
ntil several months ago, his neighbors in Portland, Maine knew Rob Elowitch only as the urbane and rather scholarly co-owner of the city's respected
Barridoff Galleries. Elowitch, a cum laude graduate of Amherst College, has for years devoted much of his time to developing artistic and cultural programs throughout Maine; his gallery has sold works by such renowned American painters as Eakins and Homer for prices as high as $225,000 [today: $500,000]. Elowitch also belongs to one of Portland's most accomplished families. His sister is a former mayor of the city, and his father is cofounder of a thriving manufacturing company. Yet for the last 20 years Rob Elowitch has led a secret life - as a professional wrestler. He [as Robbie Ellis] has competed in rings throughout the U.S. and Europe, playing the hero [a persona that has undergone radical changessince this article] against the likes of Lord Herculon and Killer Kowalski. . . Elowitch, who has grappled for Amherst was concerned about his image. He hid his mat career from his customers, parents and most of his friends by never competing in Portland; he often squeezed
in matches while on business trips. His secret became public when he reluctantly agreed to be listed on a wrestling card in Portland, and local papers put him on the front page. To his relief, Elowitch has found that the publicity about his wrestling career hasn't hurt his gallery business at all. In fact, in the art world he's now admired more than ever.
Elowitch and his wife, Annette, have three children. Jennifer, a graduate of the Eastman School of Music with a masters in performance from Yale, is a professional violinist in Boston, who has toured with the Boston Symphony and Pops Orchestras as well as with the Mark Morris Dance Company. She is the co-founder of the Portland Chamber Music Festival. Sam, a graduate of Brandeis with a masters degree from Berkeley, is a freelancer working in the publishing business
out of the home he shares with Leah Binder, his wife since May of 1997.
Leah, who also graduated from Brandeis and comes from Portland, Maine -
though the two met for the first time in New York - was until recently a
senior deputy in charge of health care for the City of New York in the
Giuliani administration. She gave birth on May 29, 1998 to Henry Lysander
Elowitch, who weighed in at a strapping 10 lbs, 13 oz and is today on his
way to becoming a professional wrestler for sure - and unlike Robbie, a
HEAVYWEIGHT champ! Sam, Leah, and Henry have recently moved from NYC to
Farmington, Maine where Leah has taken a job as director of the Healthy
Community Coalition at the Franklin Community Hospital in Farmington, Maine
and Sam is continuing freelance work as an editor for the publishing
business by way of his expertise with computers.
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