NUTLEY, NJ, May 17, 2017 -- Guest speakers included Anthony Bowens -- AKA "Vigilante" who wrestled his first match on April 13, 2013 in his hometown of Nutley and who later went on to win his first title on April 12, 2014 -- and Sal Scarpa, brother of Joe AKA Chief Jay Strongbow who brought along lots of memorabilia to display.

Nutley wrestling coach Mike DiPiano, and former Nutley coach Carmen LoRe who resides in Nutley and was a member of the original "club" wrestling team at Nutley High School (1961) the first varsity wrestling team (1962) and head coach for the NHS wrestling team (1994 to 2007) and won more than 100 matches.

By Barry Lenson

Wrestling mania seized Nutley. On May 17, 2017, the Nutley Museum at 65 Church Street hosted “50 Years of Nutley Wrestling,” a program that explored Nutley wrestling in its many forms – professional wrestlers from our town, great coaches and student wrestlers from Nutley High School, and much more.

One highlight was a presentation by Sal Scarpa, the brother of the late Luke Scarpa, the most famous professional wrestler who ever called Nutley home. You haven’t heard of him, you say? That could be because while he was winning world fame, he adopted a ring name and wrestling persona – Chief Jay Strongbow.