 louie.d |
September 26th, 2014 13:34 GMT |
 
|
|
Topics: 40
Replies: 1923
Member
Post: #808548
PT: #16/62
|
This message was edited by louie.d on September 26th, 2014 13:34 GMT
Funny thing? I'm not sure I ever saw the picture? She was likely using a polaroid, so may have seen it before she did whatever with it. Sure wish I had it now!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 18
Replies: 229
Member
Post: #808554
PT: #17/62
|
My dad and uncle had a bunch of stories from when they went to tv tapings at Channel 48 studio in Philly in the late 60's.
Once when they were leaving after the show, they saw Monsoon and Tanaka fixing a flat tire in the parking lot. My uncle asked if they needed help and Monsoon said "no thank you, son". My uncle was shocked because this was when Monsoon was still billed from Manchuria and didn't speak on air.
Another one...Sammartino was relaxing on a beach chair in the parking lot catching some sun before his match. His match came up and they announced him, but he didn't know because he was still tanning. My uncle ran out and said "Bruno, you're on!". He jumped up and ran into the ring.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 1097
Replies: 14299
Member
Post: #808558
PT: #18/62
|
Sammartino was relaxing on a beach chair in the parking lot catching some sun before his match. His match came up and they announced him, but he didn't know because he was still tanning. My uncle ran out and said "Bruno, you're on!". He jumped up and ran into the ring.
LOL Classic 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| louie.d |
September 26th, 2014 18:35 GMT |
|
|
Topics: 40
Replies: 1923
Member
Post: #808562
PT: #19/62
|
This message was edited by louie.d on September 26th, 2014 18:50 GMT
Someone several times has barked sneers at me on this board, something about my Scranton limited view of wrestling. I usually have it coming in response to an "I can't avoid it" jab at Pedro as champ.
Bruno's first title reign was approx 64 - 71? A review of various cites shows a constant march of Bruno title defenses in Scranton throughout the entire first reign. And I have uncovered some missing in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre as well. lBig name defenses - not just the ongoing Bruno family (monsoon, kowalski, tanaka with help from bobo and the Italians friends). The big matches that didn't get shots all around for years - Kiniski, Watts, Shows were always at least three good matches deep. I went and followed sporadically from 66 (defenses v beast and iakeua ) then non stop from Jan 70 through about 79. Mainly Scranton but lots of Hamburg, a show in Hazelton, atlantic city pre gambling). Bruno was ALWAYS in Scranton.but not always other places that we knew of (big cites excluded of course). I just don't think any other venue anywhere near Scranton's size could "expect" to see a tough Bruno title defense every three weeks. Scranton didn't have a title change but did have other cool angles beyond the frequent Bruno appearance, from Kiniski (1865?) right through being sandwiched as the middle match in, I believe, a Tanaka/Arakawa - Pugliese/Rivera tri-fecta. . Then came the 1970 slowdown - last scheduled defenses were Jan 1970 - Bruno's first and only Scranton "no snow" against Von Erich due to snow; Feb 1970 - beats Von Erich pin; I believe May 1970 beats Big K pin. I also uncovered a defense against Tanaka in Wilkes-Barre sometime during this timeframe but this was clearly a slow bruno/scranton year by past standards.
Koloff - short reign - legendary defense against the Scranton savior (absent Bruno) Cheif Jay.
All of the above drew great crowds wiith packed cards for such a small town.
Pedro. Some of the worst undercards ever; No magic. Prayed for Cheif main events - great strap matches of all sorts including Blassie, Spolier, Iakaua (sold out through "and around" the rafters).
Buno reign two - Bruno would not have skipped a beat it Scranton. But I do not believe he had s single title defense in Scranton second reign. Scranton died slow beating Strongbow too long, Putski held his own, The Mighty Joe Louis a special guest ref' for the MSG one night and only Scranton (either night after/before - don't remember for sure), Backlund was Backlund, But Bruno was Bruno and no Bruno meant you had "strunza."
What happened. Willie Gilzenburg was still crawling into the ring to announce the line-up three weeks from tonight?
A key ingredient died between Bruno's two reigns. A well dressed gentleman, with downs syndrome, attended virtually every Bruno/Scranton show.during Bruno reign 1. Bruno often carried him into the ring. Bruno always took him into the dressing room to meet his friends. The gentleman was just a bit older than me when I went to my first matches in 66 (I about 9 so he maybe 14?). Frankie was already providing keeper memories with Bruno. Bruno's buddy Frankie. As with virtually all NE Italians, Bruno was close to a god, and Frankie was the king's buddy. After the matches it was dinner time. Great Italian Dinner Time. Either dinner at home with family or a night at one of NE PAs legendary Italian restaurants. Bruno was the king.. Yeah/ I had a jaded view. Bur we got to see an awful lot of Bruno thanks to our little gentleman Frankie.
Wondering in anyone else shares my recollections?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 56
Replies: 1644
Member
Post: #808605
PT: #21/62
|
Quoted from: Dan Shocket's Ghost, September 27th, 2014 01:08 GMT
What does any of this have to do with meeting wrestlers?
I thought the same thing but just shook my head and decided to ignore it, assuming it was a reply to a different post.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| louie.d |
September 27th, 2014 03:19 GMT |
|
|
Topics: 40
Replies: 1923
Member
Post: #808615
PT: #22/62
|
I guess because we all met Bruno ringside through the frequent Scranton visits. The doors open for business, you could see from the snack bar straight through the doors into the ring. Frankie would stand by the doorway from the babyface dressing room to the ring. Invariably, the long Bruno/Frankie encounter took place and all the kids got to "hang: around.
The NE Pa restaurant visits were frequent. I was too young but it wasn't an uncommon thing for Bruno to show up in Luzerne County restraunts after his matches. These were events. Just thought someone else would be able to fill in a little better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| louie.d |
September 27th, 2014 03:25 GMT |
|
|
Topics: 40
Replies: 1923
Member
Post: #808616
PT: #23/62
|
This message was edited by louie.d on September 27th, 2014 03:26 GMT
Just re-read my post, your responses, and my response above. Is that what they call associated thought process? Dis-associated thought process? Sorry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| louie.d |
September 27th, 2014 03:29 GMT |
|
|
Topics: 40
Replies: 1923
Member
Post: #808617
PT: #24/62
|
Actually, the encounters, especially at dinner time, were not all that infrequent. It probably would b e interesting to hear from someone a bit older with first hand memories.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 173
Replies: 2735
Member
Post: #808659
PT: #26/62
|
Quoted from: louie.d, September 27th, 2014 03:25 GMTJust re-read my post, your responses, and my response above. Is that what they call associated thought process? Dis-associated thought process? Sorry.
When you posted this (Someone several times has barked...), Louie, I thought it didn't fit. It was a better fit in the thread that was above it in the Latest Posts. Thought maybe you made a mistake. Now I can't remember what the other thread was. No harm done, though. You always have interesting posts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| louie.d |
September 28th, 2014 04:31 GMT |
|
|
Topics: 40
Replies: 1923
Member
Post: #808672
PT: #27/62
|
Preno's was very nice, downtown Scranton near the CYC, and a regular stop However, The family Bruno ate with was from Luzere County, When not eating at home, a favorite Lkuzerbe County restaurant was Grico.s
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| TORFAN |
September 29th, 2014 19:29 GMT |
|
|
Topics: 119
Replies: 1079
Member
Post: #808754
PT: #28/62
|
Guys, these stories are really good reads.
So I am wondering then, did any of the old school guys stay at the Hotel Pennsylvania at all? From the posts, it seems that the Hotel Edison was the place they stayed at in NYC.
Who were the more "fan friendly" type guys vs. the guys that would stay in character or would kayfabe people? Did anyone ever meet Vince Sr or Jr outside the ring? Any good stories?
Thanks for the awesome recounts!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 604
Replies: 13632
Member
Post: #808775
PT: #29/62
|
Quoted from: godzillajoe2k12, September 25th, 2014 03:45 GMTI was too young for the time frame since I was 14 when Backlund dropped the belt but one of my funnier ones is walking to Boston Garden (well technically it was the Fleet Center by then) and this two seater sports car pulls up. Some guy says "hey how do you get to the Fleet Center?" It took me a minute as he's all scrunched up in the front seat with some woman driving. It was everyone's favorite, Kevin Nash. I turned to my friend and said "Do you know who that was?" He was a bit embarrassed. I mean we were walking to the matches.
There's been a million more like when Erik Watts told me to go F%$# myself after I asked who came up with the ridiculous Tekno Team 2000 gimmick as he and Chad Fortune sat in a car after a card
King Kong Bundy was a nice guy, introdicued himself to us by his real name after an indie show
Pat Patterson who must have been scouting talent chatted with us for a while as we marked out about the Cobra Clutch Challenge
Sylvano Sousa stopping us at the door of one of his indie shows and saying we weren't coming in because last time we were really rowdy and pissed off a lot of guys by cheering heels and booing faces. We convinced him we would play nice.
Same thing for Backlund, we booed the hell out of him after he got mad that we cheered him the last show
Chief Jay Strongbow at WM11 Fan Fest didn't even blink when we went up to him and said we loved when he "put the bad mouth" on his opponents and then puffed out our chests to mimic him. Not a smirk, not a "thanks guys" or "beat it you marks" Nothing. We were invisible.
Hanging out in the back of some show in Baltimore at a Bash maybe and chatting wrestlers as they came in. Heel Big Show (The Giant),.super nice. Babyface Sting and Luger, dicks.
Meeting HHH on the streets of Boston after a show. He had JUST signed a WWF contract and hadn't debuted yet. We were like "Dude, did you leave WCW?" he said yes and when asked what his gimmick would be said he didn't know yet
And the highlight of them all, meeting The Living Legend and having him sign my 1969 Boston Garden Program (it's a bit blurry as I left it in the frame) and chatting about the old days.
I love that cover since it was not a regular photo but a sketch
A bunch more from ECW, WCW, Boston and Baltimore indies and late era WWF but most people here probably aren't interested in them
Still, some of the guys above were from this timeframe
Strongbow must be an ass. I have yet to hear 1 story where he was civil. What gets me about your encounter is he was SPECIFICALLY THERE TO INTERACT WITH THE FANS!!!! 
I would be curious if he was as sullen back in the day, or if he just became extremely cranky as he aged.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 56
Replies: 1644
Member
Post: #808785
PT: #30/62
|
Well, he was sorta sitting off to the side, kinda people watching or whatever. Not in the head dress or anything. I bet most people didn't even recognize him. But still, we were polite if a bit enthusiastically markish and clearly fans of his. He could have at least acknowledged our existence even if it was just to tell us to get lost. I can respect that. Would have said "OK, it's cool, just wanted to say hello and thanks for the memories" and left him alone.
In contrast, when I met Bruno he was almost embarrassed by the praise and genuinely humbled that he had such a lasting effect on people.
Whatever, Scarpa was who he was, maybe he had his reasons
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Subscriptions disabled ]