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

Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage)

Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows

Gorilla Monsoon (Host)

WWE Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams

Gorilla Monsoon

German Fan Favorites 2

Gorilla Monsoon

Villains of the Squared Circle

Gorilla Monsoon

WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology

Gorilla Monsoon

WWE: Shawn Michaels - Boyhood Dream

Gorilla Monsoon

WWF Sunday Night Slam • November 20th, 1994

Gorilla Monsoon (WWE President)

WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell

Gorilla Monsoon

Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps and Bodyslams!

Self (archival footage)

Biography: Wrestlemania I

Gorilla Monsoon

WWF Hulkamania 2

Gorilla Monsoon

The Best of the WWF: volume 12

Gorilla Monsoon

WWE Survivor Series 1990

Gorilla Monsoon

WWF's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest

Gorilla Monsoon

Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits

Gorilla Monsoon

WWE Crunch Classic

Gorilla Monsoon

WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time

Self (voice) (archive footage)

Andre the Giant

Gorilla Monsoon

WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary

Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage)

WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak

WWE Hall Of Fame 1996

Gorilla Monsoon

WWE Hall Of Fame 1994

Gorilla Monsoon

Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino

Gorilla Monsoon

Tag Team Champions

Gorilla Monsoon

The Super Bowl of Wrestling

Gorilla Monsoon

WWE at Madison Square Garden: June 30, 1973

Gorilla Monsoon (Commentary)

WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983

Gorilla Monsoon

WrestleMania

Gorilla Monsoon

WrestleMania 2

Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator

WrestleMania III

Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator

WrestleMania IV

Gorilla Monsoon

WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1993

Gorilla Monsoon

WWE March to WrestleMania X

Gorilla Monsoon

WWE SummerSlam 1997

Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator

WWF: WrestleFest '93

Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator

WWF Bashed in the USA

Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator

The WWF's Even More Unusual Matches

Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator

The WWF's Amazing Managers

Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator

The Best of the WWF: volume 13

Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator

Hulkamania 6

Gorilla Monsoon

The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano

Gorilla Monsoon

The Best of the WWF: volume 14

Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator

WWE Demolition

Gorilla Monsoon (Commentator)

The Ultimate Warrior

Gorilla Monsoon

The British Bulldogs

Gorilla Monsoon

The Ultimate Warrior

Gorilla Monsoon

The Brains Behind the Brawn

Gorilla Monsoon

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

Gorilla Monsoon

George "The Animal" Steele

Gorilla Monsoon

The Undertaker

Gorilla Monsoon

Bret "Hit Man" Hart

Gorilla Monsoon

Paul Bearer's Hits From the Crypt

Gorilla Monsoon

Razor Ramon

Gorila Monsoon

Inside the Steel Cage

Gorilla Monsoon

Wrestling Superheroes

Gorilla Monsoon

Wrestling Tough Guys

Gorilla Monsoon

Smack 'Em Whack 'Em