Eighth Avenue traffic was disorganized, pedestrian traffic was jammed for blocks north and south, side doors at Madison Square Garden were torn from their hinges as the crowd stormed the entrances. It was the largest crowd at the Garden in 25 years — larger than for championship fights, rodeos, tennis matches or the circus.
— New York Journal-American, 1957
They had come to see Verne Gagne.
Gagne, who died on Monday at 89, was one of the most celebrated pro wrestlers of his time, known for his quickness and finesse in the ring.