Lenny Montana (born Leonardo Passafaro; March 13, 1926 â€" May 12,
1992) was an American actor who played the role of feared hitman Luca
Brasi in The Godfather. Prior to becoming an actor, he had a
successful career as a professional wrestler as well as an enforcer
for the Colombo family.Montana was born in Brooklyn, New York City on
March 13, 1926. He was of Italian-American heritage. He was fluent in
both English and Italian. His wrestling career began in neighboring
New Jersey in 1953. He wrestled under the Zebra Kid gimmick, and was
billed at the height of 6 foot 6 inches. It wasn't long before Montana
found success. Along with Golden Terror, he won the New Jersey Tag
Team titles on April 4, 1953. Montana began to travel, wrestling in
the Midwest. He soon won the NWA Central States Heavyweight
Championship, defeating Dave Sims on October 1, 1953 in Kansas City.
However he lost the title on December 11, 1953 to Sonny Myers, who had
previously held the title three times before defeating the Zebra Kid.
Montana's final success of the 1950s came in 1956, winning the NWA
Texas Tag Team Championship with Gene Kiniski, defeating Herb Freeman
and Ray Gunkel on September 18 in Dallas under the alias Len Crosby.
He also worked as a bouncer during this time to earn extra money.By
the late 1950s, Montana was on the road with the Carnival Circuit as a
wrestler. As a popular wrestler on the circuit, Montana met the then
unknown Eddie Sharkey in 1960. The two struck up a friendship. After
seeing what Sharkey could do, Montana recommended that he try his hand
at professional wrestling. Montana also clued in Sharkey on the
then-unacknowledged truth about professional wrestling--that all the
outcomes are predetermined. Later that year, Montana won the NWA Texas
World Tag Team titles with Joe Christie, under the Len Crosby name.
Then with Hard Boiled Haggerty, he won the AWA World Tag Team
Championship on October 4, 1960, defeating Stan Kowalski and Tiny
Mills (wrestling as Murder Inc.) in Minneapolis. But in a match
against Verne Gagne, Montana suffered a broken leg, forcing Haggerty
to choose a new partner. After recovering from his injury, in 1961
Montana began to wrestle in Florida. He came to the Tampa Bay area and
began to wrestle under The Zebra Kid alias. At his great size, he
would often pin his opponents in under one minute. The Zebra Kid had a
notable feud with Eddie Graham; their battles sold out Fort Homer
Hesterly Armory many Tuesday nights in 1961. Things came to a head
when Montana defeated Eddie Graham in a NWA Southern Heavyweight
Championship (Georgia version) title match on May 1, 1962. On November
23, 1962, he won the NWA (Georgia) Southern Tag Team Titles with his
partner Gypsy Joe, defeating 'Grizzly' Jake Smith and Luke Brown.
Montana then went on to form a powerful partnership with Tarzan Tyler,
in which they would win three titles. First, the NWA International Tag
Team Titles on April 9, 1963 defeating Ted Evans and Chief Little
Eagle, then again winning the NWA International Tag Team Titles later
in June 1963, defeating billed champions Chief Little Eagle and Dick
Steinborn. Finally, the duo won the NWA World Tag Team Championship in
Georgia, during October 1963, they defeated Karl Von Brauner and Kurt
Von Brauner. Montana was due to be Gorilla Monsoon's tag team partner
in 1964, but at the last minute Monsoon took on The African Savage as
his partner instead. Montana had been interested in acting and was
meeting with casting agents in Los Angeles at the same time he was due
to team up with Bison. Montana began to wrestle less and less, and
went into semi-retirement; however he appeared in matches up until his
acting career took off in the early 1970s.Montana became involved with
the Colombo crime family in the late 1960s. Tall and very heavily
built, his talents were mostly as an enforcer and an arsonist. He
would tie a tampon to the tail of a mouse, dip it in kerosene, light
it, and let the mouse run through a building, or he would put a
lighted candle in front of a cuckoo clock so that when the clock's
bird would pop out the candle would be knocked over and start a fire.
Eventually, Montana was jailed at Riker's Island. Upon being released,
Montana acted as a bodyguard for many senior members of the Colombo
Family.
1992) was an American actor who played the role of feared hitman Luca
Brasi in The Godfather. Prior to becoming an actor, he had a
successful career as a professional wrestler as well as an enforcer
for the Colombo family.Montana was born in Brooklyn, New York City on
March 13, 1926. He was of Italian-American heritage. He was fluent in
both English and Italian. His wrestling career began in neighboring
New Jersey in 1953. He wrestled under the Zebra Kid gimmick, and was
billed at the height of 6 foot 6 inches. It wasn't long before Montana
found success. Along with Golden Terror, he won the New Jersey Tag
Team titles on April 4, 1953. Montana began to travel, wrestling in
the Midwest. He soon won the NWA Central States Heavyweight
Championship, defeating Dave Sims on October 1, 1953 in Kansas City.
However he lost the title on December 11, 1953 to Sonny Myers, who had
previously held the title three times before defeating the Zebra Kid.
Montana's final success of the 1950s came in 1956, winning the NWA
Texas Tag Team Championship with Gene Kiniski, defeating Herb Freeman
and Ray Gunkel on September 18 in Dallas under the alias Len Crosby.
He also worked as a bouncer during this time to earn extra money.By
the late 1950s, Montana was on the road with the Carnival Circuit as a
wrestler. As a popular wrestler on the circuit, Montana met the then
unknown Eddie Sharkey in 1960. The two struck up a friendship. After
seeing what Sharkey could do, Montana recommended that he try his hand
at professional wrestling. Montana also clued in Sharkey on the
then-unacknowledged truth about professional wrestling--that all the
outcomes are predetermined. Later that year, Montana won the NWA Texas
World Tag Team titles with Joe Christie, under the Len Crosby name.
Then with Hard Boiled Haggerty, he won the AWA World Tag Team
Championship on October 4, 1960, defeating Stan Kowalski and Tiny
Mills (wrestling as Murder Inc.) in Minneapolis. But in a match
against Verne Gagne, Montana suffered a broken leg, forcing Haggerty
to choose a new partner. After recovering from his injury, in 1961
Montana began to wrestle in Florida. He came to the Tampa Bay area and
began to wrestle under The Zebra Kid alias. At his great size, he
would often pin his opponents in under one minute. The Zebra Kid had a
notable feud with Eddie Graham; their battles sold out Fort Homer
Hesterly Armory many Tuesday nights in 1961. Things came to a head
when Montana defeated Eddie Graham in a NWA Southern Heavyweight
Championship (Georgia version) title match on May 1, 1962. On November
23, 1962, he won the NWA (Georgia) Southern Tag Team Titles with his
partner Gypsy Joe, defeating 'Grizzly' Jake Smith and Luke Brown.
Montana then went on to form a powerful partnership with Tarzan Tyler,
in which they would win three titles. First, the NWA International Tag
Team Titles on April 9, 1963 defeating Ted Evans and Chief Little
Eagle, then again winning the NWA International Tag Team Titles later
in June 1963, defeating billed champions Chief Little Eagle and Dick
Steinborn. Finally, the duo won the NWA World Tag Team Championship in
Georgia, during October 1963, they defeated Karl Von Brauner and Kurt
Von Brauner. Montana was due to be Gorilla Monsoon's tag team partner
in 1964, but at the last minute Monsoon took on The African Savage as
his partner instead. Montana had been interested in acting and was
meeting with casting agents in Los Angeles at the same time he was due
to team up with Bison. Montana began to wrestle less and less, and
went into semi-retirement; however he appeared in matches up until his
acting career took off in the early 1970s.Montana became involved with
the Colombo crime family in the late 1960s. Tall and very heavily
built, his talents were mostly as an enforcer and an arsonist. He
would tie a tampon to the tail of a mouse, dip it in kerosene, light
it, and let the mouse run through a building, or he would put a
lighted candle in front of a cuckoo clock so that when the clock's
bird would pop out the candle would be knocked over and start a fire.
Eventually, Montana was jailed at Riker's Island. Upon being released,
Montana acted as a bodyguard for many senior members of the Colombo
Family.
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