Frank Scarpa


Frank Scarpa was an American professional wrestler. While best known for his time with Big Time Wrestling, where he held the Boston-version of the World [Heavyweight Wrestling Championship |World Heavyweight Championship], Scarpa spent the majority of his career as a journeyman competing across Canada and the United States.
As Manuel Garza, he was a major star in the Los Angeles wrestling territory in the 1950s and won the NWA International Television Championship in 1957. According to wrestling historian Tom Burke, Scarpa set a record by selling out the Olympic Auditorium for 18 weeks in a row. Santos eventually returned to New England spending the final years of his career as the region's top star.

Death

On January 25, 1969, Scarpa suffered a heart attack one day after wrestling at the Jack Witschi Arena in North Attleboro - a Best 3-out-of-5 Falls match with Chief Eagle versus BTW U.S. Heavyweight Champion Gypsy Joe and Malcolm Cormier, which Scarpa's team won. He was sent to Boston City Hospital where he died. He was 53.

Championships and accomplishments