Wallenda Woes

[Volfie]

I stole this post from pusssycat over at ASG. Many thanks to her for finding
it:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NY POST...By ANNA COCK
---------------------------------------------------
A new tragedy has struck the high-flying Wallenda circus family with the death
of Steven Wallenda, a celebrated aerialist who had formed his own high-wire
act.

The 50-year-old - described as "a lone wolf" by a relative - died of heart
failure in Tijuana, Mexico, on Saturday.

Members of the legendary family - whose motto is "Life is on the wire. The rest
is just waiting" - heard the sad news from Wallenda's new partner, whom they
know only as Cheryl, late yesterday.

His death comes three years after his ex-wife Angel - a stuntwoman whom
Wallenda plucked out of a crowd at one of his shows - lost a battle with
cancer, aged just 28.

She and Wallenda had a rocky marriage which fell apart as she grew ill, and in
1993 Wallenda attempted suicide while imprisoned on charges of violating a
restraining order.

Other Wallendas were killed in horrific stage accidents, including the collapse
of a five-minute act, the seven-person pyramid, during a 1962 performance in
Detroit.

Two troupe members - Dieter Schepp and Richard Faughan - died when the act went
awry.

And in 1978, family patriarch "Karl the Great" Wallenda, then 73, fell 120 feet
to his death during a wire walk in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Although he was a world-record-holding performer, Steve Wallenda was not a
member of the Flying Wallendas, and performed his own acts - including
high-wire walks between skyscrapers, and above canyons.

He grew up in California - a long way from the Sarasota, Fla., family base -
after his parents split soon after his birth.

Cousin Jenny Wallenda, 71, told The Post yesterday news of his death was the
first she had heard of him in more than a year.

"Steven was a lone wolf - he was always on his own," she said.

"He had tried to kill himself, and he was always depressed.

"He took pills for that and I think that's what's done it.

"I guess he took too many pills and his heart let out."

Jenny, a retired member of the Flying Wallandas, said she did not even know
Steven had moved to Mexico.

Speaking from Tehachapi, Calif., Wallenda's uncle, Leon Fort, 63, said his
nephew had a drug problem - which was why he hadn't spoken to him for a couple
of years.

The last time Fort saw Wallenda, "he came to visit with Cheryl ... His knee was
out of socket and he needed to be in the hospital and instead he was taking
pills and sleeping all day."

"I don't think he really wanted to live, and in a sense, my heart went out to
him because his father disowned him and he didn't have anybody but me."

[Steven Celli]

Brad Ferguson wrote:
>
> In article <19990809084151...@ng-fe1.aol.com>, Volfie

> <vol...@aol.comPackQ1> wrote:
>
> > NY POST...By ANNA COCK
> > ---------------------------------------------------
> > A new tragedy has struck the high-flying Wallenda circus family
> > with the death of Steven Wallenda, a celebrated aerialist who had
> > formed his own high-wire act.
> >
> > The 50-year-old - described as "a lone wolf" by a relative - died
> > of heart failure in Tijuana, Mexico, on Saturday.
>

> <snip>

>
> > And in 1978, family patriarch "Karl the Great" Wallenda, then 73,
> > fell 120 feet to his death during a wire walk in San Juan, Puerto
> > Rico.
> >
> > Although he was a world-record-holding performer, Steve Wallenda
> > was not a member of the Flying Wallendas, and performed his own
> > acts - including high-wire walks between skyscrapers, and above
> > canyons.
>

> First, who actually goes around with a name like Anna Cock? Must be
> British.
>
> Second, Karl Wallenda absolutely hated it whenever the act was referred
> to as The Flying Wallendas. This is a distinction that probably
> doesn't make a lot of difference to civilians, but the Wallendas didn't
> "fly" (i.e., work the trapeze). They were wire-walkers. The name of
> the act was The Great Wallendas.

I had the great pleasure of seeing Karl Wallenda walk on a tightrope
across the length of Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia when I was
stationed there in 1973 and it was one of the most incredible things I
have ever witnessed.The walk was done in between games of a
Phillies-Expos doubleheader and the walk was so dramatic both teams came
out to witness it along with the crowd.He did it without a net and in
the middle he had to stop,sit down on the wire and signal the crowd to
quiet down(we were all cheering him on,which apparently was NOT the
thing to do as it broke his concentration)but as he approached the end
of his successful walk the Vet Stadium organist was playing "You'll
Never Walk Alone" from the musical "Carousel".It was always one of my
favorite songs anyway,but the crowd(and myself too)was obviously deeply
moved by the whole thing as the second game of the twin bill paled by
comparison....
--
Best Wishes,
Steven Celli
sce...@swbell.net

[Brad Ferguson]

[Volfie]

I mistakenly wrote:
>I stole this post from pusssycat over at ASG. Many thanks to her for finding
>it:

Got my attribution entirely wrong and must correct it: *Pusssykatt* posted
this article on *AGC* (alt.gossip.celebraties).

See what happens to your mind when it doesn't get enough sleep? Mush.

Volfie -> mushy

[beepe...@gmail.com]

Steve and I were room mates in Seattle in 1980. He was a great person who suffered from the disease of drug addiction. Its a horrible thing when drugs take over your life, they make a person do things and be things they never wanted to do or be... Steve loved his entire family and he caused himself allot of pain and anguish trying to live up to the Wallenda name. I remember the first time he showed me some of his outfits and walking shoes, he even had some cables that he used, he would set up walks at grocery stores and gas stations and he loved walking on the wire. I want to reiterate to everyone that reads this that he was a great person with a huge heart, he was a man that had battled the powerful grip of drug addiction but that does not in any way take away from the very good spirit that he had inside... R.I.P. my friend... Don Peterson, Seattle, Washington

[thelave...@gmail.com]

My mother was married to Steve in 1984-86 her name was Lucie. He commited bigamy against her by "marrying" Angel when in fact the marriage was never really legal.

[anita...@yahoo.com]

On Monday, August 9, 1999 at 3:00:00 AM UTC-4, Volfie wrote:
> I stole this post from pusssycat over at ASG. Many thanks to her for finding
> it:

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>
> NY POST...By ANNA COCK
> ---------------------------------------------------
> A new tragedy has struck the high-flying Wallenda circus family with the death
> of Steven Wallenda, a celebrated aerialist who had formed his own high-wire
> act.
>
> The 50-year-old - described as "a lone wolf" by a relative - died of heart
> failure in Tijuana, Mexico, on Saturday.
>

> Members of the legendary family - whose motto is "Life is on the wire. The rest
> is just waiting" - heard the sad news from Wallenda's new partner, whom they
> know only as Cheryl, late yesterday.
>
> His death comes three years after his ex-wife Angel - a stuntwoman whom
> Wallenda plucked out of a crowd at one of his shows - lost a battle with
> cancer, aged just 28.
>
> She and Wallenda had a rocky marriage which fell apart as she grew ill, and in
> 1993 Wallenda attempted suicide while imprisoned on charges of violating a
> restraining order.
>
> Other Wallendas were killed in horrific stage accidents, including the collapse
> of a five-minute act, the seven-person pyramid, during a 1962 performance in
> Detroit.
>
> Two troupe members - Dieter Schepp and Richard Faughan - died when the act went
> awry.
>

> And in 1978, family patriarch "Karl the Great" Wallenda, then 73, fell 120 feet
> to his death during a wire walk in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
>
> Although he was a world-record-holding performer, Steve Wallenda was not a
> member of the Flying Wallendas, and performed his own acts - including
> high-wire walks between skyscrapers, and above canyons.
>