Jim Londos

The most famous active athlete in the world during the Great Depression was not Babe Ruth, Sonja Henie or Babe Didrikson. It was a determined Greek immigrant who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean as a 15-year-old to escape a demanding father and start a life abroad. Jim Londos slept in railcars and firehouses to make ends meet and quickly found refuge on the mat.

Combining an Old World work ethic with a flair for the dramatic, Londos overcame skeptics and antagonists to become pro wrestling's greatest star, an international celebrity who walked with presidents, prime ministers and the common man. He was responsible for keeping wrestling alive during the Depression and representing achievement to ethnic minorities, underdogs and women, all of whom he attracted in record numbers. This complete biography of Jim Londos tells the story of the first great immigrant athlete, a man who rescued the soiled sport of wrestling when it was down for the count, and brought hope and inspiration to his countrymen and millions worldwide.