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Bob Marella picture

Bob Marella

Acting
Known For

62 Years Old

Robert James Marella better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play commentator, and booker. Monsoon is famous for his run as a super-heavyweight main eventer, and later as the voice of WWE, as commentator and backstage manager during the 1980s and 1990s. He also portrayed the on-screen role of WWE President from 1995 to 1997. In professional wrestling, the staging area just behind the entrance curtain at an event, a position which Marella established and where he could often be found during WWE shows late in his career, is named the "Gorilla Position" in his honor. Although remembered fondly by many viewers, Monsoon was voted Worst Television Announcer a record six times by readers of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in the publication's annual awards poll. Marella was married to his wife, Maureen, for more than 40 years and had three children: Sharon (born 1960), Joey (adopted, 1963–1994), and Valerie (born 1966). Victor Quinones (1959-2006) was listed in Gorilla's obituary as his son as well. This was never confirmed officially by Gorilla but the Marella family has acknowledged this after Gorilla's death. Along with Linda McMahon, Marella was considered as a possible replacement for Vince McMahon as the owner of WWE if McMahon had been found guilty during his 1994 legal trial for illegal steroid use in the company. On July 4, 1994, his adopted son, Joey Marella, fell asleep at the wheel and died in a car accident on the New Jersey Turnpike, while returning from refereeing a WWE event in Ocean City, Maryland. He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. For years, Marella had a custom New Jersey license plate which read "kayfabe Death and legacy Marella died on October 6, 1999, of heart failure brought on by complications of diabetes, at his home in Willingboro Township, New Jersey. He was 62 years old. In a tribute that aired on October 11, 1999, on an episode of Raw Is War from the Georgia Dome, McMahon described Marella as "one of the greatest men I have ever known." He is interred next to his son, Joey Marella, at Lakeview Memorial Park in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. WCW commentator Tony Schiavone acknowledged Marella's death on the October 11, 1999, episode of WCW Monday Nitro. Bobby Heenan insisted on doing a tribute to Marella, even though Marella never worked for WCW. Heenan said on-air: "Gorilla will be sadly missed. Now he was one big tough man. He was a decent honest man. And we're all gonna miss him very much. And you know the pearly gates in heaven? It's now gonna be called 'the Gorilla position.' Goodbye, my friend." Robert Marella was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, class of 1994, on June 9. When Heenan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004, he ended his acceptance speech with a very emotional, "There's only one thing missing, I wish Monsoon was here." In 2007, when Anthony Carelli made his debut with WWE, as a tribute to Marella, he was given the ring name "Santino Marella".

Born

Rochester, New York, USA on 4th June 1937

Died

6th October 1999

All Credits

WWF Wrestling Challenge Image
WWF Wrestling Challenge
Gorilla Monsoon
Raw Image
Raw
Gorilla Monsoon
Mr. McMahon Image
Mr. McMahon
Self (archive footage)
Andre the Giant Image
Andre the Giant
Self (voice) (archive footage)
WrestleMania 2 Image
WrestleMania 2
Gorilla Monsoon
WrestleMania III Image
WrestleMania III
Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology Image
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
Gorilla Monsoon
The True Story of WrestleMania Image
The True Story of WrestleMania
Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage)
WrestleMania IV Image
WrestleMania IV
Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
WrestleMania Image
WrestleMania
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak Image
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage)
Biography: D-Generation X Image
Biography: D-Generation X
(archive footage)
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary Image
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Survivor Series 1990 Image
WWE Survivor Series 1990
Gorilla Monsoon
Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows Image
Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows
Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage)
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time Image
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell Image
WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell
Gorilla Monsoon (WWE President)
The Super Bowl of Wrestling Image
The Super Bowl of Wrestling
Gorilla Monsoon
No Image
Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE: Shawn Michaels - Boyhood Dream Image
WWE: Shawn Michaels - Boyhood Dream
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Hall Of Fame 1996 Image
WWE Hall Of Fame 1996
WWE Villains of The Squared Circle Image
WWE Villains of The Squared Circle
Gorilla Monsoon
German Fan Favorites 2 Image
German Fan Favorites 2
Gorilla Monsoon
Biography: Wrestlemania I Image
Biography: Wrestlemania I
Self (archival footage)
WWE Crunch Classic Image
WWE Crunch Classic
Gorilla Monsoon
WWF Hulkamania 2 Image
WWF Hulkamania 2
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams Image
WWE Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams
Gorilla Monsoon (Host)
Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps and Bodyslams! Image
Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps and Bodyslams!
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE's Inside the Steel Cage Image
WWE's Inside the Steel Cage
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Hall Of Fame 1994 Image
WWE Hall Of Fame 1994
Gorilla Monsoon
WWF's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest Image
WWF's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest
Gorilla Monsoon
Tag Team Champions Image
Tag Team Champions
Gorilla Monsoon
No Image
WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983
Gorilla Monsoon (Commentary)
Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits Image
Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits
Gorilla Monsoon
The Best of the WWF: volume 12 Image
The Best of the WWF: volume 12
Gorilla Monsoon
WWF Sunday Night Slam • November 20th, 1994 Image
WWF Sunday Night Slam • November 20th, 1994
Gorilla Monsoon
No Image
WWE at Madison Square Garden: June 30, 1973
Gorilla Monsoon