Post by CW .org .info .net on Mar 29, 2023 13:47:09 GMT -6
George Nottoli
At 6 4", 245 pounds, Geroge Angelo Nottoli II is a formidable rugby player. Equally adept on offense
and defense, George played lock for the Lincoln Park (Chicago) RFCs A-side for 17 years. For most people,
fitting a successful rugby career into their busy lives presents enough of a challenge, but George is not
most people. Always looking for adventure and never one to shy away from an "opportunity," George Nottoli
is also a husband and father, a trained stunt man, a professional wrestler and a third-generation sausage
maker with a thriving Italian deli.
Dedication and hard work have been the key ingredients to Georges recipe for success, as he managed
to lead the Lincoln Park RFC to the final of the 1994 Mens Division II National Club Championship while
rapidly expanding his sausage business at the same time. Staying late into the night on Fridays and getting
to work at 6am on Saturdays, George did whatever it took to ensure that his business flourished while he
played rugby on Saturday, his stores busiest day.
Sausage at Every Social
The Original Nottoli and Son, a small sausage shop in Chicago, has been producing quality sausage since
1947. Taking over the shop, George has expanded Nottolis to sell prepared meals, homemade sauce and
giardiniera (pepper sauce). They sell online, have recently begun catering functions, and have provided 3040
pounds of sausage for every Lincoln Park rugby social for the past 20 years. One time in 1992, Lincoln Park
hosted Rockford, a club famous for its wonderful post-match food spreads. Eager to please, Lincoln Park decided
to break from sausage tradition and serve something fancier. Rockford was completely disappointed.
"One Rockford guy [who wasnt able to play due to injury] drove two hours just to get the sausage at the social!"
says Nottoli. They have been serving it at every social since.
Quality Product
Georges business has succeeded and grown over the years because hes proud to make a quality product.
"Its kind of nice to have your name on a product people like. I enjoy making sausage," says Nottoli. The shop,
which cranks out 800 pounds of sausage per day in the winter and up to 3000 pounds per day on summer grilling
holidays, is successful because George buys high quality meat and trims it properly.
George Discovers Rugby
George has worked in the family store since he was a child, learning the sausage business from his father,
Anthony. Not knowing whether he would take over the business, George attended St. Johns University in
Minnesota as Liberal Arts major. He was wandering around at a party during freshman year when a rugby player
encouraged him to attend a practice. Initially wary of joining a group that involved strict discipline and
commitment, George quickly found his new passion in life. While confused at first, the former football and
hockey player loved the physicality of the sport and has been involved ever since. George played rugby all four
years at St. Johns before returning to Chicago to work in the family store. He gradually took on more
responsibility at Nottoli and Sons and thought his rugby days were over. In the early 80s, however, when rugby
was even more underground, George discovered the Lincoln Park RFC at a recruitment party. The club was
delighted to have a player who became their captain, three-time MVP, all time leading scorer, long-term club
president and provider of sausage for their socials. "Although Ive retired and only play old boys games, my
sausage is still served after all home games." In homage to the longtime member, the club has divided their
social memberships into three categories, the highest of which is "sausage."
Getting the Nottolis to Accept Rugby
Georges never-give-up attitude made him a natural leader on the rugby pitch. "George is a really good
player. He took tackles really well and ran through a lot of people," says former teammate Wayne Borgert.
"He just loved playing the game." His dedication to rugby was new to his family, who were worried that he
would suffer an injury and concerned that rugby was taking too much time away from the family business.
"I always made sure everything was done," says George of his going in early and staying late after matches.
"My father was not a fan of rugby. He didnt like the sport because it got in the way of work."
While Anthony Nottoli grew up with the mindset that business comes first, it never stopped George from
successfully running the business and committing himself passionately to rugby. George eventually won his
father over somewhat by proving that he would do whatever it took to get his work done and still play rugby.
Stunt School
After implementing several successful expansions to his business, George was looking for a new challenge.
In 1989, a rugby teammate suggested he try stunt school and George signed up. Stunt school involved a level of
physicality that turned most people away. Having played rugby for close to a decade, however, George was no
stranger to bumps and bruises. "We did a lot of bar room fighting and were lit on fire and stuff. It was fun!"
Unphased by the fire suit, George enjoyed the excitement of the stunt training. He was dragged by, hit with and
jumped from moving cars. The only thing he was a little wary of was falling from two and three story buildings.
"Im kind of scared of heights," admits the stunt man. After completing basic stunt training, George attended an
advanced stunt class. Several months later, George appeared as an extra in several small films and performed as
a stunt man in a local Chicago film. While he enjoyed the thrill of stunt work, pursuing a career as a stunt man
would occupy a large chunk of time that Nottoli would rather put into rugby and work. Back at the sausage shop,
George expanded his business, working with his wife on web management and online sales. He continued his
involvement with Lincoln Park, was chosen for the CARFU select side, played on several CARFU champion sevens
sides and toured internationally. "George was always the life of the party," said Lincoln Parks Wayne Borgert
on playing with George. "People remember him for his crazy antics."
The Next Challenge
By 1997, Nottoli needed a new challenge in life. Always a pro wrestling fan and having dabbled in wrestling
with his rugby teammates, George met with a local promoter. "It was just like discovering club rugby when I got out
of college," George says of the Chicagos relatively underground pro-wrestling scene. As it turned out, there are
several wrestling schools in Chicago and George signed up for training. Rugby practices conflicted with wrestling,
so at the age of 35, George retired from active play with Lincoln Park to become Vito "Two Fingers" Fontaine.
Considered a dinosaur in the wrestling world because of his age, George knew he had the physicality and the
fitness to do well. "I told my mother I had decided to retire from rugby and she said Finally! Youve gotten some
sense! And then I told her I was retiring from rugby to become a professional wrestler."
Vito "Two Fingers" Fontaine
In the ring, George became Vito "Two Fingers" Fontaine. An old school wrestler, Vito wears simple black boots
and black trunks and hails from Las Vegas, the hometown of numerous mobsters and tough guys. "I wanted Vito to be
from Vegas, which has a lot of corruption and had a better, showier sound than Chicago." With his aptitude for
contact sports, wrestling was just the challenge George was looking for. "Contact was never a problem, but learning
the moves and learning to take the moves took some getting used to." With former WWF wrestler King Kong Bundy
as his manager, Vito did well in his first match and began training for a second. Vitos one-match win streak quickly
ended, however, as he suffered a serious neck injury practicing for a match against the Polish Crippler.
"A lot of people think wrestling is fake, but you are hitting people with real chairs. I was out for two years!"
The Windy City Professional Wrestling group didnt think Vito would be able to come back from his injury but George
rose to the challenge. George (Vito) spent his recovery time coaching Lincoln Park, who were in a bit of a slump at the
time, and he was just what the team needed to regain their competitive edge. Coaching allowed George to concentrate
on his rehabilitation, yet still remain involved in rugby with no danger of injury. When he returned to wrestling,
his hard work paid off in a Bare Knuckles championship title, one that Vito would hold for two years. Bare Knuckles
wrestling is hard core wrestling with no disqualification for using props like steel trash cans and tables.
Similar to rugby, professional wrestlers must be fearless when it comes to physical contact. "People think you saw the
tables beforehand, but you really put people through real tables, " said George. "You really do take a pounding and get
knocked around. The mat is basically plywood with a piece of foam on top."
Brotherhood
Taking a pounding together forms a special bond among wrestlers. "The brotherhood in wrestling is similar to
rugby," George says of the camaraderie. "I wrestled Ripper Manson on Saturday night and was out drinking beers
with him later on." You give your all in a rugby match or in the ring and afterward you meet your opponents as friends.
George lists the biggest difference between rugby and wrestling is the need to entertain the crowd. "You cant just
focus on yourself, you must always keep the crowd in mind." The large crowds at wrestling events are very different
from the spectators at a rugby game. "The crowd adds a whole new element," George says. "Learning the moves and
figuring out your next step is one thing, but making your wrestling entertaining for the audience is another."
Always the life of the party, George had no problem with the performance aspect of wrestling. "In rugby, people
recognized me as the guy with crazy wild hair," says Nottoli. While George starts matches with his hair tied back,
it doesnt stay that way for long. "I look like a crazy man," says George.
Are You Chicken?
When preparing for a Christmas wrestling show, George decided to dress as Santa and throw presents to the kids.
He had already decided to hide an 8-foot Christmas tree beneath the stage to wail his opponent, but when looking for
Santa suits he discovered what would become his signature prop: the rubber chicken. "I thought it would be hilarious to
hit someone with a rubber chicken!" He hid the chicken and a garbage can under the stage, and hit his opponent with both.
The crowd loved it and fans started coming to matches waving their own rubber chickens. Kids started calling Vito
"the chicken guy." WCPW reigning heavyweight champion Ripper Manson has been hit with the chicken several times.
"The feet hurt more than the beak. I hate that thing," Ripper says. The chicken delivers a more painful blow than a larger
object because of the whipping effect of rubber. "Its not a blunt impact like a table would be."
Crowd Pleaser
Vito Fontaine and his chicken quickly became fan favorites in Chicago. In 2002, he was chosen as Hardcore Wrestler
of the Year and was voted Most Popular Wrestler in the WCPW by his fans in 2003. In addition to his Bare Knuckles belt,
Vito went on to claim the Tag Team Belt (twice), the Urban American Belt, and the Battle Royal Belt. A proud moment in Vitos
career came in the summer of 2003 when he wrestled and defeated Jerry the King Lawler, a popular professional wrestler
since the 1970s and current WWE announcer. Windy City Professional Wrestling draws several hundred fans to its weekly
matches, with up to 2500 for their large Wrestle Mania events. The matches are televised on local cable networks and
George enjoys being a double celebrity, well-known for great wrestling and great sausage.
Spreading the Sausage
George has introduced his sausage to his wrestling brothers by giving samplers as holiday gifts. Ripper Manson swears
by Nottolis sausage. "Thats the best stuff I ever had," Ripper says, "Vito gave me a five pound sampler one Christmas and I
had to find out where I could get my hands on the stuff." Manson serves Nottoli sausage at all his parties. He jokes that he
should put signs outside reading "This party is endorsed by Nottoli and Sons." George is using his current notoriety to promote
his next challenge: breaking the Guiness World Record for longest sausage. Teaming with the Morton Grove Lions Club for a
Special Olympics fundraiser , Nottoli and Sons will try to produce a 70-foot sausage. The Lions are building a special
70-foot grill for the event and plan to sell sandwiches to benefit the charity. After breaking the record, Vito will take part in
a wrestling show in the local park.
The Road Ahead
At the age of 43, George Nottoli has a passion for life and fantastic dedication to his endeavors. His next challenge is
to figure out what to do when he retires from pro wrestling. "Im not ready to retire to golf yet," says George.
"Im looking for a new avenue. It might be salsa dancing."
At 6 4", 245 pounds, Geroge Angelo Nottoli II is a formidable rugby player. Equally adept on offense
and defense, George played lock for the Lincoln Park (Chicago) RFCs A-side for 17 years. For most people,
fitting a successful rugby career into their busy lives presents enough of a challenge, but George is not
most people. Always looking for adventure and never one to shy away from an "opportunity," George Nottoli
is also a husband and father, a trained stunt man, a professional wrestler and a third-generation sausage
maker with a thriving Italian deli.
Dedication and hard work have been the key ingredients to Georges recipe for success, as he managed
to lead the Lincoln Park RFC to the final of the 1994 Mens Division II National Club Championship while
rapidly expanding his sausage business at the same time. Staying late into the night on Fridays and getting
to work at 6am on Saturdays, George did whatever it took to ensure that his business flourished while he
played rugby on Saturday, his stores busiest day.
Sausage at Every Social
The Original Nottoli and Son, a small sausage shop in Chicago, has been producing quality sausage since
1947. Taking over the shop, George has expanded Nottolis to sell prepared meals, homemade sauce and
giardiniera (pepper sauce). They sell online, have recently begun catering functions, and have provided 3040
pounds of sausage for every Lincoln Park rugby social for the past 20 years. One time in 1992, Lincoln Park
hosted Rockford, a club famous for its wonderful post-match food spreads. Eager to please, Lincoln Park decided
to break from sausage tradition and serve something fancier. Rockford was completely disappointed.
"One Rockford guy [who wasnt able to play due to injury] drove two hours just to get the sausage at the social!"
says Nottoli. They have been serving it at every social since.
Quality Product
Georges business has succeeded and grown over the years because hes proud to make a quality product.
"Its kind of nice to have your name on a product people like. I enjoy making sausage," says Nottoli. The shop,
which cranks out 800 pounds of sausage per day in the winter and up to 3000 pounds per day on summer grilling
holidays, is successful because George buys high quality meat and trims it properly.
George Discovers Rugby
George has worked in the family store since he was a child, learning the sausage business from his father,
Anthony. Not knowing whether he would take over the business, George attended St. Johns University in
Minnesota as Liberal Arts major. He was wandering around at a party during freshman year when a rugby player
encouraged him to attend a practice. Initially wary of joining a group that involved strict discipline and
commitment, George quickly found his new passion in life. While confused at first, the former football and
hockey player loved the physicality of the sport and has been involved ever since. George played rugby all four
years at St. Johns before returning to Chicago to work in the family store. He gradually took on more
responsibility at Nottoli and Sons and thought his rugby days were over. In the early 80s, however, when rugby
was even more underground, George discovered the Lincoln Park RFC at a recruitment party. The club was
delighted to have a player who became their captain, three-time MVP, all time leading scorer, long-term club
president and provider of sausage for their socials. "Although Ive retired and only play old boys games, my
sausage is still served after all home games." In homage to the longtime member, the club has divided their
social memberships into three categories, the highest of which is "sausage."
Getting the Nottolis to Accept Rugby
Georges never-give-up attitude made him a natural leader on the rugby pitch. "George is a really good
player. He took tackles really well and ran through a lot of people," says former teammate Wayne Borgert.
"He just loved playing the game." His dedication to rugby was new to his family, who were worried that he
would suffer an injury and concerned that rugby was taking too much time away from the family business.
"I always made sure everything was done," says George of his going in early and staying late after matches.
"My father was not a fan of rugby. He didnt like the sport because it got in the way of work."
While Anthony Nottoli grew up with the mindset that business comes first, it never stopped George from
successfully running the business and committing himself passionately to rugby. George eventually won his
father over somewhat by proving that he would do whatever it took to get his work done and still play rugby.
Stunt School
After implementing several successful expansions to his business, George was looking for a new challenge.
In 1989, a rugby teammate suggested he try stunt school and George signed up. Stunt school involved a level of
physicality that turned most people away. Having played rugby for close to a decade, however, George was no
stranger to bumps and bruises. "We did a lot of bar room fighting and were lit on fire and stuff. It was fun!"
Unphased by the fire suit, George enjoyed the excitement of the stunt training. He was dragged by, hit with and
jumped from moving cars. The only thing he was a little wary of was falling from two and three story buildings.
"Im kind of scared of heights," admits the stunt man. After completing basic stunt training, George attended an
advanced stunt class. Several months later, George appeared as an extra in several small films and performed as
a stunt man in a local Chicago film. While he enjoyed the thrill of stunt work, pursuing a career as a stunt man
would occupy a large chunk of time that Nottoli would rather put into rugby and work. Back at the sausage shop,
George expanded his business, working with his wife on web management and online sales. He continued his
involvement with Lincoln Park, was chosen for the CARFU select side, played on several CARFU champion sevens
sides and toured internationally. "George was always the life of the party," said Lincoln Parks Wayne Borgert
on playing with George. "People remember him for his crazy antics."
The Next Challenge
By 1997, Nottoli needed a new challenge in life. Always a pro wrestling fan and having dabbled in wrestling
with his rugby teammates, George met with a local promoter. "It was just like discovering club rugby when I got out
of college," George says of the Chicagos relatively underground pro-wrestling scene. As it turned out, there are
several wrestling schools in Chicago and George signed up for training. Rugby practices conflicted with wrestling,
so at the age of 35, George retired from active play with Lincoln Park to become Vito "Two Fingers" Fontaine.
Considered a dinosaur in the wrestling world because of his age, George knew he had the physicality and the
fitness to do well. "I told my mother I had decided to retire from rugby and she said Finally! Youve gotten some
sense! And then I told her I was retiring from rugby to become a professional wrestler."
Vito "Two Fingers" Fontaine
In the ring, George became Vito "Two Fingers" Fontaine. An old school wrestler, Vito wears simple black boots
and black trunks and hails from Las Vegas, the hometown of numerous mobsters and tough guys. "I wanted Vito to be
from Vegas, which has a lot of corruption and had a better, showier sound than Chicago." With his aptitude for
contact sports, wrestling was just the challenge George was looking for. "Contact was never a problem, but learning
the moves and learning to take the moves took some getting used to." With former WWF wrestler King Kong Bundy
as his manager, Vito did well in his first match and began training for a second. Vitos one-match win streak quickly
ended, however, as he suffered a serious neck injury practicing for a match against the Polish Crippler.
"A lot of people think wrestling is fake, but you are hitting people with real chairs. I was out for two years!"
The Windy City Professional Wrestling group didnt think Vito would be able to come back from his injury but George
rose to the challenge. George (Vito) spent his recovery time coaching Lincoln Park, who were in a bit of a slump at the
time, and he was just what the team needed to regain their competitive edge. Coaching allowed George to concentrate
on his rehabilitation, yet still remain involved in rugby with no danger of injury. When he returned to wrestling,
his hard work paid off in a Bare Knuckles championship title, one that Vito would hold for two years. Bare Knuckles
wrestling is hard core wrestling with no disqualification for using props like steel trash cans and tables.
Similar to rugby, professional wrestlers must be fearless when it comes to physical contact. "People think you saw the
tables beforehand, but you really put people through real tables, " said George. "You really do take a pounding and get
knocked around. The mat is basically plywood with a piece of foam on top."
Brotherhood
Taking a pounding together forms a special bond among wrestlers. "The brotherhood in wrestling is similar to
rugby," George says of the camaraderie. "I wrestled Ripper Manson on Saturday night and was out drinking beers
with him later on." You give your all in a rugby match or in the ring and afterward you meet your opponents as friends.
George lists the biggest difference between rugby and wrestling is the need to entertain the crowd. "You cant just
focus on yourself, you must always keep the crowd in mind." The large crowds at wrestling events are very different
from the spectators at a rugby game. "The crowd adds a whole new element," George says. "Learning the moves and
figuring out your next step is one thing, but making your wrestling entertaining for the audience is another."
Always the life of the party, George had no problem with the performance aspect of wrestling. "In rugby, people
recognized me as the guy with crazy wild hair," says Nottoli. While George starts matches with his hair tied back,
it doesnt stay that way for long. "I look like a crazy man," says George.
Are You Chicken?
When preparing for a Christmas wrestling show, George decided to dress as Santa and throw presents to the kids.
He had already decided to hide an 8-foot Christmas tree beneath the stage to wail his opponent, but when looking for
Santa suits he discovered what would become his signature prop: the rubber chicken. "I thought it would be hilarious to
hit someone with a rubber chicken!" He hid the chicken and a garbage can under the stage, and hit his opponent with both.
The crowd loved it and fans started coming to matches waving their own rubber chickens. Kids started calling Vito
"the chicken guy." WCPW reigning heavyweight champion Ripper Manson has been hit with the chicken several times.
"The feet hurt more than the beak. I hate that thing," Ripper says. The chicken delivers a more painful blow than a larger
object because of the whipping effect of rubber. "Its not a blunt impact like a table would be."
Crowd Pleaser
Vito Fontaine and his chicken quickly became fan favorites in Chicago. In 2002, he was chosen as Hardcore Wrestler
of the Year and was voted Most Popular Wrestler in the WCPW by his fans in 2003. In addition to his Bare Knuckles belt,
Vito went on to claim the Tag Team Belt (twice), the Urban American Belt, and the Battle Royal Belt. A proud moment in Vitos
career came in the summer of 2003 when he wrestled and defeated Jerry the King Lawler, a popular professional wrestler
since the 1970s and current WWE announcer. Windy City Professional Wrestling draws several hundred fans to its weekly
matches, with up to 2500 for their large Wrestle Mania events. The matches are televised on local cable networks and
George enjoys being a double celebrity, well-known for great wrestling and great sausage.
Spreading the Sausage
George has introduced his sausage to his wrestling brothers by giving samplers as holiday gifts. Ripper Manson swears
by Nottolis sausage. "Thats the best stuff I ever had," Ripper says, "Vito gave me a five pound sampler one Christmas and I
had to find out where I could get my hands on the stuff." Manson serves Nottoli sausage at all his parties. He jokes that he
should put signs outside reading "This party is endorsed by Nottoli and Sons." George is using his current notoriety to promote
his next challenge: breaking the Guiness World Record for longest sausage. Teaming with the Morton Grove Lions Club for a
Special Olympics fundraiser , Nottoli and Sons will try to produce a 70-foot sausage. The Lions are building a special
70-foot grill for the event and plan to sell sandwiches to benefit the charity. After breaking the record, Vito will take part in
a wrestling show in the local park.
The Road Ahead
At the age of 43, George Nottoli has a passion for life and fantastic dedication to his endeavors. His next challenge is
to figure out what to do when he retires from pro wrestling. "Im not ready to retire to golf yet," says George.
"Im looking for a new avenue. It might be salsa dancing."