04/04/2022
Remembering Chief Jay Strongbow
Luke Joseph Scarpa was an American professional wrestler who was best known by the ring name Chief Jay Strongbow.
Much like his contemporary Wahoo McDaniel, he portrayed a Native American wrestler, who wore a war bonnet to the ring and would "go on the warpath" when the fans started cheering him against an opponent.
In reality (and unlike McDaniel, who was Choctaw-Chickasaw), he was a business-minded Italian-American much like actor Iron Eyes Cody.
Scarpa's wrestling career began in 1947, under his real name.
He was a standout in the Georgia and Florida territories of the National Wrestling Alliance throughout the 1950s and 1960s, winning several championships and becoming a fan favorite.
In 1970, Scarpa began working for Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation as Chief Jay Strongbow, a Native American gimmick complete with a traditional headdress and Native themed wrestling moves.
Strongbow won his first WWWF World Tag Team Championship on May 22, 1972 with partner Sonny King.
Four and a half years later, on December 7, 1976, Strongbow won his second WWWF World Tag Team Championship, this time with partner Billy White Wolf.
After wrestling in the WWF for 9 years, Strongbow went to work for Georgia Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling.
In Detroit he feuded with Don Kent once again.
Then he feuded with Baron Von Raschke in Georgia.
He won the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship defeating Luke Graham on October 11, 1980 in Puerto Rico.
Scarpa fell at his home in late 2011 and was hospitalized.
He died in that hospital on April 3, 2012, at the age of 83. He was buried in Griffin, Georgia.
