Luke Scarpa

Acting

October 4, 1928 — April 3, 2012Nutley, New Jersey, USA

Luke Joseph Scarpa was an American professional wrestler, best known for his Chief Jay Strongbow persona in the WWF, where he won the World Tag Team Championship four times. Despite being of Italian descent, he portrayed a Native American wrestler, which helped him stand out in the wrestling world. He began his career in 1947, trained by Chief Don Eagle. He made a name for himself in territories like Georgia and Florida, winning multiple championships. In 1970, he joined the WWWF (the precursor to WWE), where he had notable feuds with wrestlers like Spiros Arion, Jimmy Valiant, and Billy Graham. He also became a multiple-time tag team champion, both as a singles and tag team competitor. After retiring in 1986, Strongbow worked as an agent for the WWF and was involved in mentoring new talents like Tatanka. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1994. His last appearance with the company was in 2008. Strongbow passed away on April 3, 2012, at the age of 83, following a fall at his home.