Frank Scarpa
American professional wrestler (1915–1969)
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Frank Scarpa (September 28, 1915 – January 25, 1969) was an American professional wrestler. While best known for his time with Big Time Wrestling, where he held the Boston-version of the World Heavyweight Championship, Scarpa spent the majority of his career as a journeyman competing across Canada and the United States.
September 28, 1915[1]
Manuel Garza
Manuel Cortez[2]
Ricardo Cortez
Gino Martinelli
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Francis Scarpa September 28, 1915[1] Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 25, 1969 (aged 53) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Frank Scarpa Manuel Garza Manuel Cortez[2] Ricardo Cortez Gino Martinelli |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Billed weight | 251 lb (114 kg) |
| Trained by | Fred Myerson |
| Debut | 1936 |
As Manuel Garza, he was a major star in the Los Angeles wrestling territory in the 1950s and won the NWA International Television Championship in 1957. According to wrestling historian Tom Burke, Scarpa set a record by selling out the Olympic Auditorium for 18 weeks in a row.[3] Santos eventually returned to New England spending the final years of his career as the region's top star.[4][5]
Death
On January 25, 1969, Scarpa suffered a heart attack one day after wrestling at the Jack Witschi Arena in North Attleboro - a Best 3-out-of-5 Falls match with Chief Eagle versus BTW U.S. Heavyweight Champion Gypsy Joe and Malcolm Cormier, which Scarpa's team won.[6] He was sent to Boston City Hospital where he died. He was 53.[7][8]
Championships and accomplishments
- Big Time Wrestling
- BTW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- BTW United States Heavyweight Championship (5 times)[9]