10 Wrestling Gimmicks Based On LIES!
4. Chief Jay Strongbow
Luke Scarpa was born in 1928 in Nutley, New Jersey, the innuendo-laden hometown of ECW icon Balls Mahoney. At 19, he became known throughout many of the National Wrestling Alliance's southern territories, going by his middle name Joe without having to betray much else about the real life grizzled young veteran that came from the North East.
Then Vince McMahon Snr gave him a headdress.
The transformation from Joe to Jay and Scarpa to Strongbow was much more than just a shifting of names - Strongbow was a Native American complete with all the history and prestige the gimmick afforded. His moves were suddenly themed around all the stereotypes thrust upon such a backstory, but the Jersey man became a megastar in New York.
His real life links to the region were kept hidden as he drew mammoth audiences for various WWWF and WWF Tag team championships alongside the likes of similarly-cast Billy White Wolf and Jules Strongbow.
It was a persona he kept preserved well into retirement - the character linked arms with 1990s equivalent Tatanka long after he'd hung up his ceremonially-tasselled boots.