| VIEW FROM INSIDE THE RING |
| Copyright © Georgia Wrestling History, Inc. All rights reserved. |
THE ORIGIN OF THE SNAKE PIMP, PART 2
– Dick Steinborn
May 12, 2008
The two wrestlers involved with purchasing a harmless garden snake to place in Curtis’ attaché case before heading back to
Honolulu were Don Monukian, a former football player turned wrestler, and a future Georgia State favorite Klondike Bill.
After bowling that afternoon, Don and Bill returned to the new Oldsmobile to find that the snake had eaten through the paper bag and
disappeared somewhere in the four-door sedan.
Now it was revealed that Klondike was deathly afraid of snakes. In a paper bag it was alright, purchased and handled by Don, but now
this phobia that Bill was about to experience became full-blown, as he refused to get in his new car. Don drove the vehicle a block away
and parked it in a lot and opened all the doors. Klondike followed on foot.
To hear Bill tell the story, as he walked up to the car, Don told him he swatted the snake onto the grass. He had to reassure Bill
repeatedly and even offered to drive Bill to the Cow Palace. Bill went inside and had the custodian lift up the garage door and the vehicle
was parked inside. The battery was disconnected and all four doors, trunk, and hood remained open for the entire Cow Palace show that
night. Bill told me he didn’t trust Don.
The next day Bill confesses the botched rib to his wife. Evidently she hit the ceiling on this one, and not trusting Don’s story, or even
Bill’s, she insisted the new Oldsmobile should be taken back to the dealership in San Francisco and gone through thoroughly. That
cost Bill $50.00. The mechanics changed his oil and probably thought he was kidding about looking for a snake in his car.
Things died down for a while. The vehicle made trips to Fresno, hauling superstars and jobbers, two or three trips to Sacramento, beer
droppings on the floorboards, along with cracker crumbs each night as the big black automobile put on 1,000 miles each week. Then
down to Los Angeles for a few shots, and then Bill and his wife were on their to Modesto, California, one evening, stopping by a Chinese
restaurant, up on a hill, just before you get into the city. All of this took place in a six-week period of time.
Klondike told the story. “You know that little restaurant up on the hill, Dickie?�, he asked. “My wife and I stopped by and had a
little dinner before going to the matches.� Klondike always talked slow and dramatic. “Well,� he said, “as we are going
back to the car, we spotted that snake sunning himself on my dashboard.�
�What did you do?�, I asked. “Well,� Bill said, “I swatted him off the dashboard onto the dirt road.�
A great story I thought. At the time this story was told to me I was wrestling in Georgia and promoting in Columbus. The story got around
to the wrestlers.
Then, Roberto Soto comes into the picture. Soto, from Puerto Rico, played with snakes when he was a kid. So he told all of us. His form
of ribbing was quite different.
Then Jerry Oates contributed his portion of the destruction of a dressing room in Americus, Georgia. Klondike fell victim to Jerry. The heat
in the territory was building.
One night a few of us got together and decided to nickname Klondike the “Snake Pimp�.
Soon, Bob Armstrong got involved, but in a dangerous way.
– Dick Steinborn
May 12, 2008
The two wrestlers involved with purchasing a harmless garden snake to place in Curtis’ attaché case before heading back to
Honolulu were Don Monukian, a former football player turned wrestler, and a future Georgia State favorite Klondike Bill.
After bowling that afternoon, Don and Bill returned to the new Oldsmobile to find that the snake had eaten through the paper bag and
disappeared somewhere in the four-door sedan.
Now it was revealed that Klondike was deathly afraid of snakes. In a paper bag it was alright, purchased and handled by Don, but now
this phobia that Bill was about to experience became full-blown, as he refused to get in his new car. Don drove the vehicle a block away
and parked it in a lot and opened all the doors. Klondike followed on foot.
To hear Bill tell the story, as he walked up to the car, Don told him he swatted the snake onto the grass. He had to reassure Bill
repeatedly and even offered to drive Bill to the Cow Palace. Bill went inside and had the custodian lift up the garage door and the vehicle
was parked inside. The battery was disconnected and all four doors, trunk, and hood remained open for the entire Cow Palace show that
night. Bill told me he didn’t trust Don.
The next day Bill confesses the botched rib to his wife. Evidently she hit the ceiling on this one, and not trusting Don’s story, or even
Bill’s, she insisted the new Oldsmobile should be taken back to the dealership in San Francisco and gone through thoroughly. That
cost Bill $50.00. The mechanics changed his oil and probably thought he was kidding about looking for a snake in his car.
Things died down for a while. The vehicle made trips to Fresno, hauling superstars and jobbers, two or three trips to Sacramento, beer
droppings on the floorboards, along with cracker crumbs each night as the big black automobile put on 1,000 miles each week. Then
down to Los Angeles for a few shots, and then Bill and his wife were on their to Modesto, California, one evening, stopping by a Chinese
restaurant, up on a hill, just before you get into the city. All of this took place in a six-week period of time.
Klondike told the story. “You know that little restaurant up on the hill, Dickie?�, he asked. “My wife and I stopped by and had a
little dinner before going to the matches.� Klondike always talked slow and dramatic. “Well,� he said, “as we are going
back to the car, we spotted that snake sunning himself on my dashboard.�
�What did you do?�, I asked. “Well,� Bill said, “I swatted him off the dashboard onto the dirt road.�
A great story I thought. At the time this story was told to me I was wrestling in Georgia and promoting in Columbus. The story got around
to the wrestlers.
Then, Roberto Soto comes into the picture. Soto, from Puerto Rico, played with snakes when he was a kid. So he told all of us. His form
of ribbing was quite different.
Then Jerry Oates contributed his portion of the destruction of a dressing room in Americus, Georgia. Klondike fell victim to Jerry. The heat
in the territory was building.
One night a few of us got together and decided to nickname Klondike the “Snake Pimp�.
Soon, Bob Armstrong got involved, but in a dangerous way.
