Robert James Marella better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play commentator, and booker.
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".
External links
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Filmography (Movies)
Biography: Wrestlemania I
Character:Self (archival footage)
Release Date:04/09/2022
Andre the Giant
Character:Self (voice) (archive footage)
Release Date:10/04/2018
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
Character:Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage)
Release Date:23/07/2012
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:07/12/2010
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:26/12/2007
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:17/10/2006
WWE: Shawn Michaels - Boyhood Dream
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:14/09/2004
Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows
Character:Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage)
Release Date:20/12/1998
WWE SummerSlam 1997
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:02/08/1997
WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell
Character:Gorilla Monsoon (WWE President)
Release Date:11/05/1997
WWE Hall Of Fame 1996
Character:Self
Release Date:16/11/1996
WWE Hall Of Fame 1995
Character:Self
Release Date:25/06/1995
Paul Bearer's Hits From the Crypt
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:14/12/1994
WWF Sunday Night Slam • November 20th, 1994
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:20/11/1994
German Fan Favorites
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:24/10/1994
Razor Ramon
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:05/10/1994
Bret "Hit Man" Hart
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:10/08/1994
The Undertaker
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:05/07/1994
WWE Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams
Character:Gorilla Monsoon (Host)
Release Date:29/06/1994
WWE Hall Of Fame 1994
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:09/06/1994
WWE March to WrestleMania X
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:13/03/1994
WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1993
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:22/08/1993
WWE UK Fan Favorites 1993
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:09/08/1993
WWE Bashed in the USA
Character:Gorilla Monsoon (Commentator)
Release Date:23/06/1993
Smack 'Em Whack 'Em
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:22/04/1993
WWE WrestleFest '93
Character:Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
Release Date:20/03/1993
The Ultimate Warrior
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:05/11/1992
WWE World Tour 1992
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:27/08/1992
WWE Crunch Classic
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:28/05/1992
WWE UK Rampage '92
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:14/04/1992
Hulkamania 6
Character:Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
Release Date:28/11/1991
WWE Battle Royal at the Albert Hall
Character:Gorila Monsoon (Commentator)
Release Date:03/10/1991
WWE SuperTape: Volume 4
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:23/05/1991
WWE Funniest Moments
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:27/02/1991
WWE Survivor Series 1990
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:22/11/1990
Wrestling Tough Guys
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:27/09/1990
Wrestling Superheroes
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:21/03/1990
WWE SuperTape: Volume 1
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:21/03/1990
Demolition: Witness the Power
Character:Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
Release Date:09/08/1989
The Ultimate Warrior
Character:Gorilla Monsoon (Commentator)
Release Date:28/06/1989
The Brains Behind the Brawn
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:15/03/1989
WrestleMania IV (Duplicated)
Character:Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
Release Date:27/03/1988
The Best of the WWF: volume 14
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:15/12/1987
George "The Animal" Steele
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:15/12/1987
Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:15/12/1987
The Best of the WWF: volume 13
Character:Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
Release Date:28/10/1987
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:19/08/1987
The Best of the WWF: volume 12
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:15/08/1987
WWF Hulkamania 2
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:01/05/1987
WrestleMania III (Duplicated)
Character:Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
Release Date:29/03/1987
The WWF's Even More Unusual Matches
Character:Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
Release Date:01/02/1987
Inside the Steel Cage
Character:Gorila Monsoon
Release Date:11/12/1986
The British Bulldogs
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:15/10/1986
Villains of the Squared Circle
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:06/06/1986
Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:06/06/1986
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:02/05/1986
WrestleMania 2 (Duplicated)
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:07/04/1986
WWE Grudge Match
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:27/03/1986
The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:08/03/1986
Tag Team Champions
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:01/03/1986
The WWF's Amazing Managers
Character:Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator
Release Date:31/12/1985
Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:15/09/1985
Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:01/01/1985
Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:01/01/1985
The Hulkster Hulk Hogan
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:01/01/1985
WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983
Character:Gorilla Monsoon (Commentary)
Release Date:17/10/1983
The Super Bowl of Wrestling
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:25/01/1978
WWE at Madison Square Garden: June 30, 1973
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Release Date:30/07/1973
Television Appearances
Mr. McMahon
Character:Self (archive footage)
WWE Sunday Night Slam
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
Raw
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
WWF Wrestling Challenge
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
Character:Gorilla Monsoon (Color Commentator)
Tuesday Night Titans
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Old School
Character:Gorilla Monsoon
WWE Old School
Character:Gorilla Monsoon (Commentary)