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Bob Marella
Acting

Bob Marella
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1937-06-04,Rochester, New York, USA
Gender
Male
Biography
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".

Filmography

Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows

7.519

Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows
1998-12-20

WWE Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams

10

WWE Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams
1994-06-29

German Fan Favorites 2

0

German Fan Favorites 2
1994-10-24

WWE Villains of The Squared Circle

0

WWE Villains of The Squared Circle
1986-06-06

WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology

7.9

WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
2006-10-17

WWE: Shawn Michaels - Boyhood Dream

0

WWE: Shawn Michaels - Boyhood Dream
2004-09-14

WWF Sunday Night Slam • November 20th, 1994

0

WWF Sunday Night Slam • November 20th, 1994
1994-11-20

WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell

5

WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell
1997-05-11

Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps and Bodyslams!

10

Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps and Bodyslams!
1985-01-01

Biography: Wrestlemania I

6

Biography: Wrestlemania I
2022-09-04

WWE's Inside the Steel Cage

0

WWE's Inside the Steel Cage
1986-12-11

WWF Hulkamania 2

0

WWF Hulkamania 2
1987-05-01

The Best of the WWF: volume 12

0

The Best of the WWF: volume 12
1987-08-15

WWE Survivor Series 1990

8

WWE Survivor Series 1990
1990-11-22

WWF's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest

0

WWF's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest
1985-01-01

Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits

0

Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits
1985-09-15

WWE Crunch Classic

0

WWE Crunch Classic
1992-05-28

WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time

8.3

WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
2010-12-07

Andre the Giant

7.333

Andre the Giant
2018-04-10

WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary

9.5

WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
2007-12-26

WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak

8.8

WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
2012-07-23

WWE Hall Of Fame 1996

0

WWE Hall Of Fame 1996
1996-11-16

WWE Hall Of Fame 1994

0

WWE Hall Of Fame 1994
1994-06-09

Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino

0

Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino
1986-06-06

Tag Team Champions

0

Tag Team Champions
1986-03-01

The Super Bowl of Wrestling

0

The Super Bowl of Wrestling
1978-01-25

WWE at Madison Square Garden: June 30, 1973

0

WWE at Madison Square Garden: June 30, 1973
1973-07-30

WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983

0

WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983
1983-10-17

0

WrestleMania
1985-03-31

8.667

WrestleMania 2
1986-04-07

WrestleMania III

8.5

WrestleMania III
1987-03-29

WrestleMania IV

0

WrestleMania IV
1988-03-27

WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1993

0

WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1993
1993-08-22

WWE March to WrestleMania X

0

WWE March to WrestleMania X
1994-03-13

WWE SummerSlam 1997

8

WWE SummerSlam 1997
1997-08-02

WWF Wrestling Challenge

6.8

WWF Wrestling Challenge
1986-09-07

6.8

Raw
1993-01-11

7.907

Mr. McMahon
2024-09-25

0

WWE Old School
1973-06-30

0

WWE Old School
1973-06-30