By Ralph Gardner

I'd be less than candid if I said Little Italy's San Gennaro festival was my favorite event of the fall season. It's noisy and crowded. Traffic in the area is a mess. The grilled sausage, pepper and onions is certainly tasty, but I'm not sure it warrants a detour. And offered the choice between a cannoli and French pastry, I'll go for a petit four or coffee éclair any day.

So it had to be something special that made me willing, even eager, to brave the crowds on Sunday afternoon. And it was: The opportunity to meet one of my childhood heroes—Bruno Sammartino, the World Wide Wrestling Federation's longest-running champion and, having sold out Madison Square Garden a record 187 times, without a doubt America's most popular professional wrestler throughout the '60s, my heyday as a wrestling fan.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal