15 Years Later…Bruno & The Wrestling Legends Cards Are Still Uno

It’s an odd feeling to be doing a follow-up to an entry published nearly fifteen years to the day earlier. Even odder is that I had to research when the original was done and it just so happened to be way back on July 20^th 2010. A completely different world is so many ways, yet, here we are without any huge visual changes like in the span of, say, 1965-1980 or 1980-1995. I almost feel like visuals have stopped changing somehow but that’s not the topic at hand.

Back in 2010 I either tracked down or was pointed in the direction of a man named Tim Ferrante who, back in the ‘90s, was vice president of a company called Imagine Inc. While many know the company for publishing trading cards and other items in the vintage horror/sci-fi genre, wrestling fans are aware of the name for being behind Bruno Sammartino’s autobiography and the 1991 Wrestling Legends trading card set. It was the latter which Mr. Ferrante was kind enough to speak about. He even provided rare trade show photos highlighting the association with “The Living Legend.” It became one of the highest-read entries in the history of this blog.

Fast forward to March 15^th 2025 and I finally find myself speaking to the other side of the creative force behind these early ‘90s Bruno relics – a man by the name of Bob Michelucci. From being one of the zombies in the original “Dawn of the Dead” film (made in a huge location of my childhood – Monroeville Mall) to being involved in endless other projects in design and marketing around the Pittsburgh area and beyond, Michelucci is an unsung hero to so many of us. Speaking with him you not only walk away with more behind-the-scenes info than you ever thought you’d know but you also get the feeling that Mr. Michelucci is unaware of how much joy he’s brought to so many, whether it be in the spotlight or behind the scenes. It’s just his life’s work.

It was the “Bruno Forever” event, covered in an earlier entry, where I finally met Mr. Michelucci. A few months later he hosted a weekend long event, at the aforementioned Monroeville Mall, called a “living estate sale.” Even with being involved with and/or behind so many projects over the years, Michelucci is a collector himself. Like with all of us collectors eventually comes the time to downsize. A small portion of the large sale included items from Michelucci’s days working with “The Living Legend.”

I was able to add a few things to my own vast Bruno collection including the trade show photos that you see here which also feature Bill “Chilly Billy” Cardille (Pittsburgh broadcasting legend and host of of Pittsburgh’s Studio Wrestling), Johnny Valiant and photographer George Napolitano. They’re a fascinating glimpse back to when you actually had to bring a camera to such an event. No whipping out your phone here. The photos range from the Vegas trade show which was also shown thanks to Mr. Ferrante back in 2010 to local signings here in Pittsburgh.

I also finally picked up a signed Bruno LJN Wrestling Superstars poster. I never did start getting the LJN posters signed, instead concentrating on having the carded figures themselves signed, but what a way to start. Normally I’m not interested if something is signed to someone who isn’t me, but occasionally an exception is made. When it’s signed to the co-author of the autobiography of the signer it’s definitely one of the latter times.

Rounding out the Bruno haul was an original flyer advertising the book’s availability and the last piece to the Wrestling Legends trading card set. There was an initial base set which my father bought for me way back when the cards were new. There was also a set featuring a special eight card gold bordered autographed subset. This version, which was very affordable even back when I did the initial blog entry, has soared in the recent years as it features the only officially signed cards of Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz. What I still needed was an unsigned set of those eight special cards which was also released. My set is finally complete.

Best of all were all the stories Bob has about those Imagine Inc. and Bruno days. He mentioned that, even then, some guys just weren’t able to be part of it. This was long before the days of “Legends Contracts” but you can imagine that names like Gorilla Monsoon, George Steele, Jay Strongbow and Pat Patterson probably would’ve been included but were still very much employed by the WWF at the time. Bob also never let it goes unmentioned as to what a great guy Bruno was. He is so very much right.

Stay tuned to our Facebook blog page for info on future “Living Estate Sales” that Mr. Michelucci will hold as I will be passing the info along there. Also, I still stand by my claim from the original entry in 2010: the 1991 Wrestling Legends trading cards are STILL the most underrated wrestling cards of all-time.

The 2016 Additions to The Great Squared Circle in the Sky

As the year comes to a close, it's tradition here on the blog to look back at those wrestling stars that we have lost over the past twelve months. All businesses lose individuals each year, but wrestling always seem to have more than its fair share, many at a far younger age than should be acceptable. 2016 did see a number of names pass who made it their 60s, 70s, and 80s. Others met tragic ends just a few years after their names faded from the mainstream marquee.

Among those from the wrestling business who passed away in 2016 were Joanie "Chyna" Laurer, Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie, Bill Cardille, Lord James Blears, Blackjack Mulligan, Balls Mahoney, Frenchy Martin, Axl Rotten, Harley Saito, Charlie Fulton, Don Bass, Mr. Fuji, Gypsy Joe, Lord Littlebrook, Espectrito, Jean Antone, Hayabusa, Mocho Cota, Mark Young, Edmund Francis, El Mongol, and Iron Mike Sharpe.

Charlie Fulton was a journeyman's journeyman. Name a territory and a place on the card and Fulton likely worked it. Although he did not make it to the pay-per-view era of wrestling that cemented so many names into immortality, he did pass on his wealth of knowledge to a number of other wrestlers including Raven. When I met Fulton in 2013, he seemed very happy to be remembered by both fans and his peers alike. Fulton is the type of wrestler that was content no matter what his role was in the business, something that is seen less and less today where everyone feels that they need to be the center of attention.

Balls Mahoney made his name as one of the most hardcore characters to come from Extreme Championship Wrestling, but the ECW original was more than that. He knew how to technically wrestle if called upon to do so and could play the lovable cartoonish character as he did during his last WWE run. It's no secret that his lifestyle caused his premature demise, but the "Hardcore Chair-Swingin' Freak," as well as his partner Axl Rotten, who also passed away this year, will be remembered for giving their all to entertain the fans, no matter the sacrifice.

Perhaps the biggest 2016 wrestling loss to me personally was Bill Cardille. "Chilly Billy," as he was known to generations of Pittsburghers, was the voice of the Steel City's "Studio Wrestling" program in the 1960's and into the '70s. His battle with cancer was well-publicized here in Pittsburgh and the outpouring of love and respect for the broadcasting legend hopefully made his final days just a bit more comfortable. As affable in person as he was on-screen, Bill Cardille is one passing that did not get as much attention in the wrestling press as others, but he certainly made an equal impact on the business.

As we remember those who passed, we look ahead to 2017 and what good we can do in the memories of those who are now gone...

"To live in the hearts of those left behind is not to die."

Pittsburgh Loses Its Voice..."Chilly Billy" Cardille

Pop in an old wrestling match from the '50s to the '70s and you'll likely be able to identify where it took place in just a few seconds. The venues were unique. The look and feel of the production might be a tip-off. You might even be able to pinpoint it just by who's in the ring. But the most recognizable aspect of a regional wrestling promotional was usually the golden voice behind the microphone. We've had plenty of them over the years and have begun to honor many who are still with us. Lance Russell, Bob Caudle, and Bill Mercer are just a few of those who have lived to see a new appreciation of their past efforts. Sadly, one who isn't as well known for wrestling outside of his home city has just passed away. The man was the voice of Pittsburgh's Studio Wrestling program starring "The Living Legend" himself, Bruno Sammartino. The man was Bill Cardille.

"Chilly Billy," as he was known to his legions of fans, passed away early last Thursday. While any wrestling historian would know his name and his contributions to the business, he is sadly not as celebrated as the other aforementioned announcers. Despite so much of Cardille's non-wrestling work still surviving, there is virtually no filmed record of his Studio Wrestling days. Although many have searched, it appears that Pittsburgh's WIIC-TV, now known as WPXI, taped over every last bit of the Studio Wrestling program. All that exists are some silent home movies and some audio recordings taped off of television by fans. Anything that would be shown these days by an entity such as WWE is long gone.

For a time, Cardille was also an announcer for one of the WWWF's syndicated shows out of Philadelphia. If any footage of that exists, it certainly hasn't been shown in awhile. But ultimately it was his love of his family and the city of Pittsburgh that kept him from becoming one of the main voices of the promotion that eventually took over the wrestling industry. Cardille did not want to travel to Washington D.C. and other areas in the territory, so instead the company began using a youngster named Vince McMahon Jr.

Staying in the Steel City may have been just the right thing for Bill Cardille. He arguably became even better known for his long running "Chiller Theater" program which aired classic horror films on Saturday nights. Many television horror hosts who came after often credit "Chilly Billy" as an inspiration. Cardille wore many different hats in the world of Pittsburgh television and radio, just retiring from the latter around two years ago. In my own childhood days, Cardille was still a fixture on the WPXI-TV news, bringing his easy-going, affable style to the weather forecasts.

It was because of yet another tireless effort of Bill Cardille's that enabled me to see both him and Bruno Sammartino in-person for the first time. Cardille was the longtime host of the local portion of the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. The segments were produced out of Monroeville Mall just outside of Pittsburgh and Bruno often volunteered his services to man the phones. Monroeville Mall was also the site of George Romero's 1978 flick "Dawn of the Dead." A decade earlier, Romero produced his classic "Night of the Living Dead" just north of Pittsburgh. Who appeared in the film as a news reporter? Bill Cardille.

Cardille became a fixture on the local convention scene as well as appearing at various Studio Wrestling reunion events in recent years. It was at these appearances that I got to see, first hand, just what a kind man Cardille was. Even in his 80's, the signature voice of "Chilly Billy" was just as rich and robust as it was during all of those years on television. It was evident to this wrestling fan that Mr. Cardille never lost his appreciation for the classic era of the industry and all of its zany characters.

While we don't have much film of "Chilly Billy" in wrestling, we do have plenty of memorabilia. Cardille had several wrestling magazine articles covering his efforts in the '60s. He was also featured in the "Tri-State Wrestling" publications that were produced by the Pittsburgh wrestling office, often with other Studio Wrestling notables such as fan "Ringside Rosie" and Pittsburgh Pirate Hall of Famer-turned-pitchman Pie Traynor. Many print ads featuring Cardille and showcasing Studio Wrestling also still exist.

Not only did I get to meet Mr. Cardille many times, but he also indirectly helped me live out my dream. Several years ago, I answered a trivia question on the Pro Wrestling Illustrated blog. I can't remember exactly what the question was, but the answer was, of course, Bill Cardille. Since that blog and my own were run using the same system, my answer indirectly linked to my blog. My work was noticed by the fine folks at PWI, which in turn led to me writing in the magazine and its sister publications.

Mr. Cardille, thank you so much for giving your talents to Pittsburgh. You informed, entertained, and enlightened us all, yet still had time to aid those in need. You raised and loved a family, and yet somehow managed to make us all feel like we were part of it. I'll never forget our interactions at various events nor your reactions to whatever magazine, article, or photo that I could find for you to sign. The true definition of a gentleman, on-camera and off, is Mr. Bill Cardille.

Bill "Chilly Billy" Cardille

1928-2016

 

The Territory Photo Albums--Pittsburgh 1967

 Fans nowadays have it easy!  If they want to know who's officially on the WWE roster, they can simply pull up the WWE App and a fully interactive listing is available at their disposal, complete with photos, facts, and even videos.  Back in the territorial days of wrestling, this would've been looked at as something out of science fiction.  The more advantageous fan might contact or even visit the offices of their local wrestling promoter in order to gain more info and facts, but that was about as far as it went.  If the fan wanted a "Who's Who" of wrestling stars and info they could usually purchase a program at an event, but one item was just a tad better: the photo album.

Most territories eventually released a publication billed as either a photo album or something similar.  These books were program/magazine sized and printed on a variety of materials.  Some had color, some did not.  Some had thicker, sturdier covers while others were all on standard paper.  A few were produced by the promotion itself, while others had some help from other publishers.  No matter the differences, they all served to advertise and promote the talent to the masses.

Since so many different albums were produced, it'd be an injustice to lump them all into one entry.  As a continuing series, we'll take a look at photo albums from territories around the country featuring many of the all-time greats and even some forgotten names.  For a few reasons, we'll start right here in the home city of this very blog, Pittsburgh, PA.

The photo albums put out by the Pittsburgh wrestling office, known as Spectator Sports, were titled "Tri-State Wrestling."  To many, they're known as the "Studio Wrestling photo albums," as "Studio Wrestling" was the name of the much-missed Pittsburgh wrestling television program, most famously hosted by Bill Cardille.  Growing up, I would constantly hear the WWF and other then-current wrestling promotions referred to as "Studio Wrestling" by adults.  I later figured out that the name is simply what these folks grew up on, so it became a generic title for which to refer to any form of pro wrestling.

Five of the Pittsburgh Tri-State Wrestling photo albums were produced in all, ranging from roughly 1963 to 1969.  The albums were sold through advertisements on arena programs and on the Studio Wrestling show itself.  For a nominal fee, you could own an album showing you full page shots of your local wrestling favorites, and even some national stars that were thrown in for good measure.  In the days before the over-saturation of televised wrestling, not to mention the Internet, these albums were the kind of thing that fans stared at for hours.

Exact release dates on these albums are fuzzy at best, but most agree that the edition shown here today is from around 1967 and would've been the third of the five released.  As with all but one of the Tri-State albums, the WWWF Champion Bruno Sammartino is featured in a classic pose on the cover.  These Tri-State covers were usually very colorful, and this one is a mix of color and glorious black and white.  Interestingly, Sammartino is referred to as the "Holder Of World-Wide Wrestling Federation Championship."  It is often recalled that the title was usually just referred to as the "World Championship" on Studio Wrestling broadcasts.

In addition to being fun to look at, these albums also often provided a great place to obtain autographs in those very early days of wrestling merchandising.  Subsequently, it is not unusual to purchase any territorial photo album that contain signatures.  Long time readers of this blog may remember this Tri-State album, as I once uncovered a photo of the late Chief White Owl autographing the cover of one.  Whether or not this is the exact one or not will never be known, but the one in my collection does indeed have White Owl's signature right on the cover.  I've since been able to add Sammartino's signature as well as other living Pittsburgh wrestling legends, but it's always interesting to see just who the original fan was able to meet up with all of those years ago.

The Tri-State albums are a mix of promotional style photos and action shots.  In addition to men who competed in the Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania area like Sammartino, George Steele, Gorilla Monsoon, Bill Miller, Johnny DeFazio, and The Battman are wrestlers who had either passed through the area at one time or may never have really spent any time here at all such as Bobo Brazil, Arman Hussain, Toru Tanaka, and Luke Graham.  It was a smart idea by the Pittsburgh promoters to make the promotion seem even larger and more important.

Another fun gimmick that the promoters used to make the promotion seem larger can be seen in several of the photos, most notably in the in-ring photo of Steele.  Though crowds at the WIIC (now WPXI) studios were boisterous, fake fans made of cardboard helped to fill out certain sides of the ring in an attempt to make the studio seem even larger.  In the days before high-definition television cameras, this most likely worked to a degree, despite being blatantly obvious here in print.

Speaking of the studio, it seems that the original owner of this album most likely attended a live television broadcast of Studio Wrestling.  The thought behind this is the inclusion of the two gem autographs of the album, the first of which is promoter Rudy Miller.  Miller is often credited with discovering Bruno Sammartino himself, and is in fact listed as such right here in the album.  Although he was probably accessible for an autograph, it likely didn't occur to many fans to ask him for one.  After all, he wasn't a wrestler.  Also shown on the page are various officials, the ring announcer, and Dr. Louis R. Civitarese.  Civitarese, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 92, was the doctor who attended to Sammartino when the legend broke his neck in the 1970's.

The other star autograph in the album is also of a man who was not a wrestler, but rather a baseball Hall of Famer.  Pie Traynor, legendary Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman, is best remembered in the city today for being the pitchman for American Heating Company.  Traynor would do live commercials during the Studio Wrestling program where he would proclaim "Who Can? AmeriCAN!" to a generation of steel town wrestling fans.  Today, mentioning either Traynor or Studio Wrestling to a Pittsburgher above the age of 55 will likely produce an imitation of the famous pitch.

I have a soft spot for Pittsburgh for many reasons that I've covered over the years, but looking through the photo album of any wrestling territory is a thrill.  They're yet another great relic of the wrestling business gone-by, but in some ways they're continuing today.  In upcoming editions of "The Territory Photo Albums," we'll take a look at all aspects of such publications, and I hope that the stars pop out of these entries the way that they do in these albums of ten, twenty, and even fifty years ago.

The Steel City Still Reigns Supreme

When discussing wrestling history, cities such as New York, St. Louis, Dallas, Charlotte, and Tokyo immediately spring to mind. While there's no doubt that these were the top wrestling hotbeds, there is an underrated, overlooked, and often ignored city that deserves recognition. This is the Steel City, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

It truly doesn't matter which era of wrestling you're most familiar with. From Bruno vs Steele to Mankind vs The Undertaker, Pittsburgh wrestling fans are full of squared circle memories. The hard working, blue collar fans in the Steel City simply resonate with each and every aspect of pro wrestling. The hard hitting action. The rough characters. The traditional struggle of good vs evil.

Sadly for fans under the age of about 45, many of Pittsburgh's greatest wrestling moments are lost to history. The legendary Studio Wrestling program that starred Bruno Sammartino, Dominic DeNucci, The Crusher, The Battman, Waldo Von Erich, George Steele, announcer Bill Cardille and so many, many more is all but gone. WIIC-TV (now WPXI) , like many early television entities, taped over the weekly shows. Programs, magazines, photos, and even a few sound bytes are all that is left to keep the memories alive.

Another way that the Pittsburgh wrestling legacy has been kept alive is from a series of Studio Wrestling reunion appearances held in the area over the past two years. Sammartino, Steele, Johnny DeFazio, Ivan Koloff, and Baron Mikel Scicluna (in his final appearance) are just several of the names to attend these events. The appearance of children at these shows is proof that longtime Pittsburghers are sharing their longtime love for the sport of kings.

As touching as it is to see fans, young and old, meeting their local heroes, it is equally as compelling to witness the wrestling legends themselves in the spotlight once again. Even men such as Sammartino, Koloff, and Steele who attend such shows around the country are obviously affected by the outpouring of admiration in Pittsburgh. Hearing their stories, often elicited before the events by Bill Cardille, only reinforces the rich history of the region. Many fans, such as myself, get extra stories out of the stars when presenting classic items for them to autograph. It is these tales and memories, not the autographs or items, that are the true irreplaceable antiquities.

Sadly, it seems that one of the biggest icons of the city is on life support. As I discussed about a year ago, the Pittsburgh Civic Arena seems to be just months away from meeting the wrecking ball. A truly unique structure, the "Igloo" was home not only to so many of Sammartino's legendary battles, but also two of Pittsburgh native Kurt Angle's championship wins as well as the infamous Mankind-Undertaker Hell in the Cell match. It was also the place where, in 1992, a 9-year-old kid witnessed his first ever live pro wrestling card that just happened to involve Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, and Ric Flair.

Even government "progress" can't diminish the impact pro wrestling has had on the former "smoky" city. It's a shame that someone has not chronicled Pittsburgh's amazing wrestling story for posterity. Whether or not that ever happens, Pittsburghers themselves know that they live in one of the world's great wrestling cities. Perhaps the very last "best kept secret" the sport will ever know.

**********"From The Musty, Yellowed Pages..."**********

Wrestling World, April 1968, Page 50

Keeping with the legacy of Pittsburgh wrestling, I present a personal collectible story involving one of Studio Wrestling's late stars.

Chief White Owl was one of the many names that frequently competed in the Pittsburgh/Cleveland area. A fan-friendly wrestler, the Chief was known to be accessible for autographs. This is proven with the fact that over the past year I've acquired two of the Chief's autographs that were signed in the 1960's. Several magazines even show the Chief signing for groups of fans. One of those is this particular issue of Wrestling World.

This issue contains a multi-page article on the Chief and the various locales in which he was wrestling at the time. The photos for the article were taken at a Studio Wrestling taping. Upon reading the article, I noticed the Chief about to sign a Tri-State Wrestling publication. The Tri-State books are among my favorite wrestling collectibles of all-time. A total of five were produced by the Pittsburgh wrestling office in the 1960s and each contains a virtual time capsule of wrestling in Pittsburgh and the Bruno Sammartino dynasty. Although rarely found, issues will often include signatures obtained by the original owner. My own copy of the particular issue that Chief White Owl is about to sign in the photo...has Chief White Owl's signature on the cover.

In a bit of detective work in the style often left to devotees of the Kennedy assassination or UFO researchers, I enlarged and rotated the photo of White Owl about to sign the magazine and inset a photo of my own copy. The astute fan can see the small photos of Bruno performing various wrestling moves on the cover of the magazine. Is White Owl about to sign my exact copy? We'll never know. White Owl signed plenty of autographs and many fans used these Tri-State magazines for that exact purpose. Just like those who insist that someone is lurking in the grassy knoll...I believe in the photographs!