William Shakespeare Manton Remembers Moolah

Okay, so I take off the mask, and reveal to my mother that I have adopted a pen name: The Spider Lady. She laughs a bit incredulously, as I continue to tell her of this eerie feeling that overcame me as I read that a masked female WWF wrestler called Spider Lady had died that same day. But, then the plot thickens when she tells me that her friend William Shakespeare Manton actually knew Moolah.

Oh yea, right... here we go again.

Bill is a card, that's for sure. He is like a Who's Who Encyclopedia of information,and is card carrying member the American Guild of Variety Artists. Okay, curiosity gets the best of me, and a can't control myself. I pick up the phone and swiftly dial Bill's, number. The phone rings several times, and I identify myself and verify that I have dialed the correct number. I feel a bit sheepish as I ask for information about Moolah. Then, Bill responds with a loud chuckle "she was one hell of a broad."

Bill waxes poetically as he goes through a long soliloquy about his singing in a joint called Steve's Cafe at 225 Hemingway Street in the Back Bay . It was 1950's and he was on stage. He remembers being heckled by a drunk. The owner Steve, a little guy , was trying to quiet the loud mouth. Then, a gal "build like a brick shit yard, stood up and threaten she would whack him in the mouth." He said it was love from first sight. He said her real name was not Moolah, it was Mary like his mother. She was a farm girl who had come from Savannah, Georgia and she was appearing at Mechanics Hall. He is not sure, but he thinks her manger at the time was Paul Bowser from Lexington.

Bill confesses that he was in love with Mary Lillian; he thinks he should have married her. Bill describes a long list of people who hung out at Steve's Cafe where he did impersonations of James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson. He said that he saw Mary every day for five years. He said she had an apartment upstairs from Steve's Cafe. One night he whispers, they were going out to dinner and she was going to change. He said she left the do ajar when he tried to catch a glimpse and she responded with a wink "don't even think about it, or I will break your neck."

His booming voice lowers when he confesses they liked to drink. Manton said that Mary "was not one to argue with when she was drinking because she could break a guys jaw in one punch." He said she "once had one too many, and it took ten cops to put her in the paddy wagon."

He said she held the world title for over 26 years. Mr. Manton said he regrets he last saw Mary when she went back to Savannah Georgia to run her Nightclub in 1960. He chuckles again and say "she was really built!"

I decided to do a little research, and ask if I could call him back tomorrow. He laughs and says he may not remember so good tomorrow. I laugh with him and realize it's a pretty good story, even if it is a bit embellished... He tells me I remind him of her. Whoooa, what a flattering comparison.... So, we laugh some more.

For my friends that are WWF fans I did do a little research, here is a brief history: There is book on Amazon titled "The Fabulous Moolah: First Goddess of the Square Ring" by Lillian Ellison. The Wresting Museum cites the Moolah held the championship for 30 years. and won her first would title in 1956. Moolah starred in 2004 documentary on women in wrestling titled "Lipstick and Dynamite." She appeared on "The Jay Leo Show" to promote the film . Moolah got the title "Spider Lady" when she defeated Wendy Richter while wearing a mask. A "Fabulous Moolah" action figure was released in 2006 part of the Classic Superstars series. I would really find one of them to give to Bill. HA-HA.