Lou Albano
| Lou Albano | |
|---|---|
| |
| Full name | Louis Vincent Albano |
| Born | July 29, 1933 |
| Died | October 14, 2009 (aged 76) |
| Super Mario–related role(s) | Mario, Marianne, Mario Joe, Mama Mario, and himself (The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!) |
Louis Vincent Albano (July 29, 1933 – October 14, 2009), often referred by his ring name, "Captain" Lou Albano, was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager and actor who portrayed Mario in both the live action and cartoon segments of the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! He worked alongside Danny Wells, who portrayed Luigi. In addition to playing Mario, he also played various guest characters such as Marianne, Mario Joe, Mama Mario, and himself. In 2009, he died of a heart attack at the age of 76.
Biography
Lou Albano was born in Rome, Italy, in 1933. His family emigrated to the United States shortly after his birth. Albano was a high school athlete and won a football scholarship to the University of Tennessee. After briefly serving in the US Army, he became a nightclub bouncer. During this time, he was introduced to professional wrestling and started working in a tag team called the Sicilians.[1] He took on an arrogant, mafia-esque persona, which drew anger from crowds. After receiving threats from actual mafia members, the group broke up.[2] Albano soon decided to retire from wrestling and work as a manager. Albano notably appeared as the father figure in Cyndi Lauper's music video, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.
The role of Mario was arguably his best-known role outside of wrestling. Albano was a guest on a 1989 episode of Regis and Kathie Lee, during which he announced his new role. Albano also hired a barber to come on set and shave off his trademark goatee to give him a more Mario-like appearance.
Albano passed away in 2009, twenty years after his Mario debut, having been under a long period of hospice care.
History
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Albano appears as himself in the live-action segment "Captain Lou Is Missing". In the segment, Cyndi Lauper announces that Albano has gone missing when she had planned to go on a picnic lunch with him, and instead found rubber bands for his beard and a note that read "Dear Cyndi, I'm sorry that I'm not here but I've gone for good".
Cyndi forms a search party with Mario and Luigi at Mario Brothers Plumbing along with several volunteers and search teams stationed around the world, which ultimately fails not long afterward. When Mario later goes out to pick some pizza, Albano shows up and meets Luigi. When Cyndi asks him why he said he left, Albano sees his note and explains that part of it had been cut off; the note should've read "Dear Cyndi, I'm sorry that I'm not here, but I've gone for good fried chicken. Back in an hour.". Albano then explains that he had gotten tired of waiting for Cyndi to arrive at his house afterward, so he went out, saw fliers about his disappearance, and followed them all the way to Mario Brothers Plumbing.
Cyndi introduces Albano to Luigi, who is thrilled to meet him, although Luigi says he would be happier if Mario had been there to meet him as well. When Albano and Cyndi leave, Luigi figures that Mario is going to be very disappointed for not getting to meet him, as he claims Mario is Albano's biggest fan.
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Although Albano never makes an appearance in the Super Mario franchise beyond The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, he, along with several other famous people of Italian descent, do receive a mention from the Gondolier during The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "The Venice Menace".
Trivia
- According to The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'s producer John Grusd, Lou Albano had offered to legally change his name to "Mario" during the production of the show.[3]
- He once appeared in an anti-drug PSA while wearing his Mario cap.[4]
References
- ^ Michael Carlson (November 29, 2009) Lou Albano obituary The Guardian. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ Vaughn Johnson (October 29, 2013) New book recounts some of the best behind-the-scene stories in wrestlng history The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ Matt Paprocki (June 5, 2020) Inside Nintendo’s weird attempts at making movies and TV shows. Polygon. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ Captain Lou Albano - WGBS Philly 57 "Just Say No" Drugs PSA YouTube. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
| The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (live-action segments) | |
|---|---|
| Mario Brothers Plumbing | Clog • CooKoo Bird • Edison • Luigi • Mario • Ratagator • aBelle |
| Guests | Alligator Dundee • Angelica • Aunt Luigeena • Brian Bonsall • Captain Lou Albano • Cher • Count Zoltan Dracula • Cyndi Lauper • David Horowitz • Doc Freud • Dr. Frankenstein • Dr. Sigmund Fruitcake • Dr. Toby • E.C. • Einstein • Ellie Mae • Elvira • Elvis Presley • Ernie Hudson • Exterminator • Frankenstein's Monster • Fred Van Winkle • George Washington • Grandma Mario • HAL 9001 • Harry Blackstone Jr. • Howard Stevens • Ike • Imperial Poobah • Inspector Gadget • Inspector Klean • Jim Lange • Jodie • Kenneth • Little Robert • Liz • Luigeena • Luigi's girlfriend • Lyle Alzado • Mad Donna • Madam AGoGo • Magic Johnson • Mama Mario • Marianne • Marilyn • Mario Joe and Luigi Bob • Mikhail S. Gorbachev • Monster • Mr. Gibbel • Mr. President • Mrs. Gammliss • Mrs. Periwinkle • Nick • Nicole Eggert • Obi-Wan Cannoli • Pam Matteson • Patty • Patty's mother and father • Pietro • Poochie • Ralph Washington • Rob Stone • Rowdy Roddy Piper • Roxanne • Sgt. Slaughter • Shabba-Doo • Slime Ghost • Super Plant • Susanna Ross • Tawny Tyler • Ted Bull • The Old Psychic Lady with the Evil Eye Who Reads Fortunes and Knows Everything Before It Happens • Tommy Lasagna • Tulio • Vincent Van Gook • Willy White • Young McDonald |
| Objects, items, etc. | Mario Brothers Clog Cleaner • Mario Brothers Plant Food • Pizza Transformer • Roseitis • Secret Chippie Decoder Ring • Steam-O-Matic • Strange watch • Super Plant Growth Formula • Veggieitis |
