Captain Lou Albano

The late Capt. Lou Albano wore many hats in his career (some wrestlers wear hats). But in my nostalgia filled mind, none of those hats were greater than the red service cap with the giant "M" on it.

The famed wrestler played both the live action and animated version of video game hero Mario on the top rated syndicated kids' show The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, along with actor Danny Wells as Luigi who Jeffersons fans will recognize as Charlie the bartender. Mario Bros. is a show I vividly remember from my childhood because my parents never bought me a Nintendo and that just drove me to want and watch anything and everything with the Mario Bros. on it.

Here's my all-time favorite episode because it combined the two things I worshiped as an organized religion: Nintendo and Ghostbusters.

For the most part, TV Squad doesn't cover professional wrestling, despite pro-wrestling and television being synonymous since the 1950's. It could be because wrestling is a world unto itself and there are certainly enough blogs out there that cover the subject. In this instance, an exception has been made since wrestling and TV icon Captain Lou Albano has passed away. He was 76.

He was known mostly for his work with the WWF (now the WWE) in the '8's and his participation in the first WrestleMania as well as several thereafter. Hell, he was instrumental in creating that event by participating in Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" music video which led to "The War to Settle the Score" on MTV which led to ... well, you know.