Known For
Acting
Born
Jun 04, 1937
Died
Oct 06, 1999
Place of Birth
Rochester, New York, USA
Credits
86 titles
Bob Marella
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".
Known For
Filmography
Mr. McMahon
Self (archive footage)
Biography: Wrestlemania I
Self (archival footage)
Andre the Giant
Self (voice) (archive footage)
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage)
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE: Shawn Michaels - Boyhood Dream
Gorilla Monsoon
Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows
Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage)
WWE SummerSlam 1997
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell
Gorilla Monsoon (WWE President)
WWE Hall Of Fame 1996
Self
WWE Hall Of Fame 1995
Self
WWE Paul Bearer's Hits From the Crypt
Gorilla Monsoon
WWF Sunday Night Slam • November 20th, 1994
Gorilla Monsoon
German Fan Favorites
Gorilla Monsoon
Razor Ramon
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Sunday Night Slam
Gorilla Monsoon
Bret "Hit Man" Hart
Gorilla Monsoon
The Undertaker
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams
Gorilla Monsoon (Host)
WWE Hall Of Fame 1994
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE March to WrestleMania X
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1993
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE UK Fan Favorites 1993
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Bashed in the USA
Gorilla Monsoon (Commentator)
WWE Smack 'Em Whack 'Em
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE WrestleFest '93
Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
Raw
Gorilla Monsoon
The Ultimate Warrior
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE World Tour 1992
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1992
Writer
WWE Crunch Classic
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE UK Rampage
Writer
WWE UK Rampage '92
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE WrestleMania VIII
Writer
WWE March to WrestleMania VIII
Gorilla Monsoon
Hulkamania 6
Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
WWE Battle Royal at the Albert Hall
Gorila Monsoon (Commentator)
WWE SuperTape: Volume 4
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Funniest Moments
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Survivor Series 1990
Gorilla Monsoon
Hulkamania Forever
Gorilla Monsoon
Wrestling Tough Guys
Gorilla Monsoon
WWE SuperTape: Volume 1
Gorilla Monsoon
Wrestling Superheroes
Gorilla Monsoon
The Best of the WWF: volume 20
Gorilla Monsoon
Demolition: Witness the Power
Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
The Ultimate Warrior
Gorilla Monsoon (Commentator)
The Brains Behind the Brawn
Gorilla Monsoon