Legendary Long Island wrestling coach immortalized by ‘Seinfeld' dies at 85
'They're telling me I only have 2 to 2 to 3 minutes to give a eulogy,' said Christopher Bevilacqua, the son of beloved late 85-year-old coach and mentor Al Bevilacqua, to The Post.
'I don't know how you can describe his life in 2 or 3 minutes.'
Advertisement
6 Al Bevilacqua, the legendary Long Island wrestling coach immortalized in an iconic 'Seinfeld' scene, has died.
Courtesy Billy Baldwin
Al Bevilacqua, who passed away Sunday, got his 15 minutes of TV fame when superstar funnyman Jerry Seinfeld famously name-dropped his former teacher in an episode of his wildly popular series — even though Al never really watched the 'show about nothing,' his family said.
'He would go, 'Seinfeld?' What is that? A comedy?' ' said the former coach's son Michael.
Advertisement
But Al didn't need the extra spotlight.
He was a coach overseeing the mats at the town's high school for nearly 15 years since the early 1960s and later at nearby Hofstra University in the late 1970s.
The Massapequa man was also a 2012 inductee to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, garnering its highest honor, the Order of Merit.
And all of his sports accomplishments were just part of the story.
Advertisement
'Wrestling was really his vessel for who he was as a person,' Christopher said.
6 Bevilacqua was 85 at the time of his passing.
massapequafuneralhome.com
'He thought of himself first as an educator who was teaching kids and youth on the subject of life. … He had humanity about him, and his soul was all about, 'How do I create better people?' '
Al, who brought the Massapequa Chiefs their first-ever county title in the 1970s, left a lasting impact on some of the school's most notable alumni.
Hollywood in Massapequa
Advertisement
He taught driver's ed to Seinfeld, according to family.
Seinfeld name-dropped his former teacher in a 1994 episode of his show called 'The Race,'' as Jerry's character readied to re-do a controversial high-school run in which he, admittedly, got a head start.
'Mr. Bevilacqua' was called in to officiate a rematch of the race.
6 Bevilacqua, who was name-dropped in the 1994 'Seinfeld' episode 'The Race,' had tributes poured in from celebrity former students to athletes.
NBC
Al's son Michael recalled, 'I was a contractor one time, I was in my bed with plans open, and 'Seinfeld' on in the back, and I go, 'Did they just say Bevilacqua?'
'Then, my phone just started ringing.'
Al Bevilacqua thought of Jerry as 'a nice kid,' Michael said.
Then there was Al's former wrestler the 'Born on the Fourth of July' author Ron Kovic.
Advertisement
'He taught about never quitting. … He was the best motivator,' said Kovic, who wrestled for Bevilacqua before becoming paralyzed in the Vietnam War and becoming the subject of the Academy Award-winning movie by the same name.
After Kovic tragically lost use of his legs, he crossed paths with his former coach on Hofstra's campus, where Al Bevilacqua once again did what he was belovedly known for.
'It was quite emotional. He kept saying encouraging things to me that day, he showed it on his face that he was really sad that one of his boys had been hurt,' recalled Kovic, who wrote about Bevilacqua in his book.
Advertisement
'I'm still here because he taught me to never give up, and I think that was instilled in me and instilled in all the boys he coached…I'm sure when he did pass away, he was fighting until the end.'
6 Ron Kovic, who was Al's former wrestler at Massapequa High School, said, 'He was the best motivator,' and that quitting wasn't an option, as the two later crossed paths in life after Kovic lost the use of his legs.
Facebook/Park Avenue Grill
When the film's director Oliver Stone and star Tom Cruise came to the Bevilacqua home to do research for their film adaptation of 'Born on the Fourth of July,' Al wasn't afraid to go a few weight classes above his belt, either.
'My dad goes to Stone, 'Let me ask you a question: 'Why do you hate this country so much?' ' Christopher said of the controversial director, adding that Bevilacqua rejected the idea of being portrayed in the film as a violent-minded coach.
Advertisement
'He's going to tell you what he thinks of what he believes — and I thought that was a pretty powerful testimony,' the son said of his dad.
Al Bevilacqua also left a deeply resounding impression on actor and former wrestler Billy Baldwin, who described the coach as 'definitely a second father to me.'
6 Kovic says his wrestling coach's words were inspirational and a reason why he is still here.
Courtesy of Nora Bevilacqua
The Baldwin brothers, including actor Alec, were dear family friends who lived near the Bevilacquas, and their dad, Al Baldwin, worked with Bevilacqua at Massapequa High.
Advertisement
Billy Baldwin described Al as 'the one' great inspiration outside of his own family who steered him through the world.
'We would have conversations that would lead to philosophical exchanges … and that would help to guide me,' Baldwin said of the devout Yankee fan who forgave him and Christopher for accidentally buying nearly $100 in scalped tickets for a game from the night before when they were little.
'He was the one for me, and he was the one for thousands of others.'
6 Bevilacqua also left a lasting impact on the Baldwin family, as Billy Baldwin called him 'the one' great inspiration outside of his own family.
Courtesy of Nora Bevilacqua
Going to the mat
Fame meant nothing to get into Al Bevilacqua's good graces.
After the tragic loss of his father, Al brought Jim O'Rourke, Massapequa class of 1977, under his wing during his school days on the mats.
'He was an amazing character,' O'Rourke recalled.
'He has the most fantastic legacy.'
Al's daughter, Nora, said her dad's crowning achievement was launching Beat The Streets Wrestling, a program that brought the sport into the inner city and revolutionized their programs with resources and coaching.
'It shows you the power of one person and then ultimately one person doing what they believe in can achieve great things,' she said.
'I think my father passed that on to each of us.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
8 hours ago
- New York Post
Virgin dating series 'Are You My First?' hasn't even premiered yet, but is already flooded with applicants for Season 2
They're making the best 'laid' plans. The new virgin dating series 'Are You My First?' hasn't even premiered yet, but celibate singles are already hoping the show gets renewed for a second season — so they can lose their innocence on national television. 'I have never had so many virgins sliding into my DMs … But I will say this, if and when Season 2 happens, we will have a wide variety of virgins flocking to the show,' its co-host, former 'Bachelor' Colton Underwood, told The Post ahead of its Aug. 18 premiere. 'I've also received a lot of friends nominating people. And then when you click on their profile, I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, they would be good.' I definitely have a list of screenshots and saves for Season 2 for casting.' The Hulu series, which was created by the producers of 'Love Island,' follows 21 virgins — ranging in age from 24 to 34 — on their quest to lose their v-cards. 5 Colton Underwood and Kaitlyn Bristowe are the hosts of the new virgin dating show 'Are You My First?' on Hulu. Disney Underwood's co-host Kaitlyn Bristowe, who starred as 'The Bachelorette' in 2015, faced backlash for being the first leading lady to speak openly about having sex — admitting she did the deed with more than one contestant. The 40-year-old Canadian native said the terrible way she was treated back then has helped her sympathize with the virgins. 'It gave me a bit more empathy for people who chose not to have sex because I was like, 'Well, who am I to judge those people seeing how badly I got judged?'' she said. 5 On her 'Bachelorette' season in 2015, Bristowe got engaged to Shawn Booth. Underwood, who starred as 'Bachelor' in 2019, dated Cassie Randolph. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Bristowe found it surreal to see the virgins so reserved when it came to kissing — with one of the contestants, 28-year-old Katya, a theatre artist from Manhattan, going so far as to tell the man she was interested in he'd have to 'earn' her smooch. 'I was thinking of my night one as 'The Bachelorette.' And that was like child's play to me because I was like, 'I'm gonna make out with as many as I can and see who I have chemistry with.'' Bristowe, who got engaged to personal trainer Shawn Booth on 'The Bachelorette' and dated him for three years before their split in 2018, said it was refreshing to witness the cast's 'intentional' approach to courtship. 'We are so used to the craziness that we see on usual reality TV shows with dating where I'm like almost uncomfy, where this is like a sweeter, softer version,' she said. 'It's also crazy that we see somebody have their first kiss on camera ever. That's wild to me.' 5 'Are You My First?' features 21 virgins from around the country, ranging in age from 24 to 34. Disney Underwood, 33, starred as 'The Bachelor' in 2019, and at the time, he was a virgin. The Indiana native ended up dating contestant Cassie Randolph, a speech pathologist, for almost two years — and when they split, he confessed he was gay. 'Mine is a very complex story that America now knows,' he said. 'I think that when people watch this show, they're really going to understand there's so many reasons that people decide not to lose their virginity at a young age.' 5 'I think that when people watch this show, they're really going to understand there's so many reasons that people decide not to lose their virginity at a young age,' Underwood said about the 'Are You My First?' contestants, several of whom cited religion. Disney Several of the 'Are You My First?' contestants — many of whom are Mormon — revealed their religion was preventing them from giving it up. 'As a Christian man, it is easy to hide behind your faith — and I say that with all the respect to my faith and to Christianity — when you have other insecurities and other traumatic things that you're trying to work through,' said Underwood. Although the fact that some of the contestants — like a cocktail waitress and an NFL cheerleader — were still virgins may shock viewers, the hosts said they were not surprised. 'You spend a minute around them and you're like, 'Oh, I get it now,'' Underwood said. 5 During one awkward moment on the series, Michael, a stand-up comedian from Austin, tells Rachael, a cocktail waitress from Tampa, that his celebrity crush is William Howard Taft. Disney The hosts also had their fill of boring banter and anemic pickup lines — like when Michael, 26, a stand-up comedian from Austin, TX, revealed his celebrity crush was the late 27th president, William Howard Taft. 'I didn't even know who that is,' Underwood confessed. Bristowe said it was the awkward silences that really got to her. 'Everything in me wants to step in and be like, 'Somebody say something!''
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
CBS News boss preps ‘Evening News' shakeup — even as his own job may be at risk: sources
The president of CBS News preparing for a sharp-elbowed shakeup of the network's struggling 'Evening News' broadcast — even as his own job appears to be in jeopardy, The Post has learned. Tom Cibrowski — a former top executive at ABC who was lured to CBS in March — is poised as soon as this week to eliminate one of the nightly broadcast's two anchors, either John Dickerson or Maurice DuBois, sources said. At the same time, insiders said Cibrowski looks ready to oust 'Evening News' executive producer Guy Campanile — a gruff Yonkers native and veteran of '60 Minutes' who lately has locked horns with his new boss, according to sources. Advertisement 5 Tom Cibrowski — a former top executive at ABC who was lured to CBS in March — is poised as soon as this week to eliminate one of the nightly broadcast's two anchors Getty Images 'Guy thinks he knows better than Tom' — and may soon get kicked back to '60 Minutes' under the show's newly installed executive producer, Tanya Simon, one source said. Insiders said Cibrowski appears to making a play to keep his job with a series of bold, 11th-hour moves as CBS parent Paramount closes its merger with the Hollywood studio Skydance. They added, however, that Cibrowski may simply end up as a hatchet man for incoming bosses — before he ends up a casualty himself. Advertisement As previously reported by The Post, Cibrowski has also gotten static from 'CBS Mornings' executive producer Shawna Thomas — a close ally of network star Gayle King — and her job could be on the line, too, insiders told The Post. CBS News declined to comment. As reported by The Post, Jeff Shell, the new president of the merged Skydance-Paramount, said last week that he was interviewing news executives for Cibrowski's job. That comes after rumors that Skydance CEO David Ellison is in talks with journalist Bari Weiss, as well as former CBS News president David Rhodes, to join the network. At the 'Evening News,' insiders said DuBois looked poised to land the sole anchor spot. A former WCBS New York local anchor, sources said Dubois has appeared better-suited for the job than Dickerson, who is better known for his political reporting chops. Advertisement 5 John Dickerson or Maurice DuBois could be on the chopping block, according to sources. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP The co-hosts have 'lacked chemistry' and seemed out of their depth covering international news such as the death of Pope Francis. But one high-level exec blamed poor ratings on a leadership vacuum. 'There's a lack of support, a lack of focus and differing perspectives on what the show should be,' the person said, adding that the 'insecurity and lack of confidence shows up on the screen.' A key issue has been the April exit of longtime '60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens — who on his way out aired gripes about the show's editorial independence as Paramount faced a lawsuit from President Trump over the show's editing of an interview with Kamala Harris. Advertisement 5 Maurice DuBois with Norah O'Donnell. CBS Before his exit, Owens had been tapped by then-CBS News President Wendy McMahon to revamp the 'Evening News'. He assigned Campanile to emphasize longer, '60 Minutes'-style features. The strategy flopped amid the rapid-fire news cycles of the early Trump administration. Nevertheless, Campanile — who insiders said is expected to be replaced by 'Evening News' senior producer Kim Harvey — has continued to crank out the features despite Cibrowski's demands for more straight news, sources said. 'Now, the show and the team feel rudderless. If you're going to do something different, you need to do it with confidence and assurance and this team has none of that,' the source said. 'They are alone. They feel it and the viewers feel it.' 5 Rumors are swirling that Skydance CEO David Ellison is in talks with journalist Bari Weiss, as well as former CBS News president David Rhodes, to join the network. CBS via Getty Images The source pointed to 'an idiotic' July 31 piece on the rise in popularity of astrology – a segment that took up a precious 3 minutes – on a newsy day filled with headlines on President Trump's trade tariffs and deadly flash floods in Texas. 'That was Guy's arrogance,' a CBS insider said of the astrology report. 'The only people who think the show is journalistically great is Guy and the senior producers.' Feathers likewise got ruffled by an 'insulting gift' that Owens and Campanile had given Cibrowski upon his spring arrival — a 'Bible of Broadcasting' that was a primer on CBS storytelling and what makes it unique versus the competition. Advertisement 5 Inside the halls of Tiffany Network, the 'Evening News' has been ripped for 'how unwatchable it is,' a CBS source said. Christopher Sadowski Cibrowski — who spent 30 years at top-ranked ABC News where he oversaw shows including 'Good Morning America,' 'World News Tonight,' 'Nightline' and '20/20' — found the gift 'ridiculous,' a third source said. Inside the halls of Tiffany Network, the 'Evening News' has been ripped for 'how unwatchable it is,' a CBS source said. One former exec was flummoxed by McMahon and Owens' decision to use two anchors, calling it a 'two-headed monstrosity.' Relaunched under McMahon, who ousted then-anchor Norah O'Donnell, the 'Evening News' ratings last year had hovered between 4.5 million and 5 million viewers. After DuBois and Dickerson took over in January, ratings have regularly slumped below 4 million total viewers.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
NYC supermarket mogul Catsimatidis makes debut in Timothée Chalamet flick: ‘I never knew who he was!'
City billionaire John Catsimatidis is making his big-screen debut in heartthrob Timothée Chalamet's newest film, 'Marty Supreme' — and, in true form, is making cash off griping about the high cost of things. 'I actually got paid! I'm a member of SAG. And so I got a new career at my age,' the 76-year-old supermarket mogul told The Post on Friday. 3 New York City supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis is making his film debut in the upcoming Timothée Chalamet movie 'Marty Supreme.' x/RealChalamet Advertisement 'Josh Safdie — who is the big producer on it — he was looking for Upper West Side people and approached me, and I said, 'Yeah! Sounds like fun!' ' the mogul said. Catsimatidis — who is also famous these days for his WABC radio show, where he regularly complains about rising costs in the city — revealed he will star in 'two or three scenes' of the new film about the life of a fictional table-tennis star, Mary Mauser. The film is based on the actual life of legend Marty Reisman, who ran a ping pong parlor in an Upper West Side building owned by Catsimatidis. Advertisement The onetime mayoral candidate also makes a cameo in the final seconds of the film's trailer, which was released Wednesday, in a scene in which Chalamet tries to convince two men with New York accents to purchase a custom orange ping pong ball with his name branded on the surface. 3 'I got a new career at my age,' Catsimatidis crowed to The Post. Stefan Jeremiah for New York Post 3 Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a fictionalized version of table tennis legend Marty Reisman. x/RealChalamet 'A custom ball like that, it's going to cost a lot of money,' Catsimatidis tells the actor. Advertisement When it came to working with the Academy Award-nominated Chalamet, Catsimatidis admitted he had no idea who the heartthrob was. 'I never knew who he was! I was complaining to the director that he was getting a bigger role than me!' he quipped to The Post. It wasn't clear whether Chalamet, a fellow New Yorker and public-school graduate, knew who Catsimatidis was before filming. Advertisement Catsimatidis said his ping pong-peddling scene took as many as seven hours to shoot. 'I would say I'm used to days of work for five days,' Catsimatidis told The Post. '[Filming] was like 14-hour days. By the time I got [done], it was like midnight.'
