WEBVTT 1 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:19.800 It's the Lapsed Fan Wrestling podcast special report. The Lapse 2 00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:24.719 Fan presents the complete Hull Coogan, a real American story. 3 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:26.760 We're brought to you by Garage Pierre. 4 00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:32.640 Oh, Billyoks speaking Hi Billy Johnson. Yes, sir, Hi, this 5 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:35.679 is Jack at the Lapsed Fan. How are you real good? Good? 6 00:00:35.719 --> 00:00:37.240 Can you hear my co host JP? If you could 7 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:39.640 say hi to Billy JP? Hey, Billy, how's it going 8 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:40.840 real good? 9 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:42.960 How are you doing today? Good? Thanks? 10 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:44.960 Thanks for doing this, really looking forward to it, So 11 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:48.119 we'll jump right in, Billy. We really look forward to 12 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:50.479 getting your insights here because this is a part of 13 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:52.920 Terry's life that a lot of people don't know anything about. 14 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:55.600 So yes, let's get started. 15 00:00:56.320 --> 00:00:57.640 In seventy nine, I. 16 00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:01.159 Worked in the port. I worked for a company called 17 00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:06.599 L R. Stevedoring Company. And Terry was a union checker 18 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:13.680 back then with the International Longshoreman's Union, and basically he 19 00:01:14.359 --> 00:01:17.480 was working all over Florida wherever you know they had, 20 00:01:18.359 --> 00:01:24.599 they had checking jobs. Basically his job was to check 21 00:01:24.680 --> 00:01:28.519 the Back then, we really didn't have cargo ships. This 22 00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:30.840 was back in seventy nine, and we really didn't have 23 00:01:31.959 --> 00:01:36.359 container ships. We had actually cargo ships where we bulk 24 00:01:36.439 --> 00:01:41.280 loaded the ships and his job was as a checker, 25 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:44.560 was to make sure the goods were coming in. 26 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:46.560 Mostly we were handling. 27 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:52.439 Oranges and grapefruit at the time, and we were shipping 28 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:57.760 out it at the time in Canaveral Fort Pierce, Port 29 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:02.120 Everglades and then over and Port It Tampa, And I 30 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:06.079 believe he was based out of Tampa. Yeah, but he 31 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:08.919 you know, he worked wherever they called him to, whichever 32 00:02:09.080 --> 00:02:12.080 port because they those guys made pretty good money. 33 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:13.759 They made real good money back then. 34 00:02:14.199 --> 00:02:18.000 It's really interesting, Billy, because we tried to piece together 35 00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:20.800 how he moved through the seventies. You know, he got 36 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:23.319 into wrestling in seventy seven, and then in seventy eight 37 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:25.479 he went to Cocoa Beach. He was managing a bar 38 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:28.319 there and he also worked in a in a gym, 39 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:30.639 and then in seventy nine he kind of got back 40 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:33.599 into the wrestling. In like March of seventy nine, he's 41 00:02:33.639 --> 00:02:37.680 wrestling mostly out Alabama Pensacola area. Then he goes to Memphis, 42 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:40.360 Tennessee in like the summer of seventy nine. But it's 43 00:02:40.360 --> 00:02:43.039 not clear to fans did he go back to Tampa 44 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:45.280 like every other weekend and worked the docks, or do 45 00:02:45.319 --> 00:02:47.759 you remember exactly when in seventy nine he kind of 46 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:48.240 showed up. 47 00:02:49.159 --> 00:02:53.240 Actually, I might be a year off on that, because 48 00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:56.639 I'm thinking I started with them in seventy eight. 49 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:58.039 Okay, how did I think about it? 50 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:01.439 Because I just graduated from high school in seventy seven. 51 00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:08.240 So it was it was that fall after high school 52 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:11.680 that I started working for Eller, I mean for Coastal 53 00:03:11.719 --> 00:03:16.360 Stevedoring back then. And I know he told us back 54 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:19.319 then he was doing a lot of training at that time. 55 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:22.479 He was really training for Mister Universe more than anything. 56 00:03:23.080 --> 00:03:25.759 And him and another guy were training a lot over 57 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:30.400 over in Tampa. And I want to say Sunshine Jim, 58 00:03:30.439 --> 00:03:35.560 if I remember correct, And I remember he used to 59 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:38.240 like I said, he was a union checker for us, 60 00:03:38.280 --> 00:03:43.120 and we were working anywhere from Port Everglades, Fort Pierce, 61 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:46.039 Port Canaveral and Tampa. 62 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:50.599 And so I mean, you know, you know that. 63 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:55.080 And at the time I really didn't know him wrestling yet. 64 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:58.039 I mean it was later on that we started watching wrestling. 65 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:04.199 I see wrestle, but I do know this. Uh, in 66 00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:08.159 my office, I had a refrigerator and he used to 67 00:04:08.240 --> 00:04:11.800 keep his lunch in my refrigerator. 68 00:04:11.159 --> 00:04:14.479 And his lunch. Back then. 69 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:17.600 He actually he was kind of a freak about his body, 70 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:18.160 you know, as. 71 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:19.639 Well as what he ate and everything. 72 00:04:20.360 --> 00:04:23.240 And he had real long blonde hair, straight blonde hair 73 00:04:23.319 --> 00:04:29.839 back then, and I mean he looked almost like uh, 74 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:34.319 I can't think of who that like Fabio almost with 75 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:36.120 the long blonde hair and all back then. 76 00:04:36.279 --> 00:04:37.160 Is what good one? 77 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:41.720 Yeah? And uh but he used to in my refrigerator 78 00:04:41.800 --> 00:04:43.079 leave his lunch in there. 79 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:47.639 And I remember him always every day he had like 80 00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:54.199 seven pounds of grapes and he always had this uh 81 00:04:54.240 --> 00:05:00.720 this this juice or this uh shape that he drank. Yeah, 82 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:03.360 and it smelled the high heavens. I always told him, 83 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:05.639 I said, Terry, I don't mind you keeping this in refridger, 84 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:07.839 but don't open it up my office. Open it up 85 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:10.399 because it I don't know what was in that shape, 86 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:11.279 but it smelled. 87 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:14.399 But he always explained to us. 88 00:05:14.839 --> 00:05:19.600 That that he ate the grapes because when he was 89 00:05:19.639 --> 00:05:23.600 doing all of his weightlifting, and all the grapes made 90 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:27.240 his skin thin so that his veins would bulge out more. 91 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:28.079 Is that right? 92 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:31.680 Yes, And that's why he ate so much grapes every day. 93 00:05:32.600 --> 00:05:35.839 But I never will forget the first day I met 94 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:40.920 Terry when I first went to work there. My boss 95 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:43.920 back then was Bruce Brannigan, and he was probably all 96 00:05:43.959 --> 00:05:48.319 of about five foot to maybe five foot three, and 97 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:52.120 he was taking me around the port, just introducing to 98 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:54.519 me all these guys, and he goes, this is Gene 99 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:58.879 the meme machine, and this is Dick, and this is 100 00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:02.600 you know, Tom, and this is Paul and you know 101 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:05.800 and and uh and all of a sudden we come 102 00:06:05.879 --> 00:06:10.639 walking up to Terry and I said, and each one 103 00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:12.839 of these guys he was telling me what they did. 104 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:16.759 You know, Oh, he is an operating engineer, he is 105 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:21.120 a he's he does this, he does that. Well anyway, 106 00:06:21.399 --> 00:06:23.000 and all of a sudden, here we come up to 107 00:06:23.079 --> 00:06:28.800 Terry and I go, who is this And what does 108 00:06:28.839 --> 00:06:32.519 he do? Because you know, he was really big. He goes, Oh, 109 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:34.680 that's Terry. He does whatever he wants. 110 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:39.000 Right Yeah, who's going to tell him something he doesn't 111 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:39.439 want to do. 112 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:42.959 Right, Yeah, that's Terry. He just does whatever he wants. 113 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:46.399 But uh, yeah, we just you know, we we really 114 00:06:46.439 --> 00:06:50.720 had a good time. And I mean, uh, I remember, 115 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:53.439 you know, Terry didn't back down from nobody, you know, 116 00:06:53.480 --> 00:06:55.519 I mean when we joked down. I mean he didn't 117 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:58.360 care what he said or anything else. I mean, you know, 118 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:02.279 and uh we we just all had a really good time. 119 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:06.000 And I mean I never felt uh scared of Terry. 120 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.920 I always enjoyed being around. I enjoyed being around Terry. 121 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:13.000 I like him being around there. In fact, I remember 122 00:07:13.399 --> 00:07:18.240 we had a guard at the port at night, and 123 00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:20.720 this was at Christmas time, and the company paid for 124 00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:24.920 us all to go to this fancy dinner uh cafeteria 125 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:31.240 up in Vero Beach and we go up there and uh. 126 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:35.439 And anyway, uh we had this guard there. 127 00:07:35.480 --> 00:07:39.279 His dame was uh Felix, I think alex Or Felix, 128 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:42.199 and he was like we always made fun of this 129 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:42.600 old guy. 130 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:43.240 It was funny. 131 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:45.199 He had this little clock on him and he had 132 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:46.399 to go everywhere and get. 133 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:50.720 A key and push the clock on his waist or whatever. 134 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:57.279 And uh, anyway, he would he was always worried about 135 00:07:57.319 --> 00:08:00.920 everything about security and all that. Well, anyway, he gently 136 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:03.360 left at like two o'clock in the morning or one 137 00:08:03.399 --> 00:08:04.160 o'clock at night. 138 00:08:04.199 --> 00:08:05.399 I'm sorry, went in the morning. 139 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:08.160 And we got here about one point thirty and he's 140 00:08:08.199 --> 00:08:11.199 already left. And there the whole place the gates were 141 00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:12.920 all locked up, and none of us could get to 142 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:19.319 our cars inside. So we jumped over the fence, went 143 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:22.680 into the shop and got a cut forklift and came 144 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:26.240 out with a cutting torch on there, and we went 145 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:28.439 in there and cut the locks off of the fence 146 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:33.120 and got our cars and just kind of like dummy, 147 00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:33.600 locked the. 148 00:08:33.559 --> 00:08:34.320 Gate back up. 149 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:37.200 Felix come back the next morning. Man, he was like, 150 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:39.840 oh my gosh, let me call the long let me 151 00:08:39.879 --> 00:08:44.039 call along, and we're all like this guy laughing, like Felix, 152 00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:46.200 we did that. We couldn't get to our cars. Did 153 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:48.960 you see all of our cars gone? And he goes, oh, 154 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:52.759 I didn't even think about that. 155 00:08:52.759 --> 00:08:57.000 That's a good time. What's the What was the routine like? 156 00:08:57.039 --> 00:08:59.600 As far as the schedule, Billy, is this like a 157 00:08:59.639 --> 00:09:03.559 Monday Friday thing? You know when Witarry report to work. 158 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.919 We had to actually work whenever the ship was in 159 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:15.000 the port. And they these ships, we had so many 160 00:09:15.080 --> 00:09:17.039 days to get them loaded up, and a lot of 161 00:09:17.080 --> 00:09:19.559 times it was like two and a half days we 162 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:23.879 had to get them loaded up. And we started at 163 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:28.879 seven o'clock in the morning. We stopped for lunch for 164 00:09:28.919 --> 00:09:35.279 thirty minutes and then we'd stop again at we'd stop 165 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:39.799 at six and take a dinner break until seven, and 166 00:09:39.799 --> 00:09:42.639 then we'd work till one o'clock in the morning. Now, 167 00:09:42.679 --> 00:09:47.639 these ships, these ships, if they were a day late 168 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:54.159 or whatever, generally they would send the ships on before 169 00:09:54.200 --> 00:09:56.440 they were late, because I think they got charged like 170 00:09:56.480 --> 00:09:59.600 a million dollars a day for these ships if they 171 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:03.559 were late or whatever. And I can remember one time 172 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:07.879 we had a ship in Tampa. It was called I 173 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:10.519 believe it was called the Sun Belt Dixie, and it 174 00:10:10.600 --> 00:10:13.919 was it was on its maiden voyage. It had just 175 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:16.840 came from Japan to Jacksonville and it was loaded with 176 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:20.519 two thousand Toyota cars and then it went over to 177 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:24.279 Tampa where we loaded it up with I think it 178 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:27.360 was grapefruit that we loaded on there, and we had 179 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:31.360 to load three thousand semi loads, which was a thousand 180 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:35.279 boxes per semi load. We had to load three thousand 181 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:37.840 semi loads on there. We had three days to get 182 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:42.360 it done. Wow, and it has it turned out one 183 00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:45.600 of the trucks, one of the trucks got in just 184 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:48.679 at the last minute, and another one was broke down 185 00:10:48.759 --> 00:10:51.960 somewhere and it showed up at the port as a 186 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:54.159 truck as the ship was going out in the port, 187 00:10:54.240 --> 00:10:57.759 because we couldn't afford a million dollars for one truckload 188 00:10:57.840 --> 00:10:58.519 of grapefruit. 189 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:01.120 You know, so so much great. He seemed to take 190 00:11:01.159 --> 00:11:02.960 a lot of pride in being able to look In 191 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:05.080 his book he talked about these days and like sort 192 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:07.679 of being mathematically minded as far as how to perfectly 193 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:10.720 stack the cargo so that it would fit the container 194 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:13.320 and the dimensions of the container. Was that was that 195 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:14.840 a big part of the job was sort of like 196 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:15.879 that judgment called. 197 00:11:15.799 --> 00:11:18.279 No, we didn't have containers back, well, we did. 198 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:21.320 I might be using the wrong turn, Billy, Yeah, but. 199 00:11:21.559 --> 00:11:23.960 We had is we had we had to bulk load 200 00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:28.639 these things, like the Japanese fruit that we send a 201 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:32.440 japan It was kind of like laid on skid sheets 202 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:34.519 and dropped right on the ground and they actually picked 203 00:11:34.600 --> 00:11:37.480 them up well off the ship and loaded them out. 204 00:11:37.879 --> 00:11:38.759 You know in Japan. 205 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:42.519 We had these big hoists and we drop them down 206 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:44.120 there and we kind of like move them over in 207 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:48.840 the ship and off and uh wherever we couldn't get 208 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:53.960 them to uh we had to stop or whatever. Gentally, 209 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:58.480 we put wood shoring in there and and uh they 210 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:01.720 nailed it down and off. But we actually drew up 211 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:05.120 stowage plans before the ship came in, and we actually 212 00:12:05.159 --> 00:12:11.120 figured out weight, displacement, till and everything else so that 213 00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:14.039 we knew where we were putting everything before we even 214 00:12:14.120 --> 00:12:16.480 started loading on each one of these cargo ships. 215 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:18.480 Like that, I'm trying to figure out as far as 216 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:20.919 the routine goes, like, how would you guys get word 217 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:22.799 that a ship's coming. You kind of said that it 218 00:12:22.840 --> 00:12:24.919 wasn't like a set day that you'd be there, It 219 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:27.000 was sort of whenever the ships arrived. How would Terry 220 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:29.799 or yourself get word Because we're trying to figure out 221 00:12:30.039 --> 00:12:32.720 how he balanced doing the wrestling with with. 222 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:34.919 You know, well, we actually knew I had a time. 223 00:12:35.080 --> 00:12:38.799 I mean one of the we had a couple of 224 00:12:39.080 --> 00:12:48.159 big people that ship the fruits and vegetables that we handled. 225 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:50.679 One of them was D and E Sales that they 226 00:12:50.679 --> 00:12:53.159 were out of Fort Pierce, which they were a huge 227 00:12:54.679 --> 00:13:00.519 citrus distributor, and the other one was a do in 228 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:04.200 somen American Foods which did a lot of vegetables and all. 229 00:13:04.360 --> 00:13:09.600 So they actually arranged it to where they had a 230 00:13:09.879 --> 00:13:13.759 refrigerated cargo ship whenever they had one coming into the area. 231 00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:17.840 You know, they knew days ahead of time, and they 232 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:21.840 would schedule it out so we'd actually know when we 233 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:25.679 were dealing with the ship, you know, And like I said, 234 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:29.120 we might be two and a half days or three 235 00:13:29.240 --> 00:13:33.919 days on a on a a refrigerated cargo ship loading 236 00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:35.080 it with oranges and all. 237 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:39.039 And we knew that. Now. 238 00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:41.080 When they worked down in Port Everglades, they had all 239 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:45.159 kinds of ships coming in, cruise ships and cargo ships 240 00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:47.639 and everything else. And I mean that was pretty much 241 00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:53.200 a routine thing there. But I don't think Terry well, yeah, 242 00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:56.759 I guess they did use union checkers to bring bring 243 00:13:56.759 --> 00:13:59.360 the supplies in and stuff for the ships and all, 244 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:03.039 because that's what he was. He was a union checker, 245 00:14:03.080 --> 00:14:06.240 and he checked in the supplies and stuff that would 246 00:14:06.279 --> 00:14:07.679 go on the ship. 247 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:10.799 It's interesting that I was a union checker since he 248 00:14:10.840 --> 00:14:13.440 became so anti union later on his wrestling career. 249 00:14:15.399 --> 00:14:18.799 Yeah, I think he kind of gave it up after 250 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:21.679 a while back, you know, later on. 251 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:24.200 I mean it got to be where it was a hassle. 252 00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:27.559 But you know, he's I think he kept his Union 253 00:14:27.559 --> 00:14:29.399 card and every once in a while if he didn't 254 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:31.679 have work he'd come back and you know, fill back 255 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:33.120 in with the union and stuff. 256 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:35.240 So is it that easy, Billy? Is that how it works? 257 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:37.440 You really just whenever you're free, you can pretty much 258 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:37.799 get work. 259 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:42.759 Well, we're talking about nineteen seventy eight and seventy nine. 260 00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:46.879 You know, I'm quite sure it's a different ballgame today. 261 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:50.320 You know, they just have so much cargo coming into ports. 262 00:14:50.759 --> 00:14:53.320 There's no way that you could, you know, you could 263 00:14:53.320 --> 00:14:56.159 be a musician and be a longshoreman at the same time, 264 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:59.480 or you know, be a wrestler or a longshoreman at 265 00:14:59.480 --> 00:15:03.240 the same time. You know, I mean today, But you know, 266 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:06.320 back in those days, you know, it worked out for him. 267 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:11.480 You know, did he ever express any desire to do 268 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:14.240 something other than that? He seems to when he talks 269 00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:15.879 about this time in his life in his books and 270 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:18.759 stuff and interviews, he always seems to be of two minds, like, 271 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:20.360 I'm doing this because it's good money and I want 272 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:22.039 to make the most money for the time in But 273 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:24.039 at the same time, I've got these dreams. Did he 274 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:24.879 ever talk about that. 275 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:28.159 I'll be tripping with you when I knew Terry, I 276 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:30.639 never knew that he was going on to be a wrestler. 277 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:33.120 Yeah, I always his goal. 278 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:35.840 Back then, his ultimate goal was to be mister Universe. 279 00:15:36.600 --> 00:15:38.960 I mean he was training him and a couple other 280 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:42.559 guys were training to be mister Universe and that's what 281 00:15:42.600 --> 00:15:46.679 they were working on. And uh, I guess that never 282 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:52.159 really but then all of a sudden, wrestling came along. 283 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:54.759 I think he made it when we was up in 284 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:58.000 Port Everglades up there around Cocoa Beach. He started seeing 285 00:15:58.120 --> 00:16:00.960 well they actually had wrestling and Coco Beach and Fort 286 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:04.039 Pierce and he actually thought it the Armor in Fort 287 00:16:04.039 --> 00:16:07.759 Pierce here at one time too, I believe, Uh that's 288 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:14.679 where he got to start because yeah, uh, the Florida 289 00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:17.559 Wrestling Alliance or whatever, I mean they I think they 290 00:16:17.559 --> 00:16:20.879 were out of Tampa or whatever, and that's how he 291 00:16:20.919 --> 00:16:24.799 got And it was funny they had wrestling pretty much 292 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:30.080 everywhere where. He was working in the ports too. But yeah, 293 00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:31.519 it's interesting. 294 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:33.440 So I wanted to ask you if you could help 295 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:38.320 us understand kind of back then what people from the 296 00:16:38.440 --> 00:16:42.720 area what drew them to the ports. Was it pretty 297 00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:44.679 much the best money you could make, was it? Did 298 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:47.720 you have to get in through like a referral? Like 299 00:16:47.879 --> 00:16:49.840 was it easy to just sign up. But what was 300 00:16:49.879 --> 00:16:53.000 attractive sounds like a backbreaking job for sure. Back then. 301 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:56.279 Well, his job wasn't because he drove. 302 00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:58.600 I mean all he did was walk around with a 303 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:06.160 clipboard and papering and check off stuff. He this was, 304 00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:09.839 you know, it was high paying jobs. I mean basically. 305 00:17:09.960 --> 00:17:13.240 I mean, I know, our company fought about down in 306 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:17.720 Port Everglades one time they you know, the union came 307 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:21.440 in and they had what they called alignment, and his 308 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:25.319 job was when the ship came into port, they would 309 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:28.119 throw that monkey's pole over with a small rope and 310 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:30.480 then he'd pulled the big rope over and then drop 311 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:33.279 the loop on the cleat and he'd go down the 312 00:17:33.319 --> 00:17:35.920 ship to run down real quick and do the other 313 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:38.440 two down there so that they could winch yourself on 314 00:17:38.599 --> 00:17:42.759 into the seawall there. The unit came in and said, 315 00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:45.960 wait a minute, we're not going to let a. 316 00:17:45.960 --> 00:17:47.160 Guy do that like that. 317 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:51.680 We want three guys for the ship when it comes in. 318 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:54.440 We want to give him a four hour minimum. And 319 00:17:54.480 --> 00:17:58.319 this was back in nineteen seventy six, I believe, and 320 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:02.680 or no, seventy seven. I think it was seventy seven 321 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:05.079 or seventy eight that they did that and they said, 322 00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:09.039 we want three guys to do this, and we want 323 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:11.960 to pay them a four hour minimum, and it was 324 00:18:12.119 --> 00:18:15.519 eighteen seventy five an hour back then, you know, which 325 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:20.079 that was good gravy money. Yeah, and these these guys got, 326 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:24.519 These guys got and that's for each ship that came in. 327 00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:29.599 You know, they didn't and. 328 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:32.079 If they did three ships that day, they worked twelve hours, 329 00:18:32.599 --> 00:18:36.160 even though that was you know, that was like ninety minutes. 330 00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:39.200 They got paid for twelve hours. 331 00:18:39.319 --> 00:18:43.039 I'm starting to get it now. Okay, not only was it. 332 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:48.039 Not only was it twelve hours, it was you know, 333 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:52.359 overtime paying all after eight hours, right, even though these 334 00:18:52.359 --> 00:18:53.920 guys were only working ninety minutes. 335 00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:56.000 And we they fucked that tooth and nail. 336 00:18:56.079 --> 00:18:58.119 But the union won that one there, so they just 337 00:18:58.200 --> 00:19:01.599 kind of let it slide, to let it go because 338 00:19:01.960 --> 00:19:05.240 they originally talked about putting four to six guys on 339 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:08.319 some of these ships, and they ended up for the 340 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:12.519 linemen and uh, they ended up going with they settled 341 00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:14.960 for three and uh. 342 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:17.079 But I mean that's the kind of things that they 343 00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:17.599 were doing. 344 00:19:18.440 --> 00:19:21.440 But I'm gonna tell you, we we did all kinds 345 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:25.400 of things. I'm telling you we we did a lot 346 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:26.079 of stuff, and. 347 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.039 I'm pretty sure Terry was with us. 348 00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:33.400 And in uh Port Everglades. One time the Dea busted 349 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:42.079 a cargo ship off of uh uh Sebastian near the 350 00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:46.279 golf stream there and it had I can't remember how 351 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:49.680 many bales of square grouper it had on it, but 352 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:52.480 they caught it and they brought that ship in. 353 00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:57.359 To UH to Canavil. 354 00:19:58.359 --> 00:20:02.799 And UH we were high to uh unload all of 355 00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:07.319 it and loaded up on Semis and all of the 356 00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:10.759 the uh the international longshoremen that worked on there. They 357 00:20:10.839 --> 00:20:15.079 had to basically strip down and wear these white jumpsuits 358 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:19.160 that that the customs gave them, and they had to 359 00:20:19.160 --> 00:20:21.200 be checked every time they came off. 360 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:23.920 Of the off of the ship and everything else. 361 00:20:24.039 --> 00:20:27.920 And UH, I remember we had some guys in there 362 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:33.400 that were working and and UH. 363 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:33.920 I probably shouldn't say this, but. 364 00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:36.119 I think where you're going feel free. Just do you 365 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:36.960 leave names out of it? 366 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:43.359 Yeah, Well, anyway, UH we were joking about this. One guy, 367 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:50.720 Frank uh said, you know, I don't trust that guy. 368 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:53.200 Right We said to the custom we don't trust that 369 00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:54.039 guy right there. 370 00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:58.680 You know, he may he may need a cavity search because. 371 00:20:58.519 --> 00:21:01.279 I'm I'm sure he got stuffed. 372 00:21:00.839 --> 00:21:06.480 Head, and we're all like, no, that's not true. 373 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:07.440 You know, you're lying. 374 00:21:08.200 --> 00:21:10.680 Oh my god. So the cavity search guy was Terry 375 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:11.599 or was somebody else? 376 00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:15.880 No, it was it was just a joke, Yeah, of. 377 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:17.799 Course, yeah, yeah, I thought, Okay, I just want to 378 00:21:17.799 --> 00:21:19.599 be sure you weren't saying that Terry was the guy 379 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:20.880 that needed to be cavity searched. 380 00:21:21.400 --> 00:21:25.680 No, okay, I'm thinking it was Terry that said it 381 00:21:25.720 --> 00:21:26.799 about Frank, but it was. 382 00:21:26.759 --> 00:21:27.960 One of the guys, one of the guys. 383 00:21:28.039 --> 00:21:28.240 Yeah. 384 00:21:28.680 --> 00:21:32.119 And uh, but you know, we we cut up a lot. 385 00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:34.200 I mean, we did a lot of crazy takes, but 386 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:36.279 we worked a lot of hours and we had a lot, 387 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:37.640 you know, a lot of work to do. 388 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:39.759 I mean, you know, that was no doubt about it. 389 00:21:39.799 --> 00:21:43.319 Absolutely. That must have been a component of the job, right, 390 00:21:43.400 --> 00:21:46.799 or people smuggling illicit things, right, you don't know what 391 00:21:46.839 --> 00:21:49.640 you're handling sometimes. I bet the DEA was always kind 392 00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:50.400 of sniffing around. 393 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:53.359 Well, you know, in the seventies, you know, there was 394 00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:56.880 so much square group for being around this area. 395 00:21:56.920 --> 00:21:59.079 I mean, you know, Jimmy Buffett wrote his song. 396 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:03.200 You know pirates look at forty, you know, and he 397 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:07.240 talks about smuggled so much weed that you know, and 398 00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:08.039 he pissed. 399 00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:10.200 It away in Miami. Well that that really did. 400 00:22:10.519 --> 00:22:16.359 That really was happening back in those days. And we 401 00:22:16.440 --> 00:22:19.559