Happy belated birthday, Nikolai Volkoff
Professional wrestling’s legendary manager, “Captan” Lou Albano, died earlier this week and it got me thinking about a famous wrestling bad guy with Baltimore County connections — Josip Nikolai Peruzović.
Peruzović, known to fans of pro wrestling as Nikolai Volkoff, is a Glen Arm resident and county code enforcement officer. He also unsuccessfully ran for House of Delegates as a Republican in the 7th District, which includes Cockeysville, Honeygo and Middle River (hey, you can’t hit your opponents with chairs and knock out the ref in politics).
He also appeared in a Cyndi Lauper music video with Albano and other popular pro wrestlers — I can’t be the only one to remember “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and the Fabulous Moolah.
I had a chance to meet Nikolai a few years ago. County Executive Jim Smith presented him with a citation. Peruzović, a big bear of a man who is quick to laugh and joke, is the polar opposite of his bad guy alter ego.
Peruzović, who still wrestles from time to time, celebrated his 62nd birthday on Wednesday.
I have to admit, I still wonder sometimes what it would have been like had Peruzović taken his Volkoff character to Annapolis.
No more filibusters.
They could just settle everything in the steel cage.