Andy Varipapa: Bowling’s First Superstar

Born in Italy in 1891, Andy Varipapa immigrated to the United States in 1903, uneducated and unable to speak English. Equipped with little more than athletic ability, the will to succeed, and a healthy dose of self-confidence, he became bowling’s first superstar. In the 1940s and 1950s, Varipapa was the world’s most famous bowler. For more than 50 years, he dazzled fans with an array of never-before-seen trick shots in person, on movie screens, and on television. Varipapa was not only a performer but one of the greatest bowlers ever. He won the prestigious BPAA All-Star tournament in 1946, silencing critics who claimed he was just an entertainer. And he did so at age 55, long past most bowlers’ retirement age. To prove it was no fluke, he repeated in 1947.

Bowling fans recognized the outspoken and brash ＂Great Varipapa,＂ who once said, ＂I’m the most skillful, talkative, and controversial bowler who ever lived.＂ Few knew Andy, the kind and loyal family man and friend. Sourced from interviews with family and friends and more than 1,000 secondary sources, this first-ever biography of Varipapa tells the personal story of bowling’s greatest showman and one of its most influential figures.

Glenn Gerstner has taught sport management, economics, and finance at Hofstra University, Farmingdale State College, St. John’s University, and the New York Institute of Technology. He lives in East Northport, New York.