If you walked into Madison Square Garden in 1975, the noise wasn't just loud. It was vibrating. It was a physical wall of sound, and most of it was directed at a man wearing a feathered headdress and buckskin fringe.
Chief Jay Strongbow was the guy.
He wasn't just a wrestler; he was a phenomenon that defined an entire era of the WWWF (now WWE). For a decade, he was the silver medalist of popularity, standing just a half-step behind the legendary Bruno Sammartino. But there’s a lot more to the story than just a war dance and a sleeper hold.
The Man Behind the Headdress
Honestly, the biggest "secret" about the Chief is one of the worst-kept secrets in wrestling history. He wasn't Native American. Not even close.
Born Luke Joseph Scarpa in 1928, the man was a proud Italian-American from Nutley, New Jersey. Before he ever put on the war paint, he spent over twenty years wrestling under his real name. "Joltin' Joe" Scarpa was a phenomenal worker in the Georgia and Florida territories. He was a 12-time tag team champion before he ever stepped foot in Vince McMahon Sr.’s ring.
So why the change?
Basically, in the 1970s, "gimmick" was king. You weren't just a guy who could wrestle; you had to be a character that the diverse crowds in New York City and Philadelphia could sink their teeth into. Working with Gorilla Monsoon, Scarpa transformed into Chief Jay Strongbow. He claimed to be from Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and suddenly, a career that was already solid turned into a superstar trajectory.
That Iconic Warpath
You’ve seen the footage. Strongbow is down. He’s taking a beating from a guy like "Superstar" Billy Graham or a young Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. The crowd is desperate.
Then, it happens.
The fingers start twitching. He starts that rhythmic, circular stomp around the ring. We call it "Hulking Up" now, but Strongbow was doing the "Warpath" a full decade before Hulk Hogan ever heard of a 24-inch pythons. It was the ultimate "power up" moment.
When he went on the warpath, the rules changed. He became invincible for a three-minute burst of Tomahawk Chops and knee lifts. It didn't matter that he had what people often called a "grandpa body"—the guy moved like lightning when the feathers started flying.
The Moves That Defined a Legend
- The Sleeper Hold: Long before it was a "rest hold," Strongbow made this look like a death sentence.
- The Tomahawk Chop: A sharp, open-handed strike that looked—and sounded—vicious in the old arenas.
- The Indian Deathlock: A submission move that felt ancient and dangerous to the fans of the time.
Tag Team Gold and Storyline "Brothers"
Strongbow was a tag team specialist. He had this weirdly specific ability to make his partners look like superstars. He won the WWWF Tag Team Titles with Sonny King in 1972, then again with Billy White Wolf (who was actually an Iraqi man named Adnan Al-Kaissie).
The craziest part?
In the early 80s, the WWF introduced his "brother," Jules Strongbow. They won the titles twice, feuding in these brutal, bloody matches against Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito. Jules wasn't his brother, and he wasn't Native American either—he was a guy from Nebraska named Frank Huntington. But fans didn't care. They wanted the Strongbow name at the top of the card, and for a while, it stayed there.
The Complicated Legacy of Chief Jay Strongbow
Look, we have to talk about the elephant in the room. In 2026, the Strongbow character is a tough pill to swallow for some. Critics point to it as a classic example of "redface" in professional wrestling—an Italian guy profiting off a caricature of another culture.
But if you talk to the wrestlers who worked with him, or the fans who were there, the perspective is often different.
Strongbow took the gimmick seriously. He wasn't playing a villainous caricature; he was a hero. He was the "fair-minded Chief" who stood up to bullies. For many fans in the 70s, he was the first "Native American" hero they ever saw on television, even if the authenticity wasn't actually there. He eventually mentored Tatanka (Chris Chavis), a real member of the Lumbee Tribe, passing a literal and metaphorical headdress to a new generation.
Career Accolades
- WWE Hall of Fame Class of 1994
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1973)
- 4-time WWF Tag Team Champion
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Champion
Life After the Ring
When his knees finally gave out in the mid-80s, Strongbow didn't just disappear. He became a high-level Road Agent for the WWF.
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He was the guy backstage making sure the shows ran on time. He was a mentor. "Macho Man" Randy Savage once famously joked that Strongbow "killed more careers than drugs" because he was such a tough critic of the younger talent. He had a reputation for being grumpy and old-school, but he lived and breathed the business until his death in 2012.
What You Can Learn from the Chief
If you’re a fan of modern wrestling, you owe a debt to Joe Scarpa. He proved that a character—if played with enough conviction—can transcend the actual person behind it. He mastered the art of the "comeback" and the "hope spot" that every main eventer uses today.
Actionable Next Steps for Wrestling History Buffs:
- Watch the 1979 Indian Strap Match: Find the footage of Strongbow vs. Greg Valentine at Madison Square Garden. It’s a masterclass in psychology.
- Research the NWA Florida Era: Look up Joe Scarpa's matches from the 60s to see just how good of a "pure" wrestler he was before the Chief gimmick.
- Compare the "Warpath" to the "Hulk Up": Watch a Strongbow match and a Hogan match side-by-side. You'll see the exact DNA of the modern babyface comeback being born.
Chief Jay Strongbow remains a polarizing, fascinating, and essential chapter in the history of the squared circle. Whether you view him as a cultural relic or a legendary performer, you can't tell the story of the WWE without him.
Expert Insight: The "Warpath" wasn't just a dance; it was one of the first uses of "no-selling" as a narrative device in American wrestling, allowing a smaller babyface to shrug off damage and build an unstoppable emotional momentum with the audience.