Bob Marella

Acting · 0.6 popularity

Age

Movies

Born: June 4, 1937 – October 6, 1999
From: Rochester, New York, USA

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".

Works

69 films

WWE: Shawn Michaels - Boyhood Dream

2004

Andre the Giant

20187.3

WWE SuperTape: Volume 1

1990

WWE SummerSlam 1997

19977.8

WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time

20108.3

Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows

19987.5

Razor Ramon

1994

WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell

19976.7

Jake "The Snake" Roberts

1987

WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak

20128.8

WWE SuperTape: Volume 4

1991

The Undertaker

1994

WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary

20078.0

WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology

20067.9

WWE UK Fan Favorites 1993

1993

WWE Smack 'Em Whack 'Em

1993

Women of the WWF

1988

WWE Survivor Series 1990

19907.7

WWE Grudge Match

1986

WWE Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams

199410.0

WWE Funniest Moments

1991

WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1993

1993

The Ultimate Warrior

1989

WWE Battle Royal at the Albert Hall

19916.0

Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams

198510.0

Inside the Steel Cage

1986

The Ultimate Warrior

1992

German Fan Favorites

1994

WWE World Tour 1992

1992

The WWF's Even More Unusual Matches

1987

Villains of the Squared Circle

1986

WWE Paul Bearer's Hits From the Crypt

1994

George "The Animal" Steele

1987

WWE Hall Of Fame 1995

199510.0

The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano

198610.0

Bret "Hit Man" Hart

1994

Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments

198710.0

Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits

19857.0

The Best of the WWF: volume 20

1989

WWE Bashed in the USA

1993

Tag Team Champions

1986

WWE March to WrestleMania VIII

1992

Biography: Wrestlemania I

20226.0

WWE March to WrestleMania X

1994

The Best of the WWF: volume 17

1988

Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!

19856.0

The Best of the WWF: volume 14

1987

The Best of the WWF: volume 12

1987

The Brains Behind the Brawn

1989

The Best of the WWF: volume 13

1987

WWE Hall Of Fame 1994

1994

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

198610.0

Wrestling Superheroes

1990

WWE UK Rampage '92

1992

The Hulkster Hulk Hogan

1985

WWF Hulkamania 2

1987

WWE WrestleFest '93

1993

The British Bulldogs

19864.0

Demolition: Witness the Power

1989

Wrestling Tough Guys

1990

WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983

1983

Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino

1986

The WWF's Amazing Managers

1985

WWE Crunch Classic

1992

WWE Hall Of Fame 1996

1996

Hulkamania 6

199110.0

WWE at Madison Square Garden: June 30, 1973

1973

The Super Bowl of Wrestling

1978

WWF Sunday Night Slam • November 20th, 1994

1994