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Lucharitos, Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. team up for pro wrestling event

Marc LaMaina and Kevin Sage were reminiscing about the days of watching their wrestling heroes compete at the American Legion in Greenport. 

Mr. LaMaina, the owner of Lucharitos restaurants, and Mr. Sage, general manager of the Greenport location, said they’d both been wrestling fans since they were kids.

Together, they came up with an idea: Create an event to bring wrestling back to the North Fork. 

Lucharitos has since teamed up with Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. for an event called LuchaRumble. It’s scheduled for Sunday, July 28, at 4 p.m. on the lawn at Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. in Peconic.

“We grew up in Greenport and we’ve been into wrestling since we were kids,” Mr. LaMaina said. “And because we own a wrestling-themed restaurant, we thought it’d be super cool to pair the launching of the new beer we made with Greenport Harbor Brewing Co., Lucha Lager, with a wrestling event.”

The LuchaRumble will feature eight matches with wrestlers from the Long Island group Fight the World Wrestling. WWE commentator Corey Graves will be the guest host.

Wrestling-themed food and drinks will be served, and the Lucharitos taco truck will be on site offering “special eats,” including their new “Ric Flair” taco. Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. will also be serving Lucha Lager, its collaboration with Lucharitos.

“It took us about three seconds to say yes [to the idea],” said Rich Vandenburgh, co-owner of Greenport Harbor. “It’s just kind of a unique event, not something you see every day, that appeals to a lot of those fans that love that whole entertainment scene.”

The brewery obtained a special event permit for the family-friendly event, Mr. Vandenburgh said, and ticket sales will be limited. VIP tickets are available that include premium seating, complimentary Lucharitos hot sauce, a 16-ounce beer and a meet-and-greet with the host, Mr. Graves.

“The genesis of the idea was to offer something alternative to the stuff you find [on the North Fork] and to also celebrate the fact that two businesses are able to support each other and elevate the relationship in a way that makes them a lot of fun — and enjoy good beer at the same time,” Mr. Vandenburgh said.

Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at ftw-wrestling.com or lucharitos.com/news.

“It’s nothing other than adding some authenticity to the North Fork, in terms of a unique place to live, work and play,” Mr. Vandenburgh said.

Caption: Sage (from left), Vandenburgh, Greenport head brewer Pat Alfred and LaMaina toast the launch of Lucha Lager in May.