Bob Marella
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- June 4, 1937
- Died
- October 6, 1999 (aged 62)
- Birthplace
- 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".
Known For
Filmography
Mr. McMahon
TV · as Self (archive footage) · 6 eps
Biography: Wrestlemania I
Movie · as Self (archival footage)
Andre the Giant
Movie · as Self (voice) (archive footage)
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage)
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE: Shawn Michaels - Boyhood Dream
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage)
WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon (WWE President)
WWE SummerSlam 1997
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Hall Of Fame 1996
Movie · as Self
WWE Hall Of Fame 1995
Movie · as Self
WWF 1995: The Year In Review
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon (Host)
German Fan Favorites
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWF Sunday Night Slam • November 20th, 1994
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Hall Of Fame 1994
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE March to WrestleMania X
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
The Undertaker
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Bret "Hit Man" Hart
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Paul Bearer's Hits From the Crypt
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Razor Ramon
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Sunday Night Slam
TV · as Gorilla Monsoon · 1 ep
WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1993
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE WrestleFest '93
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
WWE Bashed in the USA
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon (Commentator)
WWE Smack 'Em Whack 'Em
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE UK Fan Favorites 1993
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Raw
TV · as Gorilla Monsoon · 12 eps
WWE Crunch Classic
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
The Ultimate Warrior
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE World Tour 1992
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE UK Rampage '92
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE March to WrestleMania VIII
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Hulkamania 6
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
WWE Battle Royal at the Albert Hall
Movie · as Gorila Monsoon (Commentator)
WWE SuperTape: Volume 4
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Funniest Moments
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Survivor Series 1990
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Wrestling Superheroes
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Wrestling Tough Guys
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE SuperTape: Volume 1
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Hulkamania Forever
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Demolition: Witness the Power
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
The Ultimate Warrior
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon (Commentator)
The Brains Behind the Brawn
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
The Best of the WWF: volume 20
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
The Best of the WWF: volume 18
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Women of the WWF
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
The Best of the WWF: volume 17
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Hulkamania 2
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
The Best of the WWF: volume 12
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
The WWF's Even More Unusual Matches
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
The Best of the WWF: volume 13
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
The Best of the WWF: volume 14
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
George "The Animal" Steele
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Villains of the Squared Circle
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Tag Team Champions
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
The British Bulldogs
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Inside the Steel Cage
Movie · as Gorila Monsoon
WWE Grudge Match
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
The Best of the WWF: volume 7
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
The Best of the WWF: volume 6
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
The Best of the WWF: volume 5
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWF Wrestling Challenge
TV · as Gorilla Monsoon · 239 eps
WWF Superstars
TV · as Gorilla Monsoon · 1 ep
Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
The WWF's Amazing Managers
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
The Hulkster Hulk Hogan
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
TV · as Gorilla Monsoon (Color Commentator) · 1 ep
Tuesday Night Titans
TV · as Gorilla Monsoon · 3 eps
WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon (Commentary)
The Super Bowl of Wrestling
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE at Madison Square Garden: June 30, 1973
Movie · as Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Old School
TV · as Gorilla Monsoon, Gorilla Monsoon (Commentary) · 1 ep