| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Francis Scarpa (1915-09-28)September 28, 1915[2] Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 25, 1969(1969-01-25) (aged 53) Boston, Massachusetts |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Frank Scarpa Manuel Garza Manuel Cortez[1] Ricardo Cortez Gino Martinelli |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Billed weight | 251 lb (114 kg) |
| Trained by | Fred Myerson |
| Debut | 1936 |
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.
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]
References
- ^ "Profile". CageMatch. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ "Frank Scarpa". Wrestlingdata.
- ^ Burke, Tom (April 1975). "Introducing Announcer: Koogie McFarland". Ring Wrestling. Vol. 11, no. 1. West Pittston, Pennsylvania: Suburban Publishers Inc. p. 34.
Scarpa was a big hit in the Los Angeles area in the early 50's, so much so that he sold out the Olympic Auditorium for 18 weeks in a row, a feat that hasn't happened since then.
- ^ Hornbaker, Tim (2017). "Frank Scarpa". Legends of Pro Wrestling: 150 Years of Headlocks, Body Slams, and Piledrivers. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 1613218753.
- ^ "Frank Scarpa Wrestling History". www.legacyofwrestling.com. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
- ^ Feeney, Frank (January 27, 1969). "Frank Scarpa Succumbs; Chalked Up 1,000 Bouts". Attleboro Sun. p. 9.
- ^ "Frank Scarpa, Pro Wrestler, Dies At 54". Boston Sunday Globe. January 26, 1969.
- ^ "SCARPA PASSES AT 53". Wrestling Revue. Vol. 10, no. 5. May 1969. p. 22.
- ^ Marks, Marky (2003). "Big Time Wrestling United States Heavyweight Title History". Solie.org. Solie's Title Histories. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020.
- ^ "International Television Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Puroresu Dojo. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
External links
- Frank Scarpa at OWW.com
