1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,720 Speaker 1: On this Memorial Day, we bring you a story that's 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: just been declassified by the U. S. Military. It's the 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 1: tale of a larger than life pro wrestler and the 4 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 1: soldiers he trained and how to be American. As I 5 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: senior writer John Wortheim takes it from here, I came 6 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: across the story by happenstanzas so often happens. I was 7 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: doing a piece for sixty minutes on the Richie Boys. 8 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: The Rigie Boys are really this remarkable unit of German speakers, 9 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 1: primarily some Italian speakers as well, who not only spoke 10 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,919 Speaker 1: the language, but knew the subtleties and the sports teams 11 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: and then the comic books. They really had a grasp 12 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: of the culture, which made them really good spies and interrogators. 13 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: But in the course of the research it was just 14 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: sort of, you know, a sentence in a book, the 15 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: great hand to hand combat instructor at Camp Bridgie was 16 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: a prominent professional wrestler who was this prominent professional wrestler 17 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: in the first half of the twentieth century who ended 18 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: up in this secretive camp. Camp Ritchie was, and for 19 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: that matter, is, a resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains 20 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 1: right on the Maryland side of the state line with 21 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania and World War Two, it was used as a 22 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 1: special interrogation center. The U. S. Military realized you had 23 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: a lot of German and Italians, especially German Jews, who 24 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: fled the Nazis, come to the US, and they still 25 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: knew the dialect, they knew the culture, They spoke fluent German. Hey, 26 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,759 Speaker 1: this could be really valuable in this war, both at 27 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: home and abroad. So all of a sudden army base 28 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: was set up. It was for the least likely soldiers imaginable, 29 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: which were German and Italian speaking UH immigrants who now 30 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: obviously were loyal to the United States. A lot of 31 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: these guys came with with musical instruments in their books. 32 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: They had never held knives or fired rifles in their life, 33 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: and there was a rumor floating around the camp that 34 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: a professional wrestler and actor was going to teach them 35 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: hand to hand combat. This would be like showing up 36 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,519 Speaker 1: for basic training and hey, this guy the Rock might 37 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: be our instructor tomorrow. They realized it really was his 38 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: professional wrestler, Man Mountain Dean. When they saw a guy 39 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: trying to make a call from a pay phone, but 40 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: only his arm could fit into the booth. It was 41 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: against that backdrop that these unlikely soldiers realized that, yes, 42 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: this famous professional wrestler really was going to be their 43 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: hand to hand combat instructor and camp Ritchie Frank Levitt 44 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:47,399 Speaker 1: was born in Hell's Kitchen, not necessarily a pro wrestling hotbed. 45 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 1: His father worked in the theater district just a few 46 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: blocks away. He was a very, very large child who 47 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: was always mistaken for many years older than he was. 48 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: He also was this great Patriots so as soon as 49 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: he was eligible, and even beforehand, the story goes, he 50 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: recruited a quote Bowery Bum to pose as his father 51 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: and enlist him and ended up serving in the military 52 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:13,119 Speaker 1: before before World War One, and then during World War 53 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: One he played in the fledgling National Football League in 54 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: the NFL. There's a story that he he pancake Jim Thorpe, 55 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: and then he discovered professional wrestling, which was just starting 56 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,519 Speaker 1: to come of age, and he really took to it. 57 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,639 Speaker 1: I think part of it was the sport, but part 58 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: of it was the theatrics, the selling, the touring, and 59 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: thus began a fairly prominent professional wrestling career. He quit 60 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: became a beat cop. Frank Levitt was friends with al Capone. 61 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: Of course he was. Frank Levitt was serving on the 62 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: Miami Police Force and he becomes friendly with al Capone. 63 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: They had friends in common. And you could actually find 64 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: old Miami Herald articles saying popular officer Frank Levitt booted 65 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: off the force because of his friendship with al Capone. 66 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: This was heard by all the South Florida newspapers. One 67 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: effect is that it ended up sort of reviving his 68 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: professional wrestling career. He couldn't be a cop in Miami. 69 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: That's a pretty good job. He met his wife that way, 70 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: but he couldn't be a cop in Miami anymore. What 71 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: am I gonna do? Well, maybe it's time to rethink 72 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: this professional wrestling. And it really uh propelled him to 73 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: go back into pro wrestling, and that's when he really 74 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:23,600 Speaker 1: had this this big career break. These are the early 75 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: days of professional wrestling. But even then, you know you 76 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: needed a nickname. His first nickname was the Hell's Kitchen Hillbilly. 77 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: If you've been to Hell's Kitchen, it is a lot 78 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,160 Speaker 1: of things, but a fertile base of hillbillies it is not. 79 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,159 Speaker 1: So that didn't really catch on We often say this 80 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: in sports writing, Oh, this is a character right out 81 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: of Runyon. In this case, there really was a connection 82 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: to Runyon, that they knew each other, and it was 83 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 1: Damon Runyon who suggested the next nickname for Frank Levitt, 84 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: which was Stone Mountain, named after a town in Georgia. 85 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: Not bad, but that didn't really catch on. At one 86 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: point he went by Man Mountain Leavitt, which was his 87 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: real last name, but Frank Levitt's wife shrewdly decided that 88 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:05,919 Speaker 1: Levit a Semitic sounding last name, even though Frank Levitt 89 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 1: was not Jewish. Levin might not play well in uh 90 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:11,679 Speaker 1: in Nazi Germany, where he was touring at the time. 91 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: So finally Man Mountain, Man Mountain Dean, which sounds less 92 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: Semitic than Man Mountain Levet. I suppose Man Mountain Dean 93 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: ended up being a very prominent professional wrestler in the 94 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: first half of the twentieth century, and one point he 95 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: was making fund dollars per match, which was more than 96 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: the annual per capita income in the United States. There 97 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: are records of more than a thousand documented matches all 98 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: over the world, but now this is one of the 99 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,040 Speaker 1: prominent wrestlers of the first half of the twentieth century Nodell. 100 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 1: As his body gets older, he realizes he could also 101 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 1: make a very nice living as an actor and a 102 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 1: stunt man. So he's in a number of films. Remember 103 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:52,479 Speaker 1: he has this theater background, so not only does he 104 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: have this appreciation for theatrics, but he also has a 105 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: number of connections. So he rises very quickly in Hollywood. 106 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: World War two breaks out. He's in his fifties, too 107 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: old to be on the front lines. But remember this 108 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 1: is a loyal patriot. He enlists and he's a sign. 109 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 1: What are we gonna do with this guy? It's this 110 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: big celebrity, he's a World War One veteran. Why don't 111 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 1: we make him an instructor at Camp Ritchie. And that's 112 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: how you have this incredibly unlikely marriage. Think about this. 113 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 1: You're one years old. You you fled the Nazis. Your 114 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: life has been completely destabilized, as thrown into chaos. Now 115 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 1: you want to go back and fight the Nazis. You're 116 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 1: in this this country, you're trying to assimilate, but you 117 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 1: have an accent. You you have a name that isn't 118 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: particularly common, and here you have this celebrity, movie star, wrestlers, 119 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: celebrity and he gets it. So what does he do. 120 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: He slings his arm over Gustaff and says, from now on, 121 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: your gus. And I think he really understood that these 122 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 1: were young men in a very precarious time who were 123 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: going to carry to execute this patriotic duty for this 124 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: new country against their old country having been expelled. And 125 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: he really helped not just with their sort of morale 126 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: at the time as as young soldiers, but even their americanization. 127 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: Who knew that the Ritchie boys included. There was a Rockefeller, 128 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:20,679 Speaker 1: there was J. D. Salinger, Remember the Phoe Doors guides. 129 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: Phoe Door was a richie boy. These were intellectuals that 130 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: spoke language New German culture and could help the U. S. Military. 131 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: And a lot of them, don't They showed up at Normandy. 132 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: I mean they were just brought into the interrogation tent 133 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: after the battle. I mean, these guys, a lot of 134 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: they were on the landing crafts at Normandy, the same 135 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: as thousands and thousands of other gis. It was all 136 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: very secretive, which is one reason why it's taken so 137 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: long for this to come out, since was classified. But 138 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 1: this was a very very effective branch and the battlefield 139 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: intelligence that these Ritchie boys gathered on the Western Front, 140 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: starting a normandy but battle of bulg and UH throughout 141 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: Europe up until the liberation of the Camps, even through Nuremberg. 142 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 1: These richie boys really played a very very prominent role 143 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: in UH. In World War Two, it was just all 144 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 1: under wraps and a lot of these richie boys they 145 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 1: would go on to basically serving the CIA. I mean, 146 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 1: in some ways this was really ground zero for for 147 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: US espionage and the Cold War. He retires from wrestling 148 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: and becomes this this stunt man, but plenty of downtime, 149 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 1: Well what is he gonna do? Among other things, he 150 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: began studying journalism. Man Mountain passed away in the in 151 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: the early fifties. Ironically enough, his oh bit was written 152 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: by Edwin Pope, who would go on to become a 153 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:44,439 Speaker 1: long time sports settler of the Miami Herald, and this 154 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: sort of towering figure in sports journalist men Win Pope 155 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: was at the time. I'm sure there's a summer intern. 156 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: This was, like, I was a diversity of interests, fiercely patriotic, 157 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: but I also think the fact that he was well 158 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: read and had this background in Broadway and theater and journalism. 159 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: I think that's probably what made him well liked and 160 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:08,679 Speaker 1: so effective as an instructor with these young young soldiers 161 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: who were from a different country. They were half his size, 162 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: they were half his age. But what everybody says is like, 163 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: once you got past the hey, this guy is really famous, 164 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: there really was this connection between these Camp Ritchie, you 165 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,199 Speaker 1: know a soldiers and quotes, because they really weren't really 166 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: combat soldiers. But there was a real connection between the 167 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: celebrity and these young immigrants that were now going to 168 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:33,719 Speaker 1: serve in the U. S. Military. There was a real 169 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: connection there, and they all spoke fondly of him, not 170 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: as a celebrity, but as someone that they really bonded with. 171 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: And seventy five years later, they still remember that the 172 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 1: stories and the wisdom he gave them. And I think 173 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: his background so diverse, traveling the world from Manhattan, living 174 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: in Georgia, Farmland. I think that's one reason he was 175 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:55,680 Speaker 1: able to connect with these year old intellectuals sent to 176 00:09:55,720 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: Camp Ritchie so well. The richie boys were phenomenally successful 177 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: and courageous, and now they're finally getting their due. There's 178 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: been a number of awards that these guys have gotten 179 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: laid into their nineties, which is really gratifying. One of 180 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: the guys, I think it was nine now and now 181 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: has hit a hundred. He's still with us, and they 182 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 1: still with real specificity. They still remember the conversations and 183 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 1: the nicknames and the anecdotes and the snoring. I mean, 184 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 1: they still really have these very sharp memories of of 185 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: Man Mountain Dean seventy five years later. This is really 186 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: a remarkable guy. I mean, and I didn't know anything 187 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:36,319 Speaker 1: about him, but Man Mountain Dean was a real patriot. 188 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: I we roll our eyes when we hear the word hero, 189 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,319 Speaker 1: but I defy you to sort of read his story 190 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: and then use another term to characterize him. And I 191 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,719 Speaker 1: also think this is um a group because this was 192 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: all classified. These Ritchie boys stories haven't been told. But 193 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: you go back and you talk to the experts. Away. 194 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,079 Speaker 1: I talked to a professor west Point. Listen. More than 195 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: half the battlefield intelligence on the Western Front was generated 196 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: from Richie boys. These were really unsung heroes of World 197 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: War Two. And I would submit that their hand to 198 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 1: hand combat instructor that you know, yes, he taught them 199 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: how to disarm a man of his naife and someone. 200 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: But I also think just that the socialization and the 201 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:19,439 Speaker 1: fact that this guy made them comfortable and made them 202 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: sort of understand American culture. He's really a prominent figure 203 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:30,679 Speaker 1: in this story as well. John Wortheim wrote the daily 204 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:34,319 Speaker 1: cover Uncle Slam's Secret Army, which also appears in the magazine. 205 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:37,679 Speaker 1: You'll find a link in our show notes. Sports Illustrator 206 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: Weekly is a production of Sports Illustrated and I Heart Radio. 207 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,320 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I 208 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 209 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: favorite shows. And for more of Sports Illustrated its best 210 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: stories and podcasts, visit SI dot com. The special episode 211 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:56,720 Speaker 1: of Sports Illustrated Weekly was produced by our senior producer, 212 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,439 Speaker 1: Dan Blue. Our sound engineer is Isaac Lee. Our executive 213 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:05,080 Speaker 1: producers are Scott Brody and me John Gonzalez. Our theme 214 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 1: song is by Nolan Schneider. Thanks for listening, and our 215 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: regularly scheduled episode of Sports Illustrated Weekly will be in 216 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: your feed per usual on Wednesday