The Early Days with “Young Strangler Lewis”

James E. Strates Shows' carnival midway was founded by a young Greek immigrant best known in the early days as "Young Strangler Lewis." This article is the first in a series which examines the development of the family-owned company.

1909

At age 15, James E. Strates immigrated from Greece to Lowell, Mass., and soon relocated to Endicott, N.Y. where he learned to wrestle at the YMCA.

1910-1918

While working at a shoe factory, cotton mill, restaurant and other jobs, he perfected his skill as a wrestler and turned professional. Under the name of "Young Strangler Lewis," he grappled on a circuit from Buffalo to Philadelphia and from Boston to Syracuse. During this time he took on a training partner from Boston named Nick Bozinis and accepted the first of several matches with Henry Pruess. After losing to Lewis twice, Pruess proposed that Lewis wrestle an unnamed fighter in Wellsville, N.Y., one week later. Lewis accepted the challenge and Pruess named Bozinis, Lewis's training partner, as the opponent. Bozinis and Lewis met three times in the early 1900s, each winning once and tying the third match while forming a strong friendship.

1919

Lewis and Bozinis joined Lee Schaefer's Athletic Show which was part of the World at Home Shows, a traveling carnival. Both men traveled on the New York circuit during the winter and with the show during the summer. By the end of 1919, Lewis was one of the top contenders for the world middleweight championship and one of the top mat promoters of his time.

circa 1920

Young Strangler Lewis received his title shot against Joe Turner -- Middleweight Champion of the World. Unfortunately for Lewis, the older, more experienced Turner won after one hour, 32 minutes and 11 seconds.

1922

Lewis and partners Bozinis and W.L. Platt reassembled the show and named it Southern Tier Shows, after a region in upstate New York.

1923

In its first season, the show consisted of a three-abreast merry-go-round by Allan Herschell, a Ferris wheel by Eli Bridge, an athletic show, 15 concessions, three side shows and five hard-rubber-tire trucks. It took 24 hours to move the show 22 miles from Bath, N.Y. to its first stop in Wayland, N.Y.

1924

After a hard first season and an extremely cold winter, James E. Strates bought out his partners. He continued to wrestle into the 1930s while promoting matches and managing his friend Bozinis for a short time.

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