugged Russians before they put their masks on. Two friends and I took advantage of the loose security at the old Salem Armory and snuck downstairs to the hallway outside the dressing rooms. Lou of course was their nefarious partner in evil. They wore masks and always employed dirty tricks and foreign objects. They were the ultimate bad guys who represented our cold war nemesis. On that day he also brought another tag team called the Rugged Russians. We would do that whenever he gained the upper hand on his opponent. Luke would go berserk whenever the fans would chant “Crazy Luke” when he was in the ring. His boys include “Moon Dog” Mayne, a crazed overall wearing bearded beast who ate razor blades in the ring and a tag team composed of Tarzan Tyler and “Crazy” Luke Graham. He was plain old Lou Albano, a cheating and mean manager of a stable of bad guys that brought fear and loathing into small arenas all over the northeast. My first encounter with Captain Lou was back in 1970 when I was 10 years old. Dave was speaking of Lou Albano, of the old He played her father in the MTV video “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” You Yankee fans may be thinking of Lou Piniella, but you have the wrong Captain Lou. He asked me if I remembered Captain Lou, a man who had developed into something of a cultural icon in the 1980s. After a session in the steam room, a shave and a shower it was off to wander the downtown to take in the pre-Halloween sights.Īs I passed Rockafella’s I saw Dave, the owner ladling chowder and pouring hot apple cider in front of their Essex Street entrance. My day had gone as planned with a mid-morning breakfast at A Taste of Thyme followed by a short workout at the YMCA. On the Sunday afternoon before Halloween I had a short experience in downtown Salem that I think is worth sharing.
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