'Terror Behind the Balls?': Local haunted house actors tease coworker about severe jock odor

Fairmount, Philadelphia--Tony Luprin, 29, looks forward every year to the Halloween season, the Francesville resident claims that he actually begins to lose sleep with anticipation by late August. Luprin's restlessness grows from his excitement as a local actor who takes part in "Terror Behind the Walls," the castle-like Eastern State Penitentiary's annual haunted house.

His specific role varies each year, but in the past he has portrayed a deranged inmate, wounded prison guard and a chainsaw-wheeling doctor.

The harrowing event spans September, October and November and has been ranked the country's number one haunted house several times, and helps financially support this National Historic Landmark in the neighborhood just north of Center City.

Luprin is well-known among his Penitentiary coworkers for his dramatic portrayals of the characters he plays, but he is also known among them for another reason.

"Last year, I was partnered with him in the haunted 3-D room for a couple nights and it just became too much," said coworker Paul Donnemiller, 41, of Brewerytown about Luprin's severe jock odor. "I had to get reassigned. I couldn't do it. That guy's jock odor is ripe."

The actor claims to have a perfectly good explanation for this odor.

"I'm a runner, I play soccer and I bike all over the city," explained Luprin. "So, yeah, I get sweaty. Honestly, I don't notice the smell at all, but I guess it's a lot like living next to a noisy highway or elevated train: you get used to it. It's not like I don't bathe. Although, sometimes I go right to work from a soccer game. So yeah, sometimes I don't bathe."

The actor's hygienic problem has earned him the nickname "Terror Behind the Balls." At first, it was a name that was used strictly behind his back--a kind of "quiet everyone, here comes Terror Behind the Balls"-type situation. But he soon learned of the name and had no hard feelings.

"Yeah, we call him 'Terror Behind the Balls.' I actually came up with it," said Jessica Houser. "I think in a weird way he kind of likes being called that. In fact, he doesn't really answer to Tony anymore."

Some have said that the haunted house's number one ranking could be partly due to Luprin's frightening jock odor.

"We like to tease Tony, but it's all in good fun," said Sarah Glastone, 33, who uses a nightstick to bang on cell door bars as unsuspecting visitors to the haunted house pass by. "But, seriously dude, you gotta do something about that jock odor. You're scaring the crap out of the visitors."