Legislator Seeking Ban On Pro Wrestling
NEW YORK (AP) – Professional wrestling gives children the impression “that every dirty trick is legal,” a family court judge has told a Senate task force.
“We know professional wrestling is exhibitionism, but the public doesn’t know that,” Judge Daneil D Leddy Jr. of Staten Island said Tuesday.
He testified as the task force began hearings in Manhattan to investigate alleged illegal practices, treatment of wrestlers, and the effect of violence on children.
State Senator Abraham Bernstein, D-Bronx, has proposed legislation prohibiting pro wrestling in New York state.
“I want to prohibit professional wrestling as it is portrayed today because of its depiction of violence and physical punishment,” said Bernstein who singled out wrestling “because it has reached tremendous proportions.”
Source: The Free-Lance Star
Date of article: October 9, 1985
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Pro Wrestling Ban Hearing Continues
“And is it not true,” the witness was asked solemnly, “that the woman in question was stir-frying vegetables at the time?”
The witness, who sat before television lights and a bouqet of microphones in the vast New York State Hearing Room on the 44th floor of the World Trade Center, answered: “She was. Someone could have been seriously injured.”
The Senate Task Force on Professional Wrestling proceeded to hold a hearing on a bill introduced by State Senator Abraham Bernstein, a Bronx Democrat, to ban professional wrestling in the state of New York.
The residing official, the honorable Judge Daniel D. Leddy Jr. of Family Court on Staten Island overheard testimony along with a panel of senators about an incident in which a teenaged boy became crazed from watching professional wrestling and slapped a sleeper hold on his mother while she stir-fried.
The sign in the hallway read “Senate hearing on Professional Wrestling” and passer-bys kept sticking their head in the doorway and saying, “Is this for real?”
Indeed it was.
There were all the trappings of real hearings: an august panel of senators, television cameras, reporters, aides scurrying about, a few uncooperative witnesses, and a few others anxious to spill the beans.
“But shouldn’t they be talking about something else – like hunger or deficits?” asked Vincent Fasano, who works for Shearson Lehman/American Express in the building and dropped in during his lunch hour. “There’s a lot of money in wrestling now. Maybe they could help with the deficit by holding matches in the Capitol Building.”
Senator Bernstein, who served as chairman of the proceedings, said wrestling required a suspension of disbelief, and several of the spectators, who watched a stream of wrestlers, promoters, and others testify, said the same could be said of his hearing.
Senator Bernstein said that seeing wrestling fans cheer eye-gouging reminded him of when a crowd yelled, “Jump! Jump!” when a man threatened to jump off the top of the DeWitt Clinton Hotel in Albany. “Why would people do that?” he asked, and someone responded, “Was the jumper a state legislator?”
Date of article: October 10, 1985
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Ban on Pro Wrestling Hearing Reaches Conclusion
Sheik Ali Abdulia of Saudi Arabia (known to his NY neighbors on East Second Street as Al Greco) came to testify dressed in full regalia: robe, burnoose, and aviator sunglasses. He is a wrestling manager and denied all suggestions by Senator Bernstein and previous witnesses that the outcome of wrestling matches was predetermined.
Dr. Robert E. Gould, a psychiatrist, testified that his studies showed illegal tactics outnumbered legal tactics in wrestling by 3 to 1, and that children who watched wrestling were more violent than those who watched swimming. Then he stated flatly, “Mr. Chairman, wrestling is absolutely fixed!”
Marge Montgomery, a member of the audience, covered her ears, smiled and said: “I don’t want to hear this.” Irvin Muchnick, who is writing a book about wrestling said: “It’s like the lawyer in “Miracle on 34th Street” trying to prove there’s no Santa Claus.”
Another witness, Burt Randolph Sugar, who regularly writes books and articles about wrestling testified: “Fixed? I know the outcome when I go to see Hamlet, too, but I go to see Olivier.”
Linda Franks, another member of the audience, said the hearing reminded her of the furor a couple of years ago over what video games were doing to the nation’s youth. “Generations of adults have wanted kids to all be in the library reading Shakespeare, and they just won’t do it,” she said.
Senator Bernstein bemoaned that only a couple of the 200 wrestlers he had invited had shown up. Captain Lou Albano, manager of Andre the Giant, and other wrestlers of the World Wrestling Federation, said by telephone that he didn’t attend because “some of these politicians have brains the size of dehydrated peas.”
“I am well aware of the bill,” Captain Lou continued. I keep abreast of the issues. My favorite TV show is “Face the Nation”.
A wrestler who looked in for a few minutes and who insisted his legal name was Manfred the Maniac, said he would not testify because he might become angered by the line of questioning and decide to body slam some senators and put Senator Bernstein in a hold called the double-arm bar. “Maybe a figure-four too,” said Mr. Maniac.
Fortunately for Mr. Bernstein by the conclusion of the hearing, no wrestling holds were applied. The court themselves instead put a halt to any further discussion, seeing the parade of colorful characters on display, Senator Bernstein included.
Professional wrestling, considered “real” or “fixed” would still be allowed to take place in New York City.
Case closed.
Date of article: October 14, 1985
