Wrestling and the mafia ?
 

Just caught a re-run of Donnie Brasco, and a question popped into my mind.

Did the mob , in the 70s and 80s have any effect on wrestling?

It seems like they had their hands in everything at that time, especially in New york. They had deep ties to the entertainment industry at that time, especially events held at MSG.

Does anyone have any information on this ?

Definitely in Japan with the Yakuza. Numerous stories about NOAH, FMW and even All Japan

Lol you could argue the NWA was its own mafia

The only non Japan promoter with mafia links was Leah Maivia out in Hawaii and whatever organized crime organization exist out there.

If I remember, Tajiri once warned WWE not to mess with them around the time they were planning to name Kenzo Suzuki as "Hirohito" because of the backlash it would caused with them by disrespecting the late emperor's name.

He supposedly feared both for his own safety if he went back to Japan and I think also the company's safety for running future tours there if they went ahead with the plan.

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Not sure how this promo could have been any tackier....have him dressed as a Zero pilot in his entrance?

The Yakuza ties played a big part in the eventual demise of both FMW and AJW.

lolll I don't remember the Hirohito promos being that "obvious".... remembered it as just stealing the name, not directly tying it to WWII.....

The Leah Maivia shit is pretty wild. She wasn 't one to fuck with.

Serious question: was this supposed to be for Kenzo Suzuki?

Yes

Here's the case file and a newspaper article on Maivia



Here's the case file

https://law.justia.com/cases/federal.../1471/2596798/



https://img.newspapers.com/img/img?i...668608edd73549


The defendant later on said Lia told him if he didn't pay then "bang bang".

Yup, it did air, and the "creative geniuses" in wwe went along with it for a while.:nono:

Same

That Hirohito clip and the idea behind it are some classic wrestlecrap.

When is that from?

Early 2004.

Classic McMahon

It wasn't like the entire gimmick was scrapped, just tweaked, because he still came in with that Japanese Empire conqueror gimmick with that one geisha chick valet. I remember that. But like Lock Jaw, I don't remember being beat over the head with "Hirohito".

Back to the mob stuff, though... there's stories about guys in the business getting involved with it outside of wrestling (like Dino Bravo for example) but the industry was prob'ly enough of a racket in itself for any type of serous-pants family organization to just "dabble" in it like other stuff, especially since there were other, far bigger fish to exploit like boxing. Too much effort for not enough quick, massive reward... at least on this side of the globe. Or if whoever it was just loved the business and/or were "trying to go legit".

Then again, that's admittedly speculative on my part. Take it for the guess it is.

God Kenzo Suzuki was the drizzling shits