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MOOLAH TURNS DOWN HER PERCENTAGE
– Dick Steinborn
November 5, 2007
In the early 1950s, my dad Milo Steinborn purchased the town of Orlando, Florida, from senior promoter Cowboy Luttrall. The towns only
ran in the winter since there wasn’t any Florida television in those days.
The promoters in the Sunshine State relied on the snowbirds (tourists), who invaded the Florida beaches, in exchange for the snow they
had just left from up north.
Gentleman Saul Weingeroff had a small sign-painting business in Daytona Beach, just a few blocks from the ocean. His business
occupied a closed-up grocery store. Saul wanted to promote on a Saturday night, and started his promotion with a very poor crowd of 60
people. Since I appeared on a few of his shows, I could see where there was a summer and a winter fan who could, and would, turn the
turnstiles, especially if the midget wrestlers or girls were on the card.
After my dad refereed a few times in Daytona Beach, he decided to ask Saul if he could be his partner. They both agreed. Dad was smart,
and he immediately gave a $50.00 guarantee to each performer, regardless of how bad the house would be. He also was aware that
some of the boys that were based in Tampa would rather work on a nearby spot show rather than run across the state to a bad house in
Daytona Beach. The guarantee would entice the boys to make that trip occasionally. And so, the Saturday night shows started picking up.
Then, in came the Fabulous Moolah and her girls for the first time.
Moolah had already forced Luttrall into giving her a percentage. In those days only the champions were treated that well, but because this
was such a new attraction, the publicity throughout the state was picked up by the newspapers.
The house was big that night. It really was standing room only, but extremely tight quarters. Great matches followed the opening bell, and
finally the four beautiful young ladies made their appearance. Even I was baffled at what I was watching. I had never seen girls perform
wrestling moves before. They were going to set the wrestling game on fire in Florida.
As everyone left the building that night, including the autograph seekers, Moolah arrived in the small office with the knowledge that the
crowd that evening broke all attendance records. Over 550 people crammed into that small building, and really went home happy fans.
I was standing in the office when Moolah came to get her payoff. “Remember, Milo,� she said, “I am to get my percentage
tonight, right?� Dad looked at her with a big smile on his face and said, “We have a $50.00 guarantee in this club. Your
percentage was $36.50, which one do you want?�
– Dick Steinborn
November 5, 2007
In the early 1950s, my dad Milo Steinborn purchased the town of Orlando, Florida, from senior promoter Cowboy Luttrall. The towns only
ran in the winter since there wasn’t any Florida television in those days.
The promoters in the Sunshine State relied on the snowbirds (tourists), who invaded the Florida beaches, in exchange for the snow they
had just left from up north.
Gentleman Saul Weingeroff had a small sign-painting business in Daytona Beach, just a few blocks from the ocean. His business
occupied a closed-up grocery store. Saul wanted to promote on a Saturday night, and started his promotion with a very poor crowd of 60
people. Since I appeared on a few of his shows, I could see where there was a summer and a winter fan who could, and would, turn the
turnstiles, especially if the midget wrestlers or girls were on the card.
After my dad refereed a few times in Daytona Beach, he decided to ask Saul if he could be his partner. They both agreed. Dad was smart,
and he immediately gave a $50.00 guarantee to each performer, regardless of how bad the house would be. He also was aware that
some of the boys that were based in Tampa would rather work on a nearby spot show rather than run across the state to a bad house in
Daytona Beach. The guarantee would entice the boys to make that trip occasionally. And so, the Saturday night shows started picking up.
Then, in came the Fabulous Moolah and her girls for the first time.
Moolah had already forced Luttrall into giving her a percentage. In those days only the champions were treated that well, but because this
was such a new attraction, the publicity throughout the state was picked up by the newspapers.
The house was big that night. It really was standing room only, but extremely tight quarters. Great matches followed the opening bell, and
finally the four beautiful young ladies made their appearance. Even I was baffled at what I was watching. I had never seen girls perform
wrestling moves before. They were going to set the wrestling game on fire in Florida.
As everyone left the building that night, including the autograph seekers, Moolah arrived in the small office with the knowledge that the
crowd that evening broke all attendance records. Over 550 people crammed into that small building, and really went home happy fans.
I was standing in the office when Moolah came to get her payoff. “Remember, Milo,� she said, “I am to get my percentage
tonight, right?� Dad looked at her with a big smile on his face and said, “We have a $50.00 guarantee in this club. Your
percentage was $36.50, which one do you want?�
