A PRAYER FOR THE 155
By Peter Vuono

     For 36 years I have taught Special Needs kids in one setting or another. In 1976, my first assignment was in Pelham NH High School. I then did a 34 year hitch at Brockton, Ma. High School and most recently, a year and 3 months teaching elementary aged autistic kids gym. I'm glad that I chose to work with the least of God's brethren because as Mother Teresa once said, "the proof of love is service". If I was ever effective at all in both teaching and inspiring, only my students and God can judge. None of it  would have happened however, if I were not first inspired by a pro wrestler.
    In the late 50's I was inspired by George Reeves(Superman) and Steve Reeves(Hercules) like so many other boys my age. I knew that I wanted to become strong like my heroes but I didn't know how; I was only 6 years old. Years went by and in Oct. 1966, I was sitting on my bed reading Wrestling Revue Magazine. The WWWF had a large bodybuilder whose real name was Ernest Bemis wrestle under the stage name of Mr. Kleen. Like Bruno, Bemis was big and muscular. As I read an article about Bemis, he was quoted as saying,"Every boy should have a good set of weights". That was all I needed to hear and I finally knew what the  answer to the equation of strength truly was!
     For 2 and a half years, I lifted alone in my bedroom with a vinyl covered set that my parents bought for me. I was afraid to lift in front of anyone at the local YMCA for fear of being ridiculed. Finally, when I had enough self esteem to do so, and through the influences of Muscular Development Magazine and Iron Man, I dogged the powerlifts.
    My first contest was in Jan. of 1973 in Nashua. I came in 2nd to last. I made some good gains and by the spring time I increased my total nearly by 100lbs. In 1974 I came in second in the Eastern States Powerlifting Championships put on by Joe Zarella in Nashua. I never forgot the feeling I had taking my first
trophy off Joe's hands.
     I graduated from Bridgewater State College in 1976 and had many job interviews; all of which lead to a dead end. Then in August of 76, I sat in the office of Supt. Henry LaBranche of Pelham and the Principal of Pelham High School, Mr. Paul Phinney. They were very kind and congenial but what seemed to interest and impress them the most were  my endeavors in Powerlifting. They truly thought that I'd be a good role model for the kids and to my amazement, hired me on the spot!!!
   A miasma of good things continued to occur. I did the thing I loved. I met my future wife and met so many wonderful friends in Nashua. I taught and made laugh literally hundreds of Special Kids and again, if anything positive did come of this it stemmed from a  quote of a pro wrestler. Surely, if they inspired this author than they must have inspired countless others.
   Since 1985, 155 pro wrestlers have passed away who were younger than 65. Of these 86 of them were younger than 50. Heart disease is the biggest offender but nearly 12% are due to suicides.The highest mortality rate in all of pro sports belongs to the men and women who have inspired this author. I would like it to stop and I'm sure that if the following prayer is said by all those touched by the sport that God will share his strength and protection with all titans of the squared circle.

A WRESTLER'S PRAYER- By Peter vuono

     Oh Saint Sebastian, martyr, and patron saint of all athletes,
stand by those who wear the shoes of Jacob who wrestled with an angel.
Protect them when they risk life and limb to feed their families
Comfort them in the many hours that they spend away from loved ones,
and above all, let them not abandon Jesus Christ who wrestled with his
conscience in his last moments on the cross. For we ask this in his name
amen.

 DR.CINDY WYATT REINHOUDT - DARING TO BE FIRST

    There isn't a facet of society that women have not excelled in. This, of course, is due, in part to their natural born abilities  and to the fact that women were championed by a pathfinder and pioneer who showed them the way. For it was Cindy who inspired women's rights activist Joe Zarella to commandeer powerlifting meets for women only in 1977 which were the first of their kind anywhere.
    This, in turn, lead to women's bodybuilding and Olympic lifting. Once women realized that they had a power within, they excelled in every area of society as well as if not better than men. Cindy showed them the way. It is she who ran with the baton handed down from Susan B. Anthony and it is she who we all have to thank. This is her story which first appeared in Powerlifting USA Magazine in June of 1985.


DR. CINDY WYATT REINHOUDT -DARING TO BE FIRST
By Peter Vuono

     Before proponents of women's strength sports proved to the world that lifting weights was not just exclusive to men, powerlifting was indeed a"man's sport". No one dared to break this precedent until a young lady from the state of New York began to make headlines in Strength and Health Magazine in the track and field world. The young athlete was Cindy Wyatt. While attending college at the University of Hawaii, Cindy trained under the auspices of two time Olympic Gold Medal winning weightlifter,Tommy Kono and registered an official shot put of 48'6'. in 1962. Also while attending the university, Cindy was seen in the pages of Strength and Health cleaning and jerking 230; all in 1962! Her weight training focused on increasing the distance of her shot put but when Cindy later attended classes at the University of Buffalo, she would put her enormous strength to a different task which would change the course of history.
     On Saturday, March 20, 1965 at the Rite-Form Health Studio in Kenmore New York, Cindy competed in the 2nd annual Self Improvement Power Meet. This would be the first time that a woman would compete in a weightlifting contest of any kind anywhere in the world.
     Weighing approximately 155, Cindy officially bench pressed 160, squatted 235 and deadlifted 315 for a 710 total. The crashing of her 315 deadlift, in so many ways was as profound as the ringing of the Liberty Bell.This success spurred Cindy to achieving further victories in her newly chosen sport.
     In 1977, in Nashua New Hampshire at the Prospect St. YMCA, Cindy competed in the first ever National Powerlfiting Meet for Women with her husband, World's Strongest Man winner, Don Reinhoudt at her side for moral support.Here cindy won her class and the Best Lifter trophy with a squat of 360, a bench press of 210 and a deadlift of 375 for a 975 total as a middleweight.
     The following year in Nashua, Cindy competed in the Nationals again which consisted of over 100 female lifters and a contingent from Australia! Here, as a middleweight, Cindy squatted 385, bench pressed 205 and deadlifted 385 for a total of 975 which garnered for her a victory in the middleweight division and best lifter of the entire meet!
     This victory marked the retirement of an incredible athlete whose courage matches her strength. Author Tony Fitton once quoted Eugene Ware in saying"All glory goes to those who dare to begin". Dr. Cindy Wyatt Reinhoudt is the recipient of that glory . A victory not just for her but for all womankind.
  

DO NOT READ IF YOU'RE SUPERMAN!

By Peter Vuono

   Last week, I visited my old friend, Paul Dallalis  in the hospital. Paul is a giant of both kindness and strength at 6'5" and nearly 300lbs. Paul was a champion  from the beginning winning the teenage national Olympic lifting championships in Willamantic CT in 1979. While still training, Paul channeled his mind and body to  his fellow man as a respiratory therapist in at least two well known Boston hospitals.
   Paul and I spent a lot of time together doing the things we loved; lifting weights, going to powerlfiting contests and working security at our secret passion, pro wrestling. Paul was always  a gentleman- never flaunting his gift and always upbeat in times of difficulty.
   Paul is fighting leukemia. In addition to this, he has spent months withstanding painful skin grafts to his leg from injuries he sustained from major lacerations in a household accident.All in the matter of a few years, I saw my beloved friend who was the picture of strength fall from Olympus.I used to have a poster in my classroom that read"Strength on the outside comes only after strength on the inside." I soon realized that the unknown author must have met Paul.
   Every time I visited him or talked to him on the phone, Paul was always jocular, supportive of my needs and upbeat.He always said that life is an interesting journey when mere mortals like me would have thought of his plight as a living hell. Yet every time I leave his room, I feel inspired and strengthened through Paul's attitude and I realized that Paul had never fallen from Olympus at all; he ascended even higher.
   One of my favorite movies is the anti-bullying movie Angus(1995). In the picture George C. Scott speaks to actor Charlie Talbert who plays Scott's grandson. Every time I watch the scene I think about the amazing inner strength of my friend.
   In the film, grandpa tries to comfort his grandson who is being bullied. He says,"Superman isn't brave. You don't understand. He's smart, handsome and even descent. But he's indestructible; and you can't be brave if you're indestructible. It's people like you and your mother; people who are different and can be crushed and know it. Yet , they keep on going out there every time".
   Paul continues to go out there every time- not just healing but inspiring and motivating. The kind of superman that I have been so proud and fortunate to know. The kind that others who are suffering need to hear about  A man for whom there IS NO Kryptonite.

CHUCK AHRENS-  Strength Through Humility

A different version of this story appeared in Powerlifting USA Magazine approx. in March of 1983.

     On Dec. 30, 2009 Chuck Ahrens, one of the most notable of modern day American strongmen, passed
away. Strength devotees well remember his prodigious strength. I too remember the absolutely stunning pictures in Iron Man Magazine showing  a man who appeared to be wearing shoulder pads but in reality, did not. However, what was equally impressive to me was Chuck's modesty. Never did he boast or brag about his gift.It made several friends of mine immediately come to mind who were a kindred spirit to Chuck- both strong and humble. I contemplated my friends Steve Sanderson of Plymouth, Steve Monas and Dave Hartnet of NH and my pals Paul Dallalis, Frankie Ciavattone and Jeff Ciavattone of Norwood..
     Finally, I thought of my teenage friend, Joey Previte. When Joey was born, circumstances arose where Joey's parents were fearful that his health would be in jeopardy.. By the grace of God, the opposite occured and Joey became a prodigy of strength. At 250lbs., he became a superb lineman garnering all scholastic honors in 3 Massachusetts newspapers.He bench pressed 405 for a double and squatted and deadlifted 500lbs. all before reaching the age of 19!
    Like Chuck Ahrens, Joey is the epitome of strength and humbleness. He and Chuck would have made perfect training partners given another time and place and I dedicate this story to Joey.

CHUCK AHRENS- Strength Through Humility.
By Peter Vuono
     In the early days of powerlifting, back in the 1950's there was established in Santa Monica California an outdoor gymnasium known as the Muscle Beach Weightlifting Club. This gym was enclosed by a wooden fence and was equipped with a wide variety of weights and machines. It was here at this Mecca of muscle that many of powerlifting's pioneers congregated. One of the largest and strongest of these behemoths was Chuck Ahrens. Chuck was known as weightlifting's "Mystery Man", because he was of a quiet reserved nature and refused to take off his shirt to pose for cameras. Only in one rare photo taken for Muscular Developement Magazine, did Chuck roll up his sleeve. When walking along the shores of Muscle Beach, he must have resembled one of the huge saurians that may have roamed there in the Mesozoic.
     Chuck stood 6' and weighed 330 lbs., most of which was distributed in his upper body. He had a normal, non-expanded chest measurement of 58 inches. His shoulders were 28 inches wide and his arms measured 22 and three eighths in circumference!
     Ahrens specialized in odd lifts. His favorites were the one arm dumbbell strict press, the two arm dumbbell press and the triceps extension. Chuck was able to press with one arm 310 lbs. for 3 repetitions! He also performed 235lbs. for 5 consecutive repetitions  standing with a dumbbell in each hand! While seated, with his back up against an incline board set at 90 degrees, Chuck pressed two 225lb. dumbells for 5 reps!
     In the lying triceps extension, Chuck's style was to hold the bar overhead, lower it behind and below the head and then extend it up overhead. In 1956, Chuck performed a single in this movement with 400lbs.!
     Such work on the dumbbell presses and triceps extensions gave Chuck tremendous power in the behind the neck press and the bench press. In the behind the neck press standing, Chuck performed 390 lbs. without specialization. In the bench press, he performed and incredible 28 reps with 400lbs.!!
     Unfortunately, Chuck's quiet and humble disposition,kept him away from actual competition.
According to the office of Unclaimed Persons of the Los Angeles  County Dept. of the Coroner, the body of Charles Henry Ahrens who lived on Ocean Park in his beloved Santa Monica was unclaimed by family, friends or acquaintances at age 76.
     At first, I felt terrible that Chuck died alone and it almost brought me to tears knowing that this man who inspired so many was unclaimed at death. However, in truth, God claimed his humble soul and his memory still beats in the hearts of all those he inspired. In this way, his essence was claimed by all.


"A wise man walks with his head bowed; humble like the dust".- Shaolin saying

Pat Casey-  Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.

   April 22nd is the anniversary of the passing of one of the greatest strength legends of all time- Pat Casey. On April 22, 2012, my day was like any other. I worked out early with my buddy Tom Kenney and went to church. There I said my rosary and contemplated all my deceased relatives and friends. I especially thought about Pat whose anniversary was that day and who did so much to inspire me and countless others.
   Little did I know that on  that day I would become short of breath in the afternoon and I drove myself to the hospital. Tests were made and it was necessary that I should undergo open heart surgery and a quadruple bypass. I was driven to Tufts and would remain there for over a week. On April 24th, the night before my operation. I took communion, said a confession and was given last rights. The most amazing thing about my stay was that for the first time in my life, I was facing a truly serious circumstance where I wasn't afraid.  I was fearless and I knew that I was not going to die.
   I could only attribute this to two things. First, I had faith in God. I knew that he wanted me to live because my family needed me so. Secondly, for decades, I tried and tried to emulate and become like the strength legends I so admired. Pat Casey was one of those legends and my moment of fearlessness had finally arrived.

Pat Casey- Heroes get remembered but legends never die.
By Peter Vuono

Pat Casey grew up in Los Angeles and started working out in 1954 while he was going to school at Washington High. He took up bodybuilding and won the Mr. Washington High bodybuilding contest.
He entered the teenage Mr. America contest where Bill Pearl, a former Mr. Universe was a judge and heard about Casey's strength. As part of the interviewing process, Casey bench pressed 420 lbs. at age seventeen. This was a poundage that Pearl had NEVER seen. After Pat finished fifth, he decided to devote time to the lift that he was so adept in performing- the bench press. The rate of his progress was astounding!

AGE       BODYWEIGHT       POUNDAGE
18           230                           450
19           245                           470
20           237                           500
22           270                           540
26           300                           585.

Pat vowed in 1963-1964 that he would someday bench press 600 and be the first to do so. Prior to this, on May21, 1966 in SanDiego, Pat took on his closest contemporary, Terry Todd and bench pressed a world record of 592, squatted a world record of 774 and became the first man to total 2000 with a total of 2001 and a half to defeat Todd by 120lbs.
     On June 17, 1967 Pat officially bench pressed 575, 600 and 615 to become the first man to do so. His attire consisted of a loose fitting wrestling singlet, no T-shirt and a religious scapula.The same year Pat became the first man to squat 800 to prove himself not just an upper body specialist.
     Later on that year, Pat lifted in the LosAngeles Powerlifting Championships which would serve to be one of his  last contests. Here Pat(weighing 339) bench pressed a record of 617 and a quarter and just nearly missed being the first to total 2100 due to a 2 to1 red light decision on an 825 squat.
     It is here that I'd like to mention the depth of Casey's character.Bodybuilder, photojournalist ,Gene Mozee, in an article written in the 70's in Muscle Builder insisted that Pat never used steroids. This information was substantiated in personal correspondence that this author had with Pat's beloved wife, Bonnie. Bonnie had told me that Pat was dead set against them and it bothered him that they were so much a part of the sport.
Bonnie also imparted a fact to me about Pat that certainly made me realize that his courage was equal to his strength. Before Pat had succumbed to cancer, he worked out 12 days before he died.
   The subtitle that I used in this article is a line I heard in an old movie entitled Sandlot. When I heard it, I thought about all the men and women of strength who would be worthy of of this title. Pat Casey was one of the first to come to mind. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.

POLYDAMAS- Successor to Hercules
By Peter Vuono

    Certainly one of the fastest growing sports worldwide is mixed martial arts(MMA).
Companies such as the UFC, Bellator and Pride are household names as are many of the
combatants that fight in these leagues. What many MMA fans don't know, however, is that MMA is nothing new and appeared in the  ancient Olympic games approximately 648 BC. The sport was known at that time as Pankratium and it consisted of boxing, wrestling, throws, trips, arm locks and chokes. The only things that were not allowed were eye gouging and biting.
    One of the finest and best known Pankratiasts was Theagenes of Thasos who won the Pankratium in 476BC. He also won the boxing edition of the Olympics in 480BC. Theagenes was victorious in 2102 matches in which 1800 of his opponents died!
     Although is seems that Theagenes had the greatest record of wins, the title of the strongest Pankratiast had to have gone to the mighty Polydamas whose name in Greek means "many demons".Polydamas of Satoussa was a physical giant of 6'8" and weighed a solid 300lbs. It was said that his strength was so tremendous that he could prevent a horse drawn chariot from moving from the spot from which it started.
     Polydamas was strictly a Pankratiast and won the event in the 93rd  ancient Greek Olympics of 408BC.
Pankratium is interpreted as meaning "all powers" and Polydamas certainly possessed those attributes.
One of his greatest desires was to become like his ancient hero Hercules. It is said that Hercules killed the Nemean Lion with a Pankratium maneuver known as the forearm choke. Knowing this, Polydamas stalked and killed a lion with his bare hands! Since the existence of Hercules has not been fully proven and since Samson possessed God given help, Polydamas was the ONLY human on record to kill a lion without a weapon!
     Many devotees of ancient warfare know well the Battle of Thermopyle where King Leonidas and the Spartan 300 were overtaken by the Persian King Xerxes. Xerxes' father was King Darius I
When Darius heard the story of Polydamas and the lion he invited Polydamas to meet with him. Darius persuaded Polydamas to take on one of the Immortals which was the elite fighting unit of the Persian army. When the battle took place, Darius brought out 3 armed Immortals rather than the agreed upon one. In just a short time, Polydamas killed all three.
     Polydamas' last feat of strength was also one of intense bravery. One summer, he and his friends attempted to shade themselves from the summer heat by going deeply into a cave. After a short while, a cave -in developed and the rocks began to hurl themselves down. Polydamas, stood and held up the ceiling of the cave just long enough for his friends to escape. However, his strength, great as it was, was not enough to save himself.
     Some historians claim that Polydamas was killed because of overconfidence. This author would like to believe that the instinct of the great Pankratiast  was directed toward saving his friends without any regard for his own safety. Polydamas always wanted to be like Hercules. This final act of strength and heroism truly made him the successor to the ancient Greek hero.

"No greater love is there than when a man lay down his life for his friends"- John 15:13

Reference- David P. Willoughby- Iron Man Magazine -April-May 1956

BRUNO SAMMARTINO
     This article first appeared in the Commemorative issue number XVI of Red, White and Green- the official journal of the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago

BRUNO SAMMARTINO
By Peter Vuono

     In the late 1930's and early 1940's, several towns and hamlets in Italy were ravaged by the specter of famine which hung over each village like a vulture awaiting it's prey. The tiny village of Pizzeferrato in the Province of Chietti, was no exception. Alfonso and Emily Sammartino realized that in order to save their three children and themselves from starvation, it was necessary to flee to a land in which food and proper nutrition were more plentiful. If they did not, it would only be  a matter of time before their youngest son, Bruno would be overtaken by malnutrition., Their emigration would foster a sports legend.
     The Sammartinos arrived in Pittsburgh and once their son, Bruno, was nursed back to health he secured a job as a carpenter and mason. In addition to this, he took  up bodybuilding to further enhance his rate of recovery. By the time he was 14, he acquired a superbly built and defined physique. However, what started out to be a remedial technique to develop health and strength became a hobby which Bruno enjoyed immensely. He continued to train with weights and increased the poundages when he could. A metamorphosis took place where Bruno's chiseled physique grew to massive proportions. With the size came strength and in 1959 he displayed a feat of strength publically which few men could match.
     The 22 year old behemoth grew to a height of 5'10" and weighed a solid 260lbs.. During the spring of 1959, at the York Barbell Company's annual picnic and strength show in Dover, PA., Bruno nonchalantly stepped up on stage and bench pressed 475 lbs. with a collar to collar grip. To this author's knowledge, this feat , at the time, had only been duplicated by Doug Hepburn(the Canadian Olympic Champion), Paul Anderson(American Olympic Gold medal winner) and American strong man, Marvin Eder. Bruno, therefore, placed himself in the forefront of the strength world and had become part of an elite group of gifted individuals. His strength endeavors, however, did not end there.
     Bruno  later became the Pennsylvania State Olympic lifting champion with lifts of a 365 press, 290 snatch and a clean and jerk of 390. He then dieted down and to a trim 223 and won the Mr. Pennsylvania Physique title. Bruno enjoyed being a strongman, however, and once again climbed in weight and strength. He again attained a bodyweight of 260lbs. and got to a point where he could bench press 545 lbs. while lying flat on the floor, squat 665lbs., and deadlift 705. He could also perform a strict curl in military fashion of 235lbs. Sammartino was, at the time one of the strongest, if not THE strongest man in the world. This gift would soon be put to the test.
     One day while Bruno was working on a building that would help make him famous(the Pittsburgh Arena) he was "discovered" by legendary wrestling promoter, Rudy Miller. Miller was in awe of what stood before him. It didn't take Miller long to convince young Bruno that he more than possessed the raw materials to be a champion wrestler, nor did it take Sammartino long to prove Miller's theory correct.
     Bruno easily vanquished every foe in sight to the point where he was ready to grapple the Worldwide Wrestling Federation champ, Buddy Rogers for the title. The handsome, perfectly conditioned Rogers did not attain the title by accident and many thought that Bruno would have his hands full with the champ who was the originator of the deadly figure-four leg lock.
     The two mat titans would clash on May 17, 1963 at the old Madison Square Garden in front of a capacity crowd comprised of many of Bruno's compatriots who had come to see their hero. Rogers was always in good shape and ready for his matches but one must realize in retrospect that he was not only facing the massive hulk of a man alone. He was coming to grips with Sammartino's lifelong struggle and hardships. Rogers never had a chance. In just 47 seconds, the Italian strongman literally wiped the ring with Rogers, disposing the hapless champion in his famed back breaker, a hold that so many would fall prey to.
     Bruno continued on a 7 year 7 month reign where he was called by publicity flyers as the "Greatest attraction in the history of Madison Square Garden". All in front of sell-out crowds, Sammartino  wrestled and defeated some of professional wrestling's greatest names: Fred Blassie, Killer Kowalski, The Great Mortier, Waldo VonErich, Gene Kiniski, Tarzan Tyler, Gorilla Monsoon, Dr. Gerry Graham, Cowboy Bill Watts, Dr. Big bill MIller, The Giant Baba, Larry Henning, Don Leo Jonathan, John Tolos, Spiros Arion, George Steele and Superstar Billy Graham.
     Unfortunately, after 7 years, on Jan. 18, 1971, Bruno was pinned by the Russian, Ivan Koloff. Undaunted, Bruno continued to wrestle and enjoy the same type of popularity that he had in the past. Koloff, was later defeated by Pedro Morales who was, in turn, defeated himself by Stan Stasiak, the master of the heart punch. This left the door open for Bruno to return and become the first two-time title winner in WWWF history.
     Sammartino faced Stasiak on Dec. 10, 1973 and once again garnered the world title making him a true living sports legend. Bruno continued to wrestle a plethora of wrestling legends such as Stan Hansen, Ken Patera, Baron Fritz Von Raschke, and Frank"Bruiser" Brody. then, on May 30,1977, in Baltimore, against former football star, Superstar Billy Graham, Bruno lost his title. His fame however, did anything but wane. In the pre-cable days, Bruno drew 41,000 fans to Shea Stadium in his match with former protege, Larry Zbyscko. Altogether, Sammartino's two title reigns spanned 10 years, 11 months and 21 days. To this author's knowledge,this is one of the longest reigns(if not THE longest reign) for a world wrestling title in any league.
     There will never be another Bruno Sammartino. In wrestling his name is synonymous with strength, dignity and fair play. His life is the epitome of the American dream and his memory will linger forever in the hearts of those that cheered his name.