Louie Spicolli

Born Louis Mucciolo in 1971, this wrestler originally intended to spell his name as  Louie Spicoli, but a misprint on his first batch of ordered press stills had the alias spelled as Spicolli,  so over the years both names were used.

Though he was known better for his stints in ECW, WWF and WCW wrestling, prior to his shocking death in 1998, Spicolli also made many runs to Arizona. He proved to be quite popular as a draw for Indies from 1989 to around 1991. He was a main eventer at shows run at Toolies Nightclub and at Graham Central Station in Phoenix.

Sometimes Spicolli took on the role of heel, but was usually popular with the fans, especially when he feuded with such hated regional villains as Sergeant Shultz, Steve Dezire, Eruption and Krusher Krugnov. Some of these matches still circulate among tape traders around the globe on VHS.

I have particularly unfond memories of being grabbed by Spicolli and Billy Anderson during a match where I was managing Special Forces at a Phoenix show held in a bingo hall, when these two dotted me all over with a bingo marker.

Spicolli also had a wild feud with The Beast from California as well. Though no one lost any blood in these encounters, the pair often spilled out of the ring and into the stands as they slugged it out for superiority.

There is a lengthy biography of Spicolli (or Spicoli , tale your pick) in Theatre In A Squared Circle by Jeff Archer, that covers his life and death from what amounted to an accidental overdose of pain killers. Throughout this telling of his tale there is a tragic sense of forboding and loss that climaxes with the grappler's unfortunate end.

There is also a bio and burial information on him in The Last Bell Call at http://www.lulu.com/content/8183756 in book and e book forms.

Who knows what might have been!

Though his scope went far beyond Arizona, Louie Spicolli will always be an integral part of this state's wrestling history.

Even though the bastard covered me with ink dots from a bingo marker during a match!