Louie Spicolli | Alcohol & Carisoprodol Overdose Death

On February 15, 1998, Louis Mucciolo Jr., also known as Louie Spicolli, was found dead in Los Angeles, California at the age of 27. The cause of death was identified as a coronary disease worsened by a combination of carisoprodol pain pills, testosterone, and alcohol in his system.

Before his death, Spicolli was a professional wrestler who participated in numerous organizations such as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). 

Spicolli also wrestled under the stage names Rad Radford and Madonna’s Boyfriend.

Spicolli’s tragic, untimely death occurred before he became a prominent figure in the professional wrestling scene. 

He took credit for inventing the Death Valley driver finisher, though this move may have been invented by Etsuko Mita. In 2001, he was posthumously inducted into the Southern California Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, which was created in his honor.

About Louie Spicolli

Louis Mucciolo Jr. was born on February 10, 1971, in San Pedro, California. 

Mucciolo made his wrestling debut in 1988 as a 17-year-old jobber for the World Wrestling Federation. He would use his ring name, Louie Spicolli, along with other names until 1995.

Rad Radford

Spicolli also performed under the ring name Rad Radford during his time with the WWF. His wrestling gimmick as Radford was centered around a passion for grunge, though his career may not have advanced during his time as Radford.

Los Gringos Locos & Career Highlights

Spicolli drew widespread attention in 1994, when he was wrestling in Mexico as a part of Los Gringos Locos, a group composed of Spicolli, Eddie Guerrero, Konnan, and Art Barr. 

Under the stage name Madonna’s Boyfriend, Spicolli would participate in a pay-per-view (PPV) tag team match at 1994’s When Worlds Collide, which helped Spicolli’s wrestling career.

He also gained notoriety later in his career, working as a heel during his time with WCW, aligning with New World Order (NWO) member Scott Hall, and feuding with figures such as Tommy Dreamer, and Larry Zbyszko.

Championships

Spicolli earned several heavyweight championships despite a relatively brief career. 

He was a one-time American Wrestling Federation (AWF) heavyweight champion and a one-time Interwest Wrestling Federation (IWF) heavyweight champion. He also won the WWA World Trios Championship twice alongside Bill Anderson and Tim Patterson.

How Louie Spicolli Died

Spicolli and Zbyszko had a wrestling match scheduled for February 22, 1998. However, this fight would never occur. 

On February 15, Spicolli allegedly swallowed over 25 pills of Soma, a brand name pain medication that contains carisoprodol. He allegedly drank a significant amount of alcohol and asphyxiated on his own vomit in his sleep.

However, reports of Spicolli’s death also list his cause of death as coronary disease, exacerbated by the pain pills, alcohol, and artificial testosterone in his system.

Reports on the incident suggest that Spicolli’s relapse into drug and alcohol abuse before his death was caused by his mother’s diagnosis of terminal cancer. However, few firsthand or secondhand sources on the matter cannot confirm or deny this.

Louie Spicolli’s History Of Substance Abuse & Rehab

Outside of wrestling, Spicolli may have struggled with depression and chronic drug abuse. Some sources suggest he constantly abused Soma, the pain pills found in his system at the time of his death.

Reports suggest Louie Spicolli was in intensive care after suffering a seizure caused by Soma overdose in 1996. However, few records exist of Spicolli’s history of substance abuse treatment. 

Some reports state Spicolli had stopped taking drugs before his death, but the subsequent relapse may have contributed to the life-threatening overdose.

Recovery Is Possible

Abusing prescription drugs or alcohol can increase your risk of a life-threatening overdose. However, recovery from prescription drug and alcohol abuse is possible with professional support, ongoing care, and evidence-based treatment services.

To learn how we treat addiction, please contact us today.