Pappas, wrestler, artist dies

Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2001 | 8:35 a.m.

As a teenager, Buddy Pappas had a promising career as an artist. But the day Pappas, the son of a pro wrestling promoter and Greek immigrant, met his idol, Jim "The Golden Greek" Londos, that path changed.

Pappas, who at age 14 posed for artists at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., put his art career on hold to take a job carrying Londos' bags.

Pappas, who stood 5-feet-9 and weighed 255 pounds, worked out with Londos, and eventually carved out a wrestling career, first under his real name and later as Southern States heavyweight champion Jesse James. He had classic battles with the outrageous Gorgeous George.

Later, Pappas returned to the art world and became a talented portrait painter, poster artist, television art director and the longtime proprietor of Buddy Pappas Signs in Las Vegas.

Soterios Anton "Buddy" Pappas, who as an art director in the early days of television worked with Walter Cronkite and Milton Berle and was one of the creators of the hit children's television show "Romper Room," died Sept. 11 in Las Vegas. He was 86.

A memorial service for Pappas, who also was a casino host at the San Remo hotel in the 1990s, will be 5 p.m. Oct. 28 at St. Viator Catholic Church. Desert Memorial Cremation and Burial is handling the arrangements.

"My uncle was a character -- he loved being the center of attention and telling people about the many worlds he lived in," said niece Marcia Pappas Devaney of Tybee Island, Ga.

Pappas, who painted portraits of numerous Hollywood stars, including John Wayne, Clark Gable and Judy Garland, was married and divorced three times, including his first marriage of 29 years to late model Toni Pappas, who posed for Vogue magazine. He had no children.

Born Aug. 19, 1915, in Washington, D.C., Pappas was one of two sons of Anton Pappas and the former Maria Mazulla.

While at WBAL-TV in Baltimore, Pappas was part of a brain-storming team that created "Romper Room," a long-running morning children's show.

In addition to his niece, Pappas is survived by a nephew, George Pappas of Frederick, Md.